Winters Curse

The next morning Ran woke up and found Kaito by her bed, sleeping. She got up but she realized that Kaito was holding her hand. She smiled and went back to sleep, holding Kaito's hand. A while passed and Kaito woke up this time. Ran was still holding his hand and facing him. Kaito slid his hand out of Ran's and went down stairs.

At Kaito's school

"Apparently, Kaito is absent so will someone take his homework to him despite that today is the coldest day of winter please" the teacher sort of begged.

"I will" Aoko volunteered.

"Ok, now that the situation is settled let's begin class!".

'Kaito, where are you?' Aoko thought as she looked out the window.

Flashback

It was late after school and Aoko and Kaito were the only children left. Kaito looked at Aoko and wondered why she was still here.

"Why are you still here?" Kaito asked.

"My daddy's really busy working" Aoko answered. "Sometimes he doesn't even see me".

Suddenly, in Kaito's hand popped up a red rose and he smiled at Aoko.

"I'm Kaito Kuroba" Kaito introduced.

"Aoko Nakamori" Aoko replied and took the rose.

Flashback

"Ms. Nakamori!" the teacher snapped and Aoko jumped a little. "Welcome back to planet earth, Aoko. Now please pay attention to the lesson".

"Yes sensei" Aoko replied.

At Kaito's house

"Weather report for today is snow and lots of it. In fact, the temperature might drop to 10 – 15 below 0. So remember to wear really warm clothes and keep the heater on. That's all for today's weather report" the weather man said and Kaito shut off the TV.

"Kaito?" Ran asked sleepily as she came into the living room.

"Ran! Sorry if I woke you up. Go back to sleep" Kaito replied.

"I'm not tired" Ran reassured.

"If you say so" Kaito said. "Why don't you go take a shower and put on the clothes that you left here".

"Ok" Ran replied and went upstairs to go take a shower.

Where Aoko is

Flashback

Aoko and Kaito were in middle school now and they were best friends.

"Hey, Kaito" Aoko greeted Kaito after school. "Wanna walk home together?".

"Sure. Your dad still working a lot?" Kaito asked.

"Ya, but at least I have Kaito and Akako to keep me company!" Aoko replied with a bright smile.

"Yep!" Kaito agreed and smiled back.

Flashback

"Aoko? Earth to Aoko!" Akako waved her hands in front of Aoko's face and Aoko jumped.

"Akako!" Aoko exclaimed.

"Finally! What's wrong?" Akako asked.

"Nothing" Aoko lied.

"Its Ran isn't it?" Akako asked.

"What do you mean?" Aoko asked.

"You're thinking that the reason why Kaito's not here is because of Ran. You're probably right" Akako replied.

Aoko got a sad look on her face and said "I'm sorry. I'll be late for class today. I need to go".

"Aoko wait! I didn't know that-" Akako tried to explain but it was too late, Aoko ran as fast as she could to the girls bathroom.

'She's right! I don't stand a chance anymore! I just want everything to back to normal!' Aoko thought, tears rolling down her face as she ran.

Flashback

"Oi, Aoko!" Kaito called out.

"Nani?" Aoko asked.

Kaito grabbed Aoko by the arm and pulled her close. With one arm around Aoko's shoulders and one hand with a camera in it he smiled and Aoko smiled too.

On Aoko's birthday Kaito always put on a magic show and made Aoko laugh. On his birthdays she would do the same and at least try to put on a magic show but never did but, Kaito thought it was cute how she messed up. They would spend every day together and sometimes, people would mistake them for a couple. Aoko didn't mind and neither did Kaito.

Flashback

For a minute Aoko stopped crying in the girl's bathroom and smiled but then all her memories started to change.

Flashback

"Who are you?" Aoko asked.

Ran turned around and was about to answer but Kaito's front door opened.

"Hey Ran you're ba-" Kaito pulled Ran inside the house and they disappeared.

"Who was that girl?" Akako asked.

"Don't know" Aoko replied.

At Aoko's school

"Hello?" Kaito answered his phone.

'Kaito doesn't have any other numbers then mine and Akako, that's her!' Aoko thought.

"Sure, why not" Kaito said into his phone.

"Who's that? Is that her?" Aoko asked taking the phone from Kaito.

"Hey! Aoko, give my phone back!" Kaito demanded.

"Who is this? Are you that girl from last night? Look, I don't know who you are and what your trying to do but I have been Kaito's friend ever since we were little and I haven't seen you ever until yesterday and-" Aoko ranted until Ran cut her off.

"Oh, you're that girl from last night. Look, I'm having a late birthday party tonight and I just called to invite Kaito, but if you and the other girl would like to come then be my guest. The party will be at the Suzuki residence. I gotta go now, class is starting, tell Kaito I said bye and see you at the party. Bye!" Ran said and hung up.

At Ran's birthday party

After the magic show was over everybody started talking.

"Who's that guy?" a girl asked her friend. "You don't think it's her boyfriend do you?".

"They look like a perfect couple!" her friend replied.

Aoko over heard this and got a sad look on her face.

Akako noticed this and said "Don't let it get to you Aoko. They're probably not going out anyway".

But the damage was done and Aoko felt like somebody just punched her.

Kaito came into the ballroom with Ran in his arms.

"I just knew it!" the girl exclaimed.

"Wonder what happened to Ran" her friend wondered.

'Kaito…' Aoko thought.

Flashback

All the moments where Aoko and Kaito were supposed to be wasn't there. It wasn't Aoko Kaito spent his days with, it was Ran. Aoko started to sob again and she tried to think of good things but every time she did, Kaito was there and if Kaito was there, Ran would come back.

At Kaito's house

"Kaito, I can't find my clothes" Ran, who didn't take a shower, yet, said.

"*sigh* Let me go find something" Kaito said and went into his parents old room.

He found a white spaghetti strap dress that went down to the knees. The dress belonged to his mother but he didn't want to give it away so he kept it. He found Ran and gave her the dress.

"Here, wear this" Kaito said and handed her the dress.

"Thanks Kaito" Ran thanked and a bright smile appeared on her face.

Kaito instantly blushed but Ran couldn't see it since she was already heading toward the bathroom. Ran took a shower and put on the clothes that Kaito gave her. She went down stairs and found a note from Kaito that said he would be back with something to eat since all the food last night spoiled.

At Akako's school

"Has anyone seen Aoko?" Akako asked the class.

"She went home because of family problems" a student answered.

'Aoko! That's it! I'm gonna have a little talk with this Ran chick!' Akako thought, furious.

Akako grabbed her bag and sprinted to Kaito's house. Once she got there, she knocked on the door and the girl she wanted to see answered it.

Inside the house

"Akako?" Ran asked, trying to remember the name that Aoko said to her.

"Listen and listen good! You are a curse you know that! Everything was fine until you came! Aoko and Kaito would've been together by now! You got in the way and now because of you, Aoko's heart is shattered, my friendship with her is ruined, and Aoko is back to being lonely all over again!" Akako yelled. "Me and Kaito were the only ones she ever had and you took that away from her you bitch! You don't deserve to live! Why don't you just go die! I mean don't you get it? Leave Kaito alone! Unless you want to see what real pain feels like!".

Akako stomped away and left Ran there, feeling guilty, sad, miserable, to think that she would have ever done that to anyone without even noticing it! Ran thought that Akako was right. She didn't deserve to live any more, not when she tore apart the one good thing that Aoko had. With that, Ran shut the door, tore off the necklace that Kaito gave her, threw it on the ground, and ran out the back door to an unknown church.