Chapter 1-Bange
Sakura Rykert felt her friend Tomoyo tying her hair up in ribbons. "Tomyo, are you having fun?" she teased. Tomoyo laughed. "Of course. What could be more fun than putting pretty pink ribbons in your hair. I just wish I had a camera so I could take a picture before we get outside." Sakura gazed out the bus's window, and watched the wind whip through the trees, scattering leaves everywhere. "Well, if it doesn't stop now, your ribbons might be thrown back on the bus the second I get off!" The girls laughed.
Chiharu, a girl with auburn hair, gave two long ribbons to Tomoyo. "Could you twine these into my hair? I think it would be cute!" The girls giggled as they twined ribbons into their hair. Tomoyo was willing to be the odd one out. Two little pig tails in Sakura's hair were supported by pink ribbon. Chiharu's hair was darling with ribbons braided around it. Naoko had one tied around her head. Only Rika refused a ribbon. "I don't need one. Besides, all we're going to do is lose them once we get off the bus." Chiharu swatted Rika. "True, but why not have fun anyways? What's wrong with you?"
~*~
Once off the bus, Sakura shivered. Three boys stood grinning. "Well, well, well. What just dropped into our hands. Hello girls. You'll be kind enough to come with us?" Sakura was shaking all over inside, but stood firm. "No, thank you. We're fine on our own." The blonde boy smiled. "No, you're not. You need some help. Bange is a very big place, and without help, you'll get lost." Sakura smiled. "Thank you for offering, but I see our host right now. Thank you, though." The blonde boy grimaced. He hissed, "Do you hear me, girl? Are you deaf? I SAID, we'll be taking you! Now stop arguing, and follow us!" Sakura felt her hand, clenched behind her back, held by Tomoyo. "Just do what he says. we don't want trouble right now!" The boy smiled. "Listen to your pretty friend, blondie. She knows what she's talking about. Oh, and tell redhead to stop scowling at me."
That was it. Sakura and Chiharu were done playing kind. "You do NOT call her BLONDIE! or me REDHEAD!" Chiharu screamed. The blonde boy smiled. "Touchy, aren't you?" Rika shivered. "Please leave us alone." The boy smiled a mean smile, and laughed cruelly. "Sorry, chicks, but girls this innocent belong with us. you are to report to us every day, and attend every dance with one of us, or one of two privileged friends. Disobey, and you'll be punished!" He smiled again, taking each of the girls in. "Now tell us you agree, or..." The boy trailed off. a scowl framed his face. Sakura turned, and smiled.
"What are you doing, Kevin?" A tall teen with brown hair bleached blonde at the tips towered over the blonde boy, AKA Kevin. "Nothing, Toby!" he whined. "Just helping the girls learn to fear KJJ!" Toby smacked him. "FEAR you? Don't make me laugh, Kev. You three will scram, or I WILL report you!" Rika sighed, and Sakura realized this wasn't for Toby, but for his tall friend. "Hey girls, what are you doing here alone?" Sakura giggled, and felt like an idiot for doing so. "We're here because in Scena, the fire burnt our homes. Supposedly, the Wilsons were taking us in?" Toby smiled. "Lisa's project! Here, I bet I know where she is. She usually works Fridays."
The girls exchanged glances. They were Lisa's project? Who was Lisa? Their hostess was May Wilson. They soon found out.
Toby led them to a small street, that had one prominent building, May's Diner. They entered, and Toby yelled, "I've been waiting an hour for my cappuchino! Hurry up, Lisa!" The girls were slightly upset, as they didn't understand why he was shouting. A black girl came over, and threw the towel she'd been wiping the counter down with. "If I've told you once," but a booth in the back finished for her. "I've told you a thousand times, Toby! Never insult mama's work!" Toby grinned.
I make it my goal in life. Thought about actually smashing Kevin's face in today." Lisa snorted. "You're still restraining yourself? You've got a lot more patience than I thought you did." Toby playfully pulled her hair. "There is a reason for me talking. These girls claim Wilson's are taking them in. And since there seems to be only one Wilson family in town, I took a shot and thought I'd run it by you." Lisa pushed Toby aside. "Take care of him, guys!" she called over her shoulder to the overpacked booth that had finished her sentence. "So darling! You come from Scena, and you're from, the adoption agency, right?" A new look came across Lisa's group. The girls instantly felt it. No matter where they went, it always followed them. Pity. The others had learned to contain it. Sakura never had. She burst out the door, and ran.
She ran past Kevin, and when he tried to grab her, she just punched him, and left him in the street screaming. His agony was nothing. In a few hours, he'd have a bruise. But she had a sign that was stamped on her forehead, pity me. And no matter how she tried to paint over it, ignore it, or scratch it away, it always came back. She was an orphan, and for reasons Sakura never figured out, people pitied her.
~*~
Toby rushed after her. He watched her punch Kevin away, and realized she hadn't actually needed his help earlier. She kept running, and he didn't know why. She couldn't hear him, they were crossing into the busy street, where the tourists in their flashy shirts bought flashy things, and ate flashy food. Toby ignored them, and kept following her. She ran into the woods, and Toby stopped, scared. In those woods, Jonthon lived. As old as he was, the childhood story still creeped him out. The alien man who had come in a meteor shower.
~~*
Sakura was running, but had the feeling she was being watched. "Come out!" she yelled. "Come out, and throw your money at me! I don't care anymore!" she screamed. 3 darkhaired children approached her. Sakura had the creepy feeling they'd been whirling around her, moving too fast to be seen. "Jonthon commands you come." Sakura finally calmed down enough to become terrified.
Sakura Rykert felt her friend Tomoyo tying her hair up in ribbons. "Tomyo, are you having fun?" she teased. Tomoyo laughed. "Of course. What could be more fun than putting pretty pink ribbons in your hair. I just wish I had a camera so I could take a picture before we get outside." Sakura gazed out the bus's window, and watched the wind whip through the trees, scattering leaves everywhere. "Well, if it doesn't stop now, your ribbons might be thrown back on the bus the second I get off!" The girls laughed.
Chiharu, a girl with auburn hair, gave two long ribbons to Tomoyo. "Could you twine these into my hair? I think it would be cute!" The girls giggled as they twined ribbons into their hair. Tomoyo was willing to be the odd one out. Two little pig tails in Sakura's hair were supported by pink ribbon. Chiharu's hair was darling with ribbons braided around it. Naoko had one tied around her head. Only Rika refused a ribbon. "I don't need one. Besides, all we're going to do is lose them once we get off the bus." Chiharu swatted Rika. "True, but why not have fun anyways? What's wrong with you?"
~*~
Once off the bus, Sakura shivered. Three boys stood grinning. "Well, well, well. What just dropped into our hands. Hello girls. You'll be kind enough to come with us?" Sakura was shaking all over inside, but stood firm. "No, thank you. We're fine on our own." The blonde boy smiled. "No, you're not. You need some help. Bange is a very big place, and without help, you'll get lost." Sakura smiled. "Thank you for offering, but I see our host right now. Thank you, though." The blonde boy grimaced. He hissed, "Do you hear me, girl? Are you deaf? I SAID, we'll be taking you! Now stop arguing, and follow us!" Sakura felt her hand, clenched behind her back, held by Tomoyo. "Just do what he says. we don't want trouble right now!" The boy smiled. "Listen to your pretty friend, blondie. She knows what she's talking about. Oh, and tell redhead to stop scowling at me."
That was it. Sakura and Chiharu were done playing kind. "You do NOT call her BLONDIE! or me REDHEAD!" Chiharu screamed. The blonde boy smiled. "Touchy, aren't you?" Rika shivered. "Please leave us alone." The boy smiled a mean smile, and laughed cruelly. "Sorry, chicks, but girls this innocent belong with us. you are to report to us every day, and attend every dance with one of us, or one of two privileged friends. Disobey, and you'll be punished!" He smiled again, taking each of the girls in. "Now tell us you agree, or..." The boy trailed off. a scowl framed his face. Sakura turned, and smiled.
"What are you doing, Kevin?" A tall teen with brown hair bleached blonde at the tips towered over the blonde boy, AKA Kevin. "Nothing, Toby!" he whined. "Just helping the girls learn to fear KJJ!" Toby smacked him. "FEAR you? Don't make me laugh, Kev. You three will scram, or I WILL report you!" Rika sighed, and Sakura realized this wasn't for Toby, but for his tall friend. "Hey girls, what are you doing here alone?" Sakura giggled, and felt like an idiot for doing so. "We're here because in Scena, the fire burnt our homes. Supposedly, the Wilsons were taking us in?" Toby smiled. "Lisa's project! Here, I bet I know where she is. She usually works Fridays."
The girls exchanged glances. They were Lisa's project? Who was Lisa? Their hostess was May Wilson. They soon found out.
Toby led them to a small street, that had one prominent building, May's Diner. They entered, and Toby yelled, "I've been waiting an hour for my cappuchino! Hurry up, Lisa!" The girls were slightly upset, as they didn't understand why he was shouting. A black girl came over, and threw the towel she'd been wiping the counter down with. "If I've told you once," but a booth in the back finished for her. "I've told you a thousand times, Toby! Never insult mama's work!" Toby grinned.
I make it my goal in life. Thought about actually smashing Kevin's face in today." Lisa snorted. "You're still restraining yourself? You've got a lot more patience than I thought you did." Toby playfully pulled her hair. "There is a reason for me talking. These girls claim Wilson's are taking them in. And since there seems to be only one Wilson family in town, I took a shot and thought I'd run it by you." Lisa pushed Toby aside. "Take care of him, guys!" she called over her shoulder to the overpacked booth that had finished her sentence. "So darling! You come from Scena, and you're from, the adoption agency, right?" A new look came across Lisa's group. The girls instantly felt it. No matter where they went, it always followed them. Pity. The others had learned to contain it. Sakura never had. She burst out the door, and ran.
She ran past Kevin, and when he tried to grab her, she just punched him, and left him in the street screaming. His agony was nothing. In a few hours, he'd have a bruise. But she had a sign that was stamped on her forehead, pity me. And no matter how she tried to paint over it, ignore it, or scratch it away, it always came back. She was an orphan, and for reasons Sakura never figured out, people pitied her.
~*~
Toby rushed after her. He watched her punch Kevin away, and realized she hadn't actually needed his help earlier. She kept running, and he didn't know why. She couldn't hear him, they were crossing into the busy street, where the tourists in their flashy shirts bought flashy things, and ate flashy food. Toby ignored them, and kept following her. She ran into the woods, and Toby stopped, scared. In those woods, Jonthon lived. As old as he was, the childhood story still creeped him out. The alien man who had come in a meteor shower.
~~*
Sakura was running, but had the feeling she was being watched. "Come out!" she yelled. "Come out, and throw your money at me! I don't care anymore!" she screamed. 3 darkhaired children approached her. Sakura had the creepy feeling they'd been whirling around her, moving too fast to be seen. "Jonthon commands you come." Sakura finally calmed down enough to become terrified.