AN: This story is going to be completely earth-only. The characters are really out-of-character, but I still think it will be okay. I really hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

Tap, click click, tap, tap. The desk clerk looked in the direction of the noise. When she couldn't locate it, she resumed her paperwork. Click click, tap, tap, tap. Irritated the clerk looked up again only to have it stop again; she lowered her head to her work once more. Tap, tap, click, tap, click. "Miss Kansaki!" shrieked the clerk and many heads turned to face her desk. "Is that you?"

A tall red-haired woman sped to the clerk's desk. Her voice was just above a whisper as she spoke, "Miss Kansai, would you liked to be removed from your position so early? This is a library and we do not yell here. Do you understand?" The woman left no time for a response, turned on her heel and left the clerk glaring after her.

"Excuse me, Miss," shyly asked a young teen, maybe about thirteen, smirking slightly, "I would like to check out these books." She dropped an armload of books on the clerk's desk and with a loud crash the angry red-head came rushing back.

"Miss Kansai!" she sighed angrily. "I thought we just had this discussion. You need to learn to be more careful with the merchandise."

"But Mrs. Chuan," breathed the other furiously, "it was this little trouble- maker that did it and-"

"You do NOT blame anything on our guests," she turned to Miss Kansaki. "I am terribly sorry. I'll check out these books for you."

* * *

"And that's where it started, I guess," smiled a fifteen-year-old. She was lying on her back on a red lounge chair.

"Why did you do it?" replied a blonde-haired woman sitting in a fluffy chair, scribbling on a clipboard.

"I dunno, Mrs. Sauna, I thought it was funny."

"You thought it was funny?"

"Yeah, it was. Really funny."

"You could have made that poor woman lose her job!"

"And.?"

"You must not under-" BEEP! BEEP!

"Oh, well, that's my pager. I have to get going now. See ya later, Mrs. Shrink." Hitomi smiled and left Mrs. Sauna head in her hands, speaking softly to herself.

* * *

"So.?" Mrs. Kansaki cooed to her daughter. "How did your session Mrs. Sauna go?"

"You mean Mrs. Shrink?" Hitomi replied not thinking. She received an angry glare from her mother.

"I am paying good money for you to go there, and you had better make something of those sessions, young lady."

"But mom, I don't want to go, so they're not going to help!"

"You have already been expelled from three schools this year! We don't have any other school for you to go to besides this next one, and you start tomorrow."

"Don't remind me."

"You should feel very privileged to go to this school, Hitomi. Not many kids your age can afford it."

"Then why do I have to go. Can't I please go back to my last school?"

"Hitomi, you know my answer."

"Please, mom."

"End of discussion." Mrs. Kansaki left Hitomi scowling in the kitchen.

* * *

"Wake up, Hitomi!" Mrs. Kansaki shook her daughter until she woke. "You're going to be late!" Hitomi eyes wandered to the clock.

"Mom!" she hollered. "It's only six o'clock!"

"Yes, I know."

"Then why did you tell me I'm going to be late?"

"I know how long it takes you to get ready, and you have to be at school by six thirty."

"What?"

"This is a new school and-you had better start getting ready now." Mrs. Kansaki hurried out and shut the door behind her.

About fifteen minutes later Hitomi sped down the stairs and into the kitchen. She wolfed down an Eggp waffle and hurried to the garage where her mom waited by the car. "You're going to be late, Hitomi," scolded Mrs. Kansaki.

"Yeah, yeah," murmured Hitomi as she watched the familiar neighborhood she knew fly past her window.

"Would you ever consider wearing something, more-girlish?" her mother tried to start a conversation. "You were so many spikes I wonder why your whole body isn't punctured when you come home. Will you ever change the way you dress?"

"No." After that Hitomi's mother didn't try to talk to Hitomi until they got within view of Clairemonte High.

"Now you listen to me Hitomi, and you listen good," said her mother in a tone Hitomi had never heard her use before. "This is a brand new school, brand new, and you can start fresh here. You can actually work up to you're true potentials. The students here are good kids, not those druggies you used to hang out with. Please, Hitomi, promise me you'll be good?" Hitomi just stared at her blankly. "Behave yourself; for me."

On the way out of the car, Hitomi slammed the door and headed to the school office. When she got there, a smug brunette woman greeted her. "May I please have my schedule? My name is Hitomi Kansaki."

The woman's nose wrinkled up in disgust as she spoke, "Oh. It's you; the trouble-maker." Hitomi attempted to protest but bit her tongue halfway through forming a word to describe the woman.

"May I please have my schedule?"

"You have only one class, why do you need one?" Hitomi's heart started pumping very fast.

"Which room is that please?" What kind of school did she put me in? Hitomi thought, her mind racing.

"Room 22B, Miss Koei."

"Thank you." The woman did not discontinue giving her dirty looks until she left. Maybe it was her dark make-up and clothes.

The bell soon rang and Hitomi meandered her way to room 22B. When she got there she situated at an isolated desk in the corner behind a plant. All the students filed in carrying too many books for their body size, and dropped many as they pushed up thick glasses. The teacher, Miss Koei, began reading the roll, it went on and on and on...

"Hitomi Kansaki?" she called brightly.

"What?" Hitomi realized she had drifted off to sleep, and in the meantime, a boy with raven-black hair, about her age, had seated himself beside her. "Oh, here, sorry."

The day dragged on and Hitomi kept noticing that boy sneaking glances at her when he thought looking. Finally, the lunch bell sounded and Hitomi was first out the door. "Time to have some fun," she snickered as she headed toward the water fountains. Casually, she leaned up against the wall and popped a piece of gum in her mouth and chewed it a moment. Then she positioned the gum on the spout so the next victim would become soaked easily. Hitomi laid back and waited. "Mediocre, but it'll due."

A boy with the thickest glasses came bouncing up to the water fountain. "Perfect," Hitomi breathed. Just as he bent to drink, he yelped as he was jerked up by his collar.

"What's your deal, man?" yelled the attacker's voice. "You know it's always ladies first." He released the other boy and smiled at Hitomi. "After you." Hitomi was taken aback.

"Ummm," she said, "that's okay."

"No, really. I insist."

"But-" Hitomi knew what she had to do. She bent her face down to the faucet and let the water stream across her face. "Ahh!"

"Oh my, look at that," mocked the boy, as the victim ran away. Hitomi stood to face him, her face covered with running mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow.

"Why did you do that?" she screamed at him. Then she realized he was the boy that sat next to her in class. "What's your name?"

"First: I did that because I have a conscience, unlike you. And second: my name is Van Fanel."

"That was so stupid! I had that boy right where I wanted him!"

"No, you're that stupid one. You rely on your cunning to get you laughs, and look what just happened because of that. You may seem all bad on the outside, but really, you can't even pull a prank right. Slyness is nothing but luck and stupidity if you ask me. It just shows that you don't have the courage to let the person know who you are. Remember: things always come around."

Hitomi just stared at him and watched him leave. She had nothing to say back. Subtly she knew he was right.

* * *

Around ten that night, Hitomi had "come home sick", she decided to catch up with some of her old buddies. The screen on her window popped out quite easily and she was on her way in no time.

"Hey Talu!" she shouted as she came within visibility of her old best friend. "What'cha doing?"

"Hey 'Tomi," Talu replied. "Just gonna vandal this truck. So a nerdy guy go in, and thought it would be funny. Want to help?"

"I'd love to. Been a while since I've had some action. Ever since I got expelled you know." The two friends picked the car lock and disabled the alarm as they climbed inside.

"Okay, you ripped up the upholstery and I'll jam the key hole."

"You got it, Talu." Hitomi dug her nails into the seam of the upholstery, but for some reason, she couldn't make herself rip it up. She tried again, but her black-painted nails wouldn't leave the crack of the seam. That Van kids' words replayed in her mind. "Hey, uhh, Talu?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't do it. Come on, let's go."

"What, you're wussing out on me?"

"Talu, it's not like that-"

"I know what's wrong, it's that damn school, isn't it? I can believe Kerru doing this, but not you Hitomi, not you."

"Talu you've got to understand, I-"

"No, I don't. You know what, just leave Hitomi."

"What?"

"You heard me. Leave. I never want to see your face again, and if I do-"

"Talu please! You're mad!"

"GET OUT!" Talu shoved Hitomi out the door and she landed on her back on the concrete. She heard the whirring of engines and she knew Talu had hijacked the car. Her eyes closed and she just wanted to lie there forever.

"Are you okay?" a sudden male voice startled her; it was Van, he was kneeling beside her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hitomi stated as she stood up and brushed herself off.

"Would you like me to walk you home?"

"No, no that's okay." He shrugged and Hitomi started walking in the direction of her home. From about one hundred feet away, Hitomi heard Van mumbling.

"Now where is my truck, I thought I parked it here."

AN: Not too bad of a cliffy. I hope you enjoyed; I would write a longer author's note, but it is late and I am tired enough. I'll update when I get a chance or *cough* REVIEWS *cough* Excuse me, I have a cold, lol. Anyway, please review, I especially like LONG reviews, makes me feel special, hehe. Flames are welcome.