Hey there people! Heheh it's me miz-annonymouz04. I know some of you well... all of you, said the chapter was a little short and well, I re-read it and I agree with you! If I was the reader, I would also think... cmmon... we deserve a little more... heheh... so yeah... as I was writing it I thought it was long and all but it was only long because of the messages and all. So I'm really sorry and I will try to make it longer.

Many thanks to all my reviewers: samurai-brat, luthien-yavethil, Kagome854003, ffgirl-07, VampireJazzy, CherryIzzy, MelMel0492…

NOW, ENOUGH WITH ME AND ON WITH THE STORY, WOULD'NT YOU AGREE?

The 'Yi-Ming Private Institutions Academy', grades K-11 (I'm using the Canadian school board grades) became coeducational in 1980's and they only recently dropped the uniforms policy. The uniforms were royal blue and white, my o-k colors. Want to know why they abandoned them? Because they were unpopular, just like the boys-only rule. There are still no uniforms but the students aren't allowed to wear jeans, but they could wear, pretty much whatever else they wanted.

I didn't have a problem with that though, because all I wanted was to wear my designer clothes-purchased at various stores in Tokyo with Mei Lin as my guide- so it was all fine.

But you see, they had this sort of catholic/Buddhist (someone bother to tell me the real religions in Japan?) thing going on. You see, my otou-san never really bothered to raise me in a particular religion but yeah, he's catholic. But we didn't go to church like, every Sunday and all, you know. My okaa-san, she was Buddhist. So, religion never played a big-role in our life.

You would think, from my origins, that I, out of everybody, would have a better grasp on religion right? Wrong. Plus, with the whole ghost thing, that would be a plus right? Truth be told, I have no idea what happens to all the ghosts that I send away. The one sure thing is that they never come back to haunt me.

So when my otou-san and I showed up at the Yi-Ming's School administrative office the Monday after my arrival in beautiful Tomoeda, I got pretty taken aback by the six-foot Jesus hanging on a crucifix behind the secretary's desk.

I so should not have been surprised, I mean, my dad did point the school out on Sunday morning, as he was helping me unpack and all.

"See the big red dome?" he'd said. "That's the Institution. The dome covers the chapel."

Doc happened to be there and just my luck, he launched into a full description of how the ancient people of Tomoeda spent a lot of time building the school and perfecting it, and so on, and so forth.

Mr. Ming, was a misunderstood figure he said. Though his inventions were truly remarkable and changed a lot of people's way of life, there were still many discussions about his methods of making his way to the top. Some say it was blackmail, oh and that having connections with the Mafia didn't hurt much either. Others believe he just succeeded because he put his whole heart into winning. In my case, I prefer the first choice.

It was also made catholic/Buddhist because of his origins; his dad being Buddhist and his okaa-san being catholic, exactly the opposite of my parents.

When Doc finally finished his 'little' lecture, I went "Photographic memory much?"

He looked embarrassed and he blushed in this cute, weird way. All he said in response was "Its good to know the history of the place you're living in."

For future reference, I reminded myself that Doc would be just the person I would need if Syaoran showed up again.

So now, here I am, standing with my otou-san, in the cool office of the 'ancient' building that the ancient people have constructed for the young ones, I wondered how many ghosts I was going to encounter. I had no doubt that I was going to encounter each and every ghost who croaked there. Can people die at a school? needless to say, a religious school? Oh well I was about to find out.

And yet, when my otou-san and I walked through the school's wide archway into the courtyard, I didn't see a single person that didn't belong there. I was in disbelief, I thought I would encounter many ghosts, yet all I saw was a gardener, working diligently at the base of a sakura tree, which is, by the way, my favorite. There were also a priest and a monk, both walking in silent contemplation down the airy breezeway.

It was such a beautiful, restful place.

I didn't get it. Where were all the ghosts?

Maybe they were afraid to hang to near to the school, since as its religious and that they feared being sent off into another world. I was a little afraid as well, looking up at that crucifix. I mean hey, I've got nothing against religious art, but was it really necessary to portray the crucifixion so realistically, with so many wounds and all?

Apparently, I was not alone in thinking so, since a boy, who seemed to be of Chinese origins, noticed the direction of my gaze and said, "He's supposed to weep tears of blood if any girl graduates from here a virgin."

I couldn't help letting out a little bark of laughter. My otou-san just glared at me. The secretary, a plump middle-aged woman who looked as if something like that comment ought to have offended her deeply, only rolled her eyes, and said tiredly, "Oh, Eriol."

Eriol, a good-looking dude about my age, looked at me with a perfectly serious face. "It's true. It happened last year to the friend of a friend of mine." He dropped his voice so that I could barely hear what he was saying. "She's adopted".

Eriol had midnight blue hair that was almost black, his skin was way paler then mines, and he had these eye-glasses that gave his eyes a weird look to them. I don't know if it's really the glasses, or just the eyes. He was sporting black sweats and a black shirt that said "3:16". Cool, I didn't know people here were allowed to watch wrestling. Oh yeah, I forgot, Dopey's in the school wrestling team so obviously they can. Silly me.

I laughed again, and my otou-san frowned at me. He spent a lot of time yesterday explaining to me that it had been very difficult to convince the school to take me, especially since there was no proof of me being baptized or whatever. In the end, they only let me in because of Nadeshiko, since all of her three kids went there. I can pretty much guess that a good donation also played part in my admittance, but otou-san didn't tell me that. All he said was that I had better behave, and not throw anything out of any windows.

Even though I reminded him that it wasn't my fault.

I'd been fighting with a particularly violent young baka ghost who refused to stop haunting the girls' locker room at my old school. Talk about a peeping Tom. So I threw him through the window and that certainly got his attention. In the end I convinced him that righteousness was the way to go.

Of course, that was completely different from what I told otou-san and onii-chan. I told them that I was practicing my tennis swing indoors and that the racket slipped from my hands. That was highly unlikely, since as the said-to-be racket was never found.

As I was reliving this special memory, a wooden door opened and out came a priest. He said, "Mr.Kinomoto, what a pleasure to see you again. And this must be Sakura Kinomoto. Come in, won't you?" He ushered us into his office, then paused, and said to the boy on the couch, "Oh, no, Mr.Hiragizawa. Not on the first day of a brand-new semester. This is the time for new beginnings!"

Eriol shrugged. "What can I say? The broad hates me."

"Please, do not refer to Sister Tenshii as a broad, Mr. Hiragizawa. I will see you in a moment, after I have spoken with my guests."

We went in, and the principal, Father Sung Chung-that was his name- sat and chatted with us for a while, asking me how I liked Tomoeda so far. It was pretty ironic you know, him being a priest you would think his main goal was to live as long as possible to help others, and his name was Sung Chung, Chinese for "farewell to life". Really ironic in my opinion.

Anyway, I told him that Tomoeda was nice, especially all the sakura trees that were around.

We had spent most of the day before at the beach, after I'd finished unpacking of course. I had found my designer Chanel sunglasses, and even though it was too cold to swim, I had a great time just lying on a blanket on the beach, watching the waves. They were huge, bigger then on Baywatch, you know, that old American show starring that lady with fake boobs, oh yeah, Pamela Anderson, that's her name.

I found that I loved the beach, almost as much as I loved sakura trees. I loved the smell of it, the seaweed, the feel of the cool sand between my toes, the taste of salt on my skin when I got home. Tomoeda may not have all those subway restaurants near home, but Tokyo sure didn't have a beach somewhere near by.

Father Sung-as he told us to call him- expressed his sincere hope that I'd be happy at the 'Yi-Ming Private Institutions Academy'. He even went on to explain that even though I wasn't really either catholic or Buddhist that I shouldn't feel unwelcomed at mass and all of those things. There were, of course, Holy Days of Obligation and the like, when the catholic and Buddhist students would be required to leave their lessons to go wherever they were supposed to go.

I could either join them, or stay behind in the empty classroom, whichever I prefer.

For some weird, mental reason, I thought this was funny, but I managed to hold on to my laughter. Father Sung was old, but by the looks of it, he was quite a catch when he was younger. He was good-looking- for a sixty-year-old.

He had white hair and baby blue eyes, oh yeah, and props on the well kept finger nails. They weren't yellow like most people his age. I don't mean to be rude, but we really can't deny the truth now can we?

I didn't know many priests. Alright, I didn't know any. But I thought that this one might not be bad-especially since he hadn't come down hard on that boy who called that nun a broad.

Father Sung went on to explain various offenses I could get expelled for- skipping class to many times, dealing drugs, and the usual. Then he asked me if I had any questions. I just shook my head no. Then he asked my dad if he had any questions. He didn't.

So then Father Sung stood up and said, "Very well then. I'll say good-bye to you, Mr.Kinomoto, and walk Sakura here, to her first class. All right, Sakura?"

Actually, I thought it was kind of weird for him to walk me there. I mean, being the principal and a priest, he must have better things to do then to walk a sixteen-year-old girl to her first class. But hey, who was I to object? At least I wouldn't look like a retard, searching the whole school for a class.

I just picked up my coat, a black trench from Esprit, tres chic (my dad wouldn't let me wear leather on my first day of school) – and waited while he and my dad shook hands.

My dad waved me good-bye, and reminded me to find Sleepy at 3:00, since he was the one to drive me home. He didn't tell me to find Touya because, obviously, he's in college. Once again, the lack of public transportation meant that I had to bum rides with my step-bros.

Then he left, and Father Sung was walking me across the courtyard after having told Eriol to wait for him.

"No prob, padre," was his response. He leered at me behind the father's back. I don't think it was a I'm-so-into-you kind of leer, I think it was more that he was trying to study me, trying-to-figure me-out leer.

Oh well, I hope he was in my class. My dad's wishes for my social life might just be realized at long last.

As we walked, Father Sung explained a little about the building-or buildings, I should say, since that's what they were. A series of thick walled adobe structures were connected by low-ceilinged

Breezeways, in the middle of which existed the beautiful courtyard that came complete with sakura trees, a bubbling fountain, and a bronze statue of who I suppose was Mr.Yi-Ming. Talk about being full of himself. Tssssk.

On the other side of the breezeway were stone benches for people to sit on while they enjoyed solitary contemplation of the courtyard's many wonders; the doors of the classrooms and lockers were built right into the adobe wall. One of those lockers, Father Sung said to me, was mine.

He had the combination with him. Did I want to put anything in? My bag maybe?

You know, this Tomoeda place is full of surprises. I mean, when I woke up last Sunday, I was shivering cold and I thought that, I don't know, maybe there was a storm or something. Hmmmphh…. My ass… then Doc explained to me that it was natural and all that stuff and that by the afternoon, all would be normal. Boy, was he ever right. By the time afternoon came it was burning like hell in my room, so I opened the windows up again.

This morning, they were safely closed. Ahhh, my kind and thoughtful otou-san. At least, I hoped it was him.

Now that I think about it…. Nah. I hadn't seen Syaoran since when I confronted him. Serves him right; that little di- oh, here I am, talking to myself again. Yeah, whatever.

So Father Sung said my locker was number 273, and he seemed real happy, letting me find it myself.

He was behind me, his eyes on the breezeway's rafters, in which, to his pure delight, nested birds. He was quite fond of animals. Yeah in the little time I've known him I already know. I know it was animals and not birds since he asked me how I was getting along with Max, the Fong's dog. Wait, did I mention yet? Oh yeah, Fong is Nadeshiko and her children's family name. Only that's not what he said. He said, "How are you getting along with your dog, Sakura?" Yeah, I answered him we were getting along like how I got along with the other kids back at Tokyo. Real nice…

Oh yeah, Father Sung also openly scoffed at my dad's assurances that the timber in the breezeways was going to have to be replaced thanks to the swallows and their refuse. If I was in Father Sung's place, I would have openly scoffed as well. I mean, my dad, being an archeologist and all, is also sort of a part-time carpenter. And he can get a little carried away with his carpenting.

Ok, back to the locker search.

268,getting nearer, 269, even better, 270, nearer. I strolled down the corridor, watching the numbers on the beige locker doors (like my lockers at school!). Unlike the ones at my school back at Tokyo, these lockers were not dirty.

Well ok, they did have some dirt on them, and some scraping and all but like, not dirty-dirty. Oh yeah, and not dirty in that way either. But this was new to me. I mean, all the hustle and bustle of the city life, you can't blame me for being astounded by how mellow the people here were. They were all like, that's cool. They were never really in a hurry whereas in Tokyo… I mean, here the principal accompanies me to my locker, in Tokyo it's, "Sorry got to go, have fun finding your locker!"

So yeah, also here the lockers weren't dented, or filled with stickers or anything. I guess students on this side of the country took more pride in there schools then us kids back at Tokyo.

271, nearer, 272, nearest. But then I stopped on my tracks.

In front of a locker, my locker, was this ghost. And no, it wasn't Syaoran who came to declare his undying love for me either. Oh… where did that come from? But by the look of this snobby looking ghost, I would have preferred him.

It was a girl, dressed very much like I was, only with long black hair, instead of honey-brown, like mine. She also had this really unpleasant look on her face. As if she was really pissed. God, what was her problem, anger management much?

"What," she said to me, "are you looking at?"

Then she started speaking to someone behind me.

She demanded, "This is who they let in to take my place? I am so sure."

Ok, I'll admit it, I freaked. I mean were there others? I quickly spun around and found myself gaping up at Father Sung. All he did, was squint at me curiously.

"Ah," he said like he was a wise Buddha or something. "I thought so."

DUN!DUN!DUN!DUN!

HEHEHE! YAY! A chapter done! So much for fast updating ehh? Yeah, about that, I AM SOOOO SORRY GUYS! I mean, its like I betrayed y'all. You guys were telling me how fast I update and all and then like 2 weeks or more without a single update, you guys must really hate me. Anyhoo, now it's October 17th 2005 and we had a test at school today! The whole school so we were allowed to come home right away once the test was done and all so yeah… Plus, we didn't get homework so… a chance to write!

So yeah, tell me what y'all think and I'll update as soon as possible!

R&R FLAMES ACCEPTED….