The Black Rose

Chapter 1: Naomi Honda

Naomi Honda sat down in her class seat, setting her bag on her desk and taking out the textbook required for the class. She was in class 2-D, where her mother, Tohru Honda, said she had gone to class, and also where she met one of her greatest friends she would ever meet.

"Miss Honda?"

Naomi's black eyes shot up, her pupils invisible, she looked at the teacher holding the clipboard who was looking back at her. She moved a strand of purple-gray hair out of her face. "Here!"

"Stay with it, Honda," her teacher said, shaking his finger and then moving on to the next person on his list – "Higurashi, Kagome."

"Here!" sounded a small voice from the back.

Naomi didn't much like school, like any other kid, but Tohru had always told her that she wanted her to graduate that she wanted to hold the diploma in her hand. Just like her grandmother, Kyoko had told her mom Tohru. But Tohru unfortunately didn't graduate. Naomi knew that she cried over it all the time, thinking that she let down Kyoko.

Naomi knew too why she quit school, it was because she was pregnant with her. She left school because of her, and she knew this, so she confronted her about it one day. Tohru just smiled and flapped her hand. 'No, no, dear, it's not like that. Your father and I fell in love when I was seventeen and we decided to settle down and have a bundle of joy called Naomi.'

That's what Tohru had said, but Naomi knew her mother lied.

She often wondered why her mother didn't name her Kyoko. She would of thought she would name her first child Kyoko, actually Naomi read it in Tohru's old diary stored up in their attic from when she was only sixteen. But why, why didn't she name her Kyoko? Did she think she looked more like a Naomi instead of a Kyoko? Or was she actually a tragic mistake and Tohru was mad so she didn't think she was worthy of her mother's name. That night Naomi threw the diary across the basement, watching all the pages fall, not bothering to read the rest. Though, she didn't know she missed something very important written in it.

"Sohma, Katsu."

"Yo."

The teacher looked at him from above his classes, "a simple 'here' would have sufficed, Mr. 'Cool'."

Naomi looked behind her. What a strange boy, or at least his hair color, and not to mention his eyes. He had snowy white hair with jet-black roots and his eyes were silver-gray. He wore the normal guy's school uniform with long necklaces hanging down his neck. He had many piercings in both ears, well actually just three in each, and had his shirt unbuttoned rather low.

Katsu caught her eye; she was looking at him rather intensely. He winked and grinned, mouthing a 'hey'.

Naomi blushed and turned around; he was a very hot one.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, we shall go onto our lesson on Japanese history."

Some 'awes' were heard through the class. But Naomi didn't mind it, though she already knew lots about where she lived, it was always great to learn more.

Later at Lunch:

"Keiko!"

"Naomi!"

A girl with shoulder-length hair ran up to Naomi with her purple-gray hair that went down to her middle back. They hugged and walked over to a lunch table. Two steaming plates of ramen sat there.

"You got my lunch again, Naomi!" Keiko cried, sitting in a chair beside Naomi and grabbing a fork, preparing to eat. "You know, I got to pay you back some day!"

Naomi smiled at her best-friend known as Keiko Sohma, "Nah!"

As they were eating their food, Naomi noticed Katsu Sohma again. He walked into the cafeteria alone, looking around. Once his head went in Naomi's direction he smiled, "there you are!"

Naomi began to blush, 'is he talking to me?' she thought.

Once he got over to their table he sat down beside Keiko and smiled at her, "hello."

Keiko smiled and put her fork down, "hey Katsu!"

Naomi watched them hug and then looked away, it was clear he was already took, but wouldn't Keiko have told her she had a boyfriend, and considering he was major hot she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut. But still...

Katsu looked over at Naomi and immediately noticed her, "hey."

Naomi's black eyes darted towards him, trying to hide her blush; she put her sleeve over her cheeks, "hey."

Keiko smiled excitedly and looked over at Naomi, not realizing why she held her sleeve up, she ranked it off her face, revealing her blush, she looked at Katsu and smiled, "this is my best friend Naomi Honda. Isn't she pretty?"

Katsu grinned, he always had the ability to make girls blush just by looking at them and winking. "Why yes she is, Keiko, very pretty."

"And Naomi this is my cousin Katsu," Keiko said, not looking at Naomi, just Katsu.

Naomi sat there, nearly dying. Oh boy this is so embarrassing, first I get mad that she might be his boyfriend, and now he is her cousin, and I am blushing like crazy. Oh man, what next?