A rose by any other name

Author's note: Sorry I'm taking so long with the updates in my stories but my computer shut down and I had to start from scratch. Sorry for the inconvenience

Ryanna; 18, Trunks; 18, Kankton; 17 almost 18, Pan; 17 almost 18, Goten; 18

Chapter 6: Past lives

Ryanna looked at the setting around her. She sat at the front of the stage reading her unnecessary script. As the theatre students set up a vintage looking house it reminded her of her childhood. That was because it looked like the house she lived in with her father and her stepmother. It was a foul memory, and she could remember clear as day.

~Flashback~

The moving truck pulled away from the two-story house. A little girl sat on the steps and watched the truck pull away. Her short brown hair blew in the wind and she sighed. The girl's father, Damien, walked up behind her. "Don't look so glum sweetheart. This town is just full of kids your own age. Why don't you go and have some fun?" The girl said nothing. Her eyes were now on three kids playing across the street.

There were two boys and one girl. One boy had gravity defying black hair and puppy dog brown eyes; while the other boy had smooth lavender hair and piercing baby blue eyes. The girl had silky black hair and deep black eyes. "Ryanna? Why don't we go make friends with the neighbors?" "Why did we have to move in the first place? Just because you married that woman didn't mean we had to move." Damien shook his head. "I know it's not easy dealing with all of this but you'll get use to it."

Ryanna turned her head and glared at him. "No I won't! I want to go HOME!" Ryanna got up and headed inside. The kids from across the street heard the commotion and saw a girl run inside followed by a man. "What's with that kid?" "Beets me Goten, let's go inside and play video games." "Yeah... let's go inside Pan!" The black haired boy called to his sister. The little girl got up and followed the two inside.

Meanwhile, Ryanna laid on her bed in tears. She was only eight years old. She had no friends and was now living in a strange town where she knew no one. Damien knocked on the door. Ryanna muffled a 'come in' and hid her face in a pillow. She heard quiet footsteps walking towards her. "Ryanna, what's wrong? I know it's a big change for you but you're going to have to accept it." "I bet if mommy was still alive we wouldn't be here." Damien frowned. "How do you know? Your mother died giving birth to you, You never knew her!"

"I just do! You were never like this before SHE came along!" Damien held her by the shoulders. "Young lady you show respect! Her name is Elena." Ryanna slapped her father's hands away and ran out the door. "Ryanna!" She ran and ran until she was out the door and half way down the street. Tears blinded her eyes. Her father never used to talk to her like that. This marriage had changed him for the worst in her point of view.

She walked on endless roads, taking her wherever her little feet took her. It was getting dark do she decided to head home to face the music. Retracing her steps she walked down the familiar street of her new home. The sounds of police cars and ambulances caught her attention. She began running and to her horror three police cars and two ambulances had parked right in front of the two-story house she had called home. Two men came out of the house with a body on a stretcher. "DADDY!"

She ran up to the stretcher to see her father hanging on by a mere thread of life. Ryanna's cool green eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing. A big white bandage covered his chest as blood seeped out of it. He had been shot. "R-Ryanna, is that you?" The eight-year-old held onto her father's hand. "I'm sorry daddy, I-I didn't mean to leave. I was just mad." Damien smiled. "I-" he swallowed. "I know sweetheart." "Where's Elena?"

One of the men pointed at a body bag. Ryanna gasped. "No, I'm so sorry daddy!" "It's okay... It's not your fault. You just would have been killed too." His breath became steep as a medic placed pressure to the wound on his chest. Damien took his left hand and traced his daughter's cheek "I'm glad that you're safe. I love you Ry-" He didn't get to finish. His hand became limp and dropped from Ryanna's cheek. Ryanna shook him. "Daddy?" She shook him again, harder this time. "Daddy! Please wake up! Wake up!"

~End of Flashback~

"Yo, Ryanna!" Ryanna snapped out of her flashback. She hid the tears behind her eyes and looked to her partner in crime. "The director wants you and Trunks in back practicing your lines." Ryanna nodded, sighing she stood up and made her way backstage. Trunks looked at her and smiled. "Hey gorgeous," the grin turned into a smirk. Ryanna frowned and replied to him. "Hello ugly." Trunks faked a hurt motion. "Ouch, that stung. Come on cheer up. Let's practice the balcony scene."

Ryanna pointed a finger at him. "Listen here, and listen good. the only reason I'm in this thing is because of Pan. She wanted support and she's getting it. So if you think this is just another chance for you to be able to stick your tongue down a girls throat then you'll be looking at a good beating... understand?" Trunks grinned at her and put his hands up in defense. "Hey chill, I have total respect for you Ryanna. Just tell me when I go over board okay and I'll try not to overact." Ryanna rolled her eyes and read the scene. "Okay, let's get busy."

Whew! long time! Sorry it's so short though. I've hit a writers block to where I wanna take this but I have some ideas in mind.