Later on that day,I heard Buyo calling me from the livingroom. I went in. Kaz's dog,Domo,was on the couch were Buyo was. Apparently Buyo wanted me to get him out of the livingroom. So,I went into the kitchen and sat a big bowl of cat food on the kitchen floor. Not long afterwards,Domo came running in like a furry bullet and gobbled up the cat food. I went back into the livingroom.

''Thanks,'' Buyo said, ''he was bugging me.''

I sat down on the couch with him and watched TV. Well,I didn't really watch it...I was deep in thought. When Buyo came to the bus,I wanted to ask him if Mother was still alive. I would have,but the truth was I didn't really want him to tell me;I wanted to find out for myself. But I wasn't quite up to that either. The fear of Buyo telling me she was dead or finding out for myself she was dead came over me.

Strange,because long ago I learned how to handle being without her.

It was winter and freezing cold. Mother and I were taking a walk around the neighborhood the way we did. I had to walk either in front of or behind her because she no longer allowed me to hold her hand. ''You're not a little baby anymore,'' She would say whenever I tried to, ''you can walk on your own.''

On this paticular day,the snow made it hard to see where I was going. I walked for a long time,assuming Mother was right behind me. I got tired and stopped. I looked behind me and Mother was gone.

I looked all around,my heart pounding. I was alone.

''Mother!'' I called out. There was no answer whatsoever. ''Mother,where are you?''

I walked down the streets,still calling for her. I looked and saw Seicha on the other side of the street,but I was too miserable to care.

''Mother!'' I called once again. ''Moth--'' I stopped and gasped. Seicha was standing in front of me.

''What's the matter?'' She asked.

''My mother is gone.'' I told her.

''Can't you stay by yourself?'' She said angrily,then walked away.

I stood and watched her leave. Just when I was about to leave myself...

''Yumi!'' A voice called out. ''Yumi-chan!'' I turned in the direction of it and saw Mother looking around for me. I ran up to her and we went home. I decided I would try to be on my own so Seicha wouldn't be soupset with me.

The next day I was in the backyard sitting in a big tree. I looked down. To my surprise,there was a deer in the backyard. I got down from the tree at once and watched it. I had never seen an animal so close before.

I decided to get up close to it and pet it. Just as soon as I was almost close enough,the deer noticed me and fled. I ran after it. It ran through the woods in the backyard,where I guess it must have came from. I followed it,but then I fell down a small hill and landed near the tree-lined road that seperated my neighborhood from the main part of town. I looked up and saw Seicha standing over me.

''What are you doing out here?'' She asked.

I got up. ''There was a deer in my backyard. I tried to pet it but it ran away. I ran after it and ended up here.''

''Where's your mother?'' Seicha asked.

''Back home.''

''So...you're by yourself?''

''Uh-huh.''

She thought this over. ''And you're...okay with it?''

This was my chance! ''I can stay by myself.'' I told her.

''Umm...weren't you crying for your mother the other day?''

''Y-y-yes...'' I was a bit embarressed.

Seicha thought this over.

''Y-you were mad at me then because I was afraid,'' I told her, ''but since then I haven't been.''

She smiled at me slightly. ''Well,'' She said, ''your mother's probably worried,so you should go home now.''

''Okay then,'' I said, ''See ya.''

I walked back home with pride.

''Buyo?'' I asked. He was engrossed in the TV. ''Buyo?'' I nudged him. ''What?'' He asked me.

Keeping the memory of Seicha telling me about being on my own in mind,I asked, ''Is Mother still alive?''

''Yes,'' Buyo said, ''but I haven't seen her in a long time.''

''Okay,thanks.'' I said. I sighed in relief. I had been so worried over nothing.

I wanted to go back home and see her,but I just couldn't. Heading down that tree-lined road is not as simple as you may think. Simply being back in Osaka is torture enough for me;going home would make it much,much worse.

Perhaps I could do it if I could somehow clear my mind of all the things that happened to me out here,but that is impossible. Things like Father's hatred for me,among many others,are always on my mind.

But I never tell anyone. Things like this I keep to myself.

Some lovely night,Ami and I come to your town. You jump up and down and cheer because you love me and Ami,you love the songs,you love it all.

My side of it all is not told.

A/N: Ah,yes,things will be getting a bit more...''fun'' as I like to call it,so stay tuned. Reviews,ideas,and constructive critcism are welcomed;flame me and you'll have to babysit Koja and Sakura...and if Kaz doesn't like to do it you sure won't either. (snicker)

----------------------------ShadowTheHedgehog92 aka Shaddie--------------------------------