The Orphan Flower

Kid genius looking

Educated guy

Not very outgoing

Takato's friend

And loyal to everyone

"Well this is something new." the blond commented seeing the two boys before her. "I didn't expect you guys to be here."

"Of course, we have to pay our respects." Takeru smiled. The trio were now standing in front of the grave together. All visiting their mother's grave.

Izumi had to admit, visiting the grave with them felt a little awkward. She was so used to being in her own world and when it came to her mother, that was a different story. Gazing at the new bouquet of flowers on the cemented grave, she focused on the flowers. There was something familiar about it. "Were you guys…the ones that delivered this bouquet of cosmos every year to her?"

Matt gave her a small smile. "So you noticed?" He turned to face the grave. "Of course, it's hard since mother always wanted a different bouquet of cosmos each year."

A scoff escaped from Takeru. "Yeah, that was the troublesome part. We had to go out to the countryside all for a bouquet of cosmos."

"But was it worth it?" she questioned.

They both stared at her and laughed. "Yeah, it was."

She looked at the flowers again. "I thought it was a little weird since I had no idea who else could've done this."

"Izumi." Takeru spoke, but paused unsure of how to say it. "You had no idea about your family and what happened, but how did you know where she was buried? And the fact that she was your mother?"

A laugh was heard from her. "That's the thing, I really did have no idea who she was and all, but since that day…"

"That day?"

"When I was kid and I lived alone, I was walking home from school when I happened to pass by this cemetery. I…don't know why I was crying at the time, but I felt alone, until I saw a woman here. She was waving over to me as to motion me to come over to her." the blond began to explain to the two.

"Idiot, what if it was a poltergeist or something?" Matt interrupted since cemeteries are quite the place for suspicious happenings.

Izumi kneeled down to touch the petals of the flowers. "Somehow, I just knew she was a good person. So I walked up to her, and the way she hugged me was like a motherly hug I used to see other girls get from their mothers. She kept telling me everything will be alright, and since then, I believed that she was someone who knew me before her death."

"So…" Takeru added. "Since then, you've been visiting her."

"Plus…" she smiled, pushing the bouquet away from the words on the cement. "I didn't know how to read at the time, but I saw the name. "Orimoto." on her grave. So I believed that she was blood related to me."

"This is starting to sound like a Fate or Destiny situation."

Glancing at the clouds, she softly responded. "I think it's a bit of both."

And at that very moment, snow began to fall softly on the trio. It almost looked like flower petals falling down on them, except it was the cold snowflakes that replaced them. They were all quiet, observing the moment before they decided to leave.

And little did they know, that behind their backs, their mother appeared on the grave with a smile, watching them from afar.

…………………..

"You want me to come to a Christmas party?" Izumi repeated.

"You know very well I'm not going to repeat that again." the pink haired female muttered, trying to avoid her gaze.

She glanced at the invite she received and looked up at Mimi again. "But why?"

"Nothing, I just thought we should let the past behind us since a new year is coming up." she waved and walked away.

…

"So?" the brunette girl spoke up after school.

Now it was Juri's turn to receive the confused expression from Izumi. "So.. what?" They were let out of school for Christmas break, and she was obviously not in the thinking mood.

"Are you going to go to Mimi's party?" Juri grinned, holding the invitation in front of her.

She stared at it. "I didn't get one."

"Stop lying, I saw you two talking to each other and she handed you one!" she pointed to the red paper that was sticking out of her friend's bag.

Izumi took the red paper and let the wind blow it away from her hands. "Um…I lost it?"

"I have an extra copy." the brunette grinned again taking a second copy of the invite. Sometimes, you'd like to wonder what goes on in her mind these days.

A sigh escaped from her lips, as she turned her heel to the school gates to leave. "Forget it I'm not going."

Juri followed after her. "Izumi please come!"

"No."

Juri pouted, still following her friend to the school gates. "You need to set your differences aside with Mimi, the new year is coming and you don't want to-"

"That's not the reason why I'm not going." she interrupted.

"Eh?" she stopped. "It's not?"

"No."

"Then…why?"

"It's kinda complicated to me…" Izumi muttered, as they walked into the park. She pushed aside the snow on the swing and sat on it, swinging softly back and forth.

Juri who followed the same, sat on the swing next to hers. "What's wrong?"

Izumi gazed at the sand, her shoes leaving line marks on the sand as she kept swinging back and forth slowly. "Usually at Christmas parties, there are friends, and the people you like. It's one of those happy days that you don't want to miss." she paused. "And for some people, ….there's mistletoe."

Her friend stopped swinging. "Are you saying that you're falling in love?"

She received a no as a response. "Actually I already have…"

Juri was surprised again at first, but smiled and continued swinging. "You're in love with Takuya."

It wasn't a question she was saying. She was stating the fact. "Um… that line is still a little foreign to me. I don't usually like to use the word "love" it's not in my vocabulary."

She got a laugh for that. "Nice one Izumi. But what's the problem about it? Don't we all have a right to fall in love?"

"Haven't you ever heard the quote, "the more you love the more pain it brings?" Now it was her turn to stop swinging and leave Juri to answer her question.

"Nope!"

She stared at her friend in disbelief, unsure of whether she was joking around or whether she was just really meaning it.

Juri smiled at her. "Because it's not true. I mean, yes we get hurt along the way, but love has never left us entirely."

"Deep and well thought out, did Takato help you out with that one?"

She blushed as the name "Takato" came to mind. "N-No… stop trying to change the subject!"

"Actually I believe we're still talking about love, we just happen to talk about different people." Izumi explained with a mischievous look. "I'm sure you have no problem talking about it."

Juri kept silent. Now she was starting to figure out Izumi's problem, just one thing reminded her of something that was mentioned in their conversation. The mistletoe. Takato and her…..now her face was turning pink. "Izumi! I want to skip out of the party with you!"

………………..

"Do you think we could've phoned Mimi that we couldn't come?" Juri questioned repeatedly. "I'm worried she'll get mad at us."

Izumi was casually sitting in Juri's house sipping tea. "What ever happened to letting the past behind us let's not start grudges kind of thing?"

"Maybe I was overreacting?" Juri joked, but knew it didn't work. "Not to mention, that I told Takato that I was coming."

"I told Takuya that too. He's such an airhead he'll believe anything." Setting the cup down on the plate, a small insecure feeling of doubt was growing inside her. Sure Takuya was an airhead to believe anything, but there were some things you couldn't fool him with. "Tak…" she almost said aloud, but since Juri was there and heard what she was saying, she changed it to. "Tak..ato, did you tell him that you weren't going?"

"I wanted to, but then… I don't know. I was thinking that I might come visit for a little bit." She replied quietly.

Silence now replaced their words. Izumi couldn't help it when a friend was like this. "I'll go with you, but only… for a limited amount of time."

She looked at the blond and giggled. "Alright "Cindy-zumi"

"Cindy-zumi?"

"Another name for Cinderella." as she took her friend's hand. "Well, if you want to leave faster, then we might as well get there now."

…………………..

"I bet 5 yen that Izumi will kiss Takuya!"

"Oh yeah? I bet 10 yen they won't!"

Mimi couldn't help but cough to avoid hearing their conversation between two blond brothers. "Boys…" Luckily, she wasn't the only girl around in the party. If she was, she would've skipped out, even though she was the one hosting it. Sora was busy with Tai playing air hockey, Hikari was now talking to T.K…. so where are the other two?

Hearing the doorbell ring, she glanced over to see Takuya answer the door. Suddenly, she had an idea, and walked away to go outside.

"Hey Izumi! We were wondering where you were." Takuya greeted, and noticed Juri didn't appear.

"If you're wondering about Juri, she'll be here soon, she just had something to do really quick." she answered as if she could read his mind. Actually the expression on his face pretty much said it all.

"Oh, really?" he nodded, and they both stopped to look at something above them. THE MISTLETOE.

"Hey look mistletoe!" Takeru pointed to the two and the green plant above them. "You can't break the rule when you see one." He turned to Matt who was glaring at him.

"Ah, sorry T.K. but I think I'll pass on this one." Takuya muttered, letting Izumi inside the house.

Matt turned to his brother with a hand. "Alright, pay up that 10 yen, I told you." as Takeru pouted and gave the money to him. "Geez.."

Izumi sighed and glanced at Takuya. "Thanks." and quickly left to find Mimi. Usually, if she wasn't acting her usual self, she would've ignored all this, beat up T.K., rip the mistletoe apart, and … in fact, she would've stayed home! But…she knew she changed in a different way that…

"Izumi! Come here!" Mimi called out to her as she noticed that she walked in the garden. Quickly sticking a green plant she had pulled off from one of her plants, she stuck it in her hair. "Wear this!"

The blond stood there frozen, and noticed Mimi had a plant stuck on her hair too. "What's this for?"

"Since I forgot to get you guys gifts, I'm going to give this to you, Juri, Hikari, Sora, and Rika." she explained.

"You didn't have to do that." Izumi tried to oppose but Mimi kept insisting. "And Rika…she isn't here…"

Mimi paused from putting the plant on the blond. "I know… but it doesn't mean we should forget her…"

They were both silent, while she tried to fix Izumi's hair and stuck the plant on the side as decoration similar to hers. "I missed you guys."

"What are you talking about? You've seen us at school practically everyday." but she knew that Mimi was talking about something else. She was talking about the days when the three of them used to hang out.

The sakura haired girl shook her head no. "I meant…I just…I just want to say sorry. Holding grudges against you guys wouldn't solve anything."

"As much as I hate to say it, I…I'm sorry too. I didn't hate you entirely." Izumi admitted, and suddenly felt weight lifting off her shoulders. Somehow, she felt better saying it and was glad she did.

"Yeah…" she agreed. "I never understood you guys when it came to death. I was jealous in elementary that you had something in common and that your friendship was pretty deep because of that. Death isn't something… you should face through alone. I was starting to understand that Rika needed someone who understood her."

"Even though we haven't spoken about it in a while, it's obvious Rika misses hanging out with you too. It's just…"

"Complicated." they said in unison, and grinned. "Let's head inside, I'm freezing out here!" Mimi laughed.

……………

"Hey Takuya, what happened to you back there? T.K. was trying to give you an opportunity earlier." Takato asked, but at the same time was concerned since Takuya wasn't usually that type to act like that.

He looked away from Takato to where Izumi was talking to the other girls. "I didn't want to make the situation awkward between us."

His friend gave him an amazed look. "Takuya, you seemed to have matured a little bit."

"Was that sarcasm you added there?"

"No, not really." he shrugged.

Takuya rolled his eyes, Takato was usually the one that had to lecture him about things like this. Must've rubbed off from Juri. "Speaking of Juri, she's over there, go talk to her." he said pushing him towards her, and laughed as Takato glared at him.

"Hi Takato, um… how are you?" she was feeling nervous since she didn't expect Takato to be the first person to meet at the party. Or either she just wasn't prepared.

"Pretty good, a-"

"Juri! Come here really quick!" Mimi interrupted grabbing Juri by the arm and into a different room where the other girls were at. "Here, wear this!" as she stuck a plant that was the same as the rest of them. "Okay, you're good to go."

"Eh?"

"Don't worry, she did it to us too." Sora sighed, and resumed back to the air hockey game in the other room.

"Good luck Juri." Izumi added before pushing Juri out of the room and shutting the door behind her. She chuckled and leaned against the door. "She's so lucky."

"About what? That she has someone?" Mimi asked since she heard what she was saying. "Don't you have someone you like? For instance…that Takuya guy?"

A pang hit her heart as she mentioned the name again. "Yeah, about that. That's true… but…"

Mimi clapped her hands together. "Great! That's awesome! Are you going to tell him your feelings soon?"

Izumi didn't say anything, but shook her head no. "I won't say anything."

"Wha?" the shocked expression was on her face. "And you're happy with it?! He might have feelings for you too!"

"Umm… there's… something that's going to be in the way. So before anything happens, I want to end that feeling." she answered quietly, staring at the ground. "I…wouldn't be happy if he wasn't happy."

"And…what's that obstacle that's keeping you from telling him?"

"If I told you now, then that would ruin the whole party and then it would be something no one wanted to remember." she explained but gave Mimi a reassuring smile. "But I promise I will tell you, just not right now."

Mimi nodded. "Alright."

They both walked out of the room as T.K. ran over to Izumi. "Guess what Takato kissed Juri."

"What?" they both asked in unison.

"Well, on the cheek, but hey at least he kissed her under the mistletoe." he shrugged and ran off to find Hikari to tell her the news.

"Haha, how typical." Mimi giggled and ran off also to find Matt, leaving Izumi by herself to talk to the others who were guys. She couldn't help but notice that Takuya was acting…different.

"Hey Takuya." she greeted, getting his attention.

He smiled back towards her. "Izumi."

For some odd reason, it hurt to see that he wasn't his usual self. He was just acting like that so that no one would notice that anything was wrong. Before they both knew it, they were outside on the back porch of the mansion. Yes, the mansion. "So…any resolutions for the coming year?"

"Huh? As she gazed at him, but he was looking away. "Ah…not really. You?"

"Guess I'm the same. I haven't thought about any goals I wanted to make." He added a small laugh. "Besides, if I do have resolutions, I never do it anyways."

Izumi just smiled. "Sounds like you."

They were both quiet again. "Now, what am I going to say?" she thought. "I know that if I ask him what's wrong, he might either say nothing or talk about it. Either one, I'll end up feeling sad." she kept note again.

Mimi clapped her hands together. "Great! That's awesome! Are you going to tell him your feelings soon?"

Izumi didn't say anything, but shook her head no. "I won't say anything."

"Wha?" the shocked expression was on her face. "And you're happy with it?! He might have feelings for you too!"

"Am I truly happy?" she whispered softly, which surprised Takuya at first because she suddenly spoke out of nowhere. She closed her eyes. "No… I wouldn't be happy…but it's for the best.." she kept reminding herself. But no matter how times her mind told her, her heart was saying the opposite. Out of nowhere, a tear slipped out. Then afterwards, more tears were starting to fall down.

"I-Izumi? Are you alright?" he asked but he regretted asking that because one, it was obvious she wasn't alright, and two, it just caused her to cry even more. He reached out to her and held her in a warm embrace.

She sighed and hugged back, she just needed someone… even for a moment. "Thank you…" she managed to word out, enough for Takuya to hear.

He patted her head and smiled softly. He didn't bother saying anything. Some things are better off without saying the words.

Sadly, a certain cell phone that was ringing was coming from the purple dressed girl, as she let go and reached into her pocket.

"I guess you have to leave now" he said and gave her a reassuring look before walking off.

She checked the caller on her cell phone before closing it and took his hand to stop him from walking away. "Takuya…"

This time, he didn't avoid looking at her.

From behind Takuya, she could see Juri having a fun time talking with Takato, along with everyone else. It would be a shame to leave and ruin the moment. "I think…I'll…stay a little longer." as a genuine smile appeared on her lips.

A/N: I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Have a Happy New Year. Thanks for reviewing or for those who enjoy the story very much. XD