Chapter 1
Headaches

"See you later Mickey-san!"

"Hn... yeah... bye."

I half-waved goodbye to my co-worker Misuzu. Today had gone oddly easier than usual. My boss was sick today and the customers we got were real nice, not the kind we usually get. Oh and by the way, I work part time at a cafe if you didnt know. But it was really odd for the last week everything had been, well, going easier than usual. I hadn't really punched any one out, no fights with anyone to be exact, haven't seen Honda-whore all week as well, which made me even happier. The reason, you may ask, is due to Shigure, Tohru, Hatori, Momiji, Haru, Yuki, and Kyou ditching me and leaving to the cabin we owned by the lake. I was slightly pissed off by that because they didn't even ask me if I wanted to come. Shows how nice they are. Whores. Anyways, school had been pretty easy too. The teachers hadn't been riding my ass to get my homework done and stuff and none of the guys or girls had been bugging me. Woohoo! This all made me happy and stuff but... I was disturbed by this odd peacefulness in the past week of my life. A loud honking noise made my train of those come to an ubrupt halt. I stopped and turned to look at (more like glare) the stupid noise. There in the middle of the street was a speeding semi and a little girl, no older than 7, standing there with the deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. Before I knew what was happening my legs started moving and I soon found myself dashing towards the little girl. As the girl was about to get hit I jumped and quickly (and elegantly might I add) grabbed her and sumersaulted out of the way.

The semi soon came to a screeching halt and stopped in the middle of the street. I still held the girl, who was now quivering in fear and tears rolling down her pale face. The driver stepped out, well fell out, of the semi and stumbled over to me. He reeked of alcohol and marojuana. "Ehh guwl watchhhh we'h yuh' goi'g !" he slurred. I barely understood him, the drunk.

He continued to ramble on about how i was in the way and shit, he soon went to hit me. I dodged his weak attempt to slap me and I pelted him in the back of the head with a roundhouse kick and brought my foot down in an axe kick on his back. e layed there, now knocked out on the ground, slightly groaning. People in their cars were staring at me like I was some killer. Tch, idiots. I put the girl down and she looked up with me, Her skin was a pale white, she had honey golden eyes and dark blue hair. She was wearing ripped sandles and a tattered black dress. "What's your name?" I simply questioned her.

She blinked at me 2 times. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Hey, girl! I said what is your name?"

She blinked at me again. Now I was annoyed I was about to yell at her when a small voice shot through my anger like an arrow at point blank range. I didnt understand what it had said but it was probably the little girls voice. "Huh? What? I didnt hear you."

She looked down and stared at her feet. "Ch-Chohtarou."

I never smiled, and when I did it was very very rarely. But... this girl, Chohtarou, her voice was so sweet and I just had to smile at her.

I bent down to her level an placed my hands on her shoulders, now hiding the smile my face held seconds ago. "So... Chohtarou, where do you live?"

She looked at me and shook her head. I cocked a brow, "Talk girl I dont understand sign language."

"I..." she started, fiddling with her fingers, "I don't... have a... home."

Now my face was puzzled, geez what was with this girl? "What do you mean 'You dont have a home?'"

"I dont have a home... I live... on the streets." she quivered a bit from the slight breeze that went by.

I sighed to myself, I just know Im gonna pay for this decision. Well... there goes my 'peaceful week'. "Come on." I said in a monotone voice.

I started walking and peered back, the girl was giving me thatblank questioning look of hers. "Well?! Come on hurry up! I aint getting any younger." I hissed. My head hurts.

She scuttled over to my left and walked with me back to the Sohma estate. My home.

Chohtarou was behind me and leaning against the wall of hallway we were in. I stood in front of Akito Sohma's room. I should pray to dear god that this goes well, and if it didnt well... it wouldnt be the first. I sighed to myself once more and looked back and the dark blue haired child. "Stay here alright?"

She looked up at me with her honey orbs and nodded. I looked back at the door and took a deep breathe and knocked 3 times. ..."Come in."

I took one last look at Chohtarou, she was gripping the pink sweater of mine that I had lent her. I gulped the lump in my throat and slightly touched my now aching head. Stupid headaches. I opened the door and closed it, now face to face with the one person I unknowingly feared. "Mickey-chan... and you are here why?"

I looked back at this person who held the same eyes as me, the future that was mine, and mine alone. "Hello... I have important matters to discuss with you... mother."

"And that would be?" she replied in a cold tone.

"Well I was unfortunate enough to come across a young girl, her name is Chohtarou, she's 7, and she's homeless. And to my curiousity, I decided to bring her here, and ask your permission to see if she could stay here, with me. Might I add if you agree to her staying that she will be my full responsability."

Akito was oddly quiet. She then stood up slowly and looked at me straight in the eye. I then gulped another lump in my throat, and unbeknownst to myself, broke out into a sweat. Everything was getting a bit dizzy, and I stuggled a bit to keep my balance. I was now breathing heavily and gripping my head with both hands. My head was hammering hard, I squeezed my eyes shut and my legs bent, struggling to stay up. The wave of getting sick soon met me but I held it in, I wasnt going to throw up in front of my mother.

I could hear Akito's steps getting closer to me, but I couldnt see her. I soon couldnt handle it any more and found myself falling backwards into an empty black pit of unconscienceness.