Cuxie: I bounce! I blaze! I'm back!

Ryou: You're berserk.

Cuxie: Am not! I can't stand her hair!

Ryou:...Not gonna ask.

Cuxie: In all honesty, this was supposed to be a KK update...

Kazune: So why isn't it?

Cuxie: Ah...ya know...(cough)WB(cough).

Kazune: For all the stories?!

Cuxie: I-I...

Ryou: She's with us for right now.

Kazune: Only for now. Right, Cuxie?

Cuxie:...GOD, YOU TWO ARE HOTT!!X3

Kazune: Uh...

Ryou: No kidding.

Cuxie: Ok ok! Stop distracting me! I've got a chappy to type!!

Cherry sat alone at a table in the back of the food court, sipping a cherry-mango smoothie. She watched, becoming slightly depressed, as happy, smiling people walked by. Almost as if they were in a different world completely.

She had abandoned the group in the dress shop. For some reason, she felt as if she didn't belong with them. They all seemed to be tied together by something despite their obvious differences in personality. Her and Lettuce had hit it off, but it seemed like the other Mews were closer together than she would ever be with any of them.

Not to mention that they each seemed to be extraordinarily wonderful. Either in looks or personality and she was clearly neither. Zakuro was painfully beautiful. Mint was elegant and refined. Pudding was bubbly and perky and all-around cute. Lettuce was sweet and thoughtful. And Ichigo...she was always happy, pretty, sweet, and just plain fun to be around. It was like the girl had a magnetic personality.

And Cherry...well, she knew them all.

That thought--along with watching them try on dresses and transform from fabulous girls to exceptionally refined ladies--depressed her and she had gone off to sulk.

"Hey. What are you doing all alone, Cutie? I see your new friends abandoned you," a familiar voice sneered. Cherry looked up and glared at the dark-haired boy in front of her.

"That's none of your business, Masaya."

He shrugged. "Well, I can't really blame them. You're kind of boring you know. No wonder my plan didn't work at the party. I should've brought someone prettier. I mean, you're nothing compared to Ichigo."

SPLAT!!

Cherry dumped her smoothie on him. "SHUT-UP!! You're such a jerk! I HATE YOU!! Don't you ever come anywhere near me again!"

"Ugh! HEY!! Get back here!" he yelled after her as she ran off.

Tears streamed down her face and she headed for the closet exit. She went around to the back entrance of the mall. Since it wasn't facing the main highway, it wasn't as well kept. Paint was peeling and their were a few cobwebs in the corners of the doors and windows.

"That...that stupid jerk," she cried and wiped at her eyes. I'm not boring...am I? I guess I'm not at as fun as Ichigo. Or as pretty...Maybe he's right. I bet no one's even realized I'm gone! She started sobbing again.

"Don't be ridiculous!" a voice barked.

"Huh?" The brunette looked up to see a dark-red haired girl dressed in a long flowing skirt and a flowery blouse. She had a large ornamented bag slung over her shoulder.

"Sorry for shouting, but I was drawn here by your negative energy," she explained.

Cherry blinked. "My...negative energy?"

"Yes. It seems you're very upset about something."

"Oh. That's not...I mean, that is..."

The strange girl interrupted her, "You don't have to explain to me. But please cheer up. I sense your luck changing soon." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small cloth satchel about the size of a large walnut. A yellow smiley face was stitched on the front. "Here. I'll give you this charm to ensure your good luck. Free of charge," she added with a wink.

Cherry took it and examined it in her hand. She rubbed her fingers against it and felt what must have been sand or something similar on the inside. It looked like a cheap trinket. She sells these? She must be a gypsie or something... "Um...thank you?"

"You're very welcome, Cherry. I must be going now. Be well," she said, turning and walking away. "And remember: you're valued much more than you know."

"Ok...wait!" Cherry called after her. "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

She turned back and gave Cherry a sly smile. She dropped a small peice of paper on the ground and a single breeze swept it up and carried it over to Cherry. It read:

Lady Spice:

Certified fortune-teller/pyschic, master of clairvoyance.

Reassuring and guiding. Spice wishes you well; feelings and luck.

"Accept yourself. Then you'll be happy."

It looked like a business card you could get at most offices for just about anything. But unlike most business cards, it didn't have an address or contact number.

Ok. So she's a fortune-teller. I was close, Cherry thought. The card was pretty straight-forward about what she did. Although Cherry wasn't quite sure what the 'reassuring and guiding' thing meant. She flipped it over and saw a smiley face--identical to the one on her "charm"--was stamped on the back.

She looked up. "Hey, what's this--Huh?" She looked around and noticed she was alone.

Spice was gone.

--

Cherry walked dazedly, examining the card in her hand from all angles. As if she were missing something important. It was simple. Even the proverb, which usually confused her.

"Accept yourself" huh? She sighed. Maybe Spice was right. She was more fortunate then alot of girls. And not just in health and lack of poverty. She had amazingly cool friends with whom she was going on a trip around the world! Not a lot of girls could say that.

She was so busy deciphering the card that she didn't notice where she was going.

"Ow!" She rammed into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry! I should've been watching where I was going. I..." she stopped and blushed.

In front of her stood a tall, cute guy with sky blue eyes and slightly tousled brown hair that had a bit of a red tint where the sun hit it. He looked about her age...

"Hey, uh, are you alright?" he asked.

Cherry flushed, suddenly wishing she had worn something more flattering than her old jeans and a blue tee. "Y-Yes! I'm fine.. Um, are you? I mean, it's kinda my fault since I bumped into you. I'm really sorry be the way! I should've been watching where I was going--"

"It's fine," he laughed, holding up his hand. Great, she was making a fool of herself! "You seemed like you were busy anyway."

"Uh, no. I was just thinking."

"Oh." He looked down and bent over. "Well, you dropped this." He held out her card and she took it back as quickly as she could without shoved it in her pocket, hoping he hadn't read it. If he thought she was off to see a fortune teller he might think she was one of those crazy superstitionists!(No offence to those of you readers who don't like black cats or broken mirrors)

"T-Thanks."

"No problem, um..."

"Cherry. Ezumi Cherry."

"Cute name," he smiled. She blushed ducked her head. "Oh, yeah. I'm Jake." He stuck out his hand and she shook it awkwardly. "So where were you headed?"

"Ah, um, no where in particular. I kind of got...separated from my friends," she said evasively.

He nodded, whether to show he understood or to show he was listening, she wasn't sure. "Well, if you--"

"HEY!!!" A voice shouted in their direction. Cherry jumped, knowing immediately who it was. "You thought you could run away after pouring that crap all over me?!" The Baka(who really needs to learn when to call it quits) came up to them, wet and sticky from the cherry-mango smoothie he was coated in.

He grabbed Cherry's arm and yanked her towards him, making her squeal. "Don't think you're getting away with this!"

"Hey!" Jake intervened then, shoving The Baka away and standing protectively in front of Cherry.

"Get out of the way! This is between me and her!"

"Not as long as I'm here!" He said glaring down at Masaya who started to back off, realizing Jake was a good few inches taller and more prominent in the muscle department.

"Fine." He looked over at Cherry, "This isn't over!" and slinked away.

Once the germ was gone, Jake turned back to Cherry with a concerned/curious look. "Are you okay? Who was that guy?"

"My ex," she said sullenly. "I threw a smoothie at him."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Seriously? So I guess you just dumped him..."

"No. That was a while ago, but he was bugging me earlier."

"He seems like a jerk. Does he do that to you a lot?"

She shook her head. "I haven't really seen much of him since we broke up. Except for today, I mean." Just then her phone started to vibrate in her pocket. Lettuce's name flashed across the screen. "Um, excuse me for a sec," she said to Jake and he nodded. "Lettuce?....Um, well I kind of--no I'm fine," she said, glancing quickly in Jake's direction. "....Great. No I didn't eat yet...I'll meet you guys there...um, I might be a little late. I'm on the other side.....No it's fine. You don't have to wait for me...Okay. Bye." She hung up.

Jake looked at her expectantly and she was slightly surprised he hadn't left while she was talking. "Your friend?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to meet them at this Italian restaraunt on the other side of the mall..."

"The new one?"

"I-I'm not sure," she stuttered.

"That's probably it." He started walking. "C'mon. Don't wanna keep your friends waiting."

Cherry reddened noticeably. "Oh, y-you don't have to..."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I can't leave you now that I know you're being hunted down. Your ex might find you. And I was going this way anyway."

She smiled, trying to surpress the sheer happiness bubbling up inside her and hoping it wasn't obvious on her face.

"I sense your luck changing..." Spice's voice hummed in the back of her head. Hee hee! Maybe that girl wasn't kidding.

"Okay!"

Cuxie: Whew! Took long enough, I know.

Cherry: Wow, I'm--

Cuxie: Don't get ahead of yourself or anything. I just felt bad you didn't have a love interest like everyone else. Nothing major. Next chappy will be back to Ichi and RyRy! I swear!

Ichigo: Yes!

Cuxie: Someone's eager to get their spotlight back. R&R plz muppets!! And a special thankies to those of you who voted in my poll!

Jake: Yeah, thnx!

Special Note: I'm sooo sorry this took so long! I didn't realize I hadn't posted this chapter yet! I could've sworn I did that a long time ago. DON'T KILL ME!!!