I looked at her and she looked at me in complete surprise. Her long hair was an insanely bright shade of pink to match her bright, cheerful eyes. She looked small and fragile, but the corners of her lips curled into a smile when I stepped into the room. Had I seen her before? No... I would remember someone immediately with hair and eyes like that, right?

I didn't have the slightest idea what to say. "Uh, Hi."

She laughed. It was a beautiful sound that reminded me of bells ringing softly in the dawn of morning. I felt my face heat up.

"Your baseball is right here," she said, nodding her head towards the foot of the matress. "It landed right by my feet! That's never happened before. They usually fly under my bed or beneath my dresser so my mom has to search for them."

I didn't take my eyes off her for a second. She looked pale and weak, so I could tell she was sick with something. The sunlight through the open window illuminated her face. "Why... Can't you get them from under your bed yourself? Is there something wrong with y-" I stopped myself. That wasn't what I meant. "I mean... Something holding you back?"

Her face fell a little, but she still smiled. Her voice was really cute. "Oh my mom must not have told you." She closed her looked down at her hands.

"I'm... paralyzed. I have been ever since I was born."

I caught myself staring at her unable to speak. "Paralyzed? Wow... I, uh-"

She gazed out the window. "You don't have to say anything. Everybody says they're sorry for me but I don't care all that much."

I stepped closer to her. "Is it just you and your mom then?" I didn't know why I was so curious about this girl. I was positive I'd never seen her before yet I felt the need to ask her about everything. I found a chair next to her bed and sat in it.

"Yeah. Just me and my mom. She takes care of me and helps me for every little thing I need to do. I'm nothing but trouble for everyone."

It was silent for another moment when I realized I didn't even know her name. "I'm... Uh, Hinata by the way."

She turned to look at me. "I'm Yui," she said, smiling again. "I don't get many visitors besides some of my family, so this is nice."

I wasn't sure exactly what I was doing but I took her hand and shook it. Her skin felt so cold and lifeless. Even if she couldn't shake back, I knew if she would have if she could move. "Well concider me a visitor then. Don't your friends come over?"

Yui looked away. I regretted saying anything right as the words escaped my mouth. "I don't... really have any friends. I've been homeschooled all my life by my mom and I can't play sports or participate in any after school activities so I never really got to meet any of the kids."

I felt so bad for her. I had a lot of friends and guys I could depend on and I couldn't imagine not having anyone to talk or share feelings with. I was sure if people met her she would get lots of friends. "Well... Maybe if you want, I could be your friend?"

Her eyes widened. "My friend?"

"Sure, why not? I can visit you then. Giving you something to look forward to," I said. "But I'm busy with baseball practice most of the time so it wouldn't be a lot, but-"

"No, thats fine!" She replied. "That would mean a lot to me... Thanks Hinata."

My stomach did a flip. No... more like a backwards cartwheel off a ten story building. "It's settled then," I announced. For the first time I took my eyes off her and saw the baseball sitting on the bed. "Hey, do you like baseball?"

She grinned "Yeah I watch it on my TV all the time."

"Then keep it," I picked up the ball at the foot of her bed and placed it in her hands. "I don't need it anyway."

Yui rasied an eyebrow. "Then why did you come all the way here?"

I stood. "I don't... I don't know. Maybe it was to see you."

"But you don't know me," she looked up and met my eyes.

It was true. I didn't know her at all before I stepped into her room. How did I feel so strongly about her, like we had a connection of some sort? It was so surreal and confusing.

"I know... But I feel like I've met you before. Although I'm positive I've never met you at the same time. It's making my head spin," I rubbed the back of my neck in frustration.

"So it's not just me?"

I turned and stared at her. "What?"

"I feel the same way. I have a feeling I've met you somewhere before. But like I said, I haven't had any real friends. I would have remembered you for sure."

I paced the room back and forth, thinking as hard as I could. "I just know-"

Suddenly the bedroom door opened and Yui's mother stepped in. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. Someome from my work called," she smiled kindly. "I see you've met Yui. Did you find the ball?"

I blinked. "Oh, yes. But I, uh, realized I don't really need it."

She tilted her head. "Didn't need it?"

Yui piped in. "Yeah Mom, Hinata gave it to me to keep!"

Embarassment swept over me. "I have to go now," I said a little too quickly. "It's getting dark and I have to find my way back home."

"Oh that's alright. Thanks for visiting Yui though," she smiled and turned down the hallway.

I looked at Yui. "I... I'll come back sometime. I don't know when, because I have practice almost everyday after school, but I will, okay?"

She smiled. "Okay. You Promise?"

The room fell quiet. The curtains on the window blowing in the wind was the only sound. "I promise. In fact, I pinky promise." I stepped closer to her and wrapped my pinky around one of hers. Even though she couldn't squeeze back, I knew she had agreed.

And then I walked out of the room, not looking back at her because I knew if I did, I might have never left.

Just to clarify, when I watched the anime I watched it in the english dub, so I have no idea if anything will be different to those who watched the Japanese version. I don't think it will; I'm just letting you know in case. Thanks for reading and please review! :)