Eight years later.

I was laying down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. What's the point of being older if you couldn't go out and do anything? I'm eighteen now and Mom still didn't let me out of the house past dark. I'm not allowed to talk to men the same age of or older than I am. I'm not even allowed to read books that are fictional.

And why?

I have no idea.

All I know is that mother made the two of move on my tenth birthday when I found out that my father had passed away and I found his special box. On that day Mom said that something was coming, but it's been eight years and nothing. Nada. Ziltch. Absolute zero something.

I take a deep breath and roll over to my side and look at my father's box sitting on my nightstand. In all eight years of moving around repeatedly for the littleest things, I've only ever kept that box, a leather bound journal and a necklace that Mom gave me on the day of my birth.

I don't even remember how many times we've moved, or many times I thought that this was going to be the last time we would. Guess I was wrong because Mom is scrambling around downstairs packing the possessions she always did. A Bible, cross, a few strange books that I'm not allowed to even touch, and the jewlery that father bought her over the years they were married.

My door swings open and Mom walks into my bedroom with a light skip to her step. I prop myself up on one arm and raise an eyebrow at her. "Why're you so happy?" I asked her.

"Well..." She started. "I was just thinking of that dreamy boy up the road. The one with the black hair and bedroom eyes."

My eyebrow raised even more at the way she was speaking. Mom never mentioned boys to me. Ever.

"What about him?" I say with a small smile on my face and move around to where I was laying down on my stomach, facing towards her.

"He came by earlier!" Mom said excitedly. She flopped down on my bed right beside me and laid down on her stomach as well. "He wanted to know if you were going to the party tomorrow night."

I turned my head and gave her a confused look. "Why would Sasuke ask if I was going? He doesn't even know I exist," I say to her in an overly dramatic tone.

She nudged my shoulder and laughed a little. Man, I love Mom's laugh, her nose crinkles a little bit and her eyes close. And her smile, I love her smile.

"Why wouldn't he ask if you were going?" She countered. "You're quite the catch, if I do say so myself. An dof course he knows you exist! How could he know where you live if he didn't?"

"He could be a stalker and I just don't know it," I said and make a fake gasping noise. "Maybe he's watching us at this very moment!"

"He very well could be!" Mom exclaims and jumps into a sitting position. I follow her lead and get into a sitting position. "But right now we need to discuss what you're going to wear! I was thinking something red!"

"Wait, does mean I get to go?" I ask, a large smile forming on my face.

"As long as you go with Lily and be back home before midnight, I don't see why not," she responded and gave me a small smile.

I can't believe this! Mom said I was allowed to go out somewhere with my best friend, possibly go there to see a boy and never stay out past dark! This was too good to be true!

"There is one catch, however."

I knew it. I just knew it.

"If there is anything going on, anything at all, you get out of there. If Lily isn't with you when it happens, you still need to get out of there." Mom's voice turned stern. "I mean it Layla. Anything happens, you get out of there and head straight home."

"Yes ma'am. I understand." I gave her a small smile that slowly broke into a wide grin. "I'm going to my first party!"

"And you might be meeting a boy there!"

The next chapter, the pirates will come. To find out who they are, stay tuned! And by the way, Layla is not going to fall in Sasuke. Something grand happening to him.