~8 years later~
I sighed. It's been 8 years since my father died. I was turning 15 this year and Ami is now 11 years old. I was still inside this hellhole with my so-called step-family. I envy Ami. After I became a slave to 'Madam' or as I call her the hag, I gave my sister to my friend Nadeshiko to take care of Ami while I work to earn money. She was still 3 then. I don't know if my sister still remembers me. I don't even know where she is now. After I gave Ami to Nadeshiko, she had to move but I knew that my sister would be safe from the hag.
Sometimes I wonder if I would even get away from the hag. I sighed. I then looked at my charas. There were Ran, Miki, Suu, and Dia. They always stayed by my side but my only hope to get away from the hag was the boy under the sakura tree. The sakura tree was the only sakura tree in this town. I still remembered the day I met the boy.
~Flashback~
I finally had a break. The hag was out of town with her daughters so I had a free day to do whatever. I went outside and started walking toward the forest where I would play under the sakura tree with my sister. I was 8 years old now. I walked through the forest and got to the tree. I raised my hand and placed my fingers on the bark. Energy surged through me. I then looked up to see a boy with blue hair and sapphire eyes staring at me from a branch. I screamed and fell down. I thought nobody knew about this tree.
"You know you're noisy." The boy said. I glared at him. He was about 3 years older than me. He swiftly jumped down from the branch and landed gracefully in fount of me.
"I'm Ikuto." The boy said.
"I'm Amu." I said to him.
"Ikuto-koii!" A yell pierced through the sky. I cringed. Suddenly a girl with blond hair tied into two long ponytails and purple eyes about a year older than me ran through the bushes toward us. I stepped back and the girl glomped the boy named Ikuto. She then noticed me. She got off of Ikuto and said,
"Ikuto who's this girl?" She glared daggers at me.
"This is a girl I just met Utau. She came here." Ikuto said. The girl suddenly smiled at me and hugged me.
"I'm Utau. I'm Ikuto's little sister." The girl named Utau said.
"I'm Amu." I said. I smiled. I finally had friends.
~End of Flashback~
I smiled at that thought. After I became friends with them, I would meet them at the sakura. I never knew their last name and so did they not know my last name. Every time I meet them under the sakura I would always get cuts and bruises form tripping on the roots but it never hurt like the whip. I would finally laugh with them and then I finally told them my story. They would comfort me every time I cried and heal me every time I got hurt. They were like my brother and sister but one day they told me something devastating. I could remember that day too.
~Flashback~
"Hi Ikuto-chan Utau-chan." I waved at them. They didn't wave back. I frowned and ran to them. They looked at me sadly.
"What's wrong?" I asked them.
"We have to move." Ikuto said and Utau burst into tears.
"But why?" I asked them, tears threatening to fall.
"Because we have to move." Ikuto said. "But when we get older, I'll come and save you from the old witch, so the night the sakura blooms, I'll be waiting there." Ikuto then placed a golden bag in my hand. I opened the drawstring to find a sakura petal.
"Thank you Ikuto." I said and hugged Ikuto and Utau.
"Good bye Amu." Utau said with a tear stained face. The tears then fell and I hugged Utau and Ikuto longer.
"Good bye." I said and waved. They then walked away.
~End of Flashback~
I always had hope that Ikuto would keep his promise. That he would come and save me. Than I heard from my step-sister that a guy named Ikuto was intending Seiyo School. I didn't know if it was another Ikuto, but I had to try. That was 6 months ago. I would always try to get in but Seiyo is the top richest Japan school in Japan so to put it short, I never got in. Although my sister got in it was because of my father's money. But I still hoped that Ikuto would come on my birthday. I mean he did promise me. Then 5 months ago I got into Seiyo. I remembered that day.
~Flashback~
"Hinamori you got a delivery to Seiyo School." My boss said. Yep I still had to work for money. This meant I had to work for my step-family and work at a local town job. My job was delivering laundry to people. Lame right? Whatever. I finally found a person with laundry to delivery to Seiyo. And maybe I get to see this Ikuto person and talk to him. I walked over to my boss. He handed me the package and I went outside onto my bicycle. I placed the package in my basket and got on. I then drove to Seiyo. I was stopped by the guard.
"Hey didn't I say you come here again I'll ban you from ever coming to this place?" The guard said. Oh so he remembered me.
"Um I have a package for this person from Dry Cleaners Laundry." I said and show the guard my package. He nodded and let me in. I got off my bike and got the package. My charas were following me. I looked left to right. I then saw the door. I went to it and opened the door. I gasped. The floor was covered with red carpet and there were like 10 chandeliers down the hall and the wall looked like it was painted from real gold. Me and my charas stared around us, mouths opened. I then woke up from my trance and nudged my charas.
We then started walking down the hall. We then entered what appeared to be the cafeteria. The tables were covered with red cloth and the food was like a 5 star restaurant dish. There were plants around and everything. I bet that of my father never married the hag and still had he money and was alive, then he would send me to schools like this, but no. my step-sisters got to go to this rich school using my father's money while I never went to school.
Sudden people shouted about something. I could make out the word F4. Everybody in the cafeteria suddenly stood up and ran past me. Stumbling and pushing to get through the doorway before anyone else. I decided to follow them. They lead everybody up to the roof. Everybody was shouting Jump! I pushed past them to see a little blond girl. She was standing at the edge of the roof. She's going die! I thought. I looked around. People all around her and on the ground were pulling out their cell phones and taking pictures. Isn't anybody going to save her? I thought. I then saw her chara. I got to save her! I thought.
"Hey! Why are you standing there?" I asked. Everybody looked at me like I was dumb. Yep I knew that the question was stupid but I had to stall her.
"Because I wanna die!" The girl screamed at me.
"Why do you want to die?" I asked her.
"Have you ever heard of F4?" The girl asked.
"No but just by the name I can tell they're bitches for making you wanna die." I crossed me arms. The crowd gasped. Oh no my 'Cool & Spicy' side is kicking in.
"So what's your name?" I calmly asked her. I gotta stall her longer and talk her out of this.
"I'm Rima Mashiro." The girl said. Everybody then started shouting Jump again. Oh no. I thought. The girl named Rima then prepared to jump. She then jumped. No! I chara changed with Ran. I then ran and jumped over the edge. I could hear the crowd gasp again but I focused on catching Rima. I caught up with her and took her hand. I then used Ran's ability of sports to land perfectly on the ground.
~End of Flashback~
After that, I became Rima's best friend. News spread about how I save Rima and about Seiyo School. Soon the school board couldn't stand the news any longer and offered a full term solar ship for Seiyo School. I said yes and then went to Seiyo, but I was too late. They told me that the person named Ikuto became famous and left with his best friend. I was sad but I still remembered about the promise.
So today was my birthday. My birthday present from my step-family? More chores for the rest of the day. I sighed. Well it's was night time right now and I finish all my chores. I then waited to make sure everybody was asleep and I climbed outside from my room window. I went onto the branch of the tree at my window and climb down. I landed softly on the ground and started running toward the forest. Ever since Ikuto left, the forest grew but I remembered that the sakura tree was in the middle of the forest. I ran past trees, their branches scratching my arms and legs but I willed myself to keep on going. Finally I made it.
I looked at the sakura tree. It was blooming, its soft pink petals being carried by the wind. The stars were shining bright and the moon was out, making the sakura tree glow. But the boy wasn't there. I waited a bit longer but nobody came. And that's when I broke down. I placed my head into my hands and cried. I thought he would come. He promise! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him to keep a promise, but he was my only hope. Now I had no more hope. I willed myself to walk back home. I then climbed back up my window into my attic and went to the corner which is where my bed was. I then sat on my 'bed' which was the floor. I then cried myself to sleep.