Chapter one

The sun rose and shone through my window. I pulled the covers over my head. I groaned and my alarm went off. Half-asleep, I whacked my alarm onto the floor.

"Get up sweetheart," I heard a familiar voice say. I peeled back the covers to find Mama standing in the doorway, her arms folded.

"Can't I sleep in a little longer?" I complained, "I only finished for the summer yesterday."

"Yumi called and said she was coming over," Mama informed me. "She said you'd talked about this yesterday."

"Dang," I mumbled. She shut my door and I pulled myself out of bed, yawning. I picked up that dammed alarm and put it back on the dresser. Then I darted to the bathroom, praying mama hadn't used up all the hot water. She didn't, for once, so I enjoyed a long, hot shower.

Deciding I'd have enough time to repaint my nails, I headed back to my room and plopped myself in front of my vanity. Grabbing a ponytail holder, I placed my hair up into a messy bun before I began to systematically remove my old nail polish; a cheery, sunny yellow. Glancing at the numerous bottles of nail polish I had, I plucked up the one I found most appealing at the moment – black. Neatly, I put on two coats of the dark colour before I went over it with a quick-drying clear coat. Blowing on my nails, I gingerly took down my hair and ran a brush through it several times till I was sure all the tangles were gone. Then I plaited it carefully, and then got dressed into a pair of shorts, a white camisole top, and my tennis shoes.

"Hitomi! Breakfast!" Mum shouted. I wandered downstairs into the kitchen where I sat at the kitchen table and stretched. Something furry rubbed around my ankles. I glanced down.

"Morning Buyo," I murmured, scratching the cat behind it's ears. Mum snorted at the stove.

"I still don't know why I let you name the cat Buyo," she commented. I rolled my eyes.

"I was eleven, mama. And in the middle of my Inuyasha phase," I reminded her as she scooped my breakfast onto a plate.

"Dig in," Mum advised, putting an omelette in front of me. "I'll be home late tonight, so will you be alright for dinner?"

"I won't be here. I'm staying at Yumi's beach house for the summer, remember? I reminded her, taking a sip of orange juice.

"Oh, god, I forgot. Will there be adult supervision?" Mom worried, nibbling her lip.

"Jeez, mama. Middle-aged much?" I laughed as I cut into the omelette. "I'll be fine. I'm eighteen, for crying out loud!"

"I suppose." She picked up her purse and keys before looking at me worriedly. "Just promise me you'll call every couple of days."

"Aww, come on mama!" I groaned as she held up a hand.

"Just humour me," she said, "I worry about you. That's what I'm supposed to do."

"Sure, sure," I mumbled as she kissed my cheek, "Cya mama."

"Cya sweetheart."

Humming softly to myself, I quickly finished my meal and even washed the dishes when I was done, before heading back upstairs to pack for summer vacation. After shutting my bedroom door, I wandered over to my closet and grabbed my school bag, feeling relieved I'd emptied it out last night as I dumped it on my bed. Knotting a bandanna in my hair, I started darting back and forth between the closet and the bed with clothes and accessories, before stretching and sitting down at the vanity table I rarely used.

Picking up an ivory liner, I applied it around my eyes until they made it pop before giving my lashes a light coat of mascara. I finished up my look with some cherry chap-stick. I stuck my tongue out at my reflection as I untied the bandanna and wrapped it around my wrist instead. The bell rang downstairs, so I ran to the door, opened it, and standing in the porch with a big grin was Yumi.

She's my best friend. We're total opposites, but we go together perfectly. She has hazel brown eyes, and short black hair with red streaks. She's got a wicked tongue and a nasty temper, but she's really loyal, and was probably one of my only friends. Her mama was a fashion designer, and Yumi was always dressed in her mama's latest designs.

Today, she wore a tiny pair of black shorts with hearts sewn around the hems, a tank top with one shoulder-strap in black with a sequinned heart on it, a silver belt, and her black converse, inked with lightning bolts.

"Hey, Tomi!" she greeted, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me lock the door and grab my stuff," I answered, smiling. Darting back upstairs, I hoisted my school bag over my shoulders and shut my bedroom door before sliding down the banister. Grinning at Yumi's 'look', I got the spare key, locked the door, and hid it behind the drainpipe.

"So, how have you been?" Yumi asked, swinging her bag carelessly as we walked. "Any news?"

"Nope," I answered, fanning myself. It was fairly hot for early morning.

"Nothing interesting what-so-ever has happened?"

"Not in the last twelve hours."

"I find that hard to believe… but hold that thought," Yumi said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a tube of nail polish, "Look at what I bought! It's a new colour that came out, it's like… wow." Handing it over to me, Yumi smiled. "You have to wear it sometime."

"It's nice," I answered, turning the bottle over to read the name, "Moody Blue, I need to buy a tube of this."

"You can keep that, I bought two. So, today is our girl day, and I was thinking we could get some groceries for tonight before we get the bus, and then we could go swimming when we arrive. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"That isn't what I meant."

"Yumi, it sounds great."

Giggling, Yumi linked arms with me and we sauntered down the road. Something shiny was hurting my eyes. It was coming from her arm, so I focused on her bracelet. She got it off this gypsy lady a few months back. She can never get it off. It's studded with rubies in the shape of flames. She wasn't the only one with something like that though. I got a bracelet too, but mine was studded with sapphires in the shape of water droplets. Like hers, it won't come off. Kind of annoying, really.

"Hey, Yumi, your bracelet is acting weird," I said, poking her. She glanced down.

"It's never done that before. Huh." She looked at me then. "I'm not the only one. Yours is glowing too," she pointed.

"That's weird. It's never-"

Just then, a car horn blared as it swung wildly towards us. I heard a squeal of brakes, a scream, my scream, and then-

Darkness.

Hi everyone! This story was taken down for editing a while back because I read over it and cringed at the way I used to write, so I give you the new and improved Threads Of Fate. Please review!

Much love, Princess Kanako x