My hand touches the smooth surface of the marble casing. Swirls of different colors collided into each other; fighting for the eye’s attention, not wanting to give into the other.
My finger tips slide across the cool top.
A soft whisper escapes my lips, “is this is?”
Eyes fell on me as I asked. Silence was my only answer. I close my eyes. Pretending the world cease to exist, not wanting to be disturbed by anything.
“Yuki,” a voice breaks into my mind, “it’s time to go.”
My eyes open. So this is it, my mind says.
“Okay,” soft and sweet sings my voice.
I let my hands firmly grip the box, and pull it to my chest. The coolness of the marble spreads across my chest giving me feeling.
“I am ready to leave, Leon.”
A hand falls upon my shoulder, leading me away.
“You shouldn’t cry,” a deep voice whispers.
“I’m not crying,” I answer.
My eyes start to water. Tears spill down my face. s**t, I’m crying. I raise a hand to wipe the away before Leon could see.
“I thought you said you weren’t crying,” his voice mocks.
“Shut it,” my voice cracks.

Outside, the sunlight was strong. My eyes, weak against them start to close. My mind clouds itself with dreams, memories, and forgotten thoughts.
“Yuki, wake up,” a soft melodic voice sings in my head.
My eyes slowly open. A girl with short hair and a smile on her face stares back at me. Who are you?
“Yuki!” she squeals.
I am embraced into a hug.
“Um…” my mind still couldn’t tell me who she was.
A frown spreads on her face. “You don’t remember who I am,” she accuses.
“No!” I answer quickly.
“Really?” her eyebrows rise, “then what is my name?”
“Um…”
“See!” she smiles, “I would be amazed if you did.”
I look at her. Okay, who is she?
“It’s me, Ringo.”
Ringo… “Ringo?” I cry. She looks so different, than she did before. Her hair was much shorter. She was now grown up, not the same small girl I remember playing with.
“I didn’t recognize you at first either. You changed so much.”
“Yeah, I guess we both did.”
“You grew out your hair. It looks like it got darker too.”
I nod.
“Oh, if Ichigo could see you now.”
That’s right. Ichigo, Ringo’s older twin. “Where is she?”
“She’s…” Ringo brings a finger to her chin, “she’s at the G.A. academy.”
Oh, yeah. I had completely forgotten that she had always wanted to be a singer.
“Cool,” was all I manage to say.
My eyes wonder. This room…how did I get here? The sea colored walls surrounds the two of us, engulfing me with the past. Little dolls from when I was a kid, the rocking chair my mom use to sing to me from.
“Ringo…” I slowly start, “how…how did I get here?” My voice seems so far away.
“That tall guy brought you in here.”
That’s right. I was with Leon. Where is he?
My eyes continue to scan around me. Pictures of Ringo, Ichigo and me plastered against a mirror; smiles, faces painted with make-up, horribly done hair styles. The past that I cherish greatly.
“Oh.”
“Are you alright?”
I turn to her. Sadness was found on her face.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lie.
“Oh, good,” a weak smile appears.
Silence now takes over. I couldn’t find anything to say. My fingers play with a small strand of hair that no longer belongs to my head.
“So,” Ringo drags the word, “what was going on.”
I look up at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well…” she tries to find the right words, “um…when that guy brought you here, you were crying in your sleep.”
A soft blush emerges to my face. He saw me asleep?
“You’re blushing!”
My hands spring to my face. It’s hot. I’m blushing? I close my eyes. My heart was racing.
“Sheesh, Yuki, the way you are reacting seems like you got a little crush. Who was that guy anyways?” her head turns to the door. “Ever since you went off to boarding school in the United States you didn’t have time to talk to us.”
The boarding school. Where I met Leon. That’s right; he came all the way here with me, to see him.
“That guy you’re talking about is my friend Leon.” I answer.
“Oh, how old is he?”
“A few years older than me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you like him?” she smiles.
“What?” I frown.
“Come on, you can tell me.”
Do I like him? I had known him for a while now.
“Dunno,” is the only answer I can give her.
Ringo frowns. She didn’t know to believe me or not.
“What about you?” I smile, changing the subject to her. “Any guys falling for you?”
Ringo laughs. The same laugh I remember.
“What are you talking about? No guy wants me.”
“Come on, your beautiful.”
She shyly smiles, “well….there is this one guy.”
“Oh,” my turn to drag the word, “who?”
“Okay, okay,” she slaps my leg, “his name is Kyou. He just moved in the neighborhood a few months ago.”
I smile. That’s nice she got herself a crush. I take her hands.
“Make sure that you don’t get hurt,” I tell her.
She nods. It’s now silent again. Did I really get so out of tune with my close friends? Do I have nothing to talk about?
“I am in a hair styling school.”
“Really? That’s great.”
Ringo nod, and placed her hands on her lap, “I always wanted to style hair.”
I giggle. The outside of her changed but the inside was the same as I remember three years ago.
“Do you think I can do your hair?” she asks softly, as if she was afraid.
“Yeah,” my eyes open wide. I was happy to let her do my hair. She smiles. I move to the floor, so she would be able to reach the top of my head.
“This reminds me of the old times,” she pulls my hair up.
She’s right. This is like old times. She would do my hair and pick out some clothes for me if we went out.
“Yeah,” I answer, “when will I see Ichigo?”
My hair fell back down.
“I don’t know.”
What does she mean she doesn’t know? They are closer than sisters, they are twins. I look up at her with worrying eyes.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“We kind of got into a little fight,” she explains, “she wants us to try and became idols, but I want to try to be a hair stylist.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” she continues, “you know how we always tried to be a band, and she wants to try it again. But I don’t.”
“Don’t worry about it Ringo,” I say.
“I hope so.”

“Leon!” my voice fills the room.
He falls of the couch he was napping on. Black hair a mess, and clothes wrinkled, but he was still good-looking. Leon picks himself off the floor, straightens his shirt and hair.
“What?” his deep voice asks.
“Nothing,” I smile at him, “just wanted to scare ya.”
He frowns, crossing his arms in front of him. I stick out my tongue.
“What’s up?” I ask plopping myself on the very couch he fell off of.
“You scaring me,” he answers.
I look up at him. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For everything,” I say. “You came all this way to see someone who died with me. You even bought the tickets to fly us here. And more over, you brought me back here, to my home.”
“It was nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, it means a lot to me.”
“Okay.”
“Just wanted to let you know that.”
“Okay.”
I look at him. His face was now turned away, like he was hiding it. Silence grew again.
“Any plans for today?” he asks, clearing his throat.
“Yeah, Ringo and I are going to go pick up her sister soon. Want to come?”
“Sure. I guess.”
“Okay, I’m going to go change,” I leave.

I look out of the window, watching everything go by; a house, a tree, a smaller tree, a lamp post, another house.
“Ichigo is going to be so surprised to see you again!” Ringo words bring me back into the car.
“Yeah?” I ask more than say.
“Yup.”
I turn to Leon, who was staring outside like I was. I tap him on the shoulder.
“Having fun?” I ask.
His response, a shrug. I frown; he really didn’t want to talk.
“Um,” Ringo starts. “How...um…” her eyes glance up to the rearview mirror, looking at Leon.
“HELLO,” she says in really bad English. “WELCOME TO JAPAN,” her words slow and unsure.
“You know I can speak and understand Japanese really well,” he replies, not moving an inch.
“Oh, that makes things easier,” she smiles.
At least she is trying to make friends with him, my mind whispers.
My eyes move back to the window. It has been so long. Am I happy I came back? Yes. Of course I am. I see my friends.
“We’re coming up to the school,” Ringo’s voice intrudes again.
A huge building covered by trees. Vines dangle from the branches, birds singing, flowers swaying. G.A Academy. The school where Ichigo is.
“Wow,” I press my head against the cool glass. “This place looks very old.”
“It’s one of the oldest schools around this area,” Ringo says.
We arrive in front of cracking doors. Massive door. Stain-glass windows border them. We step out. I let out a soft whistle.
“Looks, like something you see in a horror movie,” Leon smiles. “I like.”
“Shut up,” I say, scared.
“Let’s go in,” Ringo opens the door.
We pile inside. Chandlers hang from the ceiling, twinkling down onto us.
“Beautiful,” I whisper, afraid my voice might cause them to come crashing down.
Ringo nods, with a happy smile on her face. “This way,” she motions. We follow her to the staircase.