I'd been rather uninspired with this story, I've never fully planned out a story—and this being the first one I have makes it Sorry that it's taken so long to get this chapter out! I've had serious writers block, and was barely able to write a sentence. It's not great, but it's the next chapter. Please note, this story probably only will be about ten chapters as I'm starting to have issues not entering right into the climax. (Which will probably start next chapter.) Anyways I hope it's alright, really it's just a reflection chapter about what's happened the last week at East High. Note; I'm on summer break now, so hopefully chapters will be out sooner!

Disclaimer: I own.. hm, my manga! Yeah the one I'm drawing; that's it.

Two Different Worlds, Two Different People

Chapter Five: Of thoughts and rifts

The purple, cackling, terrifying clouds whipped around them, seemingly beating at the children; unfamiliar words, Latin perhaps, filled the air before the clouds vanished into themselves. Natalie winced hearing the screams of people around her and looking down at her hands saw the vibrant pink of her 'regular' skin. Confused, she groaned, leaning up on her elbows before pulling herself up, uncaring that people might see her as a troll.

Dusting herself off she heard a familiar voice, "You're a troll." Shooting her head up, she was faced with the disgusted and confused face of Dillon Cromwell. "You're a big, pink, furry troll!" In return she looked at him, portraying a face that questioned as if it mattered. "So what?" she retorted, voice even.

Dillon's facial expression didn't change, but the tone of his voice hit her in the gut. "What do you mean so what?" he questioned baffled, as if revolted by the fact that she was what she was.

Her eyes narrowed some. "So what?" she started, in recoil, "I never want to see you again, you stupid human! So what!" She finished, giving him one sidelong glare before turning on her heel storming off. "Oh, Natalie, wait!" his voice called, seeming remorse dripping in his words that she ignored. Stupid human.

Natalie groaned for what had to be the umpteenth time; the piano key's screeching in protest as she leaned her chin against them. It had been a week since her "fight" with Jason over stupid Halloween costumes (one-sided though it may have been). She didn't know why, but somehow; she regretted it.

A small part of her realized, he meant no harm; none at all. Just conversational, but the thought of wearing a "costume" of what she wasn't, something so unlike the Halloween towners she knew. After all, she still didn't know a one-eyed, green witch zombie—nor did anyone else she knew for that matter. It revolted her, the way humans thought of them.

It was the larger part of her that realized, and urged, that it was better for her to stay away from Jason Cross. She was after all a troll, and he a human. She'd be going to Halloween town again, and she didn't want another "Dillon" mishap, as before. She sighed a pink finger rubbing her temple—in the safety of the Nielsen home she sometimes found herself able to "unzip", and now was one of those times—thinking about the other issue about Jason that was giving her a headache.

Dillon was a halfling—sure he seemed more mortal then warlock most of the time, but still a halfling. However, when at the mall and he had found out she was a "big, pink, furry troll" he was revolted. Yet he knew of Halloween Town and had no qualms with her, until of course she was "unzipped" in front of him. If Dillon acted like that, she was terrified to find out what would happen if Jason, or anyone else, saw her if she accidentally unzipped.

Rubbing her temples, her eyes glossed over—staring at the music that just a bit before she had been trying to play. She certainly wasn't fantastic at the piano, nowhere near compared to Beethoven or Mozart, but she was on some sort of scale. And in a way, her new love for the piano was not just a jist of a character. Like so many other things she was becoming attached to it, and in a way it unnerved her. As if she was becoming this human persona—She grimaced slightly at the thought, she didn't want to be this human, there were so many things wrong with it, so unlike her.

Glancing at the clock that sat caddy-cornered on the table, she breathed a small sigh as she clumsily got up. Those two hours seemed to go by fast, rolling her neck to relieve her stiff neck, she started her trip up the stairs to her room. A frown shifted onto her lips, Ethan said he would come over today a while ago, that was going to happen. Another stupidity.

Natalie smiled to herself, pressing the keys of East High's ancient piano. Its keys were rough, from years of use, but had the feel of love and care—of being used. It was far better then the one at the Torosson's home, which was dusty and hadn't been used in years. Natalie often found herself coming here since she found it after her "fight" with Jason two days before.

Playing a mini-scale arpeggio, she heard the creek of a door make her stop—eyes shifting to the door where her eyes fell upon familiar blue orbs and blond tufts. A smile slipped her lips. "E.T.," she said lightly, shifting in her seat.

"Her brother" returned the smile gracefully before shutting the door behind him, a hint of another reason then visiting in his eyes. She sighed, gut becoming uneasy as he took the seat on the edge of the piano—having to force herself to not yell at him to get off—and raised a brow, earning a shake of the head from her.

"Nat," he started, his voice careful- coming up with words he could speak of-, "you really shouldn't be angry at Jason, he meant nothing." Natalie's eyes narrowed in return, as she brushed back a bang. "Even if he meant nothing it was implied wasn't it?" she returned evenly, shifting some in the seat once more. She couldn't help but feel fidgety right now.

Ethan shook his head with a sigh, "He doesn't know your from Halloween Town, and you know that Nat-" he started. "And if he did do you really think he'd think any differently, hmm? I'm a troll for crying out loud, Ethan! Something they make fun of—think is a 'monster'! No, it doesn't matter that we help the community! Helped set up Halloween Town—what do they think about the accomplishments of a 'monster race'? Mortals are god damned self righteous- thinking that because someone looks different they are inferior! They even kill their own 'people' for that sort of thing!"

"They ridicule my kind to-" he started softly. "You're a warlock, Ethan! You are mortal, you just happen to have 'magic' in you! Well you did—and you were a halfling! You can easily fit in here, but what about the rest of us--? We can't, because we look nothing like them out of costume! Hell, you were in with your father with his whole 'superiority' complex! Funny how it's always the warlocks and witches that have this stupid complex, isn't it?"

Ethan flinched backwards at her words, looking at her—there was no remorse in her eyes, no change in facial expression that meant she was sorry for what she said. Her words had been truthful, her reasoning. Frowning, he got off the piano and turned to leave. "Fine, believe what you wish, Natalie," he said swiftly, before leaving the music room with a slam of the door- hearing the fast rapid, angry movement of some Mozart piece right after.

Stepping into the costume, in the safety of her room, Natalie looked herself over in the mirror. The human costume was no where near beautiful, as she was often told she was back home, but it had its own sort of charm altogether. Inside of school she left the hair curly, unless in two thick braids, under a cap and wore the glasses. At the Torosson home, she experimented. Today, she didn't were the thick-rimmed glasses, and had shed the cap. And went through the straining process of straightening it, for no reason but she felt like it.

"Kelsi!" a voice chimed downstairs snapping her attention back to reality as she went to the edge of the steps. The familiar face of Mayumi was smiling carefully up at her. "I hope your morning was okay, I'm sorry for leaving you alone—" the woman started, earning a soft shake of the head from Natalie as she started down the stairs. "No it's alright, you had to go to the doctors," she retorted; her voice calm, respect in its tone. She really liked Mayumi and Sam Torosson, they were humans that were just great to be around.

Mayumi nodded, brushing back a long dirty blond bang as she hung up the light jacket she had worn out. "Well I hope it wasn't so bad alone," she commented heaving a bit of a sigh, "Sam got called into work so we didn't get to go to the store—" "I'll go for you," Natalie piped making Mayumi raise a swift brow, a small smile placated Natalie's lips, "least I can do.. besides you need to rest."

"Well, I don't know, you're a guest-" Mayumi said quietly, voice in thought. Natalie shrugged casually, "I'll probably go stir-crazy if I don't get out soon." Mayumi chuckled some at the thought before digging into her purse for the money and list. "Alright then," she replied in defeat handing the younger female the money, "There's enough money there for everything on the list, the rest you can spend on yourself—" the woman said brightly, surprising the girl, as she gave a soft smile before entering the family room.

Natalie opened her mouth to say something, but barely managed to breath before the cheerful voice echoed through to the hallway. "No complaints." With a sigh, Natalie grabbed the keys to Mayumi's old thunderbird and couldn't help the small smile that invaded her lips as she left the house.

"Where is it--?!" Natalie said in a frustrated growl, looking over the rows of boxes again. She just couldn't find it, she'd been standing her for ten minutes- like some idiot- looking for the Golden Grahams on the list. It just wasn't there!

Teetering onto the balls of her feet to see the top self once more, she lost her balance and nearly fell backwards as a careful chuckled interrupted the concentration she had enveloped herself in. Glaring at the noise, she stiffened as her eyes met the green ones of another.

"Shit." She murmured quietly, frozen in place.