This is the first story I've submitted to fanfiction, so I'm a noob I guess. Taiki is my favorite character, so I'm mildly angry that he never got a love interest. He needed a girlfriend. So I typed one up. I rather hope you like it.

I don't own Hana Kimi. If I did, Kayashima would have a love interest, and it wouldn't take a bazillion chapters for Sano to finally confess that he knew Mizuki's secret.

It was a beautiful sunset, filled with hues of color I had never seen before, all resting brilliantly in a reflection on the pond outside. The bright light seemed to make everything sparkle and added warmth to my surroundings. It was true, I had never seen something so panoramic when I had lived in America, but to be honest, I wasn't really paying attention to the sunset that day. I was completely focused on unpacking my suitcase, because I knew if I stopped working, my mind would wander, and I knew I would begin crying immediately.

My hands began to tremble when I realized I was almost out of belongings to occupy myself with, but then I heard footsteps and knew my aunt was coming to try to talk to me now. I bit my lip in anticipation. I heard three unsure knocks on the door, and silently trudged over to allow her entrance. However, the moment the lock unbolted, the door slammed wide open and I was captured in a bone-crushing embrace. I squirmed around in her arms, and eventually she released me.

"Izzy…" She sobbed, and I bit my tongue, trying not to cry along with her. "Izzy you poor thing…" She whispered. It was crazy how much she resembled my mother.

"It's okay Aunt Ginny. I'll be fine, really." I tried to smile, but could only grimace. She looked personally offended.

"You have every right to cry!" She crushed my face into her neck. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"

I broke away from the orange-haired woman, who had up to this point been suffocating me. The truth was, I was horribly afraid. I had never been to Japan, and now suddenly I was living here with my eccentric aunt in her small cramped house. I knew Japanese, but had never actually had a conversation with a Japanese person to practice, and on top of all that, I felt incredibly alone. I no longer had a mother and father to run to if I needed support, or a brother to protect me. I lacked my senile grandparents, and my dog was gone as well. My only remaining living relative was this woman, who was attempting to latch on to me for support once again, and I let her.

This time we both cried into each other's shoulders.

After both our tear ducts seemed to run dry, we drifted apart, both of us taking a seat on my new bed. The room was dreadfully small, and the bed itself took up half the space it offered. There was one window, but I planned to cover it up later. We regained our composure, and looked towards each other silently.

"I've enrolled you at a school called St. Blossom's. It's an all girl's school." She informed me quietly, trying to break the tension. I nodded my head in meek response. "I think you'll like it there."

"Thank you…" I trailed off, unable to think of what to say.

We both sat silently in that manner, pondering what words would feel right at the time, but neither of us could think of anything appropriate. Aunt Ginny eventually removed herself from my company with a weak smile, leaving me in my thoughts.

I would go to school on Monday. That would leave me two days to prepare myself for this ordeal and figure out my priorities. I honestly did not know what to do with myself. Without the majority of my immediate family, I felt lost. What was my purpose? I didn't know.

I began wandering around my aunt's strange little house, mystified by it's contents. She seemed to be a fan of the macabre, and the ends of my mouth twitched upwards in response, suddenly quite intrigued to be living here. I wandered into the largest room of the house, which was being used as a living room and a library, the latter more dominant. The television and couch were decorated with stacks of books and a thin layer of dust. The hard wood floors were a dark mahogany, and I imagined sliding around in my socks, something I couldn't do on the carpet of my previous residence. All the paintings on the walls were mildly creepy, and everything seemed to have that haunted mansion feel to it.

I smiled for the first time in the past two weeks; I liked my new home.

The next two days weren't hard. I summoned the nerve to clean my new room, paranoid that spiders would be under my bed, which proved to be a legitimate fear. I squeaked when I saw their nest, and Aunt Ginny certainly didn't volunteer to dispose of them. We eventually ended up paying our neighbor to squash them with a shoe. Other than that, all I did was lounge around the house, often being found in lethargic positions usually consisting of me draping myself over the furniture. I grew fond of the books in Aunt Ginny's library very quickly, consuming all the horror stories and romantic dramas, relishing their contents. I grew attached to this lazy lifestyle, and was somewhat disappointed when the school system decided to disrupt it.

The night before I would be sent to school I had set out my uniform for the next day, and snuggled into bed. Being slightly agoraphobic, I enjoyed the petite style of the house. I felt quite protected and cozy here, something I had longed to feel since the incident occurred. I dreamed that night of meeting my family again, embracing them in my arms, and never letting them go. I twirled around in the red satin dress my mother had sewn for me, and my father led the way in the grand dance. My brother danced with me and guided me, and my grandparents stopped fighting and danced together with smiles. Everything seemed so surreal and beautiful, but as the dream progressed on, I noticed a dark figure arrive at our ball. It loomed in the horizon, cutting the atmosphere of the dance and ripping it to shreds. It eventually began to charge at us, and stopped only meters away from where we stood. Mother and Father looked worried, and my brother held me closer, trying to shield me from what was to come. My grandparents held each other close, saying their last goodbyes and apologizing for years of arguments. The demon laughed and they all began to disappear, leaving me to stare at my oppressor. I ran away, but no matter where I ran, he seemed to follow me, always angry, always looming in the background.

The following morning I dismissed the dream from my mind, deciding that this was a chance to make a fresh start. I quickly showered and got dressed, staring solemnly at my reflection in the mirror. I was going to stick out like a sore thumb; I had my mother's and aunt's fiery red hair, cut in a girlish pixie cut, spiked in the back with all the hair gel in the world. My eyes were a bright blue, and I silently wished my brother hadn't absorbed our entire Japanese father's genetics. Pouting, I stuck the inconspicuous earrings in my ears' cartilage before sliding into the kitchen, taking advantage of the lack of friction between my socks and the wood. I planted myself in one of the two seats wedged at a small table in the kitchen, looking at my aunt expectantly. She stared back at me, still captured in the morning's slums. Finally having the epiphany I was waited for, she remembered I had no idea where the school was. She wrote down all the street names that I would need to travel there, I shook my head, and her second realization occurred: I lacked a driver's license. She hesitated for a second, wondering if it would be a short enough distance for me to walk, before dismissing it from her mind. She ran quickly to her room and shuffled into a pair of skinny black jeans and a Malice Mizer t-shirt before returning. She ran her hands through her wild red hair before stuffing it all under her helmet, and I followed her outside.

I rather enjoyed the fact that our transportation was by motorcycle, being that I always wished to own one like my brother, but was forbidden to by my parents. I found that rule quite sexist. Besides, I loved the wind bellowing against my skin, and the cool air chilling me even on the hottest days. It was already September, however, so I was required to wear a jacket.

We arrived at the school relatively quickly, and I suspect that Aunt Ginny had been sneaking over the speed limits. Several students stopped to stare at the foreigner stepping off the motorcycle, and I felt very uneasy. Showing my friendliest smile, I turned to wave goodbye to my Aunt, who in response saluted. I grinned at her childish antics and walked slowly towards the building. Several whispers could be heard around me, all referring to my American looks and rebellious entrance. I walked into the school, no longer caring that my fiery hair made me stand out as it hung in my face, barely looming over my eyes, which were a crystalline blue; I resolved that it just made me unique. I wandered into the office of the school, and asked the woman there for my transcripts. She did a double take at my appearance, and I just grinned. She arrived a few moments later with my schedule.

Isabella Izaku. Sophomore. Homeroom A-2.

I wandered around the school, almost completely lost before I found the room. I tried to walk in as inconspicuously as possible, but I still cringed when I heard gasps from some of the girls. I was a new student, and even worse, I was an American new student with almost no inherited Japanese attributes. I sighed, and heard a loud 'Oh!' from what sounded like an older voice. I turned and saw the teacher making a B-line for me, and fought the urge to run. I stood in place and let her introduce me.

"This is our new student I told you about last week. She's here all the way from the United States, and this is her first time in Japan, so let's all make her feel comfortable, okay? Do you speak Japanese well dear?" She smiled at me, and I smiled back out of reflex.

"Yes. But I don't know how well I'll be with keeping conversation." I tried out. I grinned after realizing I had said the phrase perfectly.

"Good, take a seat anywhere you want." She said happily.

I saw several pairs of eyes look hopefully at me, and I suddenly realized I was going to be quite popular for a while. I heard several whispers of 'Did you hear? She came here on a motorcycle.' and 'Look at that hair! It's so bright! Do you think it's natural?' I sighed and spotted an empty seat in the back. I lazily sat at the desk, leaning back casually with my hands behind my head, until I heard giggles. No one else was sitting like this. I instantly sat up straight at my desk and crossed my fingers. More giggles.

I sighed, looking down ashamed at myself for making a speculation already. I felt someone nudge me in the side, and out of surprise, I jumped up and squeaked. The whole room burst into laughter, but I noted that the girl next to me did not laugh. I felt my face turn red in embarrassment, and the teacher bit her lip to stifle her own laughter when she told me to sit down.

"I'm sorry." My head shot in the direction of the voice, and I realized it had been the girl next to me. I was confused.

"For what?" I whispered, trying even harder now to remain unnoticed.

"I poked you to get your attention; I wanted to introduce myself. I didn't know that you would, um, squeak…" She looked remorseful, and I honestly couldn't of summoned anger at her if I tried; She seemed too nice.

"It really isn't a big thing. I'm sort of jumpy. My name's Izaku. And yours?" I didn't want to mention my first name; She might take up the habit of calling my Izzy like my aunt already had.

"I'm Umeda Rio." She gave me her friendliest smile. "But, you only gave me your last name?" She questioned.

"I'm Izaku… Isabella Izaku." I said hesitantly. She tried out my name a few times, but kept pronouncing parts of it wrong. I knew what she was about to ask.

"Is it okay if I just call you Izzy?" She asked apologetically. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, but despite myself, I smiled.

"Sure." And then for that second we both shared a smile, in a moment that we knew was going to cement the foundations our friendship.

That day Rio must have introduced me to everyone at school, and everybody had the same reaction. Whether it was my hair, my face and eyes, my new name, or my actions since I'd been there, everyone was fascinated by me that day. Rumors were floating about that seemed to be getting crazier and crazier every time I listened in, but I hoped that this 'Izzy Phenomenon' craze was just temporary. So far, the only person that I considered my real friend was Rio, not that other people didn't try.

Rio and I would sit at our lunch table and several people would flock to the table, claiming to be good friends with Rio. Rio would always crinkle her nose in distaste, and I would shoot her an apologetic look. Sometimes when we would be sitting at a table in the library, studying or researching something for school, we would see pairs of eyes looking at us through the bookcases. It was dreadful.

Eventually, after about a month of school, the craze died down. Everyone was used to me by now, and I was glad. I disliked the attention, and I knew it annoyed Rio, so I was very happy to relinquish my popularity. It was halfway through October when Rio came to me with the biggest grin on her face though.

"Guess what Izzy!" She beamed. I grinned, wondering what she had planned.

"Hm, Rio-chan?" I waited for her to explain.

"Osaka Gakuen is having a festival, and we're allowed to go see them compete in it!" She smiled and twirled around. I waited for her to realize I had no idea what she was talking about. "Oh! You don't know what Osaka Gakuen is, do you?"

I smiled and shook my head no.

"It's an all boy's school a little ways from here. They're having a sports festival. Please please PLEASE go with me? I could introduce you to cute guys there! I bet there's one there that would love a fiery American girl!" She attempted to bribe me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

Fiery? I thought I was pretty mellow, actually.

"Alright, alright, I'll go. However, we're going shopping first, agreed? I'm finding a wig of black hair to hide this-" I twirled a piece of my hair with my finger. "I don't want a repeat of my first day of school." I sighed, and Rio busted into laughter, and I started to laugh too.

"Ha, you think I'm joking." I smiled casually and she grinned back.

The night of the festival, Rio had arrived at my house, demanding that I wear a dress because she was planning to wear one too. I laughed at her qualm of wearing a dress alone as I rummaged through my clothes, complying to her demands. I eventually found a simple black dress that flared out considerably but not obnoxiously, and stopped at my knee. It had sleeves of black lace that still allowed you to see bits of my pale skin through it. The eccentric blood obviously ran through my veins, and I couldn't help myself; I slipped on black and white striped stockings. Black ballet flats accompanied the ensemble, and I was quite comfortable in it. Rio looked at me and frowned.

"You looked rather gothic." She grimaced, and I laughed.

"I do, don't I?" I grinned, and we both knew the outfit fit me quite well.

Rio's parents had agreed to drive us there, which I think might have hurt my aunt a bit, but she knew we both wouldn't of fit on her cycle, especially in our dresses. We arrived there when the sky was just dimming, and I enjoyed the slightly dark overcast. I followed behind Rio as we wandered around the stalls, searching for anything interesting. Rio told me she needed to see someone at the mystery activity room, and told me to feel free to wander around by myself. I complied, searching for anything unique. Then I saw it: The Ghost Photography booth.

As if some weird gravitational force was pulling me there, I almost floated towards it, a surreal expression plastered across my face. The boy operating it looked quite calm, and I noticed nobody was at his booth. A frown crept across my face, almost upset that nobody saw the jewel that this potentially amazing booth was. He stopped slouching when I approached, considering I was a new potential customer.

"How does this work?" I asked quickly, absorbed in it completely. "I mean, how can you do this? This isn't some 'stand next to a cardboard cutout of a ghost' booth is it?" I knew I was talking very quickly, but I was too excited to care. The boy must have somehow sensed my exuberance and smiled politely at me.

"No, it's nothing like that. I have somewhat of a sixth sense I suppose, and anytime I operate a camera, it allows me to place the ghosts I see with people into a medium that allows them to see the ghosts themselves." He said calmly. I grinned ear to ear.

"How much does it cost?" I smiled.

"Not much." He was being cryptic, so I simply handed him 1000 yen, which seemed to be the accepted amount.

"Erm, stand back some." He asked, holding the camera to his face.

I took a few steps back, smiling broadly and shaking with excitement. I waited for him to take the picture, but a strong gust of wind swarmed at me, lifting the black wig off my head and carrying it away, allowing my spiky red hair to be seen. I was pounded by the wind as I reached for the wig, just as I saw the camera flash. The wind lifted the wig higher out of my grasp, and I saw it fly into a nearby tree. I looked around questioningly, trying to see any sign that someone else noticed the weirdly strong wind, but no one seemed to have noticed at all except the boy. He looked perturbed at me, probably wondering whether to question the hidden wild red hair or the strange wind first. I stood over his shoulder, waiting for the picture to develop, but he seemed unaccustomed to the close human contact, so I backed off a little. I looked around, searching for the source of the wind, until I heard an almost inaudible gasp from him. I shot my head in the direction of the photo, knowing it must have been something special to make such a calm boy like him become even remotely surprised.

My jaw dropped as I gaped at the picture, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. There, in the picture, was the dark figure that had been haunting my dreams, the demon. It was holding the wig high above my head, and I suddenly realized why I had been the only one to feel the strong wind. But, what was scarier still was that I knew the demon. I began shaking uncontrollably, all the horrible graphic memories flooding back into my mind again. The tears rolled down my face, and I heard the faint voice of the boy, asking if I was okay, before my head hit the ground and the darkness enveloped me once again.

There are obviously going to be more chapters, being that Izzy doesn't even know Kayashima's name yet and that I left it on a cliffhanger. If you click the little purple box and submit a review so I know someone actually reads it, I might type the second chapter faster... hint hint.