Aug 4: I really would like to apologize to those who have read the three original chapters and Blessed by a Curse. I had first thought of this as a kind of a "exercise story" but when I had finished writing the first few chapters of BBC, I've been told multiple times (thanks to my yearbook friends who had nothing better to do ;D) that it was very similar to this story. So I decided (since people seemed to favor this one more) that I would re-write this to be a longer (20+ chapters) story, instead of ramming my head to the wall. I will definitely put the original two chapters up at the very end for those who wanted to read it. I'm combining the stories so they might sound quite familiar in the beginning. I did combine some paragraphs for chapter 1 but the majority is the same. The ending will NOT be the same as the original. Sorry.

Chapter 2

FATE and the Childhood Memento.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi.

The name ricocheted painfully in her head. Hopefully, you won't think what Amu did next was too ridiculous. She snapped the book shut and cried her eyes out. She wasn't a sucker for childhood stories or long lost love but the horrifying decision to not reply, to not answer what she wanted to say was torturous all the same.

"Isn't it obvious? I like you of course."

Now as readers, it wouldn't be strange to take a sip from that caffeinated tea of yours and say in a Naruto (determined, dramatic) fashion, "aren't you giving up too easily?! All is fair in love and war!"

But even though Amu would have loved to agree and stand up confidently amongst the enemies that may come by, she wasn't exactly a crazy assassin, nor was she a cut-throat businessman (or woman in this case), determined to get her way. Sure it wasn't unfair for her to answer his confession but she wouldn't be able to look at him without guilt. Guilt that she had taken someone precious full knowing that she did. At least the writer didn't know.

Amu flipped the pink book upside down and flipped a few pages. Amu noticed (after two hours of wailing) that there was no sign of who wrote it. There wasn't even something like "From, Jane" or "Love, Cutie" anywhere in the entries. As she tossed it back to the beginning of the page, she saw in very light words: KID.

After futile questions to Kukai, who hardly knew what came in and out of the house, she eventually gave up. She and Ikuto went in different directions without a proper good-bye. But somehow, just when Amu had convinced she'll never see Ikuto again, they winded up at the same school for their last year of high school.

"You smell like vanilla," Amu's mother noted with a sniff as her daughter arrived home a little bit later than usual.

"Do I?" was all what Amu said before stomping up the stairs.

The day had been a very long one. Special thanks to Saaya Yamabuki.

She was quite commanding and bullied others to do what she didn't want to do. Yet, no one could actually blame her because she had gotten high marks on her test and her parents had given a large amount of donation.

It was during lunch time when, she wanted to gather some followers. She would walk class to class introducing herself to a student she recognized (as if they didn't know), and demanding dramatically he/she to be her follower with a microphone that Amu strongly suspect that Saaya was unaware that it was broken. The answer was always a downright no. Even the obsessed robotic fangirls had the brains to do that.

But even with the microphone broken, Saaya was loud and obnoxious enough to be heard from the other side of her school. So it was no surprise when Amu looked up from her bento to see a red headed girl. Amu waited. She expected the usual singing and screaming and boasting that she had heard from the distance.

What she didn't expect was being sprayed with a vanilla scented perfume as if it was bug spray and she was the cockroach that Saaya was trying to get rid of. Don't get the wrong idea. I say vanilla but it's not the kind that you would put in a cake. It was the suffocating, thick smell that made one feel as if they were currently severely carsick and it would have been very humanly to start puking. Amu, fortunately saved us the graphic detail however as she was able to just turn away, pinching her nose, saving her eyes and from swallowing too much but still left a very unpleasant aftertaste in her mouth. Saaya was gone by the time she turned back. Great impression, indeed. She hardly had time to ponder of Saaya's sudden attack when the lunch bell rang.

After finishing her homework, she looked up at the ceiling as she laid in bed, rather dazed. She could still make out the trace of the awful smell. She scrunched her nose.

Amu pulled up her pajama sleeve to glance at what seemed like a flimsy, poorly made friendship bracelet tangled with black and brown strings. They were so worn out that they had to be taped multiple times.

Truthfully, Amu had been ecstatic when she saw the blur of midnight blue on the first day of school. It was fate. That seemed to be the only way to explain their unexpected reunion. She had actually been the one approach him.

But that cold look. The distant eyes of bare recognition. She couldn't forget even if she tried. It was all that took to shut her up. However the bracelet reminded her of a forgotten promise. It was a stupid one and it made her feel like one of those pathetic damsel in distress but she needed something to connect back with him. At least for mentality sake. And today, it happened to be what he said after her disappointed answer.

"I'll wait for you. Always."

"Meow!" it yowled some more. The piercing green eyes looked right and left, refusing to move. The cat had a talent for making itself look pitifully hopeless. Amu, who didn't like heights, looked at the branch 10 feet off the ground before looking at her own feet which were comfortably on the gentle grass. Amu sighed.

She didn't think a trip to the grocery would lead to this but she wasn't just about to leave a helpless cat on its own.

But there was one small problem that Amu carelessly had forgotten: she's never climbed a tree before nor physically strong. She started to freak out as she clung the nearest branch for dear life. Perhaps this is what the cat felt.

Surprisingly though, Amu managed to get on a firm branch just a foot or two away from the black cat's one. She aimed for another, just a inch away from her...

CRACK!

Amu's heart dropped. Falling through the small flying leaves, she promised herself that if she ever lived through this she wouldn't have strawberry ice cream for three weeks. Then suddenly, a mysterious tall and lanky shadow swooped by and grabbed her and they immediately crash into a unseen trunk and die-

Crap! Deleted draft. Ahem.

She started to freak out. Just looking down made her feel like she was stuck in a 100 foot ravine, when in reality her feet was dangling about three feet from the grass. She froze. She could see clear as day despite of it being evening, the splintering branch that she was holding on to, was slowly snapping from her weight. I believe it's about this moment-?

Unfortunately no, there was no tall and lanky savior swinging like Tarzan to save Amu as her branch gave a terrifying noise. But looking at the bright side, she won't slamming into unseen trunks anytime soon.

Amu's heart dropped as she crashed like a piece of metal with a loud thunk, amazingly head first. The last thing she remembered was watching the fading black cat gracefully leap to the ground with no injuries. It wore a very familiar smirk.

As always, tell me any mistakes I made. I'm usually quite clumsy and I've just began writing stories like these. Also please tell me your opinions! They mean a LOT to me and help me decide where I should turn. What was good about it? Bad? For previous chapters, do you like this one or the last one better?