A/N: Hey everyone, my first contribution on either or fiction press in a long, long, time. This is just a little manga/romance fic. Hope everyone likes! ^_^

(Remember, R&R…)

Sometimes things that happen are just too weird to actually think about.

Like today, for example, when I ended up in a parallel universe.

I mean, a weird day for most people would consist of them getting an A or an F (well, you know, depending if they were smart or not...) or something like that, but if anything weird has to happen to me, it excels itself in its strange originality.

Like that time when I broke my leg.

Question: How do normal people break their legs?

Answer: On bikes, in car accidents, falling out of trees, skiing, etc.

How do I do it?

A horse kicked me, shattering my leg in two places. While I was riding another horse. While we were cantering. Don't tell that's impossible, because I have the scars to prove it.

So, I'm writing this in a parallel universe. Back to that.

It's actually pretty cool. In an otherworldly sort of way. And I'd rather be here than have my leg kicked. At least I'm not in pain.

Akira-chan's complaining at me to hurry up and write what happened, but I'm in no real hurry. Yes, I call him Akira-chan. He's just so… immature. Probably won't like me writing that, but no matter.

Okay, so on with the story before I insult anyone else.

It was a normal day, although obviously normal can mean pretty strange for someone like me. I got up, showered, got dressed in my school uniform and shoved some bread in the toaster. I was still half-asleep and randomly brushing my hair forwards when the toaster exploded in a shower of blue sparks, but that was fairly normal too, so I unplugged the toaster and hopped (I was putting my socks on at the time) to the utility room where the fuse boxes were and reset the kitchen's power (the lights had gone with the toaster).

I poked the bread out of the toaster with a plastic spoon, and make crispy bread, since it wasn't really toasted, and make some sandwiches. It was just as well I am fairly easy-going, or else the toaster would have been, well, toast.

After eventually getting my stuff together and brushing my hair in the correct direction, I left the house, which was really quiet. My parents work out in the city during the week, so I only see them at weekends, and today was a Monday, hence the quiet house. Still, it was a nice enough neighbourhood, and the school was okay. Except for Akira-chan going there of course.

Anyway, this isn't really important; I'm just trying to say; today was a fairly normal day. The sun was shining in an early-morning early-autumn kind of way, and the trees were not quite dropping their leaves yet, but were turning pretty weird colours.

The weather was sort of cool and calm with no breeze as I walked to school through the suburbs. If I was dramatic and any good at writing I could make some sort of pathetic-fallacy comparison about the weather being the calm before the storm, but you know, sometimes weather is just weather, so I won't.

I arrived at school more or less on time. I tend to be rather vague about timekeeping. I mean, seconds, minutes, hours, it's all pretty much the same thing on a bigger scale, so it doesn't really bother me much. Unlike Akira-chan, who has not one, but two watches on him at all times. Say Akira-chan, why is that?

He won't answer me; he's writing as well. I don't know where the others are. Around I guess.

Sowieso, back to my story.

My first lesson was maths, which I share with all the people here with me now. I guess I better give you a brief description of each of us, just so you don't get confused or anything.

So…

Akira-Chan, is, uhm, male, and sixteen. He doesn't like me much, because I annoy him, but some things will never be resolved. He's way taller than me, and looks older. I guess that's why the '-chan' suffix pisses him off. Oh well.

His hair is like dark brown or black or something, but I'm not sure which, and his eyes are a blue colour, which set the girls in my class into ecstatic fits. Or most of them. He looks like he's sulking the whole time, and is really uptight, but I'm sure he probably has some deep personal tragedy that makes him act this way. Or not.

Anyway, since he'll probably read this, I shouldn't annoy him too much. I have some sense of respect for his feelings, though, admittedly, not a lot.

The next happy person to end up somewhere over the rainbow is Wanatabe Kazuko, otherwise known as Kaz, who is female, also sixteen, and an acquaintance of mine. We don't really get on, or not get on, but she's a pretty nice person. Very chilled out. She has long dark blonde hair, and sort of greeny-khaki eyes, and the sort of person that the guys go wild for (and some of the girls too, but that's another story).

I'd better introduce myself, seeing as how I'm the one doing all the talking.

Hi. My name is Nabura Rei. That's Rei-chan to you. I like walks upon the beach and love films. I have luxurious dark red hair, sparkling blue eyes, and an active personality.

Actually, no, I just thought I'd write that, you know, writer's license and all. Beaches have too much sand and couples. Love films are good as an excuse to eat popcorn or stare at good-looking actors, but I don't really like them. My hair is dark red, because I dyed it and this is the colour it ended up, but I don't think it's uhm, luxurious. Who the hell uses that word anyway? My eyes are blue. That's it. Just blue. But what do you know; I do have an active personality. One out of five ain't so bad.

The other two people here that I knew are Idane Sora, (who's my friend) and Arai Toru, (who isn't). Lil' Sora-chan, my friend in the year below me, is really sunny. She's always smiling, or laughing, or talking. Usually in my ear. I know, I know, I deserve it.

She has shortish tomboyish hair, and light brown eyes. Really sweet.

Toru-kun is my age, but he's quiet. I mean, really quiet. I've only have heard him talk in class. His dark hair is cut in a pretty serious way. I don't actually know what colour his eyes are. It's strange, how you can go on a trip to another universe with someone, but you still don't know what colour his eyes are. I guess it's because he's always looking down, or his hair gets in his face. He's tall though, just as tall as Akira-chan. He could probably have his own stalker fan-girls too if he didn't refuse to communicate with anyone, and trust me when I say I've tried.

Okay, that's everyone except for Kaoru, but I'll come to him later.

So, where were we?

Maths.

Not a great place to start, but I suppose I'd better explain everything carefully, even though I'm sure Akira-chan will write everything far better than I will. Although he can't spell.

It's true.

Anyway, we were all in Maths. I was sitting next to Sora-chan, who was actually listening to what the teacher had to say, unlike the rest of us. She's smart enough to be moved up a year in maths, so she figures she should stay there, especially since she likes a guy named Ryo who normally sits in front of us.

Toru was also working. He was sitting by himself, namely because he was so uncommunicative. I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him.

I glanced around the classroom. I could see a fan girl lean forward and cut a small piece of hair from Akira-chan's head, but he didn't appear to notice. They then fought over it, and ended up with about one hair each. Even our senile sensei noticed.

"Is there a problem girls?" He asked, looking at them at they fought tooth, nail, claw and scissors in order to get Akira-chan's hair. Akira-chan turned around and figured out what was going on, leading the fan girls to blush. Then he winked at them.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Please cut at my perfectly styled hair? The mysteries of this world are too great without having to worry about Akira-chan too.

Kaz was sitting in the back row with her friends, talking about music. Either I have good hearing or they had completely given up on the idea that this was a lesson. Probably both. I think they were discussing how fit that short guy from Dir-en-grey is, but I forgot. I mean, their conversation wasn't that interesting.

So anyway, I'm sitting there, talking about something stupid, like how much of a ponce Akira-chan is, and I realise that it's suddenly gone really quiet. I mean, really quiet.

I looked around, and saw that everyone had frozen. I mean, just frozen, completely, like a 3D photograph. I heard Kaz scream, "What the hell is going on?" And Sora and me looked at each other wondering exactly what the hell was going on.

I put my hand on my friend's face. It was still warm, but she didn't move at all. Her eyes were fixed and staring. I cut back the urge to scream, and stood up.

Kaz really did scream. Loudly.

"What-?" Asked Akira-chan, as he looked around. His voice had a level of uncertainty that I had never heard before.

Toru-kun moved slightly too, enough to make me think that he too was unaffected.

"Okay, "I said to myself. "This is weird."

Actually, I didn't quite say that.

That was when Kaoru made an appearance.

He burst into the room, which, oddly enough made Kaz stop screaming, though it shocked the hell out of me.

"Come with me." He said, and we did. I mean, if you're in a room where everyone has frozen then either you're thinking 'there's something wrong with the matrix', which would be very sad, or you're thinking 'I want to get the hell out of here and see what's going on' and we were in the latter category.

Kaoru looked really weird, although it was probably just his dress-sense. And the blue hair. That may have had something to do with it. The strange thing was that even though he was only a year or so older, when he said to do something, you did it. His voice was mature and full of authority. Besides, he seemed to be the only one who had any idea what the hell was going on, so we followed him, although I had to grab Toru's wrist before he would follow. I wasn't just going to leave him there.

He started running as we left the room, and I tried to catch up with him.

"Who are you?" I asked. "What's going on?"

To my surprise, he laughed, but didn't reply to me. He just looked back at the others and told them to hurry up.

We left the school, and gradually slowed to a walk. I admit it; I was out of breath.

"Who… are you?" I gasped. "What the hell is going on?"

"Kaoru." He said. "Nice to meet you." I looked dubiously at his blue hair.

"Nice hair." I said

"Thank you."

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

He stopped and looked at me. "You need to learn some patience, Rei."

"No, I don't" I said. "I need you to explain what is going on."

"Fine," He said. "Your friends are fine. I've just paused time for a while."

"You've paused time? Why?" I asked stupidly.

He looked irritated and started walking again.

"Look, I wouldn't do it unless it was necessary, so just trust me."

The weird part was that I did. We did, I mean.

"Where are we going?" Ventured Sora, speaking up.

"The church." Kaoru said, without changing pace.

"This is so weird…" Kaz muttered, seemingly recovered. "Don't you think it's weird, Rei-chan?"

"That is an understatement." I said, wondering why she chose to affirm that with me.

"You okay, Toru-kun, Akira-chan?" I asked, looking back. They were being very quiet. Especially Akira.

Toru nodded very slightly, but Akira-chan pretended he hadn't heard me. He was okay though. I could tell by the arrogant look in his eyes.

And quickly, we made our way to the church.

So there you have it, episode number 1. Who is the mysterious Kaoru? What the hell is going on? Guess you'll have to review me if you want to know….

(Or if you don't – just review me anyway. You know you want to ^_^)