Star-Rose Lover: I'm back again!

Jack: Oh joy.

Star-Rose Lover: Hey, you should be happy that I am. -_- If you're not, you know I can kick you out again...

Jack: Naw I'm good.

Star-Rose Lover: That's what I thought. Anyways, enough chitchat. This is my new story, Swallow My Pride, and hopefully you read the summary to know what it's about. Also, its the one everybody voted for in my poll, so...yeah. Ok, on with chapter 1! Hope you like!

"Oh mommy, daddy, its wonderful!"

A little red-haired five-year-old girl exclaimed, jumping up and down in front of her parents excidtely. She was holding a deck to her chest, the cause of her excitment. Her parents smiled down at her.

"Glad you like it, Akiza," A older man said, obviously Akiza's father. Though these two didn't look alike like Akiza and her mother did, they both had the same eye color in the very least.

Akiza squealed in delight, and started running around the house in her excitement, hugging everybody she saw; from maids to butlers, and even the family cat and dog.

Ding!

Akiza looked up at the sound of the doorbell and released her small arms from the family cat, it in turn slinking away before the little girl got any ideas to start squeezing it to death again. She ran to the door, jumping up and down excitedly, knowing that it was-

"YUSEI!" She yelled, running to embrace the raven-haired boy. He laughed and happily returned the hug.

"Happy birthday, Akiza," He said, cerulean eyes shining.

"Yusei, look what I got!" Akiza exclaimed, holding up her brand-new deck for Yusei to see. "Now we can duel each other!"

"That's great, Akiza!" Yusei said, starting to finger his own deck in anticipation.

"And look what I got too..."

Akiza edged in to show Yusei what she had, and he leaned in curiously.

Yusei and Akiza's mothers' stood above them, cueing over their cuteness with each other.

"And look at this one, Yusei."

Yusei eyes widened. "Wow, Akiza. That looks a little bit like my own dragon," Yusei said, fishing through his deck for his card.

"Here!" Yusei said, holding up his dragon. "Isn't it amazing?"

"Wow, it's so shiny!" Akiza exclaimed, her little jaw dropping in admiration. "Can I touch it?"

Yeah, su-"

"Happy birthday, Yuza!" A voice said, interupting Yusei.

Akiza's mother glanced up irritably. It was her sister-in-law, Cloe. She walked in all her high-beauty, swinging her hips and showing off the curves of her body, also counting the whole chest-exposure as well. Akiza's mother sighed. She had told her not to come dressed like that, saying that it was bad for Akiza.

Akiza cringed at the sight of her Aunt Cloe. She didn't know why, but she didn't like her.

"Happy birthday, Yuza!" Her Aunt Cloe said again, giving Akiza a way-too-tight hug.

Akiza pulled away, much to her Aunt's displeasure.

"My name is Akiza, Aunt Cloe, not Yuza," Akiza said, putting her hands behind her back.

Aunt Cloe frowned and turned to Akiza's mother.

"Setsuko, I thought you taught your daughter better than this," Cloe scoffed, glaring at her.

Akiza's mother sighed and said, "I did, but to the right people, that is."

Cloe jerked. "Well, I never! I have you know, I-"

"I think me and Yusei should be going now, Setsuko," Yusei's mother interupted, slender hand curling around Yusei's shoulder. "Let's get going, Yusei. Thank Mrs. Izinski and Akiza for inviting you."

Yusei turned to Setsuko and Akiza. "Thank you, Mrs. Izinski," Yusei then turned to Akiza and gave her a hug. "And thank you, Akiza. Happy birthday," Yusei said, pushing something into her hand.

Yusei and his mother walked away from the Izinski family, waving nervously. Akiza and her mother waved back happily, but Aunt Cloe didn't, instead focusing immensly on the little raven-haired boy. She turned to Akiza's mother.

"Looks like your daughter and that boy have quite the relationship going on, Setsuko," Cloe said, smiling like a Chesire Cat that had learned a big secret.

"Cloe!" Akiza's mother yelled, causing Cloe to flinch. "They're just children!"

Akiza instinctively hid behind her mother. She didn't like it when her mother got angry.

As Cloe and her mother started to argue, Akiza found herself looking at what Yusei had given her. It was a beatiful; a necklace with a sparkling rose hanging from it. Akiza looked at it in awe...

"Just come in the house, Cloe, and we can talk about this in here," Akiza's mother said, jerking Akiza from her fascination in the rose-shaped necklace.

Though Aunt Cloe's lip was curled in anger, she nodded. "Very well," She said.

Akiza clutched to her mother's leg, not letting go until they made it into the living room.

Akiza's mother looked down at Akiza and smiled. "Can you please go to your room for a second, honey, while I talk to your Aunt Cloe?" She asked.

Akiza nodded, running up to her room. Anything to get away from her Aunt...

Akiza didn't remember how long she had sat in her room, admiring the necklace Yusei had given her and her deck before she heard the scream and the multiple shots.

She ran downstairs, and was met with a terrible sight. A man who she had never seen before with a gun and Aunt Cloe, hugging on to his arm admirably, stood smiling at the bleeding and twisted forms of her mother and father. She gasped, tears flowing out of her eyes.

The man and Aunt Cloe whipped around at the sudden noise, the man pointing the gun at her. Akiza froze. This was bad...this was soooo bad...and...Aunt Cloe!

"Aunt Cloe!" She whimpered, and ran to her. "What hap-"

SLAM!

Akiza hit the floor, too stunned to get up, instead resorting to rubbing her reddded and definently brusied cheek.

"This is the story, Akiza," her Aunt Cloe said, standing over her. Akiza stiffened. The man stood beside her, grinning sadistically.

"This is Sayer, my husband. And Mr. and Mrs. Izinski died in a horrible accident, by the way, as did Akiza. They were shot by one of their maids, who ended up commiting suicide to herself afterwards, who was your mother by the way," Aunt Cloe wrapped her arm around Akiza's new Uncle. "Will you finish the rest, sweetheart?"

"Yes," He hissed, smiling eerily down at Akiza. "Out of the goodness of your Sayer and Cloe, the suppossed daughter of the maid, you are now taken into their care. All the Izinski fortune...belongs to us, now. Not you...since Akiza died. Do we have a clear understanding? You are no longer Akiza. Akiza...is dead."

Akiza, still stunned, nodded unconsiously. What was happening? She was right here! She didn't die!

But little did she know that she really did die along with her parents...

"Akiza!"

Akiza, now a full grown woman of seventeen, sat up in bed at the sound of Sayer's voice. She rubbed her eyes.

That memory...always stun her. It was the worst day of her life, for not only did her parents die, but everyone one she knew and loved disappeared before her. Yusei, a face she didn't even remeber anymore, was gone as well.

They had moved houses soon after those days events happened. Though unknown to anyone else, she was the Izinski daughter said to have died along with her parents under a maid who had gone crazy.

She had no one. She didn't trust anyone. She was alone. And...she would never be saved. Her name was now Tilli Rose, a servant girl under the rich and powerful Cloe and Sayer.

Never to love again.

Star-Rose Lover: Wow...that was kinda sad. D:

Akiza: Ya think?

Star-Rose Lover: Oh, uh, how long have you been sitting there?

Akiza: Oh I don't know, through the whole story maybe?

Star-Rose Lover: Hahaha, my bad. Sorry Akiza, but you're getting tortured again. But not for long! Soon you'll be-

Akiza: Yeah Yeah Yeah, I know, you said it in your summary, remember?

Star-Rose Lover: Oh I did, didn't I? Well anyways, as I said it will get better soon, so please review and keep reading!