Remember when I said I wasn't gonna do another AU for a while...yeah, hehe, I lied.

O.O

Talk to me now I'm older
Your friend told you 'cause I told her
Friday nights have been lonely
Change your plans and then phone me.

O.O

Rachael Roth happily swung on the swings, her pigtails flying about as she soared through the air. Her electric blue eyes were bright with happiness and a smile had made her way to her face. A strap to her jumper was loose and the smile she bore showed off a newly missing tooth. Her mother, Arella Roth, happily chatted on the bench with the Marie Logan. Arella and Marie had arranged a play date between Marie's son- Garfield Logan- and Rachael. Instead of the desired results, though, Rachael was happily swinging by herself and Garfield was socializing with all the other kids on the playground.

"Hey, Roth!" a voice called out to Rachael.

"What do you-" Rachael was met with a mud cake to the face, courtesy of Garfield. Rachael stopped swinging, tears threatening to escape.

"Haha! You should see your-OOF! Owww!" Garfield said in pain, as Rachael kicked him in his nether regions.

And from that day forth, Rachael Roth and Garfield Logan were declared enemies.

O.O

"Kori!" Rachael snapped, as her red headed foreign friend continued to blab about her "adventure" at the mall last weekend. Kori Anders was a tall girl with tanned skin. She had long, flowing, lovely red hair and beautiful green eyes that seemed to light up in the presence of something "good". She often wore bright, flashy colors and summery clothes. She was from a country far, far away and had a slight accent that was barely detectable, unless you squinted real hard. Rachael Roth, on the other hand, was the opposite; She had pale, almost ghostly skin, short black hair, and navy blue eyes. She had a cold, calculating, monotonous voice and a permanent scowl etched on her face. She often wore dark colors and autumn clothes.

"I am sorry. Was I boring you?" Kori said innocently. Rachael sighed and shook her head, her onyx locks shaking with her too.

"No. I'm just tired Kori." Rachael said, locking her locker up.

"Oh. I am sorry for your fatigue then, Rachael." Kori said, bowing. The naïve innocence of her friend made a small smile appear on the always gloomy girl. That is, until Garfield Logan walked by. The scowl returned to her face and she narrowed her eyes at the tall, blonde boy. He was one of the so called "bad kids". He hung out with the wrong crowd, broke rules and was the all around prankster. Two years ago he dyed his hair green. His mother of course made him shave it off, and it was slowly growing back. Rachael hated him every since that play date at the park with him eleven years ago, and he did too. They were sworn enemies, often throwing snide comments at each other in the halls, or in Garfield's case, pulling pranks on Rachael.

"Hey Roth, how's the cult going?" Garfield snickered, receiving laughter from his friends.

"It's going better than your GPA." Rachael retorted, shoving her hands into her jean pockets.

"Whatever Roth."

"Goodbye Logan." Rachael sneered, walking off into the other direction with Kori.

"He is a cruel, cruel boy." Kori said, giving him a dirty look.

"You're telling me." Rachael scoffed, as they ascended from the High School. The Californian sun was shining down on the two as they began their trek home. Kori was Rachael's neighbor, which was how they became friends in the first place.

.Flashback.

Rachael peered out of the window, curiosity painted on her childish face. A moving truck was parked across the street from her house, and a family of four were beginning to get out of a car. First, a largely built man with gleaming red hair, then a tall woman with black hair. Next was a girl with jet black hair and the same tan skin as her parents. Rachael could tell she got her looks from her mother. Last, but certainly not least, was a red headed girl who looked to be about eight years old; the same age as Rachael. She had a stuffed elephant in her hands and a pleasant smile on her face.

"Mother!" Rachael called out, not taking her eyes on the new neighbors.

"Yes sweetheart?" a faint voice called back from the kitchen.

"There's a new family across the street! May I go visit them?" Rachael said, excitement in her voice.

"Sure honey. Just look both ways and be careful." her mother's voice replied. Rachael rolled her eyes.

"Yes, of course mom. I'm a big girl!" she said quickly, opening the door to her house. Next door, Garfield Logan was playing with his friends in the front yard. Once he saw Rachael emerge from her house, an evil smile spread across his lips. He quickly muttered something to his friends and they returned the same evil smile. His friends ran off to the back of the house to retrieve the item that Garfield had asked for.

"Hey, Roth!" Garfield called out, a reckless grin on his face. Raven glanced in his direction, sighing when she saw the caller of her name.

"What do you want Garfield?" Rachael said, exasperated.

"Oh, just turn about 45 degrees."

"What are you-" Suddenly, Raven could feel a blast of icy cold water hitting her body like a torpedo. By the time they were done spraying water at her she was soaking wet. Anger boiled up in Rachael but before she could wrestle the little brat to the ground, a new voice began on a rant.

"That is not nice!" the same red headed girl said angrily, stomping over to Garfield. The blonde boy just laughed along with his friends.

"Yea? So aren't a lot of things ginger." Garfield said, doubling over in laughter. This only seemed to enrage the tall girl even more, her face turning red.

"I assure you that this will not be nice either." the girl said. With that, she punched Garfield in the stomach and marched over to Rachael, who was holding back tears of anger and embarrassment.

"What is your name?" the girl said softly.

"R-Rachael Roth." she sniffled, glaring at Garfield, who was clutching his stomach in pain.

"My name is Kori Anders. Come, let us get you inside." Kori replied, leading her into Rachael's house. And ever since that day, the two were inseparable.

.Flashback.

"So, what'd you get on your science exam?" Rachael asked Kori as they passed a 7/11.

"I received an 89." Kori said shamefully.

"That's not bad!" Rachael said reassuringly.

"Really?"

"Of course not." Rachael replied, to which Kori smiled. She was very glad indeed that Kori was rather naïve. Rachael fiddled with a button on her coat as they passed the library, running a hand through her jet black hair. A familiar chorus of laughter was heard behind them and Rachael groaned. It was Garfield again. From the corner of her eye, she could see Kori balling up her fists.

"I do not like them." Kori hissed.

"Neither do I, but I'd rather be civil than stoop down to their level." Raven whispered back as Garfield and his friends caught up with Rachael and Kori.

"You are right Rachael." Kori said stiffly as Garfield shoved past them. He smirked at the raven haired beauty as she scowled at him.

"Sup losers?" Garfield said, his messy hair in his eyes.

"I think that comment should be directed at you." Rachael said wryly.

"I dunno. I mean, at least I get dates." Garfield teased. Rachael's blood was boiling. His comment reminded her of Malchior, someone she did not want to think about.

"Yeah. The trashy, wasted, STD infected kind." Rachael shot back.

"Where's your excuse?" That comment sent Rachael over the edge as she ran at Garfield, fists clenched. Luckily Kori caught her by the arm and restrained her, Rachael struggling to get free.

"Lemme punch him." Rachael growled, glaring at him as he laughed at Rachael.

"Violence is never the answer, it-"

"Oh, hi there Kori. When are you going back to your country. You're a little bit of a sore thumb here." Garfield said. Fury was conveyed across Kori's face, and with a sick smile she released Rachael.

"Please. You're like 5 feet tall how much damage do you think- FUCK!" Garfield moaned, as he crumpled the the ground, holding his nether regions. Just like eleven years ago.

"Garfield, Garfield, Garfield. After eleven years, you'd think you'd know not to fuck with me." Rachael said, tsking, as she walked away.

"Like anyone would ever wanna fuck you." Garfield laughed, still on the ground. Rachael paused and turned around ever so slowly.

"And you're an exception?" she said, punching him in the eye. With that, she walked off in the direction of her house, a slight smile playing on her chapped lips. Finally, one of his friends spoke up.

"Gar. I think you just got pwned."

"Shut the fuck up."

O.O

Kori was sprawled out on Rachael's rug, the gothic teenager herself sitting on her bed in a lotus position. Papers were spread across the floor, as the two went through their homework. Kori's strong point was math, whilst Rachael's was English. Kori was helping Rachael with her math assignment and Rachael was helping Kori with an English assignment due next Wednesday.

"So, all you have to do is summarize the book." Rachael said, flipping through Kori's rough draft.

"I have not yet finished the book." Kori admitted. Rachael sighed. Kori was never good at reading, and she had a pretty good excuse. But that didn't mean Rachael didn't get frustrated with her foreign friend from time to time.

"Uh, alright. What book were you supposed to read?" Rachael asked. The gothic girl was in AP English, while Kori was in regular English.

"I believe it was a book named Animal Farm." Kori answered. Rachael let out a relieved sigh. Luckily, it was a book she had already read. Pulling out a red pen from her pencil case, she wrote something down on looseleaf.

"Well, that's an easy one. Animal farm was a symbolism for communism." Rachael said, handing Kori a piece of paper with the summary of the book on it. There was a gentle knock on the door and in walked Rachael's grandmother. She had been her caretaker ever since Rachael's mother died five years ago.

.Flashback.

Tears stained the young girl's face as she stared at the motionless body in the coffin. Kori stood by Rachael's side as she sobbed. Too soon, was the thought that raced through Rachael's mother was only 34 years old, and she had died of a blood clot. Rachael was to be taken on her grandmother's wing now.

"Goodbye...mommy." Rachael whispered as the coffin was closed.

.Flashback.

"Dinner's almost ready, girls." her grandmother said gingerly.

"Thanks grandma." Rachael replied, not taking her eyes off of Kori's English homework.

O.O

Weak ending to a chapter, I get it.