Instantly, Bernie recognized the code word "Boarding school" which really meant prison. Bernie bit her lip. Henna was trying to get on with her life and hated being reminded of where she had lived for seven years and what she had done. Finally Bernie sighed.

"Henna, dear!" she called. "A friend from boarding school is on the phone!" Henna had just finished cleaning the mess she had caused, her face went pale. Standing up, she walked over to Bernie, feeling dead, numb. Bernie forced the phone into Henna's hand and up to her ear.

"H-hello?" she whispered into the reciever. It was so quiet she had to repeat herself. She cleared her throat. "Hello?"

Amber was glad to hear Henna's voice on the phone, "Hey henna it's Velna. Actually my name is now Amber but that's for later. What's up? I haven't heard from you in a while. I was watching T.V and I saw you on the news. Are you (doing) okay?" she asked concerned.

Henna nodded, then remebered that she was on the phone. "Y-yes... I'm a bit shaked up, but I'm okay. Bernie says I should be okay!"

She suddenly started sobbing. "I'm so scared. I was doing so great. I have friends, a job, school is great but then this happened!"

Amber listened patiently and intently to Henna. "It's okay." she asid sympathertically. "Are you going to do anything (about it)?" she asked.

Hideto stared at the news report with wide eyes, his hands shaking as he saw the news report. The shaking soon spread to his entire body. His teeth chattered so loudly that he could barely hear a word of the report as the memory of what he had seen came back.

"Ko...kore wa..." he muttered to himself, panicking so badly he couldn't even remember how to finish a sentence in his native language. His shaking hands came up to his face, covering his mouth and hiding the sound of his shaky breathing. All he was able to hear was the words "should still be behind bars for what she did," but that was more than enough for him to realize...she was out.

"Hideto! Doushita!?" his father asked in a panicked tone as he entered the room and noticed his son's obvious distress. Hideto shuddered, not wanting anyone to find out what he had seen, not even his father.

"M...mu da. Shi...shinpai mu you!" Hideto replied, struggling to find the words. At this point, he would never have been able to respond in English. "Wa...warui yume ni sameta..." He wasn't even certain he was saying everything right anymore...but hopefully this excuse would make sense.

He couldn't believe it...she was out. He had witnessed many things that no one of his age had ever had to see...but the image of a girl who was younger at the time than he is now killing a friend in cold rage couldn't be erased from his memory. If she could do that then...what would she do now? How could she have been released only seven years later?

Henna, shaking now, leaned against the table to support herself. "I-I don't think so... I don't know! B-Bernie said I shouldn't be w-worried about it just yet!" Henna was having a hard time breathing by now. "I think I'll be okay!"

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Amber asked concerned.

Lucin watched the televison as she saw Henna's face appearing on the screen. Her jaw dropped by the sight.

"Okay.. Now this day won't be so boring!" she exclaimed as she grabbed an uzi and left her apartment, heading for Henna.

Just then, infront of Henna's door she slammed down her foot, swinging the door nearly off it's hinges. "Henna!" she yelled, armed and ready. "Are you still alive?" Yes, she was drastic but being a part of the yakuza made her that way.

Henna was about to answer Amber when she heard a bang at the door.

"What on earth!?" Bernie cried, leaving the dishwasher where she had been loading dishes to be cleaned and walked to the front door. She opened the door to find a young, dangerous looking girl. "Can I help you?"

"I've gotta go, Amber!" she said, hanging the phone up and stepping into the front hall way.

"I'm here for Henna!" Lucin boomed. "I'm her friend, Lucin Uzu-gumi of the Uzu-gumi gang!"

Henna's eyes widened. Quickly, she grabbed Lucin's arm and pulled her inside, slamming the door closed behind her. Bernie stared at Henna in confusion. Henna gave her a gesture before dragging her friend to her bedroom down the hall.

Once inside, Henna sighed. "What on earth was that all about?"

Amber looked down at her cell phone. She sighed. She hoped her friend would be okay.

Lucin blinked. "Isn't it obvious? Your face was on the news and I knew instantly that I should come over!" I brought the uzi incase they got you already!" Lucin explained.

Henna's brow furrowed. "I doubt anyone will come looking for me armed! I just need to stay low for a little while... I'm not dangerous like they said!"

Amber bit her lip. She couldn't leave Henna like tyhat/. She ran back to ehr computer and searched for henna. Then she changed into a pait of jeans and a black rtank top. She ran towards the doorway of her apartment grabbing, keys, her wallet, a coat, and just in case, a gun. Then she locked the door to her apartment and ran to the parking lot. She steped into her Mercedes Lexus 2007 and drove to henna's house.

As she drove the wind whipped through her hair making it look even wilder. Finally she arrived. She applied some red lipstick and fixed her hair. Then she stepped into the apartment building and knocked on henna's apartment door.

"Well, I'm staying over for a while!" she said as she pointed upward. "For protection! Unless you want a bunch of strange old men covered in tattoos without pinkys to come and protect you!"

Amber spotted a doorbell and rang it.

Bernie walked over to the door, opening it."Hello, are you one of Henna's friends?"


Henna smiled at her loyal friend. "No, I'm glad to see you again. So, how is life?"

Amber smield at teh woman who was probably Bernie, Yes." she said, "I'm Amber. May I come in?" she asked politely.

"eh... my grandfather is being extremely strict lately since alot of people have been abandoning the yakuza lately," She explained as she combed her right hand through her hair and let it out to reveal she had no right pinky. "Other than that: nothing much, you?"

Bernie smiled pleasently. "I see. You saw the news. Henna is just down the hall." She stepped aside for Amber to get in and gestured to a room at the end of the hall. "Henna's in there, just go in."

Henna flopped onto her bed. "Well, other than that new report, I was getting used to living a normal life where Henna Rose didn't exist for me!"

((okay, lets wait for the others, now))

((I just want to post this))

Amber noded at Bernie and thanked her. She walked into Henna's room. She stood in the doorway of Henna's bedroom leaning on one o the sides of the door frame. "Hey prisonmate." she said to Henna waiting for her to recognize her.

((I'll post one last post))

Henna grimaced. Prisonmate!She turned to Amber, a familiar face.

"Please, Henna Rose is gone! I'm Henna Mclaughlin; a teenager who has just been orphaned and lives with her aunt. I've never been to prison, I get good grades and hope to start college soon! No Henna Rose." She stared up with a harsh glare. "Got it?"

Amber was taken aback by Henna's anger. She quickly recovered. "Well, I'm not Velna Vinton, I am now Amber Ruby Rosetta." she said stretching out her hand. "Pleased to make your acquantance." she said.

((Last one...))

"Wait... you've never been to prison yet you can talk peacefully to a girl with no right pinky and a loaded uzi?" Lucin reminded.