Prologue (1): Innocence

(Prologue Begins)

[Skip Prologue to Chapter 8]

'Yes! Everything's perfect.'

Maya smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Her gentle golden curls flowed neatly behind her ears, above the blue collar of her white middle-school sailor uniform.

Everything was perfect. It needed to be.

She had plucked up the courage over the grueling weeks and today was the day she was finally going to say it.

'Love is not to be unrequited for Pisces today..' Maya repeated the lines of the worn horoscope book sprawled on her bed, she had studied it obsessively to find the perfect date for Pisces and an Aquarius to get together..

Haah... she sighed, heart fluttering in her chest as she thought about Her.

Daring. Smart. Sexy. That bombshell of a body was the complete opposite of herself- sporting a lean body, she only had A-cup breasts.. and rather than an eyecatching ass, hers was rather flat and lean..

Forget sexy, she was much more befitting the description of 'cute'..

To make things worse, because of the sheltered environment Maya had grown up in, she had often been told that she was too innocent for her own good..

'Just like a fair maiden' Maya thought back to the childhood nickname she grew up with, 'Whatever that meant..'

"Maya~ are you still not done?" A woman's voice could be heard from downstairs, breaking Maya's chain of thought.

"Wait Mum~ Almost ready~" Maya fixed her ribbon for the fifteenth time before brushing her hair down for the sixteenth.

'Ok. Now it's perfect.'

Clap! Clap! She slapped her cheeks hard before rushing down the staircase to greet her mother, her footsteps echoing within the large manor. The manor was exquisite, hosting large glass chandeliers alongside its expensive wooden furniture. Her family was filthy rich, and her background often showed in her naive behavior..

Dressed in a furry black robe, Selena embraced Maya before setting her down on the table.

"Breakfasts almost ready, kay?" she called out behind her as she fried the eggs in the pan.

No reply came back. Maya was too busy fumbling her fingers under the table. Countless what if's had already begun to plague her mind, causing her to sweat coldly on her seat.

'What if she doesn't want to be friends anymore..' 'What if she hates me..'

'What if..'

Moments like these defined Maya- often stuck in her own thoughts, it took someone special to break through to her, someone like Her..

"Maya~?"

"Huh?" Maya snapped out of her daze as her mother settled the dish before her.

'Oh dear.' Selena observed Maya's appearance. The sloppy girl never paid much attention to how she looked, and drool could often be seen dribbling down her chin on early mornings.

But not today. Today her baby looked like an angel.. And that could only mean one thing.

'Ara ara.. Girls sure grow quickly at this age..' Selena sighed to herself, 'But she's never shown interest in the boys.. who could it be?'

Maya poked tentatively at the eggs with her fork, nibbling at the edges of the omelette. Her stomach felt like butterflies.

"Maya~" Selena stepped behind her daughter, massaging the girl's slim shoulders.

"Mmm.." Maya nonchalantly responded, her head up in the clouds.

"Who's the lucky one today?"

PFFT- Maya almost spat her eggs out.

"Wha- Wha- What do you mean?" Her head drooped to hide the obvious shade of red that tinged her cheeks.

'Oh my.. She's so cute..' Selena smiled, pressing her hands deeper into her daughter's shoulders.

Her daughter had a slim frame, which matched quite well with her pair of developing A-cup breasts. Who wouldn't want such a beauty?

"I mean~ there's someone you like isn't there~?"

"N-n-n-no-no" Maya stuttered, the poor girl's head was drooping so much her nose practically touched the tip of her omelette, her cheeks slowly matching the shade of ketchup.

And a shy beauty at that~

"Mm~ I can feel it in your shoulders~" Selena teased, "You didn't sleep much last night didn't you~" her mouth whispered next to Maya's ears.

"Wha-" Maya's mouth opened and closed as she tried to formulate a response.

When none came out, she blushed deeply before shouting "MUM! I'M GOING TO SCHOOL"

She quickly grabbed her bag and dashed off into the hallway, escaping from her mother's clutches.

"Ara~ Did I go too far?" Selena chuckled loudly, her eyes soon widening as she saw her daughter stomping back towards her.

Smooch~ Maya kissed her mother's cheek before glaring at her.

"AND THERE'S NO LUCKY ONE OK? I'M GOING NOW" She shouted before turning and disappearing into the hallway, cheeks glowing with embarrassment.

"Hehe~ What a cute thing" Selena chuckled before helping herself to the barely touched omelette. "Mm~ delicious!"

--

A worn page from the horoscope reads:

Pisces (Circled with a red pen - Maya) - Unintentionally innocent in love, you ponder deeply on the things that matter to you. Dreamy and "out there", things that don't concern you often slip your mind.

Aquarius (Beside the name is a large drawn heart symbol): Self-reliant, clever and exceptional. However, you're not as innocent as you appear to be. Often showing one side of yourself to some and another side to others, you can hide your not-so-innocent side very well.

Love will not be unrequited for Pisces and Aquarius on March 15th, as the end of winter marks new beginnings for you when your season of love comes~