It Started With Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 1- Lily

I did not ask to be involved in all this. I was just being a friendly neighbor when I walked over to apartment 7210 to introduce myself. Had I known that I would get dragged into a war when I went over there, I would have gladly stayed away and continued on to 7209. But I guess you can't change the past, no matter how much you wish to. Anyway, my mom and I had just moved over to the Japanese Gardens complex , and you couldn't say they named it wrongly. There were cherry blossom trees everywhere. Outside, in the living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens , if it was on the premises, there was at least 1 cherry blossom. There weren't many other Japanese plants, so I guess they didn't really research, but they went all out on the cherry blossoms. Mom had made me go and introduce myself to everyone in our building, and I was already getting tired by the time I made my way over to 7210. There were cherry blossoms in my hair, and I was too tired to pluck them out . Too tired to notice the way 7210 looked different from the rest, with their shut blinds and fancy security cameras, even though the complex provided perfectly adequate ones. Too tired to object to the teenager with frantic eyes pulling me into the apartment just as I said "Hi, I'm the new neighbor-" "Yes, yes we know all about that.My name's Sam, by the way. Nice to finally meet you in person, Lily." I was too tired to notice how weird it was that the guy knew my name and seemed to know everything about me. "I've got you some Lo Mien for lunch, and I've already got all the books you need set up in your room." It was then the weirdness of it all struck me . "Wait, how do you know so much about me, and why do I have a room? I don't even know you." Sam looked at me with the weirdest expression, dark hair falling into his face, deep green eyes looking somehow jesting and absolutely serious at the same time, a sly smile creeping upon that serious face. "Let's just say you'll be helping the Insurrections for a little while." I started to ask what that was , but I drifted off into an inevitable sleep, chopsticks still in hand.