After the last period bell rang, Rika waited in her classroom to avoid the mad rush of students. She had learned this technique of survival from Kaori freshman year. Before that, she was always trampled by feet of kids finally freed from their daytime prison. It was dangerous, the two thirty stampede. It was deadly. Kaori and Lynne were lucky. They didn�t have last period, and went home in the peacefulness of an empty school campus.

Five minutes passed, and Rika ventured out into the open. The campus looked like a deserted battlefield, incapacitated freshmen lay on the ground, crying for their mothers. The grass was trampled, and clods of mud were strewn across the ground. A few kids had managed to pull themselves to the drinking fountain, and were gulping down the water greedily. Poor, ignorant fools. Rika thought. They have a lot to learn about high school life.

Rika walked slowly across the campus, trying not to step on any outstretched hands. At least she was nice enough to try that. If it were Kaori, many of the wounded would be nursing swollen fingers by the end of the day. �Evil being the root of mystery, pain is the root of knowledge.� She would probably chant, like a mantra.

Rika made her way to downtown Amay, her recent stupor had left her with little energy, and she needed a quick pick me up. Coffee sounded good. Downtown was crowded with high school students, namely kids from Amay Preparatory (a prestigious �rich kid� school for the sons and daughters of Amay�s economic leaders) and Amay Public High School (where she went). She looked again at the paper clutched tightly in her hand�who knew salvation would come from such a place? Martha Stewart Living, Rika laughed giddily. She was instantly transported into her dream world, where she was a renowned chef of Master Status. She even carried the spork-like staff of the Leader of the Phoenix Clan. Because she was lost in her imaginary world, she obviously did not look where she was going. Her shoulder collided with another�s, and both came tumbling down.

Rika landed rather ungracefully on her butt, and leaned forward in pain. Why her? Why not someone else? Why was SHE always the one to experience pain? Leaning forward in pain, Rika spied her magazine. Well, at least she hadn�t lost it.

�Excuse me, but that�s my magazine.� A voice said. Rika turned around. A tall girl stood behind her. She flicked her light blue hair behind her shoulder, and repeated herself. �That�s my magazine. Could I have it back?�

�Okay, okay,� The girl, said. �You can have the magazine. But I didn�t know you were entering the contest.�

�Yes.� She replied. Rika noticed that she was wearing the boys uniform from Amay Prep, probably one of the jocks from the school. She wondered who the girl�s father was. Probably some rich company CEO.

�Wow, I thought I was the only person my age entering it!� Rika exclaimed. Well, jock or not, a friendly face might just relax her the day of the contest. However�Lynne reading Martha Stewart Living was one thing, but�

�I have a question.� Rika said suspiciously.

�Hmm?� The girl asked.

�Why are you reading Martha Stewart Living?�

�So, you go to Amay Prep, right?� Rika asked.

�Yep.� The girl replied. �My father owns Heavenly Dragon, the restaurant downtown.�

The Heavenly Dragon was a high-class restaurant, one that Rika had never been in. It mainly served Asian delicacies, but their food was said to surpass even the greatest cooks born in that continent. This meant that her new friend was most likely an accomplished cook. Hmm�the competition might be interesting.

�What about you?� The girl asked. �What do your parents do?�

Rika winced. �I don�t know.�

This comment brought a laugh from the girl. �What do you mean you don�t know? Are they like, secret agents or something?�

�No.� Rika replied. �I�ve never met them before. See, my family is part of the Phoenix Clan. We�re renowned for a type of cooking known as exhibition cooking. It�s a combination of martial arts and food preparation. The kids are trained rigorously from a very early age. My parents thought that I should be assimilated completely into the Cuisenaire environment. So I was left with my master a month after I was born. They send money every now and then, but the only family I really know is my Sensei.�

�It�s fine though,� Rika said. �My Sensei is the kindest, coolest adult I know. I�m actually really glad that I�m living with him.� But I still wish I knew my parents. Rika left that last thought unvoiced.

�So a chef-in-training huh?� The girl said.

�Of the Phoenix Clan.� Rika replied. The girl�s eyes widened in surprise, but maybe that was just the sun�

�Have you heard of it?� She asked

�No.� The girl said.

�Actually, I�m not a master chef yet. But I will be.� Rika began, why she was spilling her heart out to a complete stranger, she didn�t know. She stuck her arms out and twirled lazily in the afternoon sun.

�I�ll be the most famous chef in the world, the best chef. And I may even become the head of my clan.�

The girl grinned at her, and Rika grinned back.

�Oh, by the way.� Rika said suddenly. �What�s your name?�

�Cylen� She replied.

�Okay�Cyle�WHAT?!� Rika said, freezing in place. �Isn�t t-that��

�A boys name? Yeah�� The girl (?) winced. �You though I was a girl�didn�t you?�

�I get that a lot.� The girl sighed. �I guess you think I�m a freak or something.� Now that she pointed it out, Rika noticed that his voice was deeper than a girl�s voice should�ve been.

�You want to go away now?� Cylen said. �I understand.�

�NO�� Rika said, eyes twitching. �You�re prettier than me�that�s not fair!�

Cylen looked surprised at this. Then collapsed into laughter.

Glad she had made a new friend, one who would be a rival in the upcoming cooking contest, Rika couldn�t help feeling lighter. Also, now that she got a good look at him, Cylen wasn�t so bad looking either. His hair was pale blue, almost white at parts. Why he kept it long was beyond her. And his deep purple eyes were mesmerizing almost. Violet was a rare shade of eye coloring. He was definitely a heartthrob. Heh. Rika grinned. Watching Lynne go nuts over him was going to be fun.

A/N: Okay, just so you know, Cylen is a boys name in this story�okay? That�s is a well-known fact. Obviously, it�s a boy�s name�so there. Hah! What? It isn�t a name? Well, the Queen of the Universe now decrees it so. Anyways�so, chapter three is done. Sloppy? Yes, I know it is, I was in a writing mood, and so I typed this up.