I: First Meeting

A gentle early summer breeze fluttered through the trees. All around the air hung, lazy and warm, and the soothing sunlight of a June afternoon brightened all the colors of its surroundings with its merry beams. The joyful songs of the birds and the humming of every insect drifted all throughout the entire sunny universe. As well as the songs of nature the lively sounds of children playing could be heard rising and falling in crescendos of loud shouts and cheers. Looming above everything was the centerpiece of this shining world, a giant stately mansion. The darkness of its painted sides did not remind one of the haunted houses of old, but rather of a solid, safe edifice protecting its inhabitants from the fears and cares of the world. This was Wammy's house, a prestigious orphanage and school located in Winchester England that housed nearly thirty orphans. These were no ordinary orphans, but a specially selected group of children with a purpose…not just to be adopted by loving families…but to change the world. Each of them was chosen with this thought in mind by the orphanage's founder Quillish Wammy, a brilliant inventor with a vision and a kind heart. He hoped to raise them in a supportive and caring environment, fostering their talents and eventually sending them out on their own. However, on this gorgeous, sunny day no one, not even even Quillish Wammy, had thoughts of changing the world. The world was bright, happy, and the joyous reign of summer had just begun.

The chorus of excited children's voices had reached a roar of shouts and laughter. A group of a dozen boys was playing soccer on the lush, green front lawn of Wammy's. Their leader was the only girl of their group, a bubbly, vivacious little thing with curly blonde hair and a shrill girly laugh. Behind her toddled a small pale boy with pure black hair and clothes that were way too big for him. Another tall sandy haired boy in a dark green shirt was yelling orders which no one seemed to be paying any attention to.

From the lone metal swing set on the far end of the lawn one small boy swung slowly back and forth on the second to last swing on the left. His golden hair fell slightly below his chin and his long bangs hung just above his bright blue eyes which stared wistfully at the group of children playing soccer. At just four years old little Mello was both the smallest and youngest child at Wammy's house. Beside him on the left was a blue and gray stuffed dog that he had slung over the other swing. Mello let out a soft sigh and kicked his bare feet back and forth. He was so small that his feet had no hope of touching the ground while on the swing. An air of utter loneliness seemed to hang about his countenance; it was as though he had not a friend in the entire world except for his little stuffed dog, which he had named Richard. This wasn't really true though, in fact Mello was well liked at Wammy's by many of the older children like C, A, B, and even L. But, he always ended up being left out of most of their games for one reason or another…most likely because he was too small and young to be counted among them. Glancing up into the sky Mello watched the puffy white clouds drift endlessly across the blue vault that nearly matched the color of his eyes.

"I wish I had just one friend who I could play with…" he thought sadly, glancing back over at his stuffed dog.

"Do you think I'll ever find a friend of my own, Richard?" He spoke as seriously as if he were talking to a real person, while giving the grey-blue dog's swing a slight push.

"Ah, Mello, I thought I might find you over here!"

Mello's blond head snapped up at the direction of the voice.

"Hullo, Mister Wammy."

"May I sit?" Mister Wammy, a tall man with thinning white hair indicated the swing on Mello's right side.

"Yes," answered Mello in a rather gloomy voice.

Sitting slowly down on the swing, Mister Wammy took a few moments to consider Mello before he asked, "Mello why aren't you playing with the other children over there?"

Mello gave a loud sigh and looked down at his bare feet.

"They told me I was too little to play," he mumbled.

"Oh, I see," Mister Wammy nodded.

"Mister Wammy I wish I had one friend!" Mello burst out suddenly. "Someone who won't say I'm too little to play with them!" He gave a sniffle and hung his head.

"Mello, don't be sad. I'm sure you will find a friend very soon."

"No I won't," the little blond complained. "All of the kids are too old…they don't want to be my friends."

"But what about C? Or A, or B?"

"…but they always say I'm too little," Mello moaned.

"Ah, well. Sometimes that's just the way it is Mello. But please believe me that you most definitely will find a friend soon," assured Mister Wammy in a comforting tone.

"Why?"

"Because I know these things…" A broad smile crossed Mister Wammy's wrinkled face.

"I hope you're right," Mello took Richard from the swing next to him and hugged the little dog close to his chest.

Standing up as slowly as he had sat down, Mister Wammy put one large hand on Mello's small blond head, grinned, and then turned to go.

It was evening now and the heat and merry light of the summer day had faded into a wistful dusk. The breezes of a summer evening blew gently through large open windows of Wammy's. Thousands upon thousands of cricket songs could be heard like one giant symphony in honor of this beautiful, clear evening. Stars twinkled and the moon kept her quiet night watch in the deep velvety heavens. Mister Wammy had left the house after supper on business and Roger had seen to it that all the children were up in bed at the correct time. But little Mello couldn't sleep. He sat on the window bench in his room hugging his stuffed dog and gazing up at the infinite amount of stars just outside his window. His thoughts were still on what Mister Wammy had said to him that afternoon…and he wondered if he really would find a friend soon.

"Mello?" The soft sound of footsteps on the carpeted floor startled Mello out of his thoughts.

"Why aren't you asleep?"

"I'm not tired." Turning to face the source of the noise Mello came face to face with the bright eyed blonde girl he had watched playing soccer that afternoon.

"You really shouldn't be awake though, if Roger catches you, you'll be in trouble," she announced, shaking her finger in his face.

"I said I wasn't tired, C," Mello retorted in a resolute manner.

C sighed. "Is something wrong, Mello?" she asked in her curious eleven-year-old way. "You can tell me, I'll listen."

"No."

"Why not?" She put her hands on her hips and pouted at him. "I am your older sister, you know and you can tell me anything."

Mello turned back to look out the window as C hopped up next to him on the window bench.

"A said I was too little to play soccer today, and you didn't say anything to him…." trailing off Mello buried his face in his beloved stuffed dog.

"Mel, he just didn't want you to get in the way, that's all," C assured him.

"See! I was right!" Mello snapped.

"Right about what?"

"That you all think I'm too little to play with you…"

"Aw Mel, it's just…I don't want you to get hurt or anything to happen to you…" C put her hand on his small shoulder to reassure him.

"No. I'm tired of being told I'm too little," her brother replied in a sour voice. "I wish that I had a friend that didn't tell me I was too little…it's… not… fair!" He started to cry.

C bit her lip as she had always done when she felt guilty about something. She loved her little brother more than anything in the world and wanted him to be happy…but she also couldn't bear the thought of anything bad happening to him either.

"Mello, don't cry, please. I guess I can be sorta bossy sometimes, but I just don't want you to get hurt." She knew that she was telling the truth, but doubted that it made her four-year-old brother feel any better.

"That's what you always say…" Mello answered through his tears.

"I really mean it though, honestly," C took him onto her lap and stroked his soft blond hair. "I really do care about you."

Gradually, Mello's crying subsided and he finally looked up at his sister (who he adored above everyone else he had ever known) and added. "I know…I just want a friend maybe…well…my own age…Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess that's not too much to ask," C agreed. "I'm sure you'll find a friend sometime though, so don't worry too much." She flashed one of her pretty smiles at him.

"You know, that's what Mister Wammy said to me today," yawing, Mello rubbed his eyes and looked up at his sister. "He said I'd find a new friend really soon…do you think he was right?"

"Absolutely. Mister Wammy is always right." C hugged him close to her.

"I…hope…so…" Mello had hardly finished the sentence before he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Mello was awakened by the bright sun and chipper sounds of the birds singing outside his window in the cherry trees. He sat bolt upright in his bed and looked around as though searching for something that should be in his room but wasn't.

"Richard, do you think today is the day that I'll find a friend?"

Climbing out of bed he quickly crossed the room to his dresser and heaved open the bottom draw. Out of it he pulled a dark pair of jeans and a black tee shirt. Pulling his clothes on and leaving his pajamas in a heap on the floor he left his room and toddled down the long hallway to the stairs dragging Richard behind him. His sister caught him as she skipped out of her room and grabbing him by the hand said, "Mello, you didn't forget to wash your face and brush your teeth or pick up your pjs did you?"

"Um…" But he couldn't finish. C hauled him back to his room and supervised him while he folded his pajamas and put them back under his pillow. Then she forced him to wash his face and brush his teeth. When he was done, she took a brush from the draw under his sink and hastily pulled it through his messy blond hair.

"OW, C that hurts!" complained her victim.

"Too bad! You're not going down to breakfast looking like a mess!"

"Fine…" he grumbled as she took his hand and led him back down the hall.

They sat at the last table on the right. Both the sandy haired, hazel eyed A, and pale, thin B were already there waiting for them.

"Hi A! Hi B!" C had grabbed two plates of food and set them down across from the boys. Mello followed behind attempting to hold both glasses of orange juice and his toy dog at the same time.

"Hey C and Mello." A grinned in his cheery way. B on the other hand, smiled faintly but said nothing.

C sat down and began to butter her toast daintily with her silver butter knife while Mello took a spoonful of oatmeal and stuffed it into his mouth. His sister rolled her eyes at him, but said nothing.

Down the far end of their table sat one other boy. He wore a plain faded gray shirt, dark jeans, and was all alone, eating some strawberries from a bowl while he read a book. His hair was black and his eyes were large and dark. None of the other children seemed to notice him besides C.

"Hey L, why don't you come and sit with us?" she asked turning to look rather fondly at him.

"Oh, no thank you," he answered in a quiet voice not even looking up from his book.

As soon as breakfast was over all the children found their way outside to play. Mello was again denied the chance to play hide and seek with them and he made his way over to the sand box by the swing set and amused himself for the morning by building lumpy castles in the sand. Around noon the children were assembled for lunch, and after that the oldest ones, including C, A, B and L went off for an afternoon study period. Despite the fact that it was summer most of the children kept up their studies here at Wammy's House. Mello wandered off to the quiet haven of the library to sit with Richard and look at books. After a while he grew bored and decided that he might go back out to the swing set for a while. A curious sound met his ears when he ventured back out into the hall. It was the sound of many children talking and laughing coming from the main room downstairs. Confused and wondering what the commotion could be about (for it was too early for dinner) Mello wandered downstairs to discover the source of his curiosity.

The dining room was nearly filled to bursting with children that Mello did not know. What was going on? He thought scanning the room looking for a familiar face. He spotted A standing near the door talking to a group of boys. Making his way over to A, Mello tugged on the sandy haired boy's shirt and asked, "A, what's going on? Who are all these new kids?"

"Oh, hi Mello!" A appeared surprised to see the little blond. "Didn't you know listen to what Roger said last night? These are the new Wammy's kids he was talking about!"

"Really?" A shot of astonishment and joy filled Mello instantly. "Are there any kids…my age maybe?"

"Yeah, sure." A seemed a little annoyed and pointed to the other end of the room. "Maybe a dozen or so over there, why don't you go say hi?"

Mello didn't even answer him…he was too excited. Today was the day he would find a new friend…he was sure of it.

"Where are they all from?" He ventured one more question in A's direction.

"Mostly from other orphanages…" A shrugged and turned back to his conversation.

Skipping over to the other end of the room, Mello made his way through the throng of four and five year olds who were talking and laughing amongst each other. But almost instantly Mello's heart fell…all of these kids were already well acquainted with each other. He tried desperately to get the attention of some of them, but he was completely ignored. Mello wanted to cry…today wasn't the day he would find a friend…and now even these kids would probably leave him out of their games. Just as he was about to give up and go back up to his room, Mello noticed something…there was one person who wasn't immersed in all the hubbub of the dining room.

A young boy about his age, with red hair sat alone in the corner looking lost and afraid. Mello cocked his head to the side and stared at him…could this boy possibly not know any of these other kids. Trotting boldly over to where the boy sat huddled against the wall Mello smiled warmly and announced.

"Hi, I'm Mello! What's your name?"

The redhead nearly jumped with fright when he realized that Mello was addressing him. He looked up quickly and didn't say a word. In fact, he looked plainly terrified that anyone had noticed him. His eyes were huge and bright green, with his red bangs hanging in front of them. His skin was rather pale and around his pointy nose were a few freckles. He wore a dark gray striped shirt and light gray sweat pants and clutched against his chest was a reddish brown stuffed cat, not unlike Mello's own Richard.

Mello gave the boy a curious look and he wondered if he had said something wrong.

"Can't you talk?" he questioned, then added, "Don't you speak English?"

When the boy realized that Mello wasn't going to leave him alone he took a deep breath and answered softly.

"I'm Matt."

"Oh you can talk! Nice to meet you Matt!" Mello's grin widened and he held out his hand toward his new acquaintance.

Matt didn't answer him and looked down at the ground. Why wouldn't this overly exuberant blond boy leave him alone? That's all he wanted.

But Mello was persistent. "So you're new here aren't you? Where are you from, England, U.S.A?"

"New York…" Matt mumbled not looking up.

"Really? That's cool…I was born in Los Angeles, California. But I've lived here in London all my life."

"Oh."

"Gee, you sure are shy." Mello knelt down in front of Matt.

"Um…Hey! You have a little stuffed cat. He looks kinda like Richard! Does he have a name?"

"Ed."

"Well mine's named Richard." Mello held him up for Matt to see.

"Oh."

"Hey Matt, since you're new to Wammy's I can show you around. Come outside and see the swingset, it'll be fun!"

"Um…no thanks…I don't really like going outside," Matt almost cringed at the word.

"Don't be silly, it's so nice and sunny and warm out! You'll have fun!"

"No I won't." Matt buried his head in his knees again.

"Well…alright then…I'll show you around the house instead. You can't just sit in that corner forever." Mello smiled, grabbing Matt by the arm.