Rated T for future violence. I do not own Fire Emblem, only my characters and the plot.

'Don't you dare. Don't you dare sit next to me!' As the guy made his way down the bus aisle, I shot him my strongest death glare. I guess I didn't project it hard enough from under my black hood. He sat down next to yours truly. Damn.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed loudly and crammed myself against the bus window as far as was physically possible. First day at a crappy new school, and I just wanted to be left alone. But no, of course not. I slouched down in my seat, trying as hard as I could, to dissapear into my hoodie. The boy glanced over.

"I am sorry. I do not wish to accompany you on the ride to school either." His voice is smooth and gentle, like flowing water. But then what he just said hit me.

"Well screw you too!" I snapped back, and glared out the window. This boy dared to sit next me, and then had the audacity to say he didn't want to sit with me? I want to hit him. Stupid punk.

"I am…sorry?" He sounded confused. I glanced over and looked at him, really looked at him.

He was definitely Asian, or Korean, or something along those lines. His skin was smooth, with a light tan. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate, and his soft-looking black hair hung around his face, if slightly in his eyes. His clothes ruined whatever look he was trying to pull off; raggedy shoes, baggy blue jeans, and a long-sleeved white shirt.

Flicking a few strands of black hair from my face, I asked, "Who are you?"

The boy brought one leg up onto the seat, and put his arm around it casually. "My name is Eli Tawl. My family moved from Japan. I am eleventh year student."

He pronounced his last name like towel. I could definitely hear his foreign accent then. I hadn't noticed it before, when he had blurted out his rude little comment. His English was a bit choppy, thought. "Eleventh year? You mean you're a junior?"

Eli frowned. "Junior? Is that the correct term here?"

I gave him a nodd, then pulled out my iPod. I was done. It was my first day, and I didn't need to be bothered by some lost Japanese kid. Soon Papa Roach's Tyranny was blasting through my ears into my skull. Not a minute into the song, I felt a poke in my shoulder.

Eli said, "And your name is?"

"Raemi."

He grinned. "Like do re mi?"

What was this guy's problem? Couldn't he take a hint? "Yeah, sure."

"It is nice to-"

"Whatever." I turned the music back on, turned up the volume, and tried-unsuccessfully, I might add-to block J-boy out for the rest of the ride. He just wouldn't shut up.

"Lots of people here. You are the first person I met. Do you like it here?" His lips were moving, but I could barely make out what he was saying.

I hit pause. "What?"

"Do you like it here?" J-boy's eyes studied me intensly. So intensly, that I started to feel very uncomfortable. I decided to go back looking out the window. Cows and manure. Wonderful.

"I don't know."

"Why?"

"Why do you care?" I rounded on him. "Just shut up!"

And he was silent. For a few moments, anyway. Then, "You are vey upset. Because of me. I am sorry."

I exhaled slowly. "I'm not upset. Not at you, anyway."

Timidly, "Then who?"

I frowned. Who was I mad at? Not this strange, new boy. My dad? Definitly. But I wasn't going to tell Eli this. I settled for an easy answer in general. "The world."

Eli considered this for a few minutes. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He was biting his thumb, lost in concentration. Then he seemed to stiffen, as if he felt my eyes on him. His eyes met mine before glancing at my iPod. But in that instant, I felt a surge of something. For the briefest of moments, in that boy's eyes, I had seen Thomas. But that was crazy. Thomas was back in California, while I was stuck here in Nebraska. But I still couldn't shake the feeling…

"You like music?"

I blinked. His voice jolted me out of my reverie. "Wha?"

"You enjoy listening to music?" He repeated.

I let out a breath. This was an easy one. "Yeah. Can't live without it. There's a song for every moment, you know?"

A very small smile crept across his face. "What is the song that depicts the current moment?"

I thought hard, and finally shook my head. "I can't decide. It's a tie."

"What songs?"

"When You're Gone, by Avril Lavigne, and Welcome to My Life by Simple Plan." I decided.

Eli nodded. "Why those two?"

Why did he have to ask so many questions? And why was I answering them? Hadn't I been trying to ignore him? Well, I would just try harder. Just because I thought I had seen a glimpse of Thomas in Eli didn't mean anything. I looked out the window again. We were pulling into the high school parking lot.

Eli seemed to realize our conversation was over. "Okay, okay."

God, the day was only beginning.

So what'd you guys think for the first chap?Comments on Raemi's –um- interesting personality? Just about two more chapters until the action starts, so stay with me! RxR!