EXCHANGE STUDENTS PART 1
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"Duo! If you don't get your rear in gear you're going to be late to school!" Mrs. Maxwell yelled up the stairs.
"I'll be down in a second Mrs. M. I just need to find my history book!" Duo shouted back to her. Mrs. Maxwell shook her head and chuckled, her foster- son was just too much sometimes. He was such a sweet kid though; Mrs. Maxwell couldn't help but love him. She remembered how cautious he had been when he had first came. Duo had been so worried about upsetting her that he would have rather gotten lectured by his teachers for forgetting his books than to keep her waiting if she said it was time to go. He had changed so much since she had gotten him back in March, she hadn't even noticed how much until school began again. Mrs. Maxwell just couldn't believe how different he was after only six months. Her reminiscing were interrupted when Duo bounded down the stairs his backpack clutched in his hands. His uniform jacket was only on one arm, and his tie hung un-tied around his neck, but his chestnut hair was neatly braided into his usual waist length braid. Why he insisted on keeping his hair so long Mrs. Maxwell just couldn't understand.
"Got everything Duo?" she asked.
"Of course. Let's get going, I wouldn't want to be late," Duo grinned his unusual violet eyes sparkling, and with that, they were out the door.
Mrs. Maxwell carefully pulled out of the driveway in her stylish silver Mercedes while Duo sat in the front seat straightening his jacket and tying his tie. As they pulled out into the street Duo glanced back at the house that was his current residence. The Maxwells were very well off, and it showed especially in their house. It wasn't that the house was exceptionally huge, it was just a five bed four bath, but it was
spacious and richly decorated, giving the impression that it was much larger. Duo still couldn't believe that he actually lived there. The whole neighbor hood was very upscale, and little orphan Duo
felt so very out of place there, there and at his expensive, exclusive, all boys private school, which they had just arrived at.
"Have a good day at school Duo," Mrs. Maxwell said as Duo climbed out of the car.
"See you later Mrs. M!" Duo replied cheerfully as she drove away. As soon as she was out of sight Duo sighed deeply and turned towards the school. 'Back into hell I go,' Duo thought gloomily. Not only did Duo feel uncomfortable in the rich halls of the school, but he also positively hated the other students, and they all hated him. Ever since he had arrived in the spring the other boys had mocked him, ridiculed him, and basically made his life miserable. They had even made sure to see him over summer break in order to torment him further. He just wished that everyone didn't hate him so much, it would have been nice to have an actual friend for the first time since the orphanage had taken him in, but apparently that was just to much to ask. Unfortunately there was just no way to avoid the all of the students, so he would just have to live with it. 'I've been through worse. There's *no way* that a little hazing is going to defeat me when years of living on the streets couldn't,' Duo steeled himself and entered the school.
********
"Here for tea again Iria?" Mrs. Maxwell asked the attractive blonde doctor that she found at her door.
"You know me so well neighbor-mine," Iria replied.
"One would think that a young attractive rich doctor such as your self would have better things to do than to sit around and drink tea with an old married woman like me," Mrs. Maxwell said off-handedly.
"Oh come on Helen, you are hardly even older than me, we're both in our thirties and you know it! And you are married to a wonderful and attractive man. Besides, after spending as many years as I did in Europe I find that I must have tea-time everyday, and you are one of the few people who will do it with me," Iria retorted good naturedly.
"Oh you. Well, come in come in. Take a seat in the living room, I'll join you as soon as the tea is ready," Helen answered. Iria smiled at her friend and moved into the living room. Iria moved to her favorite chair and sat down. She then jumped up and pulled out the very large book she had sat on. She sat down and studied the book; it was a copy of 'Les Miserables'.
"Alright, the tea is ready, and I have some cookies that Duo baked yesterday. That boy is such a joy to have around," Helen said as she entered the room carrying a tray with the said tea and cookies on it.
"He made you cookies? That kid is too adorable," Iria said. "Oh, by the way, I found your book," she added holding up the copy of Les Miserables.
"Oh, that's not mine. I simply don't have the ambition to read a book that long," Helen replied.
"If its not yours, then who's is it?"
"Well Duo's of course," Helen answered.
"Duo? You mean Duo, Duo. You mean the boy whom you started fostering in March? The braided kid who could barely read street signs when he got here?" Iria asked incredulously.
"Yes I mean Duo! Actually, the truth be told he is practically a genius."
"You're kidding? When he first came here he nearly failed all his classes."
"Well, over the summer he studied very hard. He really hated being behind the other kids in the school so he spent almost all of his free time catching up on his studies. Now they have placed him in all advanced
classes. They've told me that he is one of the brightest students in the school. Can you imagine how intelligent he could have been if he had had a steady education all his life?" Helen replied happily, she was so proud of her Duo.
"That's remarkable. I mean, I knew he was smart, but to have caught up so much in such a short time. That's a very big accomplishment," Iria added.
"Yes, it is," Helen said before taking a sip of her tea. For the next few minutes both Helen and Iria simply sat in a comfortable silence and drinked their tea.
Finally, Iria's real reason for coming asserted itself and she broke the silence. "Actually Helen, I have this really really huge favor that I need to ask you," Iria said with a nervous smile. Mrs. Maxwell gave her a look that clearly said, 'go on'. "You remember how I told you about my little brother Quatre?"
"Ah yes, he's the only boy I the litter correct?" Helen drawled.
"We are not a litter!"
"I'm sorry, but thirty kids brings litters to mind. But yes, I do remember you telling me about Quatre, the youngest child, the only boy, and your favorite sibling, despite the fact that he is young enough to be your son," Helen replied.
"Well, yeah, he is isn't he? But that's beside the point. The favor I need to ask you is, well Quatre and his friends are coming to America as exchange-students. The problem is that you can only have two kids per house. Quatre has three friends, so there are four of them. All four of them really wanted to stick together. So, I was wondering, is there any possible way that maybe you could keep two of them over here. I know it's a lot to ask, but I really don't want to split them up," Iria pleaded. Mrs. Maxwell thought about it.
"Of course they can stay here. I don't mind at all, you know that I adore kids. It will be fun. I just hope that they will get along with Duo," Helen answered.
"Why wouldn't they get along with Duo? He's such a great kid, he's kind, and smart, and considerate…"
Iria trailed off.
"And yet he doesn't seem to have any friends at all, and he's been here for half a year. I don't understand
why, but that's the way it is."
"I guess I know what you mean. Quatre is a really wonderful sweet kid, like Duo, and the three boys who
are coming with him are like the first real friends that he's ever had. That's mostly the reason why I was so set against them getting split up. I just want Quatre to be able to be with the first people outside of our family that he has really bonded with," Iria replied.
"Which is why I'm willing to let two complete teenage strangers from another continent stay in my house for who knows how long."
"I can't thank you enough for doing this for me!"
"Think nothing of it Iria dear."
********
"Good evening J, how are you doing?" a sarcastic voice drawled into his vid- phone. The figure on the other end scowled his strange mechanical eyes narrowing.
"Don't get snide with me G. You've obviously talked to the either O, H, or S, so don't act like nothing has changed," J snapped, his metal claw (a replacement for a missing hand) clacking in irritation.
"Now now Dr. I was merely curious about how you are taking the loss of your protégé. Did he and the other three really just disappear? And you four actually couldn't find them? How very awful it must be for you. At least I know where my darling protégé is," G replied with obviously fake sympathy.
"You act so smug because your boy is still under your control, but we all know that that wouldn't be the case if he had had others to talk with as ours did," Dr. J snapped again.
"Now now, don't get so touchy J. I suppose you at least have some sort of plan for finding the missing boys?"
"Of course we do! We have reason to believe that our four are heading for the United States. It is an obvious solution for the rest of us to come join you in your American base. We shall be there in a week at the least, a month at the most. I can't wait to meet your chosen. J out," Dr. J answered before his vid-phone was switched off. G stared at the blank screen of his vid-phone for several drawn out seconds.
"Pyro!" he finally snapped. I red-headed teenage girl who had been standing behind the vid-phone stepped forward, she knew by now that talking when you weren't told to was not a good idea. "Pyro my dear, we have a problem. Do you know what that problem is?" G gave her a look that clearly stated that this was *not* a rhetorical question.
"Yes Professor G. The other doctors are coming here, and your protégé is not here," Pyro replied, completely unaffected by her bosses unusual looks; though when she had first seen the mushroom-like hair and the extraordinarily long nose she had been quite startled.
"You are correct my dear girl. Now, I need you to find some way to entice my Shinigami to return to me, should you be unable to persuade him, I want you to forcefully drag him back here where I can deal with him," Prof. G ordered. Pyro's one green eye and one blue eye widened to an almost impossible size. What G was asking was practically impossible.
"I will do my best sir, but Shinigami will not return easily. I'm not sure that I will be able to do it at all. He is a very stubborn boy," Pyro replied cautiously.
"I want you to do whatever it takes to get him back. If you have to destroy his new life, and the lives of
those around him, then do so. I will have him here by the time my associates arrive. Is that understood?" G asked harshly.
"Yes sir," Pyro snapped off a salute and left the room. She would need all the time she had if she wanted any chance of getting her former friend back into G's services.
to be continued...
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"Duo! If you don't get your rear in gear you're going to be late to school!" Mrs. Maxwell yelled up the stairs.
"I'll be down in a second Mrs. M. I just need to find my history book!" Duo shouted back to her. Mrs. Maxwell shook her head and chuckled, her foster- son was just too much sometimes. He was such a sweet kid though; Mrs. Maxwell couldn't help but love him. She remembered how cautious he had been when he had first came. Duo had been so worried about upsetting her that he would have rather gotten lectured by his teachers for forgetting his books than to keep her waiting if she said it was time to go. He had changed so much since she had gotten him back in March, she hadn't even noticed how much until school began again. Mrs. Maxwell just couldn't believe how different he was after only six months. Her reminiscing were interrupted when Duo bounded down the stairs his backpack clutched in his hands. His uniform jacket was only on one arm, and his tie hung un-tied around his neck, but his chestnut hair was neatly braided into his usual waist length braid. Why he insisted on keeping his hair so long Mrs. Maxwell just couldn't understand.
"Got everything Duo?" she asked.
"Of course. Let's get going, I wouldn't want to be late," Duo grinned his unusual violet eyes sparkling, and with that, they were out the door.
Mrs. Maxwell carefully pulled out of the driveway in her stylish silver Mercedes while Duo sat in the front seat straightening his jacket and tying his tie. As they pulled out into the street Duo glanced back at the house that was his current residence. The Maxwells were very well off, and it showed especially in their house. It wasn't that the house was exceptionally huge, it was just a five bed four bath, but it was
spacious and richly decorated, giving the impression that it was much larger. Duo still couldn't believe that he actually lived there. The whole neighbor hood was very upscale, and little orphan Duo
felt so very out of place there, there and at his expensive, exclusive, all boys private school, which they had just arrived at.
"Have a good day at school Duo," Mrs. Maxwell said as Duo climbed out of the car.
"See you later Mrs. M!" Duo replied cheerfully as she drove away. As soon as she was out of sight Duo sighed deeply and turned towards the school. 'Back into hell I go,' Duo thought gloomily. Not only did Duo feel uncomfortable in the rich halls of the school, but he also positively hated the other students, and they all hated him. Ever since he had arrived in the spring the other boys had mocked him, ridiculed him, and basically made his life miserable. They had even made sure to see him over summer break in order to torment him further. He just wished that everyone didn't hate him so much, it would have been nice to have an actual friend for the first time since the orphanage had taken him in, but apparently that was just to much to ask. Unfortunately there was just no way to avoid the all of the students, so he would just have to live with it. 'I've been through worse. There's *no way* that a little hazing is going to defeat me when years of living on the streets couldn't,' Duo steeled himself and entered the school.
********
"Here for tea again Iria?" Mrs. Maxwell asked the attractive blonde doctor that she found at her door.
"You know me so well neighbor-mine," Iria replied.
"One would think that a young attractive rich doctor such as your self would have better things to do than to sit around and drink tea with an old married woman like me," Mrs. Maxwell said off-handedly.
"Oh come on Helen, you are hardly even older than me, we're both in our thirties and you know it! And you are married to a wonderful and attractive man. Besides, after spending as many years as I did in Europe I find that I must have tea-time everyday, and you are one of the few people who will do it with me," Iria retorted good naturedly.
"Oh you. Well, come in come in. Take a seat in the living room, I'll join you as soon as the tea is ready," Helen answered. Iria smiled at her friend and moved into the living room. Iria moved to her favorite chair and sat down. She then jumped up and pulled out the very large book she had sat on. She sat down and studied the book; it was a copy of 'Les Miserables'.
"Alright, the tea is ready, and I have some cookies that Duo baked yesterday. That boy is such a joy to have around," Helen said as she entered the room carrying a tray with the said tea and cookies on it.
"He made you cookies? That kid is too adorable," Iria said. "Oh, by the way, I found your book," she added holding up the copy of Les Miserables.
"Oh, that's not mine. I simply don't have the ambition to read a book that long," Helen replied.
"If its not yours, then who's is it?"
"Well Duo's of course," Helen answered.
"Duo? You mean Duo, Duo. You mean the boy whom you started fostering in March? The braided kid who could barely read street signs when he got here?" Iria asked incredulously.
"Yes I mean Duo! Actually, the truth be told he is practically a genius."
"You're kidding? When he first came here he nearly failed all his classes."
"Well, over the summer he studied very hard. He really hated being behind the other kids in the school so he spent almost all of his free time catching up on his studies. Now they have placed him in all advanced
classes. They've told me that he is one of the brightest students in the school. Can you imagine how intelligent he could have been if he had had a steady education all his life?" Helen replied happily, she was so proud of her Duo.
"That's remarkable. I mean, I knew he was smart, but to have caught up so much in such a short time. That's a very big accomplishment," Iria added.
"Yes, it is," Helen said before taking a sip of her tea. For the next few minutes both Helen and Iria simply sat in a comfortable silence and drinked their tea.
Finally, Iria's real reason for coming asserted itself and she broke the silence. "Actually Helen, I have this really really huge favor that I need to ask you," Iria said with a nervous smile. Mrs. Maxwell gave her a look that clearly said, 'go on'. "You remember how I told you about my little brother Quatre?"
"Ah yes, he's the only boy I the litter correct?" Helen drawled.
"We are not a litter!"
"I'm sorry, but thirty kids brings litters to mind. But yes, I do remember you telling me about Quatre, the youngest child, the only boy, and your favorite sibling, despite the fact that he is young enough to be your son," Helen replied.
"Well, yeah, he is isn't he? But that's beside the point. The favor I need to ask you is, well Quatre and his friends are coming to America as exchange-students. The problem is that you can only have two kids per house. Quatre has three friends, so there are four of them. All four of them really wanted to stick together. So, I was wondering, is there any possible way that maybe you could keep two of them over here. I know it's a lot to ask, but I really don't want to split them up," Iria pleaded. Mrs. Maxwell thought about it.
"Of course they can stay here. I don't mind at all, you know that I adore kids. It will be fun. I just hope that they will get along with Duo," Helen answered.
"Why wouldn't they get along with Duo? He's such a great kid, he's kind, and smart, and considerate…"
Iria trailed off.
"And yet he doesn't seem to have any friends at all, and he's been here for half a year. I don't understand
why, but that's the way it is."
"I guess I know what you mean. Quatre is a really wonderful sweet kid, like Duo, and the three boys who
are coming with him are like the first real friends that he's ever had. That's mostly the reason why I was so set against them getting split up. I just want Quatre to be able to be with the first people outside of our family that he has really bonded with," Iria replied.
"Which is why I'm willing to let two complete teenage strangers from another continent stay in my house for who knows how long."
"I can't thank you enough for doing this for me!"
"Think nothing of it Iria dear."
********
"Good evening J, how are you doing?" a sarcastic voice drawled into his vid- phone. The figure on the other end scowled his strange mechanical eyes narrowing.
"Don't get snide with me G. You've obviously talked to the either O, H, or S, so don't act like nothing has changed," J snapped, his metal claw (a replacement for a missing hand) clacking in irritation.
"Now now Dr. I was merely curious about how you are taking the loss of your protégé. Did he and the other three really just disappear? And you four actually couldn't find them? How very awful it must be for you. At least I know where my darling protégé is," G replied with obviously fake sympathy.
"You act so smug because your boy is still under your control, but we all know that that wouldn't be the case if he had had others to talk with as ours did," Dr. J snapped again.
"Now now, don't get so touchy J. I suppose you at least have some sort of plan for finding the missing boys?"
"Of course we do! We have reason to believe that our four are heading for the United States. It is an obvious solution for the rest of us to come join you in your American base. We shall be there in a week at the least, a month at the most. I can't wait to meet your chosen. J out," Dr. J answered before his vid-phone was switched off. G stared at the blank screen of his vid-phone for several drawn out seconds.
"Pyro!" he finally snapped. I red-headed teenage girl who had been standing behind the vid-phone stepped forward, she knew by now that talking when you weren't told to was not a good idea. "Pyro my dear, we have a problem. Do you know what that problem is?" G gave her a look that clearly stated that this was *not* a rhetorical question.
"Yes Professor G. The other doctors are coming here, and your protégé is not here," Pyro replied, completely unaffected by her bosses unusual looks; though when she had first seen the mushroom-like hair and the extraordinarily long nose she had been quite startled.
"You are correct my dear girl. Now, I need you to find some way to entice my Shinigami to return to me, should you be unable to persuade him, I want you to forcefully drag him back here where I can deal with him," Prof. G ordered. Pyro's one green eye and one blue eye widened to an almost impossible size. What G was asking was practically impossible.
"I will do my best sir, but Shinigami will not return easily. I'm not sure that I will be able to do it at all. He is a very stubborn boy," Pyro replied cautiously.
"I want you to do whatever it takes to get him back. If you have to destroy his new life, and the lives of
those around him, then do so. I will have him here by the time my associates arrive. Is that understood?" G asked harshly.
"Yes sir," Pyro snapped off a salute and left the room. She would need all the time she had if she wanted any chance of getting her former friend back into G's services.
to be continued...