~!*Author's Note: This is my first Death Note FF. I would really like to know how I did with this, so please, please, please review this and tell me how I did and how I could possibly improve anything in the future! Please and Thank You! /A.T.\*!~
Chapter One:
Before the Tragedies
My name is Envy. My birth name, though, is Emily. I was allowed to change it for my own safety when I was eight years old and moved to a 'special' orphanage with my twin brother. My brother is now known as 'Matt'. It would confuse me so much as a child, I eventually gave up and just called him 'Big Bro', 'Brother', or just 'Big Brother'.
When Matt and I celebrated our seventh birthday, we didn't realize that it would be the last winter we would see with our parents by our sides. The next day, they had gone out to run a few errands. Unfortunately, on their way back, a stray dog ran out in front of their car causing them to swerve out of the way. My father couldn't gain control back fast enough. They dove off the edge of a small bridge into the river below. At least, that's what we were told when we asked. I don't believe a word of that ridiculous story anymore. When we got word of their unfortunate and untimely deaths, my brother and I were with some neighbor kids for the night. We were immediately moved that night to the nearest orphanage just to be adopted exactly one year later by the owner of a much nicer, and more exclusive one. He told us his name was Wammy. If only we knew what we had in store for us at that very moment…
After we picked our new names and we settled into our new rooms, which were thankfully right across the hall from one another, we heard bickering. I glanced up, peeking my head out of my room. Matt copied my actions from his room. Coming toward us was a dark skinned girl with wavy hair going down to the middle of her back. It was a nice medium brown, much like my own. She wore a short pair of shorts with a plain black tank top. Beside her, was a slightly taller boy, with a blond bowl cut. He was dressed in all black. Matt edged his way out of his room and over to me.
"Who do you think they are, Sis?" He asked.
"I don't know. They seem…nice, though?" I glanced at them as the girl slapped the boy on the back of the head.
"Whatever. I just hope neither of us has to stay with them."
"Mello! You're such an idiot!" The girl shouted as they continued to near us.
"What did I tell you about hitting me?" The one I assumed was named Mello shouted back. The girl caught sight of us before she could respond. She stopped dead in her tracks. Mello stopped and followed her gaze to us.
"What are you doing near my room?" She questioned as she walked toward us.
"I…um…well…I was t-told I was going to be staying in this room…I'm new, and so is my brother…" I pointed to Matt as I inched a little closer to him.
"And who are you?"
"Well, I'm, um…well, my name is Envy." I shyly held my hand out. She took it slowly as she smiled.
"And my name is Tease."
"Envy? That's…a weird name." I glanced at the boy who slightly snickered.
"What's so weird about it? It is no more weird than the name 'Mello' is, right? In fact, the only one right here with a normal name is my brother, Matt."
Mello's eye twitched in what I guessed to be disbelief at my straightforward attitude and aggravation. When Matt saw his expression, he mumbled to me, "Um, sis, I think you should just be quiet now…"
"Oh. Sorry, Big Brother."
"Hey, you two look a lot alike! What are you? Twins?" Tease inched forward a little.
"Yes!" I nodded eagerly. I loved talking about it most times. "We are! Even though we look practically the same in the face, we're fraternal twins since I'm, well, a girl, obviously. He's the older one by a minute, too."
"Wow, that's so cool! I've never met twins before! Can you two read each other's minds or feel whenever the other one is hurt?" Tease looked hopeful. I laughed nervously as she got even closer to us. Matt took a step back, kind of freaked out. All of a sudden she was pulled back on to her butt.
"Would you stop? You're freaking them out. And you know twins can't really do that!" Mello scolded.
"They can too!"
"Actually, I can kinda tell when my sis is in a bad mood. Even when she's smiling and playing. That counts, right?"
"Oh boy! Of course it does! See, Mello? I knew twins could do it!"
After that, we learned that Tease was my new room mate, while Mello was Matt's. Tease confided in me after awhile that her real name was Taylor, but I could never use it in front of the other kids or else they'd tell the guy who was in charge and she'd get in trouble again. I then told her my true name, and we became as close as sisters that very second. Knowing each other's true names, we both had a secret we were to take to the grave, and that bonded us.
She gave my brother and me a huge tour of the house while Mello trailed behind us later that night. She introduced us to three very special people as well. The first one we met was a small, quiet boy that went by 'Near'. He had almost completely black eyes, white hair, very pale skin, and was dressed in all white pajamas. He looked like a cute, fluffy marshmallow! I wanted to pick him up in a great big hug right then and there. I didn't, of course, because of how rude and strange it would've been. Shortly after meeting the cute little Near, we were introduced to the top two smartest children at Wammy's House. The second best was a young teenage boy that went by 'Backup'. He preferred 'Beyond Birthday', but around Roger (our caretaker, which I have disrespectfully neglected to mention by name yet) we were to call him either 'Backup' or 'B'. The absolute smartest person at the orphanage was a girl that seemed to be about our age named 'Alternative'. When I asked why they had such silly names they gave me grim stares as though I were an utter moron with no common sense. They explained that they were the top two successors of a famous detective named 'L'. They continued to explain that the reason Matt and I were there was because we were thought to be smart enough to compete in being the top successor. B pulled out papers from under his mattress and showed us what they were. It was a secret list of the students. They were ranked by IQ levels. At the very top was Alternative, or 'A', as she liked to be called. Below her was Backup. After that, it was Near and Mello. Surprisingly, Matt was already ranked as number five. I was just below him, and then it went to Tease. I guess that's what the exam was for just before being transferred to Wammy's House.
"What! I've dropped to number seven?" Tease pouted. B pet her head, sat down, and sat the small girl in his lap.
"Now, now, Tease. You're actually at number six."
"But…it shows those two as five and six…"
"Ah, yes. Allow me to explain. See, I read on Roger's computer that they actually have the exact same IQ, but it would not be fair to create two number five's. It would create an uproar of children claiming they had the same IQ level as a higher ranked child who would then demand a re-test. Soon, the whole orphanage would be beyond chaotic in outrageous claims such as those. Roger found it easier to just bump you down. He's a jerk."
"A big one!" She cuddled into his chest as though he was the most cozy thing in the world.
"B, shall I put these back under your mattress?" A asked, folding the papers back up like he had them.
"Yes, please." He continued to hold Tease, playing with her hair until she fell asleep. We stayed with the others until midnight getting to know one another. When we finally decided to go to bed, Mello refused to take Tease. B sighed, threw a subtle insult at him, and carried her himself. I bid the three boys goodnight, and tucked myself in after turning the lights out and making Tease comfortable. By the time I fell asleep, I found myself satisfied with my first day in my new home.
/. Five Years Later .\\
"Hey, Mello! Will you play Hide and Seek with us?" I called out, peeking open the door. Even though we were all twelve and thirteen, we still enjoyed a good game of Hide and Seek. He looked up from his books and chocolate, smirking in slight amusement as he responded.
"Depends. Who's playing?"
I leaned against the door frame, putting my hair in a side ponytail. I smiled at how his face lit up at my offer. "The usual. Tease, Matt, A, Near, and me. You, too, if you agree?" I glided over to his bed and sat next to him. I leaned my head on his shoulder playfully as his smirk widened a little.
"Why should I join you?"
"Because if you do…then…um…" I pulled my head up in thought. "I'll give you your first kiss. Yeah, that! You've been complaining about wanting one lately, right?"
His cheeks turned an almost invisible shade of light pink for a moment as he seemed to consider it. He shook his head and pretended to scoff at the idea. "Who said I would want to kiss you?"
"Tease did. Then again, I know not to listen to her. You have to admit that you'd rather kiss me then her, though." I giggled as he pretended to retch at the thought.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. But, you don't have to. When you said Near was joining you guys, I had made up my mind."
"What?" I screeched, jumping up. "So, you just made me make an embarrassing offer even though you were going to play anyway?"
He stood up, setting the book that was in his lap to the side, and grabbed me by the shoulders lightly. "You should know me by now. I'll always play Hide and Seek if Near is involved." With that, he kissed my forehead and walked out. I stood there, feeling the warmth increase in my cheeks. That was the first time he'd ever done that, and he just had to catch me off guard with it. When I realized I was blushing, I mentally slapped myself and ran outside with the others. When I returned to my awaiting friends, Beyond Birthday had appeared.
"Beyond? Are you playing with us?"
"No, I'm not going to play with you, Envy. I'm merely here to visit Tease and her friends and watch you little ones play." He said politely, trying to give a sincere smile. I smiled in return.
"Oh. Well, then, would you mind sitting at the swings when we start so you can tell us who got there first if anyone makes a break for Home Base?"
"Of course."
"Alright already. I'm not gonna stand here and wait all day, Sis. Would you just tell us if we're in teams or not and get the show on the road?" Matt barked, reluctantly putting his Game Boy back in his large pockets. Tease glanced at him, a smile spreading across her perfect lips.
"Someone must be on the rag…" She whispered to Mello and me. I tried not to laugh so we wouldn't upset Matt anymore than he already was.
"O.K. you guys! We are not in teams. I repeat: We are not in teams! Think of everyone here as an enemy at this moment. Now, on three we make our choice of who shall be the almighty 'It'! Alright…One…two…three! Not it!" I shouted the last part raising one arm in the air and placing one finger on my nose. Everyone managed to get out of being It in time except for one person. Near. I felt sorry for him. He loved playing Hide and Seek, but he hated being It. He was a master at hiding, but he could never find anyone. Even when he did, we all always managed to out run him and get to Home Base in time. Every now and again, I'd cut him some slack and let him tag me. He knew I did it on purpose, but the happiness that would dance in his eyes was worth it.
"Looks like you're It, Near. Are you ready?" Mello teased.
"As ready as I can be." Near's usually monotone voice seemed to be a little upset. No one seemed to notice except me, though. I shot him an apologizing look as he turned around to count to the usual number of fifty. That gave us almost a complete minutes worth of hiding time. That was more than enough for some of us. Once we heard Beyond start counting for him, we all took off in separate directions. Matt, Tease, and A ran off toward the house while Mello and I remained outside.
"Twenty-eight…twenty-nine…THIRTY!" Beyond shouted. I began to panic at that point. I had yet to find a decent spot and I only had twenty seconds to find one. When Beyond shouted out 'forty' I decided to give up and wait for Near to find me in the dead leaves coating the dry ground.
"En, what the hell are you doing? He'll find you! Get up here!" Mello whispered harshly. I looked up to see him above me in an old, abandoned tree house. It looked like it would fall at any given moment. Ignoring that fact, I quickly scurried up the ladder to the top and hid in a corner with Mello. When we heard the leaves crunch below us, I felt my heart beat speed up. Mello instantly grabbed me, pulling me in his lap and further out of sight in case Near's white head happened to pop up. I rested my head on his chest as we both held our breath. I could hear his heart beat. It seemed to be beating as fast and as hard as my own. If I didn't know any better, I'd think we were hiding from a hitman or something. There was no noise other than the crunching of leaves. When we heard the footsteps fade away into nothing, we let our breaths out together. I slowly moved myself off of him, blushing slightly.
"Sorry." He whispered. "I thought it would be better like that in case he did peek in. We were practically invisible like that…"
"It's okay. You're, um, pretty comfortable. But, I thought that was the reason why, anyway." I whispered back, smiling in obvious amusement at his own blush. I peeked down, making sure no one was hiding out to tag us if we got down. It seemed clear, so I signaled for him to follow me. Once we both got down safely, we dashed for the swing set. To my surprise, we were the only ones who had already made a run for Home Base other than Tease. With the way she was around BB, it didn't surprise us, though. If you didn't know their ages, it was almost like they were dating. Matt, Mello, and I found it kind of creepy, but each time we mentioned it, they'd both give us the same response. "Age is nothing but a number."
"That's weird. Matt's not there. Neither is A. Usually Tease is with one of them after someone makes a run for it…" I mumbled.
"Maybe they decided to be nice and let Near tag them?"
"Matt wouldn't do that. When he plays, he plays for victory. A, though…she might…I don't know. I feel sorry for him, though. He can't catch any of us. He even knows when we let him tag us…it's such a pity, really…"
"Yeah, I guess. But we can't help being more fit than him." Mello spoke quietly. He seemed ashamed to agree with me. As we neared the swing set, Tease waved at us. She had moved to one of the swings and was allowing Beyond to push her.
"Higher, B! I wanna go higher!" She laughed loudly as he pulled her up higher and almost shoved her rather than pushed. Mello and I stepped out of the way of her slim legs, going to the slide that was attached to the swings. We talked about little things, such as chocolate types, while Beyond and Tease flirted with each other in their own sick way. It slightly creeped us out, but we didn't mention anything to them. All of a sudden, Matt and A burst out of the house with Near on their heels. He reached out, trying to tag one of the sprinting youths, but came up short. A jumped up, hanging from the pole that held the swings in victory. Matt slapped the pole next to Beyond and collapsed to the ground, panting. They gave whoops and hollers of excitement while Near gazed at the ground. I felt a pang of guilt in my heart. Ignoring Mello, I went down the slide and over to Near.
"Don't worry, cotton ball. You'll get them next time. I know you will!" I hugged him from the side, pecking his cheek. I could feel Mello's eyes burning into my back with jealousy, but I didn't know why nor did I care.
Near had admitted to having a small crush on me once before, but I softly turned him down. He was only a friend to me, and that's all he ever would be. Ever since then, though, I've felt bad for him. He wanted to be a little more than friends, but I didn't. I didn't feel that way for anybody, despite the rumors of Mello and myself floating throughout the halls.
After another hour of playing, we all decided to call it quits and do our own thing. I was walking down the hall to go play some video games with my other half when two familiar voices caught my attention.
"But why! That's not fair to me!"
"Tease, please, calm down. It's about time I leave here anyway. I've been hanging around far too long, and Roger is getting testy with me. I should've left long ago."
"But, Beyond! What about me? I don't want you to go…"
"I have to."
"What are you going to do? Huh? I thought you were suppose to stay until L retired." I could almost feel the betrayal in her voice myself.
"I don't want to succeed him anymore. I have other plans in mind." He spoke softly. I couldn't place it, but his voice seemed…darker than usual.
"B, what are you talking about?"
There was a silence. For a moment I was afraid he realized I was spying on them and was about to scold me in the middle of the hallway. Then, I heard her gasp.
"Are you going to tell now?"
"….No. I want to go with you!"
"Wh-what? You can't go with me. It's too dangerous."
"Like I care. Beyond Birthday, you are the most important person in my life right now. I want to help you. If anything happens, I'll come right back here. And if I can't…well, then, I'll figure something out! Just let me go with you!"
Another pause. Then I heard his voice again. "Fine. I'll tell Roger you're coming with me for awhile, and if anything happens to me, then I'll make sure he promises to let you come back, alright?"
Even though I couldn't see her, I was sure she nodded eagerly. Not wanting to risk getting caught, I kept on walking down the hall, silently vowing to myself to let no one know of what I had just heard. I wouldn't even tell the great L himself if he for some reason asked me.