Chapter 1 - Strawberry Cheesecake
*Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or it's characters. I do however, own my OC. ;) *
Time. Time is what I hate the most. It's so unforgiving. Proceeding only forward, never stopping. No matter how hard I tried, time wasn't slowing or picking up its pace. It's the most precious thing in the world, yet many people take it for granted, even me.
Third POV
The sky is grey and cloudy as if a storm was approaching. Although it was still midday, the sun was nowhere to be seen. People exit and enter buildings around them like it was routine, sometimes stopping to chat with one another or to simply sit and relax before they had to face whatever was to come.
On a bench, just outside of To-Oh University, sits a petite young girl with messy ginger hair. She was clearly not originally from Japan. In her hands she holds a book titled: The Philosophy of Time Travel, by Robert Collins. Alex always enjoyed these kinds of books. It was something that gave her hope that not everything is part of a one way ticket to the same trip, over and over again. She liked the idea that even time can't hold someone back from doing something that they desire.
The red head was interrupted from her thoughts when a young boy with golden brown hair and piercing caramel eyes appeared in front of her. "Excuse me, Alexandra right?"
Alex looks up from her book at the superstar of To-Oh and rolls her eyes. "Is there something you want, Yagami? Also, don't call me by my full name." What does he want from me? Can't I just go one day without some brat bothering me? She thinks to herself.
"I just wanted to ask you about the book you're reading." Light slyly pulls a book out of the bag he is carrying and shows it to Alex.
The girl widens her eyes in surprise. He has the same book? "What is someone like YOUdoing with that anyway?" She scrunches her nose and squints her light green eyes at him.
Light laughs only loud enough for the two of them to hear. "Who wouldn't be interested in something like this? With time travel, so many bad happenings can be prevented and removed from history all together. Not to mention the fact that it would open doors for completely new technology."
The two talk for a few minutes about the concept of time travel before being interrupted. "LIGHT! Is that you? Are you still going to help me study tonight?" A tall pale girl with big brown eyes and bouncy black hair runs over to Light and grabs his arm. She scoffs when she sees who he was talking to.
Light apologetically looks down at Alex. He starts walking away, still in the grasp of the other woman. "See you around, Alexandra." He says to the redhead, knowing it would irritate her.
"No one calls me that!" She exclaims as he walks away with the big tall bimbo.
"Now you have someone that does!" He yells back without looking behind him, hiding the smirk on his face.
"Light, ho was that?" The pale girls asks with jealousy in her voice.
"Just a classmate and so are you. Don't go getting any ideas." He snaps back.
The girl pouts and removes the Yagami boy from her grip and the pair continue walking together.
Alexandra's POV
My apartment isn't anything out of the ordinary. In fact, it's a bit shabby on the outside. Rusted window panes, weed vines growing up the left side of the brick building and a run down wooden front porch. I don't mind though, looks aren't really that important to me anyway. Plus, I think it adds character and it's not like my 'family' back in England cares what shithole I live in. They're just glad I'm out of their house. I'm on my own here so I'd say that for a 17 year old girl living on my own in a country I wasn't even born in, I'm doing pretty well for myself.
I unlocked the worn down door to my apartment and walked inside. Not bothering to turn on any lights, I head straight to my bedroom, plop down on my worn and creaky mattress and turn on the television.
"The same assailant who attacked six people at a busy shopping district in Shinjuku yesterday has struck again. Taking eight people hostage at this daycare center. His captives include both children and teachers. The police have now identified the suspect as forty-two year old, Kurou Otoharada, currently unemployed. We expect negotiations to begin immediately."
"What an ass." I say to myself out loud. If he wants money, why doesn't he just get a damn job. "Scum…" I mumble under my breath. I look away from the TV at the alarm clock on my end table. 20:23, it reads. Damn, it's not even that late. How the hell am I this tired?
"At the present time, that's all the police are telling us." The man interrupts my tired thoughts.
"You can't help but feel concerned for the safety of those hostages." The police will do their job. I'm more concerned about how annoying her voice is.
"You're absolutely right! We'll continue to monitor the situation from here." Booooring.
Just as I was about to turn off my small TV, the reporter abruptly exclaimed, "Wait! We're seeing something here! Looks like movement at the front entrance! The hostages are coming out, and they all look to be unharmed!" Damn criminal, I bet the police gave the shithead exactly what he wanted too. The special forces are taking action, they're moving in! We don't know if the suspect's been arrested… Huh? Yes? Okay! We now have confirmation! The suspect has been found DEAD inside! I repeat, the suspect is now dead!"
"Good riddance." I roll my eyes, turn off the television and snuggle up underneath my scratchy blankets.
Third POV
Between school, work, and household chores, time just buzzed by for Alex and for once she wasn't complaining about it. It was almost the weekend, which meant soon all she would be doing was relaxing at home with her favorite book and a warm cup of tea. She was exhausted after working last night and didn't have class until later in the afternoon. I could totally go for some strawberry cheesecake right now. She thinks to herself. It is her favorite, after all.
Leaving her apartment, the red head quickly walks to a bakery not too far from her house. The sweets shop was a quaint little place, and in her opinion, they made the best strawberry cheesecake in all of Tokyo.
The bakery has purple pastel colored walls on the exterior with pink and yellow tulips in a small garden box just below both front windows. Flowers are her second favorite thing the world has to offer, the first being strawberry cheesecake. So fragile and delicate, yet so beautiful.
Alex counted the spare money in her wallet, 583 yen. Luck was obviously on her side, as she had just enough money to buy two pieces of her favorite cheesecake. She walked into the alluring bakery, taking in all of the sweet smells of pastries and candy.
"Good morning Alex!" A familiar voice said as she approached the counter. It was the grandson of the owner, Haru.
"Oh, hi Haru. I'm in a rush so just the usual." She wasn't really in a rush but she knew if she said she was, she'd get her order faster and the quicker she got her cheesecake, the better. Plus, Haru was gullible enough anyway.
After getting her beloved treat, she said her goodbyes and headed home. On her way out of the bakery, she walked past a very formally dressed old man and a strange looking guy with raven black hair.
Third POV
A few days later…
The fog rolled in on the streets of Tokyo. It's a groggy Thursday morning and the student's attending To-Oh University were all on their way to the first class of the day. Alex was among a flock of student's dragging their feet one after the other toward the long day ahead of them. Following close behind her was none other than Light Yagami, a boy she wasn't too fond of.
"Hey, Alexandra." Light called out to the green eyed girl in front of him.
Alex knew who it was right away. She looked behind her with a death glare, spots the To-Oh superstar and rolls her eyes. "I told you, stop calling me that, Yagami. What do you want now? Be warned, I'm not a morning person."
Light catches up to her. She didn't sound too happy at the moment, so he heeded her warning about not being a morning person. A group of students pass by them, bumping into Alex in the process. She scoffs.
Light clears his throat and begins to speak, "Hey, do you mind if I walk with you to To-Oh? I wanted to talk more about the book since we were interrupted the other day."
"No." Alex replies, and proceeds forward, quicker than usual. She didn't want anything to do with the Yagami prince this early in the morning. Besides, she wanted to stop at the Bakery and get her fix before she had to endure a whole day of classes.
"Hey, wait!" Light exclaims, hoping she would slow down, but his efforts didn't pay off. He follows behind her in casual silence with hopes that she would eventually turn around and say something to him.
A few minutes pass and Alex stops in front of her favorite bakery in all of Tokyo. She takes a deep breath in, loving every scent that the shop emits. Before stepping in the store, she turns to Light who is still a few feet behind her. "This is my happy place, Yagami. I would prefer if you didn't follow me here. Get lost." And with that she enters the bakery, noticing that Light didn't seem to mind that she didn't want him there.
"Good morning Alex!" Haru calls over her me, shakily. "Oh? Who's that with you?"
Alex rolls her eyes. "Some lost mutt that followed me here." What the hell does Yagami want from me. To talk about time travel? What would a criminal justice major get out of time travel anyway? "I'll have the usual Haru."
Haru took a deep breath. "Oh, I'm sorry Alex, but were going to be all out of strawberry cheesecake for... A while." Haru says with a frightful look in his eyes.
Light laughed a little.
"WHAT?! How hard is it to-" She was cut off by the sound of the bell that rings when someone opens the bakery door.
The formally dressed old man and strange looking black haired man the redhead saw the other day entered the shop. " Do you have the order ready, sir?" The old man spoke up, realizing there was a growing tension rising in the small shop.
"Uh… y-yes! Thirteen strawberry cheesecakes coming right up!" Haru replied to the older man, clearly fearing for his life as Alex was giving him her most intimidating death glare.
The girl watched as Haru bagged exactly thirteen precious strawberry cheesecakes and rang them up in the register. Her mouth watered at just the sight of it.
Coming out of her strawberry cheesecake induced haze, Alex shot a glare at the older man behind her.
The old guy cleared his throat, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience Miss." He walked to the counter and began to pay for the insane amount of cheesecake. How dare he just waltz in here after me and claim ALL of the strawberry cheesecake in here as his!
Not being able to stand the sight any longer, the redhead spoke up. "Excuse me… but I'm pretty sure you'd get some kind of diabetes or something if you ate all of those." She said to the strange pair of men.
The eccentric looking man replied, "Not me. I consume more sweets than you can even imagine on a daily basis, and I'm perfectly healthy." He said matter of factly.
Now Alex was angry. This insomniac looking asshole is really trying to be sarcastic when I'm having a crisis? Prick. "I'll have you know-"
"It is very important that I have all of the cheesecake in this shop until further notice." He cut her off. "Besides, you look like you've had enough cheesecake already, maybe this will do you some good." The raven haired jerk took one of the precious cakes out of the bag and opened the packaging before digging his slim fingers into it and putting a piece into his mouth right in front of the redheads cheesecake deprived eyes.
Are you kidding me? Now he's just TRYING to be an ass! He and the elder man began walking toward the exit. No way I'm letting you get away with MY cheesecake! "EXCUSE ME you incoherent creep!" She quickly grabbed him by his arm and he turned around.
"One point four percent. It would be in your best interest if you let my arm go. I can be very unforgiving." The awkwardly strange man said while looking at her hand gripping his forearm.
Upon further inspection of the man, she noticed that his eyes are barely visible under that heap of messy black hair he has going on. He looks a lot more pale up close and his dark circles more prominent. He wore a long sleeve, white, baggy T-shirt along with baggy blue jeans. His shoes were white, although they look a bit old and dirty. He was dressed completely opposite to the old man he came in the bakery with.
"Look freak, I don't care how black you hair is or how baggy your clothes are, all I wanted was a slice of strawberry cheesecake before I had to go to class and I can't even do that because YOU ordered them ALL." Alex said with anger in her voice, stomping her foot like a child. The redhead didn't care, she was stubborn as hell and already cranky because of the Yagami boy and she will be damned if some hunchback of Notre Dame jerk was gonna run off with her prized possession.
The old man spoke up. "Sir, perhaps we should let her have one of the cheesecakes? Surely you have more than enough." He looked concerned.
The black haired creep stuck the tip of his thumb in his mouth. He raised the cheesecake so that it was just above eye level. He looked at Alex and smirked, "Want some?"
"Actually, yes I do." I said in a quite rude tone.
"Too bad." The raven said, turning around to continue on his way out the door.
Her face was red with anger now. Who the hell does that?! That's like torture! It should be a crime! "Hey!" She yelled after him, but he didn't even acknowledge her. " You bastard!" The girl yelled once more, still getting no response. "I'll just tell Kira about you, you thief!" Light mumbled something under his breath about how Kira would care about someone 'stealing' someone else's cheesecake but Alex ignored his comment.
Much to her shock, the strange man turned around and said, "Three point seven percent… this could be easier than I thought," under his breath, but it was still audible. He spoke directly to the redhead this time, "Perhaps if you had ordered the cheesecake ahead of time, one of these might be yours and you would have been able to enjoy the best strawberry cheesecake in all of Tokyo. That's too bad."
As the limo pulled away, Alex stood there frustrated and watched as that damn jerk got away with her favorite thing in the world.
"Calm down." Light had the audacity to say to the distraught redhead.
Alex knocked his books out of his hands and stormed off.
