Well… this is my first Death Note fic. I have my OC in it, despite the fact that I hate fics with OCs, mostly because they always make pairings. But this does not have ANY pairings! …well, I might add some MelloxMatt and/or MelloxNear later, but I mean no pairings with MY character. I did my best to develop her enough and not make her a Mary Sue… so I hope I did a good job! Enjoy!
The Wammy house was unusually quiet; like the quiet before a storm. Something was coming. Matt, one of the orphanage's oldest residents, could tell. His friend L, the oldest resident, had the same feeling.
"Matt, something is coming," the charcoal-haired 15-year-old told his red-haired friend.
"Yeah... it's freaking me out. What could it be?" Matt agreed. L bit his thumbnail, which was a new habit for him.
"That's a very good question..." he mumbled.
"L, Matt," Watari called from the other room. The pair perked up, and quickly followed his voice.
"There are a number of new applications that just arrived. They are all from the same place; a very poor orphanage who feels it best to send away their most gifted children, partially to save money. Several girls and two boys are among the applicants," the middle-aged man explained. L nodded. Watari handed him the papers, and without another word, left the room.
"So, what, do you get to pick who gets in?" Matt asked his friend curiously.
"It would appear so," L replied. He fingered through the papers, browsing over each one. A few people caught his eye; a 12-year-old boy who was so advanced in both math and language arts that he had been moved to the senior level in both, and still had not been challenged. L wasn't sure if he should be looking for a child who could solve math problems as much as a child who could solve any problem, math or otherwise. L set the boy's application down and moved onto the next one who caught his eye.
A 10-year-old girl who was supposed to have lots of potential, and had showed signs at being advanced in many academic fields. L decided to consider her farther. Another boy's picture came up on the next paper. He was quiet and was extremely gifted in many of the things he tried, including problem-solving. However, the boy seemed to have a personality disorder; Bipolar disease. Was it worth the risk? L decided to consult Watari later. The last paper came up; a 13-year-old smiling girl. She was outgoing, very friendly, and very intelligent. When she chose to focus she could solve almost any problem. She could make friends with almost anyone. L thought she might be the right choice, and picked up her application and the second boy's and walked to Watari's office.
"Come in, L," he said before L even knocked. He slowly opened the door, choosing his words carefully.
"What is it?" the older man asked.
"Well," L began, chewing his thumb nail, "I've narrowed the selection down to two applicants, and I can't seem to choose."
"Let me see them," Watari said. L handed his the two papers.
"Alec Nicklton," he read the first name aloud. "12 years old, parents kid-napped and murdered. Excels in all academic fields, very focused... with a tragic case of Bipolar disorder."
L nodded. "I didn't choose him right away because of that."
"Candi Sorenson," Watari began reading the second paper. "13 years old, very friendly and outgoing. Is advanced in all academic fields, good problem solver, but does not always choose to focus."
"They both have their risks and benefits. The boy, Alec, has Bipolar. The girl, Candi, doesn't always choose to focus. Which is worse?" L pondered.
"I have had experience around bipolar children, and it's very unpleasant at times. They don't like to take their medication. Candi Sorenson would be the wiser choice," Watari decided. The teenager nodded, and tossed out Alec Nicklton's application. He read the phone number on Candi's application and began dialing on his phone. After a few rings, a tired-sounding voice answered.
"Mm, yhello?" she said. Her voice was quiet, but it sounded nice. It was the kind of voice that made you think of an innocent little kid.
"Is this Candi Sorenson?" L asked. Her voice immediately perked up.
"Yes it is!"
"This is L from the Wammy House, and we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to-"
"YES!" she screamed triumphantly, cutting off L's voice. He could hear other people cheering in the background.
"Oh, sorry. Anyway, thanks so much! When should I come?" she asked. L thought for a moment.
"Is Friday an acceptable day?" he asked.
"Absolutely! I'll have to pack, and study, and I'll need to clean up my room too..." she muttered a list. "Well, see ya then!"
The line went dead. Interesting character, L thought smugly. This would be interesting.
"She'll be here," L said.
"Very good," Watari replied, pleased.
"Ah, Watari?"
"Yes?"
"Why did I get to pick?"
"I thought you would make the wisest choice."
"Well thank you."
The next day, L and Matt decided to tell the other Wammy kids about the soon-to-be new arrival. "A new girl will be coming; Candi Sorenson. I want you all to make her feel at home. Her room will be on the second floor next to mine and Matt's," L explained.
"She's a really cool character, but don't be mean. Also, she's very smart. Don't underestimate her," added Matt. The other kids nodded enthusiastically.
"I'll go prepare her room," the older boy said. When L entered the room, it was like it had been for years; plain white walls, plush cream carpet, twin-sized bed, plain bookcase, a desk, and table with chairs. There was a lot of empty room for whoever stayed there's things. L put on clean, white sheets and pillow cases and washed the old quilt on top. After a quick vacuum, he decided that the room was ready. The rest of the Wammy house was busy preparing as well. Matt and a couple younger kids were cleaning while some of the others (tried) to organize things, though it wasn't going terribly well.
"Well L, I guess this is as good as it's going to get," Matt said conclusively. L nodded in agreement, and lumbered off to get some cake.
CANDI'S POV
"This is L from the Wammy House, and we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to-"
"YES!" I screamed in triumph. I got picked! I could hardly believe it. These people had chosen me, me! Over Alec, no less. After I set a time with this L guy, I practically ran through the orphanage to find Alec.
"Guess what!" I squealed to everyone in the room. They all looked up.
"You got chosen?" Alec asked in a choked voice. I nodded enthusiastically.
"That's awesome, Candi!" Stephanie exclaimed. She was my best friend.
"I know right?" I replied.
"How did you get picked over me?" Alec demanded. I shrugged.
"Maybe because of that annoying little thing called bipolar disease?" I said sarcastically. His face swelled up.
"You have no idea how hard it is living with that!" he exploded. "Everyone's always making fun of me and saying I'm a horrible kid! Well I'm sorry I can't be perfect enough to please everyone!"
I felt a little guilty, but I tried not to let it bother me. Alec always rubbed stuff in my face, and never felt anything, so why should I?
"Whatever, Alec. Get over yourself," Stephanie told him then took my arm and led me to my room.
"Thanks," I muttered. She smiled.
"This is so awesome! You're going away to England..." she whispered. A frown spread across her face.
"I'm going to miss you more than you will ever know," I told her with a hug. After a moment, we broke apart and dragged out my suitcase. Over the years I had collected a lot of random things I would be bringing.
"Help me pack?" I asked sweetly.
"You know I will," my best friend said. I smiled and began packing my clothes. They were mostly red and white, my favorite colors. I then began to pack my trillions of stuffed animals, only to realize I couldn't even fit half of them.
"Steph, looks like you'll have to keep some," I pointed out. I tried to ignore her squeal of joy and her scooping up of all my animals.
"Only the ones I don't want!" I snapped, snatching back the stuffed panda she was hugging. She frowned, and waited for me to sort out all my stuffiest. Eventually, I had my animals into two piles: keep and give to Stephanie. In the keep pile I had my panda collection (yes I collect pandas), a few teddy bears, and about 20 other random animals that had sedimental value. I continued my packing with my photos, my camera, and all my little trinkets.
Thursday night came quicker than I could have expected. I was packed, my room was empty and clean, and everyone was upset. Except Alec, who looked furious.
"Well guys..." I mumbled. "I'm leaving at like, 3 AM tomorrow, so... this is it."
"Don't do anything rash," Alec sneered. "If it's possible."
"Alec, stop being such a meanie. I'm gonna miss you, Candi!" Melanie whined, flinging herself into my arms. She was only 8, and was like my little sister. I smiled adoringly at her.
"I'll miss you too, sweetie. I'll come back to visit, I promise," I told her. She gave me a tight squeeze and I kissed her on the forehead. I would miss her.
"Candi, we all made you a going-away present!" she exclaimed, holding up a card about as tall as her. I blushed, and picked up the giant card. On the front it said, WE'LL MISS YOU CANDI! I opened it up and saw the signatures of almost all the other kids at the orphanage. Alec's message caught my eye.
Candace,
Good luck. You'll fail, and when you do, I'll be right there to take your place.
~Alec
I smiled and closed the card. I hugged Melanie so hard she couldn't breathe, and then hugged everyone else.
"Ohm gosh guys, I will miss you more than you will ever know!" I told them. After goodbyes and hugs, the children went to bed. I went to bed in high hopes for the coming day when I would go to the Wammy House and start a new life.
The car pulled up to a huge, beautiful building I assumed was the Wammy House. Standing outside talking were three men; a young red-haired guy with goggles who looked my age, a raven-haired guy with really dark eyes and messy hair, and an old guy. When I closed the car door and waved to the driver, their eyes turned to me. I did my best to smile.
L's POV
"L, are you ready? She'll be here any moment now," Watari said. I nodded. This girl sounded nice, if not a little hyper. I figured she would be a good addition to the Wammy House. When the white car pulled up and the door opened, I pretended to be chatting with Matt and Watari. This way, I didn't get to see her until I turned my head, like I was just noticing her. She turned around from waving to the driver. I was surprised by her appearance; she had light brown hair, light hazel eyes, and was wearing a very colorful shirt with jeans. Purple Converse were standing out on her feet. She looked very different from how I had envisioned, but pleasant none the less. She smiled awkwardly and started walking towards us.
"Um, I'm Candi," she greeted. Her voice was higher than I would imagine for someone of her age.
"I am L. We spoke on the phone," I introduced. She held out her hand, and I carefully shook it. She smiled more genuinely.
"I'm Matt, L's best bud," my red-headed friend greeted. She smiled at him and shook his hand.
"My name is Watari, founder of the orphanage. It's an honor to have you here," said the old man. Candi blushed. He's being awful generous with the greeting... I noted.
"Oh, um, thanks! I'm really happy to be here, you have no idea!" she replied cheerily. They all nodded and Matt and I led her inside.
"Everybody, this is Candi," Matt announced. Everyone turned to look at her, causing a faint blush.
"Hi..." she said quietly.
"Hello," everyone chorused back, then went back to what they were doing.
"I'll show you to your room," I decided. Candi nodded and I led her up the stairs. I opened the door to her room and she smiled widely.
"This is perfect! I can decorate it so much!" she exclaimed. I raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Sorry, am I allowed to paint the walls at all?" she asked.
"I will have to speak with Watari about that," I replied simply. She nodded and set her bags on the bed.
"Matt's room is on the left, mine on the right. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask," I told her before leaving. I noticed her unwrapping a candy cane as I walked out. Hmm... candy does sound okay right now... I thought appealingly.
CANDI'S POV
L and Matt seemed pretty nice, and I really liked Matt's goggles. When L showed me my room I was so happy at the sight of the plain white walls. Visions of multicolored splatters already filled my mind, and I exploded with joy.
"Sorry, am I allowed to paint the walls at all?" I asked. I desperately hoped the answer would be yes.
"I will have to speak with Watari about that," L replied. I sighed slightly, and set my things on the bed. I scoped out the room and began to decide how everything would look when I was done. I had brought all my sewing stuff, including fabric, so I could make new pillowcases and tablecloths and everything. I un-wrapped a candy cane and starting chewing on it. I smiled sadly as I unpacked the huge card my friends had made for me. I wonder what they're doing right now... I thought. I almost used my cellphone to call them, but I quickly realized that my plan had been with the old orphanage. Put simply, my plan was probably cancelled. I sighed heavily, forcing myself not to cry. This place will have a phone I can use, I told myself.
I placed the card on the desk and put my clothes in the dresser and closet. I scattered my stuffies around the room from my bed to the dresser and bookshelf. I also lay a few across the floor. When I was satisfied with my unpacking job, I peeked outside into the hallway. This place was huge, and I knew I would get lost. I started breaking off small bits of the candy cane I was eating and left a trail for me to follow. Yes, it's very Hansel and Gretel, but I didn't want to get lost. After I got to the stairs, I decided I could find my way back there at least. I looked around, seeing a hallway going both directions from the stairs. I shrugged and turned right. I found myself in a large, open room. There was a lot of random stuff scattered everywhere, but it was a dead end.
With a sigh I turned back and took out another candy cane since I had used my last one to make a trail. I went down the other hallway and came into a room with lots of tables and a chalkboard in the front; it strangely resembled a classroom. There wasn't anyone in it, but I walked around anyway. They had very advanced lesson plans, but it only took me a moment to figure them out. I continued walking through, and walked into a large open room. There were a variety of kids there, ranging from 5 or 6 to 18 years old. They all looked up when I entered.
"Um… anyone have a phone I can use…?" I asked nervously. They all pointed to a door without a word. I slowly walked past them all, feeling eyes watching me heavily. I knocked on the door twice, and heard someone say, "Come in."
I carefully opened the door to reveal a small office. In the middle was a desk stacked with papers and a computer monitor. There were two comfy-looking chairs in front of it, in one of which sat a black-haired boy.
"Hello, Candi," he greeted. "Need something?"
"Um… I just want to call my friends to tell them I made it," I said quietly. L took out a cellphone from his pocket and handed it to me.
"Don't talk too long," he said. Without another word I walked into the other room. I dialed the orphanage's number, and waited.
"Hello?" Alec answered. I tensed.
"Greetings," I said sarcastically. I heard his breath catch.
"And what do you want?" he sneered. I chuckled.
"Let me talk to Steph."
"Why should I?"
"Because I, the one who got chosen over you, said so."
"Not a chance."
I frowned at Alec's stubbornness. An idea suddenly struck me.
"Oh, but Alec," I said in a sweet voice, "I couldn't bear to talk to you any longer; I'm already blushing so much!"
I knew he hadn't heard the sarcasm in my voice, so I smirked.
"Um…" he began, and then quickly got a hold of himself. "Weirdo. Here's Stephanie."
"What did you do to make him blush?" she demanded the second she was given the phone.
"I was sarcastic about liking him," I replied. She laughed, but stopped immediately.
"Wait… you don't like, actually like him… do you?" she asked.
"Seriously? Do you think I would like him?" I demanded.
"No."
"You're 100 percent right."
"Good."
"Anyway, I'm here. And wait… did he actually blush?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh my god… what is wrong with that boy?"
"We'll never know," Stephanie concluded.
"ANYWAY, I got here safe and sound. It's pretty cool."
"That's good. Meet anyone interesting?"
"The guys who greeted me are pretty cool. L, this slightly weird black-haired guy, seems really smart. He's nice. There's this other red-haired guy who wears goggles and a striped shirt; it's awesome. I might have to get some goggles myself."
"Sounds like an awfully strange place. You sure you'll be alright?"
"Positive."
"Good. If they start being jerks I'll have to come and pelt them with all your stuffed animals."
I smiled. "Ok, Steph. I'll talk to you later."
"Okey-dokey. I'll be missing you the whole time!" Stephanie promised.
"Bye."
"Bye."
I hung up the phone and sighed. I could only wonder what my best friend what would do without me, and what I would do without her. We were each other's life savers. I shrugged off the dread pressing down on me and went to return L's phone.
"Thanks for letting me use your phone," I told him. He simply nodded and left. I tried not to linger, biting off a bit from my candy cane. As I walked through the Wammy House, I found myself in a kitchen. L was sitting at the bar eating some cake and strawberries. He looked up.
"Lost?" he asked in-between bites. I shook my head and sat down next to him.
"Why did you want me to come?" I asked him. He put down his cake.
"The Wammy House is not necessarily just an orphanage; it's more of a training facility for the brightest minds in the world. Everyone here is incredibly smart. Some of them become detectives, some become scientists, and some become other things. We search through every orphanage in the world for smart kids, and then bring them here," L explained. I nodded slowly.
"So… apparently I'm really smart now," I pointed out. He nodded. I picked up a strawberry from his box. He watched with curious eyes as I skewered it onto my strawberry. I looked at him.
"What?" I demanded. "It's good, ok?"
L smiled slightly, and I got up. I licked the strawberry juice-coated candy cane as I walked through the huge building, searching for my candy cane crumbs. I had already eaten half my candy cane by the time I found the crumbs leading back upstairs. On my way up, I saw a girl stapling up a poster. I peeked over her shoulder, trying to see what it said. Without warning, she backed up right into me.
"Ah…" she groaned. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I should have been more careful…"
"No, no, it's my fault. You didn't know I was there," I corrected. She smiled.
"I'm Linda, what's your name?" she asked.
"Candi Sorenson. I just got here a little while ago," I explained. She shook my hand.
"Well, the poster's for the talent show; we have one every year. I usually enter singing, but I don't know if I will this year. Matt does an exhibit of his amazing video game skills against a volunteer. L sometimes picks a volunteer and guesses what they're thinking in less than 10 very generic questions," she listed. I listen tentatively, determined to learn more about the other people here.
"I wish I had some kind of talent," I sighed. She smiled.
"Everyone does. Do you do art? Are you a dancer? Maybe you can make a house of cards in record time?" Linda asked. I thought hard for a moment, when it hit me.
"Candy canes!" I exclaimed before sprinting up the stairs two at a time, leaving a dazed Linda behind me. I threw open the door to my room and began digging through my things, looking for my candy cane stash. Yes, I have a candy cane stash. Yes, I am quite possibly addicted. No, I do not care that you are laughing and pointing. After finding my stash of 5 boxes with 12 candy canes each, I began sorting them. Group One were candy canes that weighed more than the others. Group Two were the ones that were longer than the rest. Group Three consisted of all the others.
After sorting was complete, I began to experiment. A house of cards was pretty easy, so why not a house of candy canes? I was able to calculate the fulcrum points and weight of each one mentally, and I got to work.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Wammy House's annual talent show!" Linda announced. We all clapped.
"We have a very exciting show lined up for you this year!" she continued. "With a record twenty-five contestants, it'll be great!"
More clapping. I looked around myself, at all the other participants. Matt was flexing his thumbs in preparation for massive zombie-killing. L was eating a piece of cake, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. A group of younger girls were dressed up in ballerina costumes, practicing various dance moves. My act seemed pretty silly at this point, but I shook it off. I had practiced making my candy cane house for hours and hours; I had this.
"First up is Matt! Let's give him a hand!" Linda yelled as Matt walked onto the stage with his controller in hand. A huge, rolling TV was pushed onto the stage with a PS3 connected to it. Matt powered it up and popped in Call of Duty. His emerald eyes hardened, his focus tightening. He set the difficulty to EXTREMELY SUPER MEGA IMPOSSIBLY HARD, a level I assumed he had created himself. (A/N I know you can't make levels but it's more fun this way!) Video games bored me, so I simply let my eyes wander. I frowned as an uneasy feeling settled over me. It wasn't nervousness; no, not that. It was like the feeling before something bad happens. Knowing my luck, I would probably crash my candy cane house and somehow hurt myself. I tried to stay positive as Matt finished his act with a roaring applause. The girls who were dancing were up next, then me. I did a double and triple check to make sure I had every last candy cane; I did.
The ballerina girls were adorable, and got a louder applause than Matt. I didn't really want to go next, what with my stupid act. But I took a deep breath nonetheless and walked out on stage, my arms full of candy canes. I gently set them down, and began building. Before even a minute had passed I had three quarters of my project done. By the time two minutes had come, I was done. I turned around to show the audience, and boy was it a sight to behold: one hundred candy canes or more, balanced perfectly on one another to make four walls each a foot and a half high with towers two feet high, and a draw bridge. My candy cane castle was done. Just to show how sturdy it was, I picked a candy cane out of the middle in a place that made it seem like it would all crumble if it was removed, but the castle didn't even flinch. I had planned this out ahead of time.
Without a word I removed some of the plastic from the candy cane, took a lick, and stuck it to the top of one of the towers like a flag. I turned back around, and took a small bow. A few seconds passed, and the applause started. I knew that, by now, people thought I was weird. But the decently loud applause said they were also impressed. I disassembled my castle, throwing all but a few the candy canes out into the audience, who caught them eagerly. I scurried off the stage, ignoring the stares and words from my fellow performers and ran into the first empty room I found, closing the door behind me. I took a few deep breaths, calming myself. After a few minutes I quietly opened the door, peeking out. I silently walked out and closed the door.
As I rounded the corner to go back to my room, I found myself face to face with charcoal eyes.
"Why did you leave in such a hurry?" he asked in his monotone. I froze.
"Uh, why is this so important?" I replied. His eyes narrowed.
"It's extremely odd for someone who did well to leave so hastily."
"I just wanted to get out of there. I felt like a moron!" I exclaimed. L sighed.
"I fail to see why. You did well," he pointed out. I just shrugged and walked past him. L was one of the strangest people I had ever met by far. I hurried up to my room and closed the door. I stripped off my nice clothes and put on my red and white striped pajamas. Without hesitation, I grabbed one of my stuffies and burrowed under the quilt and sheets on my new bed.
It felt so strange, sleeping in my own room. Back at the old orphanage, I shared a room with Stephanie. I didn't like the feeling of loneliness; it was too quiet without my best friend's snoring. But I was tired nonetheless and fell asleep quickly. Dreams of Matt hacking off zombie's heads with strawberry-skewered candy canes danced in my head.
I actually had a dream about that. Seriously. So, please review and tell me anything and EVERYTHING I can and need to do to improve this story! I'm sorry if it's a bit OOC, but I'm doing my best! Thanks for reading!