Ch. 1 – The mysterious ragged boy

"Crunch!" Everyone involved in the heated soccer game stopped and stared in awe at the swelling boys face, the one that had just been nailed by the ball. They then all turned to the culprit, a slender young man in overly baggy clothes and a messenger hat. The clothes were tattered as if pulled out of someone's trash and smelled of sweat from the numerous hours spent in the field, playing his favorite game. His eyes had a slight Asian tilt to them, and he had a particularly round face. That was all the boys could tell of facial features as most of the face was hidden behind the shadow of the hat. A cheeky look crossed his face, happy for his direct hit.

"What the hell was that for!" shouted the other young man angrily, his clothes in much more descent shape but sweaty all the same. He had had no hat on but wished he did to cover his tearing eyes as his cheek grew larger and larger.

"You're the keeper. It was a complete accident. I was just aiming for the goal posts. You just got in the way, which is your job" replied the ragged one, shrugging his shoulders and trying to conceal a smirk.

"Well, you're gonna get it! I'll tell my father and you'll be in big trouble! He's a prominent textile factory owner in town!"

"But you don't know who I am." the other one teased. "How can you tell your father who hurt you if you don't know my name? Or where I live?"

Awestruck and offended, the comment was returned with a glare. Cueing the other boys, they chased the Asian boy through the country until they were completely tired.

But he kept running, knowing that he could easily outrun them. Years and years of training came in handy whenever a quick escape from a game was needed. I can't let anybody know who I really am. Or the school would report me to Komui thought the man as he jumped over a fence, signaling that he was safe. Slowly, he pulled off the hat and swung around the long, black hair hiding underneath.

"Thank goodness. My head was starting to get hot under that dreadful hat" complained Lenalee as she sped off to the barn nearby. Hiding in the attic, behind a pile of straw, was her dress, petticoat, and shoes that she so despised wearing. She loved the young men's clothes that she had found so she could play a simple game of football. She was training to be a proper lady, however. It was not right for a girl of her stature to be playing men's games. Lenalee loved the art of ballet, but it wasn't enough for her. She loved the power she could feel in her legs as she streaked across the field, and kicked the ball as hard as she could into the goal.

Pushing aside her thoughts of unfairness and strife, Lenalee quickly changed into her usual garb: a simple, long sleeved, purple dress made of cotton with a cotton petticoat, tall black stockings, black boots, and her black hair in two perfect ponytails. Sundown was approaching fast and if she didn't make it back to the girl's private school soon, she would be locked out for the night and her brother, Komui, would be receiving a very stern telegraph about her absence. Lenalee didn't want Komui to think she was being rebellious, especially since she had to be a good girl through training in order to work with her brother soon. As quickly as possible, she sprinted towards St. Mary's, hoping she'd make curfew.

"You're cutting it close, you know" whispered Lenalee's roommate as she came huffing into the small room. Lenalee sat on her bed, which she believed to be more of a cot found in a hospital, and heaved a sigh of relief. Sweat was running down her face, and her calves ached from running through the fields to St. Mary's. The sun was barely set when she entered the room.

"I swear, Lenny." Teased Alisha, calling Lenalee by the boys name she had appointed herself, "Ms. Miranda would throw one of her tantrums, calling us all monkeys that are out of control, because of you. I wouldn't be surprised if she threw us all in a zoo soon." Alisha giggled as she twirled her finger around her platinum blonde, almost white, hair.

"Allen!" Lenalee jeered back, laughing at Alisha's reaction to Lenalee's boy name for her. Alisha always had this playful glare, where Lenalee knew she was joking but truly didn't like it at the same time. Lenalee fondly called it Alisha's "black side". Lenalee knew of Alisha's hardships in the past and didn't want to meet her truly dark side.

"Ms. Miranda would probably be sent to the looney bin before any of us were showcased at the London zoo." Lenalee grinned as she gathered her things to visit the showers down the hall.

Alisha's face instantly brightened back up. "Of course she would. The last time she went into a fit she started rambling about being useless and not being able to keep her job if she didn't keep us in line." A light giggle bounced around the room as Alisha twirled her bright red dress, grasping the edges with her white laced gloves. She truly enjoyed messing around with Ms. Miranda.

"Sounds more like you're the one who's going to cause her next tantrum, giggling about the turmoil of poor Ms. Miranda," Lenalee called back with a playful tone down the hall as she headed towards the showers.

Lenalee heard whispered chatter behind the door from the corridor and knew Alisha was up to no good again. Every night Alisha would get challenged to a poker game by the other girls. "Poker Face Alisha" was her secret name around the dormitories. Card games were frowned upon by the school headmistress, Ms. Cloud. Yet, night after night Alisha would always have a new challenger. Alisha had yet to find a worthy opponent.

After a great sigh, Lenalee walked into the room and knew the scene the instant she walked in. Huddled around a small bedside table were three girls, including Alisha, in an intense game of poker.

One of the girls started swearing really loudly. "Damn you Alisha! I completely believed I had a great set of cards. But then you come in with a Royal Flush! This just isn't fair!"

Alisha stared at her with her steely grey eyes, a slight smile on her lips. "No one said a game of poker was fair. You have to make it work for you, know what I'm saying?" A flash of black Alisha flickered in her eyes. "You just haven't mastered poker like I have."

Lip trembling, the losing girl was walked out by her friend. Alisha grinned as she counted out the money that had been slapped on the table in a flurry, hoping for good fortune.

"You know, Alisha, you used to live on the streets. You've come to such a high standing since that time. So why are you still conning rich people out of their money? Are you turning into Robin Hood or something?" Lenalee looked down at the money in Alisha's hand, and turned her eyes to her face in earnest.

"I'm not the giving type. I'm the taking type," replied Alisha nonchalantly, having had this conversation with Lenalee many a time. "Sure I want to help out the poor when I get out of this place, but I'm not giving out my hard earned money." Finished counting, Alisha stuffed her newly earned riches into a small sewing box with a dull green cross on it. With a sharp shove, the box disappeared under her bed, a dull "thunk" indicating it had reached the wall. "It's going towards a good cause, though."

"Sure, sure," Lenalee shrugged off Alisha's last comment as she stroked her hair with her brush on her bedside.

Alisha flashed Lenalee her special glare, giggled, then headed off to the changing room to change into her nightgown.

Tired from the day's game, Lenalee fell fast asleep in no time at all.