Part 2

Duo's walk home was uneventful. As were the next three weeks. He made friends, really only acquaintances. His foster family and it seemed that they would keep him for good. Nothing out of the ordinary happen.

Duo wasn't in the mood to go to school that day, so he skipped. He spent the day away by writing.

'The thunder claps

And the waves roll

The area as bleak as souls"

Crack

'What was that? Your freakin' yourself out. It's only an animal. Why worry.'

The sound got louder, as if something big was moving toward him. Then he saw it.

This "it" was a boy. He was about the same age and height. But you could clearly see his Japanese heritage. He had moss green hair and cobalt eyes. His very aura seemed to generate strength and power. He was clearly a force to be reckoned with all on his own.

The boy sat down right where Duo would land when he jumped from the tree.

"Hey you! Move before I jump on your head."

"Hn. Are you talking to me?"

"No. The grass in China"

"Sarcasm isn't going to get you anywhere."

"I warned you." Duo jumped.

"What are.. Umph."

"I told you to move." Duo said as he got off the other boy.

"Yeah well I didn't think you'd jump on me."

"To bad."

"Hey the lest you could do is tell me your name."

"And why should I tell you."

"It would be polite."

"Fine then. For politeness' sake, I'm Duo Maxwell. And you are…?"

"Heero Yuy."

"It's a pleasure." Sarcasm just dripped from every syllable."

"I'm sure it is."

Duo was walking away even before Heero finished. He couldn't stand people that disturbed him when he wanted to be alone. And he nearly always wanted to be alone.

"Well I guess I should finish… Hey what's that?" Heero bent down and scooped up what seemed to be a black diary tied closed with black ribbons. It had the words 'Ci è soltanto una cosa sicura in vita: Morte'(1) in silver. And under that a simple name 'Solo.'

'Wonder what language it's in. It can't be any that I know for the simple fact that I can't read it. Must have something to do with to do with his family. Oh well I'll give it back to him tomorrow in school. It can't be that important if he left it here.'

"You bitch! What you do with it?"

"Don't talk to me like that and I have no idea what your talking about."

"Like Hell You Don't." Duo was pissed as hell. He didn't care who he was talking to. Everyone was at fault. They stole his book. They stole his thoughts, stories, and memories. And hell was to pay until he got it back.

"You calm down or I'll ground you." The threat might have worked if it wasn't Duo. But being him it was useless.

Cold enough to freeze fire he replied "You're not my mother, You're not a relative," His voice got gradually louder "You're not a friend, You are NOTHING!" He shouted. Then whispered "Nothing to me." With the words he silenced the house as efficiently as a gun blast and just as loud was Duo's departure through the back door.

'The tree. The tree where I jumped on Heero. That's where it is. It must have fallen out of my bag when we collided. Yeah. That's it. It's either on the ground or… or Heero has it.' Thought complete he ran. The faster he got there the more likely he'd find it. But when he reached the tree his fears were confirmed. There was no sign of Heero or the book.

"Shit. SHIT."

To the displeasure of both, they didn't go to the same school. Duo went to the local public school 'Minisink High.' While Heero went to the prestigious privet school across town 'The Peacecraft School of Higher Learning." The schools hated each other. Minisink students thought that the PSHL kids were stuck up rich brats. That all they did was study or shop in the stores that only they could afford. While the PSHL kids thought that the public school kids were poor and stupid. There were always fights between the students of the schools. And to further anger the PSHL kids the public school kids usually won.

The whole day Duo was snappy and sarcastic. This caused the student to avoid him more than they already did. All except Hilde. During lunch she took her usual across from him.

"Hey Duo."

"*sigh* Hey."

"What's the matter? Not even you are this sad. Though usually your not sad your…"

"I'm pissed as hell so I'd advise you to watch your step."

"But I'm sitting down."

All he did was glare and she thankfully got the point.

"Shesh it was just a joke. You don't have to go glaring at me."

"Sorry"

The rest of lunch went by in relative quiet on Duo's side. But he didn't mind. It got his mind off his book for a little while.

"See ya Duo."

"Huh" He was jerked back into reality. "Oh see ya."

Duo passed the rest of the day in a daze. Too lost in thought to really pay attention to anything. If he had been he would have realized that instead of writing 'Hero' on the board he wrote 'Heero.'

"Mr. Maxwell explain the extra 'e' please."

"Huh. Oh sorry. I guess I was thinking something else." He quickly erased the ending and spelt it right. The class snickered the whole time.

When they were dismissed for the day instead of going home Duo went straight for the tree. He climbed up and waited. Little did he know he'd been followed by Jeff and his pal Frankie.

Heero arrived several minutes latter.

"Did you read it?"

"No, I can't read the language it's in."

"Italian." Duo whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"It's in Italian. My mother taught me it before she died."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just give me back my book."

"Sure thing."

As Heero got the book out of his bag Jeff, who lay just out of hearing, whispered to Frankie. "He's from Peacecraft. What's Duo doing talking to him."

"Ah here it is." Heero handed the book over.

"Thanx."

"If you don't mind me asking what's in it?"

Duo for some reason felt he could trust Heero. So he answered with honesty. "Just some stuff I wrote. Letters to a friend. A very close friend."

Heero could tell from the shadow in his eyes the friend was dead.

"So how long have you been here?" He asked because he wanted to take the shadow from Duo's eyes.

"Month or so now. The people that I live with moved here cuz they wanted quiet. But it's not that much different then anywhere else I've been."

"So have I. Been here a month I mean. Dr. J wanted to come to a place That there wasn't too much light pollution."

"Dr. J? Light pollution?"

"My guardian. He's an studies astrology."

They talked for a long time. Duo opened up more with Heero this one night than he'd ever with another living thing.

"See ya in a couple of days? Like Saturday? Here?"

"Sure. Now I have to go otherwise my ass will be grounded. Not that that ever would stop me from doing stuff."

"You sneak out often?"

When ever the mood strikes. Or when I need to get away." Duo smiled devilishly and Heero felt an unknown warmth in his heart.

"Tell ya what. Meet me here tomorrow night. I'll show you something."

"Ok. See ya Heero."

"Bye Duo."

Heero watched Duo's retreating form with mixed feelings. And as he walked away with a slight smile on his face he heard rustling in the brush near by.

1) Italian for There is only one sure thing in life: Death