inspiration: "hold my hand" by new found glory and "its been a summer" ALSO by new found glory. and "get wild" by len in vocaloid. oh yeah, i listened to a vocaloid song D8 aint i horrible XD (jk)
w00t! thanks for the reviews guys~ i really do appreciate them!!
Hikari Motomiya- i lurv manta and yoh/manta to X3 always been a squeal factor for mee. i'm glad you find it good so far! i'm gonna try to keep manta and yoh in character XD might be a bit shakey sometimes, but i will try! (cuz they're too cool to ruin D8) thank you for your review and fav!
kerokacola- i'm glad you like it so far! book six is my fav so far, i just had to start from it! plus i figured it'd be a good way to catch everyone up so that it wouldnt be like "WHOA whats going on?" XD;;
X-Ruby-X- i'm glad and i shall! X3
Atractivlyhideous- (blushes and shuffles) aww~ i'm glad it was a tear jerker X3 and thank you very much, i appreciate it. i'm still workin on getting better though XD i'm happy to be getting there!
PennyArcadeFan2- thanks (smiles) i just tried to write it how i tend to think when i'm freaking out and sad, like, really kinda spazzy. i'm glad you think so, i know tons of better authors, but i'm glad to be one of them in your book! X3
thank you all very very much!! i am happy everyones got high hopes for this, its really motivating! oh! sidenote, i envisioned this in california for some reason. maybe cuz thats where alota asians live? idk if thats just a stereotype, but eh. its april in the story btw.
and enough of my rambling! onwaaard! (battle cry, runs off!!....smashes into wall) X.x e-er...yeah, anyway!
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The house stood tall and regal, reflecting the wealth of the owners in the tall glass windows. The wide double door on the first floor was white, and it opened to a pale blue carpet that nearly sucked up Manta's feet. On either side was a smaller doorway, one towards the kitchen, another to the living room. Tamura had explained the basic layout over the phone before the flight, so that the teenager wouldn't get lost once inside the house. Indeed, it was quite spacious, all white walls and grand furniture and paintings, doors and windows.
Right in front of the tired blond stood a tall and grand staircase that bridged off with two hallways that were hidden behind more walls. The right hallway would lead to his own room, and a bathroom, Manta remembered. Manta tiredly climbed the stairs one at a time, hardly remembering if the door was closed or not. The ride had been so long and uncomfortable in the plane, and all Manta wanted to do now that he was "home" was sleep. And the sun had barely risen!
His own room was much too wide for his tastes. Not that he really liked cramped or small places, but so much space felt like the room was empty. Against the wall sat a large bed, with crisp and clean bedsheets lining it and a fluffy pillow at the headboard. Over it was a window, and next to that, a sliding glass door that lead to one of the balconies that lined the back of the house. Glancing at the door, the blond sighed and walked over to it, opening it a crack to let out the stagnant air that circulated the room.
Looking out it tiredly, eyes half lidded, he peered outside into the vast world beyond his new home. He could see the sun rising, and the school he'd be going to. The rays of light lit up the trail of blackened windows on the side that faced him, and glinted off the metal of the metal of a flagpole, making him wince a little. Manta was thankful that it was an off day for his new school, because he wasn't sure he was up to the glaring building.
A knock sounded from the door, and the blond glanced back tiredly. "Yes?"
The door opened slowly, revealing Tamura. The man bowed, then stood straight. "How are you finding you're new home?" he asked kindly.
The boy turned and blinked. His new home. When Tamura said it, it sounded so permanent, and he found himself mentally kicking himself. Of course it was permanent, what ever gave him the idea it wasn't? Manta smiled and replied, "Its nice. You can see so far from the balcony to." he said, forcing the eagerness into his voice. There was no reason to fake his stoic side, it was only Tamura here after all.
The man smiled a little. "I'm glad you like it so far."
A silence settled for a moment, not awkward or tense, just a silence. Manta turned halfway towards the balcony and squinted at the building beyond the houses. "Is that my new school?" he asked, curious.
"It is. Its well known and has a good rating. Your father thought it would be good for you." the blond explained, rattling off the information easily.
"I see."
Silence once again settled, and Manta found it a little unnerving. It felt like the man wanted to say something. Turning back to face the man, he frowned a little. "So, when do I start again? They have different off days here, right?" he asked.
"You will start on Monday." Tamura confirmed.
That gave him today and tomorrow to get used to his new home. I didn't take too long to get the basic layout down, most of the house's basics were on the first floor, and the bedrooms were on the second floor. Since it would only be Manta staying here, it didn't need to be too grand. Saturday passed quickly while Manta snoozed, and by the time Sunday rolled by, the slow hazy feeling in the boy's mind had lifted.
He didn't have anything for a new school year, let alone when he didn't really know what to expect. His old briefcase from Japan would work, he decided, cramming a few unused notebooks into it and a pencil. Manta was surprised to hear that he wouldn't need a uniform, but brushed it off, figuring that off days weren't the only strange thing about this school.
When all was said and done, the teen found he was anxious for the day to start. What would the kids be like? Would they pick on him? Probably, he thought. Now laying in bed, sleep evaded Manta, something that he found very annoying.
"I have to be up early tomorrow, I need to sleep." he told himself in annoyance.
It didn't seem to persuade his mind any, because he found himself more awake than before. His mind was so crazy right now, thoughts from school to Yoh racing by, robbing sleep from him. It seemed nothing could calm him down enough to sleep! Heaving a frustrated sigh, Manta pushed the blankets down as he sat up in bed. The moment the blankets fell, he began to shiver, and quickly grabbed at them again.
Why was it so cold? Manta thought, glancing around quickly. With a frown, he realized he had been searching for a ghost. "Why would one exist in my bedroom....no one died here." he muttered in annoyance.
In the search for anything intangible, Manta's eyes fell on his balcony door. Even in the dark of night, he could tell it was cracked open, and frowned. He must have forgotten to close it before. Kicking off his blankets sluggishly, he hopped from his bed and padded towards the door. Glancing outside of the window, Manta could have sworn he saw a flicker of black and a glow of silver outside. Blinking, Manta looked again and saw nothing. It must be his imagination...
As he set his hand on the door to push it closed, the pinpricks in the sky caught the blond's eyes. Breath halting for a moment, Manta felt a sense of deja vu hit him like a brick. Only a few days back, he had been stargazing, hadn't he? The memory brought on a warm feeling, before a cold lump settled in his stomach. The warmth fled to only the outer reaches of his chest, creating a weird sensation.
Shaking his head quickly, as if to dispel the strange feeling, Manta quickly closed the balcony door.
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The room was noisy and crowded, nothing too surprising. Manta was relieved to see not that much was different between his new school and old school. Wandering slowly into the room, he tried to use his height to seem invisible as he searched out a seat to be taken for now. The teacher had yet to appear in his or her class room, so he'd wait till they returned to be assigned. His plan to remain invisible would have worked, had he not been a new face in the room.
"Hey, whose the kid?" someone asked amoungst the loud chattering, drawing everyones attention.
Under the sudden attention, the blond froze in his spot. Eyes wide, Manta thought of what to do. He hadnt been a new student in years, and he was panicing.
"Whats with the shrimp? Cant he talk?" someone demanded loudly.
"Whys a little kid here anyway?"
"Aww, he must be one of the teacher's kids. Its that take your kid to work day afterall." a girl said.
A vein pulsed under Manta's eye, and he twitched. They thought he was a little KID. "I-I am NOT a little kid!" he cried indignantly.
A few coos echoed, "No, you're not~ We're sorry!"
"Its so cute when they're young!"
Manta was saved the effort of defending himself when the teacher entered. The man was middle aged, a mustache on his face and a narrow nose with glasses perched upon it. Messy gray hair covered his head, and aside from the suit he wore, the man seemed kind. He waved to the class, and a few kids waved back and made various hoots and greetings. Manta got the feeling he was a popular teacher.
"Class take your seats! We have a new student today, and a full schedual for the day!" he said over their talking.
The class seated themselves, but didnt cease their talking. Everything seemed to click in their minds, some shocked, most disbelieving. Even the teacher seemed to be shocked by Manta's appearance. The blond didnt take it as offensive so much as something awkward to deal with. He knew he wouldnt get the instant respect any other child would get, let alone once they heard his name. The overwhelming realization almost crushed him.
He stared out into the sea of new faces as he listened to the teacher announce, "Class this is Manta Oyamada, your new classmate." he said, hitting a few sounds wrong as he spoke the name. Manta winced a bit, shuffling.
A few kids began snickering over the name. He tried to ignore them. "Is there anything you'd like to say before we start class? Any interests or such?" the teacher asked kindly, smiling down at the obviously uncomfortable blond teen.
Glancing up at the man, Manta felt his throat constrict. Dont worry, he told himself, it'll work out alright. Just say what you need and then you can sit. "Please take care of me." he mumbled, getting more snickers at the traditional greeting students said. The weight of different cultures slowly sank in. He was going to make a fool of himself before the day even ended, he thought furiously.
The teacher assigned the blond a seat near the front, next to a girl who looked like she was ready to hug Manta. As mortifying as it was, and as much as he didnt want to, he did as told and hopped into his seat. The teacher turned his back momentarily on the class, begining to talk. Manta sighed as he heard the snickers die down, removing a notebook and pencil from his briefcase. As he began to tune into what the teacher said, he felt a poke from his right. Jumping, he turned and looked.
The girl from before waved and smiled, her blond hair falling into her face. Manta thought she looked like an older Anna, if not a softer Anna. He waved a little, and blinked as a note skittered across his desk in a triangle form. Frowning, he glanced at the girl who nodded and then back to the note. Making sure the teacher was busy, he opened it slowly.
My names Amber. Dont mind them, its probably just your height and accent
they're teasing you about. Where are you from?? And how old ARE you?
Oh yeah, because he could change his height instantly, he thought bitterly. He hadnt noticed his accent, but he supposed to anyone else here it'd stand out fairly easy. scribbling down his reply slowly, minding the change in language, he checked again for a chance to pass the note back. The blond girl, Amber, scanned the note quickly and without even caring about the teacher, passed it back.
Are you really 14? You're so...well, small.
ps. you dont hafta be careful about notes. Mr. Ames doesnt mind notes,
he just hates when kids talk in class.
What a strange teacher, Manta thought, brushing off the unintentional insult. This note passing went on for a few minutes, and while Manta took few notes, Amber had promised to explain what was going on in class at lunch. The note passing had felt distinctly tabboo, but despite that, Manta didnt feel as nervous or down about school. Though he couldnt say he had a friend yet, Amber was kind, and she had even offered to answer any questions he had about school. It was a welcome helping hand.
The rest of the day passed slowly, homework nonexistant for the first day, but still stressful. He repeated his introduction each class, getting more accustomed to it per class period. His schedual was booked pretty full, and Manta had little doubt he'd be swamped in homework by the middle of the week. True to her word, Amber had flagged him down to her table at lunch.
The blond girl sat amoungst numerous other girls, most wearing bright pink or plaid colors. Most were blond, but some of the girls had light brunette hair, and they smiled and greeted the small teen eagerly. He got a few odd looks when he pulled a bento out, but he brushed them off. He'd been getting weird looks all day, and something from home was welcomed greatly. It relieved him to know he could take one thing back from Japan. He took comfort in his own customs, familiar and calming.
Amber passed Manta a thick packet of papers halfway into lunch, once the friendly chatter had died down. Taking it and scanning the front of it, he realized it was the assignment the class was working on now.
"Its due in a few weeks, as a final assignment." Amber explained, smiling. "I'll help you with it if you'd like."
Nodding, the blond smiled up at the girl. "Thanks."
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OMG its done. well, chapter 2. each chapter will be in either yoh or manta's pov, depending on a few things. now that manta's is over, i can focus on messing with yoh's!! (looks around) eheh....i'm sorry manta's chapter is choppeh, i wasnt sure how or where to go with it, but i figured this would work. the teacher's name, ames, means friendly, and n hebrew, a burden btw. foreshadowing or not? idk XD thought it'd be fun to choose is and see if it ever came true.
