TWO

Kanda walked back towards the garage.

Lavi followed him, a concerned look on his smiling visage. "What's up?" he asked, eyebrow cocked.

The Japanese man began putting his guitar in the case. "It's six o-fuckin'-clock," he growled. "I'm going home." He stomped back up the stairs into the main house and started towards the door. The redhead continued to follow him with a small frown.

"Why? You haven't told him how fuckin' awesome his playing was!"

"I don't need to tell him, because it fuckin' wasn't. Now get the fuck outta my way, I'm leaving." Kanda pushed pass Lavi roughly, storming out the house through the front door.

The redhead sighed. "He could've gone through the fuckin' garage, the jerk." He turned to Allen and Lenalee. "Well, Brit, you've gotta go. Me and Lenalee—"

"Lenalee and I." Allen corrected, but then smacked a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry, force of habit."

"It's okay, you're British." Lavi replied, grinning. "Now, like I was saying, Lenalee and I gotta discuss this. We'll keep in contact, for real. Don't call us, we'll call you, all that shit."

The white-haired boy furrowed his eyebrows, nodding.

"Allen, to be truthful…" Lenalee started, frowning.

"You could be the next Elton John, kid," Lavi finished, lightly punching the boy on the shoulder. "But less 'bisexual'. Keep your head up. We've gotta convince Kanda first, then we can get this shit underway."

Allen shook his head in disbelief. "I don't even know the jerk, but I already know you're going to have a hard time."

"Look Lenalee! He's one of us already!"

January 3rd, 1985.

"Allen! Hey, Allen!"

Was someone calling him? The white-haired boy thought idly as he received his tray of food.

"Allen!"

Apparently someone was calling him. Allen turned around and saw a mostly empty table among the students in the cafeteria. A familiar Chinese girl was standing up, waving at him. "Allen!" she called loudly. The teenager smiled and walked towards her table, only to freeze at the sight of two also familiar men flanking her on the sides, lounging on the table's bench.

"Err," he started, sliding onto the bench with his food. "I thought you two were grown men."

"And I thought you were fuckin' twelve, so shut it." Kanda snapped, his arms crossed.

Lavi pulled a lollipop out his mouth slowly. "We're eighteen, me n' him. Seniors, woo!" he cheered.

"What about you?" Allen asked Lenalee.

She smiled with a small shrug. "I'm sixteen, and a junior. You must be a freshman."

"No… I'm fifteen. I'm a sophomore."

"Oh." Lenalee replied, blinking. "That explains why you're so adorable then!" She reached across the table and poked his cheeks, making the younger boy blush.

"Doesn't explain why he hasn't hit puberty." Kanda grumbled. "He's shorter than you, Lenalee."

"Shut up!" Allen snapped. "I'm still growing!"

"Is that what you tell yourself?" He looked at the sheer amount of food on Allen's tray. "You know eating like a blar isn't gonna help you, right?"

"Bite me! I'm only…ensuring…my…bulk for when I do get bigger."

Kanda couldn't help it. He coughed.

And he coughed some more.

And he leaned over, coughing in a high tone.

"Is he dying? Please tell me he's dying." Kanda looked up just to glare at him. "Oh, damn."

"He was laughing. I think." Lenalee explained, jabbing the Japanese teen in the stomach, which made him straighten up.

The white-haired boy chewed on some fries. "It sounded like he was dying."

"He doesn't laugh often."

Lavi snorted. "Understatement, Lenalady. That's the first time he's laughed in about four years. I'm stoked about this guy, man! He made Kanda laugh…or hack, but whatev'," he said excitedly. "With you, our band will be un-fuckin'-stoppable. Wait, you do have your own synth, right?"

Allen paused in the devouring of his burger. "Of course," he replied. "I wasn't exactly counting on you lot to have one anyway. They really are bloody expensive."

"I love this guy, Lenalee." Lavi whispered loudly, sticking the sucker back in his mouth. "He makes me wanna be British, although I probably am somewhere in my bunk family tree."

"Aren't you American?" Allen asked.

The redhead laughed. "American to me is codeword for 'I don't know WHAT the fuck I am'. Not many Americans do, these days."

"Speak for yourself." Kanda said.

"Shut it, Yuu." Lavi retorted. "You aren't even that American. You're, like, from New York and Japanese and everyone and their fuckin' mom knows you're from New York and Japanese. You don't count."

The eighteen-year-old smirked. "That's my fuckin' point." Now Allen could kind of notice a Flatbush accent within Kanda's speech.

"You two say the word 'fuck' a lot." Allen noted aloud.

Both older teenagers glanced at him. "You got a fuckin' problem with it?" Kanda demanded, his upper lip curling in a defined sneer.

"No…no." The gray-eyed teen shook his head. "Just…making a statement."

"Keep your statements to yourself, dickweed," the long-haired teenager snapped.

"Believe me, I will."

The shrill sound of the bell was sounded, and the older trio made to get up from the cafeteria table and move towards their classes.

Allen frowned. "Hey—"

"We'll call you kid, don't worry." Lavi chided with a smile. "It'll be okay."

Somehow, Allen doubted this.

"Yo, Allen!" Lavi called, making the boy pause in his trek to the bus. "What're ya doing, riding that thing?"

Allen looked over at Lavi. "I really do need to get on the bus, Lavi," he said, annoyed. "I'm not eighteen and can drive like you and the jerk." His tone was ever-so-slightly spiteful.

"Kid, kid, kid," the redhead chastised, walking up to Allen. "I'm here to pick you up! We're giving you a ride so we can pick up your synth and shit."

The gray-eyed boy looked suspicious, making the older teen huff.

"C'mon Allen…I've got candy?" he bribed.

Allen laughed, walking away from the bus. "You can't possibly be serious," he said, following the tall eighteen-year-old.

"It got you to come, didn't it?" Lavi replied. They walked towards the student parking lot, the winter wind biting at their skin lightly.

"Hey, do you like Duran Duran?" the one-eyed teen asked idly.

"I liked Hungry like the Wolf. The song is catchy."

"Ah, but The Reflex is a lonely child." Lavi said, bumping shoulders with the shorter teen.

"Obviously." Allen replied. "Just waiting in the park, right?"

"God I love you." He flashed a white smile. "And speaking of parks, there's our ride."

The ride ended up being a gray '79 Chevrolet van, kept in surprisingly good condition considering the age and value of it. Kanda was leaning on it, eyes forward and arms crossed. He sported an outfit of blue jeans, black Vans, and a black fitted shirt made him look even older, thereby striking Allen's jealously once more.

"Hey, Yuu, I got him!" Lavi called. "Quit burnin' out and pay attention!"

Kanda snapped out of whatever trance he was in. "Took you long enough," he grumbled, dropping something to the ground and grounding it with the heel of his shoes. He glared at Allen. "When you get in my fuckin' car, don't touch any of my shit, got that?"

"As if you'd have anything I'd want to touch." Allen replied, annoyed.

Lavi choked. "Did I mention I love you?" he said, opening the back of the van. "Jump in, Brit."

Allen got in the back of the van quickly, and was immediately hit with the oddest smell.

"Geez…" he grumbled, covering his nose. "What the hell is that smell?"

"Whatchu say?" Lavi asked as he slid into the front seat. "You asked where Lenalee is? She went ahead home, to look for shit."

"No, I was actually asking—"

"Shut the hell up, both of you." Kanda said as soon as he got in the car. "I'm about to drive."

Before the white-haired teen could open his mouth to retort, the vehicle took off screeching through the parking lot.

"If I ever went to Disneyland, THIS would be just like it!" Lavi yelled to Allen over the squealing tires and loud curses from Kanda.

"I…I think I feel sick—"

"It's okay! Just…don't barf, because he will really kill you!"

"Shit, your place is tough…" Lavi whispered in awe.

"It's just a house." Allen replied, looking for whatever was so special about where he lived.

"It's a triangular house man. That's rad by itself!"

Kanda groaned in annoyance. "Are we gonna stand here or are we gonna get this kid's shit?" he demanded, moving towards the gate. Allen held out a hand, stopping him.

"I have a dog," he explained. "A dog that's not prejudiced when it comes to attacking intruders." He opened the gate himself, Kanda standing back warily. "Timcanpy! Come here, boy!"

A small, yellow, floppy-eared dog bounded over to Allen from the backyard, curled tail wagging. His paws were white and a white cross-like marking was on his face. The dog barely came up to Allen's calf, which made Kanda sneer.

"Woof!"

And it had the sharpest, most vicious looking teeth the two eighteen-year-olds had ever seen on a dog. Ever.

"Hi boy!" the pale boy cooed, bending down to pick him up. "Is everything still safe?"

Timcanpy licked his face, tail still wagging. "I'll take that as a yes." He turned the dog towards the other two. "These are Lavi and Kanda, they're friends. I doubt they're going to try and mug me, boy." The dog nuzzled him, pawing at his collarbone. Allen grinned. "No biting, okay?"

"Arf!" Timcanpy barked lightly as Allen put him back down. The small dog trotted towards Lavi and Kanda, who both stood stock-still at the sight of the dog's teeth.

"What's up, dog?" The redhead greeted, and then giggled a little. "Never thought I'd say that to a real dog." He bent down, holding up his fist. "Can you do solids?" he asked slowly, since the dog was apparently quite smart.

Timcanpy stared at him. "Woof." He pawed Lavi's fist.

"Sweet." The green-eyed teen said, grinning. "Your dog does solids man! Fuckin' A!"

Kanda stared at he dog, who looked up at him in return. "What?" he asked rudely.

And Timcanpy bit him.

"Your dog bit my fucking leg!" Kanda snarled, limping up the stairs slowly.

"I know." Allen replied, trying to not smile. "I told him he was a very bad dog for it."

"And then you gave him a fucking Scooby Snack!"

"No…it was a dog treat of disapproval." The three stopped at a room with a creepily white door. "I just have to get the key to the garage from here." He opened the door.

The other two stood there. "Holy shit." Lavi said, blinking. "Your room is…uh…"

"Fucking creepy?" Kanda asked, looking around. "What are you, Goth? Is that a mace? Are you waiting for the Romans to attack or some shit like that?"

"No, yes, and no." Allen replied, sifting through a box. "I like to collect items related to the Dark Ages."

"It looks like you mobbed a Halloween store."

"Let us go get my synthesizer, hm?"

Lavi huffed as he pushed the keyboard stand into the back of the van, next to the amplifier and the stand. "Your synth is fuckin' rad, Brit," he said to Allen, admiring the electronic instrument.

Allen smiled. "Thanks."

"I think we're gonna make some beautiful music together." Lavi said with a smile. "We're gonna rock this fuckin' town, Allen!"

"I suppose…?"

Kanda walked out the house, closing the front door. "I called Lenalee, and she said she found your notebook, Cyclops," he said as soon as he reached them. "We can start practice as soon as we get there. And you, brat, are not gonna practice with us."

The younger teen nodded. "Why?" he asked.

"Because you're a fuckin' noob, that's why." Kanda got in the front seat, slamming the door.

"I'm pretty sure he meant it like 'Because I want you to get to know how we play efficiently and not fuck up so I can actually have a reason to hate you'." Lavi explained shutting one back door closed. "Jump in, Brit, we've got to go."

Allen nodded, stepping in and over the amp, sitting down close to Kanda's seat. Lavi shut the door and ran over to the passenger side as Kanda started up the ignition.

"Come on, Yuu!" he exclaimed as he jumped into the van. "Let's go rock this world!"

Kanda rolled his eyes. "I don't need you to tell me that." And the van screeched down the road.