So, sorry for the last, short chapter. I have all of 6 of them written out, but now I have to TYPE them, too. I'm really lazy and the damn computer just lost the last three-fourths I'd JUST finished yesterday.
I'm a little more than peeved. I worked for more than an hour on it, and it was sounding really good with a couple edits to the written version. Now I don't have those to re-type them in, and I'm just ready to scrap the whole damn thing.
WHY DOES TECHNOLOGY HATE ME?!
Anyways, ignoring my little freak-out, enjoy!
P.S. I will also make references to different animes/mangas. Keep a sharp eye out for those. Some are more subtle than others. ^~^
Ventus' POV:
Snowpea zipped around the hallway, calling out softly, her voice no louder than a faint wind-chime, yet I heard her over the hustle and bustle of the other students. I can always hear her.
"Camera here. Wire tap over there…"
It soon became apparent from her analysis that this campus was VERY well surveyed and watched, more so than any other school I'd ever been to, and, trust me, I've been to a LOT. The dorms were only wiretapped, however, and so were the bathrooms. At least they weren't perverts.
"What do you make of it, Mistress Scythe," Snowpea asked, using the nickname she's always referred to me as.
I touched my earlobe then drew my finger down the side of my face like I was scratching. This was the sign I used to remind her I was in public, and, as such, couldn't speak out loud.
My tiny friend nodded in understanding.
"Ooooohhhh, I hope the cafeteria serves juicy apples!"
Her words sent my mouth watering. Apples were a favorite treat we both enjoyed to eat. My mother always said it was a trait carried by my dad's side. I may be half Shinigami, but I have no clue what Snowpea is.
No one ever saw her, not even my mother after I made her touch my hand-me-down Death Note. That meant she wasn't a Shinigami, or, at least, not one with her own Note. When I first told my mother about my fairy-like companion, she simply muttered that kids will be kids. Since my father was called by the Shinigami King before I was born, I had no way of knowing if an actual Shinigami could see Snowpea. I tried not to think about it much, though. It only resulted in headaches and more unanswered questions.
I was named after him, my father. He was called Vanta. That's why my name's Vanitas.
"You're here," called my bell-voiced follower.
I shoved back my memories and opened the class room door, shaking my head slightly. Being neutral about the whole Kira-thing, I had somehow managed to be sent to the Pro-Kira side. My schedule was like this:
Tuesday = Mr. Yagami, Mr. Moji, and Mr. Asahi
Thursday = Mr. Matsui, Mr. Aihara, and Mr. Ryuga
They started from 7:20 AM through 4:48 PM. It was surprising there were only three classes a day, but you won't see me complaining. Each one is only 2 hours long. Lunch split second period in two separate halves with 1st lunch and 2nd lunch an hour each, themselves, giving us a total of 8 regular school hours.
Originally, there wasn't going to be classes on this side, but the Headmasters wanted an Orientation Day-type deal. Everyone was to report to their 1st period on time. After it ended, we'd get leisure time, or whatever.
Entering the room, I saw four out of five desks filled with other kids, leaving only one chair left for me to sit in. The slouched headmaster under the alias of 'Ryuga' stood in front of the blackboard. His emotionless eyes met my own golden gaze.
"Ventus, you're late," he said flatly.
Late? It was only 7:14! Snowpea snickered at my misfortune, causing me to swipe at her like an annoying gnat. Taking the seat to the far left, which so happened to be across from the unoccupied teacher's desk, I dropped my bag with a rather loud thunk to display my displeasure with his comment.
Going from left to right, there was a boy with orange-ish blonde hair, yellow eyes, and a wide, goofy smirk; a quiet boy with swept, brown hair and green eyes that looked American and somewhat like Headmaster 'Ryuga;' a girl with a friendly and excited grin, a pink heart earring in her left lobe, and medium brown hair; and, lastly, a pale guy with red-ish, disinterested eyes, spiky hair like my own –it resembled a pineapple, really, more than an intended style– a silver heart earring on a short chain, and an impish smile that said he was either trouble or that he was amused.
The kid next to me –Pineapple Head– raised his hand, but didn't wait for the teacher to call on him before speaking in a raspy voice.
"Can I have that apple on your desk?"
I shot him a second, longer look. So, he liked black and apples. He and I might just–
I froze stiff in my place, grateful to be sitting down. I might have fallen on my butt if I'd been standing at that moment. What chilled me to the bones was not his comment or how he looked. It was because of the space above his crazed tresses. I had only seen this anomaly once before and never thought it would happen again.
He had no Death Date, but that wasn't all. He also had no name, just like Snowpea.
The headmaster gave a dismissive reply, unaware of my internal chaos screaming on my face. My head swirled, colors become indistinct everywhere but around this… Shinigami.
"Yes, Shintitami."
'Shintitami?' Oh, how original. That sounded awful close to that OTHER word. But why in the world would a God of Death want to enlist into a boarding school. Unless…
I glanced quickly at the others. Nope. They all had a date of death with them, some sooner than others. He wasn't attached to someone in here.
"So," he continued, bits of apple falling out of his maw, "where's Li- er, Mr. Yagami. This is his class, right?"
'Oh my Death God,' I thought. 'My damn HEADMASTER is Kira?!'
My theory that Kira possessed a Death Note came back to the forefront of my mind. It was apparent that Mr. Yagami was holding one when I saw him in the cafeteria, giving us instructions on the quiz, but I hadn't seen his Shinigami around him. What were the odds that he was just an innocent pedestrian and not the well-known mass murderer? Not very high. A Death God doesn't just throw down his Note every day.
Usually, I'd say it was a coincidence, but that's just too big of a stretch. He runs the Pro-Kira side of a school that openly uses his name for its own. He has a Shinigami in his classroom. The schools, itself, made us take a survey on our opinions of said killer.
The sound of someone clearing their throat knocked my thoughts into pause. Headmaster Ryuga gave me an expectant look while displaying no visible emotions. Man, this guy could act.
"Did you miss my request, Ventus," he asked, hints of exasperation trickling into his tone.
"Uhm… Yeah."
"To recap, I asked you if you would introduce yourself first."
"Oh, right."
I pushed myself out of my chair, cast another glance at the disguised 'boy,' and began.
"My name is Vanitas Ventus. I like any apple-based snacks, and am a natural at guessing names with only the knowledge of nick/last names. I only wear black and red."
"Yes, so I gathered," the teacher inputted, "seeing as you have ignored the school uniform for your current attire."
What I was dressed in at the moment was a dark-red shirt with long sleeves, a black skirt to my mid-thighs –the same size as the uniforms'– black flats, and red mesh, fingerless gloves.
I shrugged, unwilling to change into the horrid navy-blue cloths, and sat again.
Sighing, Mr. 'Ryuga' motioned for the kid next to me to go on. The Shinigami rolled his eyes, throwing the apple core into the trash bin from his seat.
"Reece Shintitami."
After a brief pause to see if he would continue, the girl with the pink earring jumped to her feet.
"My name is Katie Draco! I have a twin who is in this very school somewhere, but she dyed her hair red so you can tell us apart now. I'm slightly shorter than her. I love justice, but some people say I'm a little ditsy and a sucker for romance! Later on in life, I wish to become involved in solving crimes as either a cop or a great detective!"
She giggled bubbly behind her hand in an old-fashioned school-girl way.
"My Grumpy Kat sister, however, has no idea I'm even here. Our parents wanted it to be a surprise! She'll be so happy!"
After letting out a screech that could rival that of a banshee, she plopped back down, and bounced her leg like she had ADHD or twelve Espressos in the last hour.
Wait, had she said her name was Katie? That's odd to say the least. Did the teacher realize she told us the wrong name? I'll have to ask him after this period ends. I need it to be clear of other listeners so he'd tell the truth. He, like 'Katie' used an alias. Was this planned?
The rest of the introductions went by pretty uneventful. They each stated their real names. There was Dakota Fagenn, a silent guy, and Ittembiza 'It' Tadeski, who was as goofy as his smirk; your run-of-the-mill class clown and scholar.
"Now that the pleasantries are over with, I will start by stating that the reasons there are only the five of you here and in the rest of your classes is because you all scored an 98 or above, though, it seems none were able to make 100%. More than just you all made such marks, but the others did not pass my scrutiny after I went over previous school, volunteer, and –if needed– criminal activity along with achievements obtained over the years. I have determined you five to be the best suited to maintain expected grades. Congratulations."
He gave a little smirk, one of the first expressions I –most possibly ANYONE– has ever seen him make. It was almost… disturbing?
"Do not celebrate so soon. This will not be easy to accomplish, for, you see, instead of lessons being taught, tests will be distributed at sudden intervals with little to no warning. Your teachers –myself included– wish to see your ability to handle stress and learn self-sufficiently. I trust you to remember this.
"Third and lastly, if your grades dip lower than acceptable, you will be dropped from this program and sent back to your homes. Also, if you feel you cannot continue forward, please inform Headmaster Yagami and I. We will convene to find the best course of action to be taken. Any questions?"
Taking a deep breath, I focused my gaze to where Snowpea HAD been moments before. No wonder she had been so quiet. She was now floating in front of Reece, hands on her tiny hips, and a frown fixed on her small face.
"You can see me, can't you, sir," she questioned.
He didn't say or do anything that indicated he had heard her speak at all. Was I wrong about him, or could other shinigami not see my panda-loving companion?
The girl who went as Katie held up her hand high in the air.
"Yes, Draco?"
"My sister; she's on this campus, correct?"
"Indeed."
"Well, I was thinking, was she put into Building A or C?"
"Hm… Kitkat, if I'm not mistaken, is actually in Dorm Building D. She is on the Anti-Kira side."
I didn't even register the astonishment on my classmate's face. I was too busy watching Snowpea as she placed her hands on Reece's nose, begging him to speak to her. My eyes widened as she proceeded to jump on his head and kept hitting him with her fists, yelling at the top of her mini-lungs comically.
"I know you see me! Do you hear me?! I'm talking to you, punk! Hey! Ignoring people is rude! Mistress Scythe, get over here and help me knock some sense into his thick-"
She was interrupted when Reece casually swiped at his hair like he was feeling a light breeze and not a two-inch girl with wings repeatedly strike his skull.
Snowpea went flying out of my field of vision, but I refrained from turning to see where she landed. That would look odd.
Man, she was going to kill me…
I was so busy thinking of how I'd apologize to her that I missed a certain boy giving me an angry glare.