I was originally trying to post a chapter per day, but school has started here, which means that when I finally get finished with my homework, my older sitster is hogging the computer. I'm still going to try and due 6 or 7 a week, but they might not be one at a time.

Another thing, I was originally going to make this a Shadow's POV story, with little bits of shade's memories thrown in, but I discovered that I like writing as Shade. /It really helps you see things through someone else's eyes. For example, now not only can you assume that shadow is a jerk, you can know it for a fact! You can also see that she has no intention of being cool, she just grew up hating her peers, and that never died away. So anyway, if you like Shade's pov and want me to do every other chapter as him, then leave a review and say so…that's all!

11 years previous- Shade's POV

Everyone else who sat at her activities table was calmly coloring a puppy with waxy crayons. Everyone at all the other tables in the room was too. Not Shadow. She was sitting (arms folded, legs crossed) in her chair, refusing to pick up a crayon. Or tell the teacher "whatever is the matter honey?" Or anything really. We had been in kindergarten for 3 weeks, and Shadow had done her best to complicate Mrs. Galloway's life. Everyday at 'center time' shadow would follow all instructions backwards. At naptime, Shadow would close her eyes and talk loudly, claiming to be sleep talking. She NEVER even acknowledged the teacher's existence, and made a point to ignore all instructions given to her. It seemed that the only time Shadow was not 'difficult' was at recess, when she and I were discussing the stupidity of muggles on the playground.

"Honey, I don't care if you think this task is pointless, it is a task, and you will do it." Said Mrs. Galloway in an exasperated tone.

"I don't answer to muggles." Shadow replied simply.

"Now Sally, your grandmother has been up to the school twice already. You don't want to make her come all the way up here again, do you sweetie?"

"DON'T CALL ME SALLY!" she screamed. "I hope grandma comes up here! Maybe then she'll take me away, so I'll never have to see you stupid muggles again!"

"UMMMMM! She said the "S word" shouted the little frilly girls at her activity table.

"Yes, thank you Holly. Now, Salali Tara Smith, we do NOT say stupid in this school. We also do not make up our own derogatory terms. You may think it is a clever way around the "No Cussing" rules, but it is the same thing. Now apologize this instant!" said Mrs. Galloway again. She was quickly becoming red in the face.

"Fine, if it will stop you yelling at me!" Shadow said annoyed as she picked up a brown crayon, and drew 3 circles on the puppy's fur. "There, He's a polka dot dog. Happy now?"

1 year later

"I can't wait to get out of here Shadow!" I said frustratedly. First Grade was a waste of my time, since I already knew how to read, write, and work a calculator. It seemed to me that that was all I needed to learn from muggle schools.

"I know, Shade, I know! Think, just 6 years till we're free!" said shadow as she stared into space. She did that a lot. She claimed it was how she "reflected" but I thought she just did it so she wouldn't half to think. Shadow was good at that. She was constantly finding loopholes in both the schools rules (some written just for her) and her grandmother's contract written to make Shadow behave. She had made a point not to completely ignore the teachers anymore. (Her Grandmother said that first graders were maturerer then that.) Nevertheless, she still took her time on assignments, and hardly ever did them right.

"Pity, she's such a smart girl," the teachers would say. They claimed that it was a waste of talent. They even tried to tell me to stay away from her.

"You're such a good boy Markus. Don't waste all that talent by hanging around with riff raff. She'll rub off on you before long." I think she already was.

It had been exactly 1 year, 3 months, and 16 days since I had met Shadow. We had a party celebrating the occasion. She had hardly left my side since then. We were always together, and she practically lived at my house. This was partly because my house was farther away from the school (which we both despised) and because it meant we could talk freely without her Grandmother listening in.

I loved being friends with shadow, in a way only a cute little 5-year-old boy can. We were constantly running around, playing games, breaking stuff (that was a hobby of hers), and whatever else came into her mind. Anything could come into shadow's mind! She was constantly thinking of stupid, yet brilliant ideas to annoy the eyeballs out of anyone who walked by! Unfortunately, shadow had her downside too. She was constantly in trouble, which meant that I was too! We had been on a first name bases with the school's principal since the second semester of kindergarten.

"What mischief are you to going to get into today?" asked Uncle Jack from behind me. We hadn't even noticed him come in.

"Nothing sir, today's Friday! We won't do anything else until tomorrow." Said shadow politely. She was always polite to Uncle Jack, especially if she wanted something.

"Alright you two. What do you want?"

"Well, we don't have school tomorrow! So can you please let shadow stay the night! Please"

"Yeah, please."

"Does your grandmother mind?"

"Of course not!" shadow said melodramatically.

"Well, if you two stay out of trouble, then I don't mind."

It was always easy to persuade Uncle Jack.