"Okay class, I would like to introduce you to our new student."

Matthew looked up past his unkempt, spiky bangs. His notebook under his hands and pencil sticking up over it. He noticed a boy his age standing near the door, nearly afraid to get any closer to the class. His eyes were hidden by messy, black bangs. He wore a blue t-shirt with baggy jeans and holed up converse shoes. Matthew looked him over curiously and looked to the side to see his twin brother, Matthias, doing the same.

"Come closer." The teacher told the boy. He reluctantly stepped over towards her and the board. "I'd like you to write your name on the board if you will."

Matthew watched as hesitant, pale hands picked up a black marker and wrote his name on the board. The First name was easy to read as it was English, but the symbols following were unfamiliar. Mixing Japanese and English names wasn't rare, but writing them this way was uncommon in the grade schools. It was preferred if the students wrote in english.

The boy turned towards the class slowly. Matthew ran his eyes over the kanji and kana, trying to make out what it read. The kana he knew, his kanji could use some work.

The teacher gave a nervous laugh at the board, apparently the kid didn't know he wasn't supposed to write in Japanese yet. All the children knew was the english word he had written. 'Jacob.'

"Do you think you could write it in english."

The boy turned his face up towards her, Matthew now able to see one brownish-red eye beneath the bangs. His eyes were hardened and scary, Matthew slightly recoiled at the look given to his teacher.

"This is how I write my name." the voice was hardened yet spoken quietly. The teacher gave another nervous laugh.

"Alright, how about you introduce yourself then."

The boy turned back to the class.

"My name is Jacob Ayame, it is nice to meet you."

"Thank you, Jacob, you may now take a seat wherever you like."

Matthew watched as the boy quietly walked over to a desk in the back and sat.

During lunch, Matthew considered asking the boy to join him and his brother at the table they usually sat at. Matthew looked over to his brother next to him and opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't even think about it." Matthias told him in his stern, but childish voice. His biology book in his hand and round glasses covered his face. Matthew's brother had been very smart upon birth, taking up reading when he was three, and was now studying science at a middle school grade level at the age of 7.

"Think about what? I wasn't thinking of anything."

Matthias turned his eyes over to his twin.

"I know that look. You want to invite the kid who writes Japanese and English in the same name."

"That's just how he writes his name though."

"No one writes their names like that. It's either translated into romaji or katakana, never english and japanese mixed. Whoever taught him that was clearly out of their mind."

"What does this have to do with him eating lunch with us though?"

"It doesn't."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Fine, go ahead and invite him over and we'll see if he's really not retarded."

"Okay." Matthew said cheerfully.

Matthew turned away from his untouched lunch to look around the room. He spotted the boy sitting alone in the corner, the ground couldn't be too comfortable. Matthew stood up and wandered over to the boy, black bangs once again covering his eyes.

"Hey." Matthew crouched down in front of the boy, he received a soft glance up from the red eyes. "Want to sit with me and my brother? You don't have to sit alone."

The boy looked back down at the school lunch placed in his lap. A quick, almost non existent, nod was his reply. The boy stood up in front of him, he was only about 5 inches taller than Matthew.

Matthew led Jacob over to the table his brother occupied.

"Matthias, meet Jacob."

Matthias didn't bother to look up from his book.

"Whatever, don't bother me when I'm reading." He spoke towards Jacob, "keep Matthew out of trouble for me, it'll be nice to not be bothered anymore."

"Matthias! That is so rude!"

"'S fine." a soft voice spoke from the seat next to him. Jacob continued to quietly eat next to them.

Matthew sighed in defeat and a pout on his lips. He looked down to his untouched food and scooted it away.

"You might want to eat Matty." Matthias spoke, nose still in his book.

"Not hungry."

"You will be later."

"No I won't."

"You always say that." Matthias' blue eyes came up out of the book, hardened eyes stared into forest green. "You always say that, and then you get hungry later. Just eat."

Matthew continued his pout before pulling his food back, knowing his brother was right.

During recess, Matthew noticed Jacob following him slowly and at a distance. Matthew was confused, he had allowed the boy to eat with him. Why wasn't he just walking out to the playground with him? Matthew turned to show Jacob he knew he was being followed, the boy's face turned innocently. Matthew sighed and called out to him.

"Hey, you don't have to follow me. Just come walk with me."

Jacob looked back over to him and rushed over to him.

The two walked side by side for a while before Matthew opened his mouth.

"Where are you from?" he asked the boy.

"Pallet Town."

"No way, me too. I would have gone to the small school there if my mom hadn't wanted me here, but she did. Did you go to school there?"

"Yeah."

"What was it like?"

"Small, friendly."

"Why'd you move here?"

"Mom's family is here, so is my dad."

"Oh. Do you like it here?"

"Don't know. Too early to tell."

"Well, I hope you do." Matthew then ran ahead and turned back over to the boy. "My name's Matthew. It's nice to meet you Jacob, welcome to Veridian."

The eyes that had been hidden were now over to the sides of the boy's face, a sparkle made itself noticeable at Matthew's words. A small smile lit on Jacob's face.

"Thank you, Matthew. It's nice to meet you too."