Chapter 1 - Stupid Study Partner

*Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or its characters.*

Time. Time is what I hate the most. It's so unforgiving. Proceeding only forward, never stopping. No matter how hard I tried, time wasn't slowing or picking up it's pace. It's the most precious thing in the world, yet many people take it for granted, including me.

November 28th

The sky is grey and cloudy as if a storm is rapidly approaching. Though it's still midday, the beaming rays of sunshine are nowhere in sight. People enter and exit the buildings around them like it's routine, sometimes they briefly stop to ask simple questions, engage in idle chatter and small talk or to simply sit and relax before they have to face whatever plans they have for the day.

On a bench, just outside of Daikoku Academy, sits a petite young girl with messy ginger hair and acquisitive green eyes. She is clearly not originally from Japan. In her hands she holds a book titled: The Philosophy of Time Travel, by Robert Collins. Alex always enjoys these kinds of books. They give her hope that not everything is part of a one way ticket to the same train called life that repeats over and over again no matter how hard you try to change course. She likes the idea that even time can't hold someone back from doing something that they desire.

A boy with golden brown hair and piercing caramel eyes interrupts the girl from her thoughts. "Alexandra right? It looks like it's about to rain. Shouldn't you be heading home?"

The girl looks up from her book to the face of none other than the annoying genius, Light Yagami and rolls her eyes. "I'm not afraid of a little rain, Yagami. Also, it's Alex. No one calls me by my full name."

"Anyway, I was just curious about the book you're reading." Light carefully pulls a book out of the black bag he's carrying and flips it around, revealing the front cover to the redhead. "I have the same one."

The girl widens her eyes in surprise. "What is someone like YOU doing with that anyway?" She squints her eyes at the boy who towers above her.

Light laughs. "I read books for purposes other then passing classes, you know. Besides, who wouldn't be interested in something like this? With time travel, so many terrible crimes and accidents can be prevented and removed from history all together. Not to mention the fact that it would open doors for completely new technology."

The corners of the redheads mouth curve upward in a smile. Just as she was about to speak, a tall girl with long black hair from her Algebra class runs over toward them. "LIGHT! Is that you? Are you still going to help me study tonight?" She reaches out for his arm and grasps it tightly. She scoffs as she looks at the redhead sitting on the bench and tugs at Light's arm. "Let's go."

Light smiles apologetically down at Alex before turning his attention to the girl forcefully clinging to him. "Sorry, Ahyma..." He removes his arm from her grasp. "We're gonna have to cancel the lesson. I forgot that I told my sister I would help her with her homework today. I'm sure you understand, family comes first." He wasn't lying, he usually helps his sister with her homework a few times a week whenever she asks him. However, today he had other plans.

The black haired girl crosses her arms. "Hmph. Fine but call me as soon as we can meet up, okay?"

"Sure." He responds politely.

As the girl walks away with an attitude in her step, the sky darkens and cold rain begins quietly drizzling down from the clouds above.

Light reaches into his bag, pulls out a small, compact umbrella and hands it to the redhead. "Here, take this. I have another one in my locker."

The redhead shakes her head no. "I have my own."

"I don't see one."

"It's in my bag, Yagami. Go away."

"It's just an umbrella. Take it." He persists.

"No, it's your umbrella."

"So you don't have one?"

"No..."

"Stop being so difficult. Just take it." Light insists. "That jacket you're wearing doesn't look waterproof, or even warm for that matter. You'd probably end up freezing to death before you even made it home."

"Fine. Give it to me." She snatches the umbrella from his hand. "Thanks."

"Hey, anytime. See you around, Alexandra." Light walks back toward the entrance of the school, leaving the redhead behind.

"No one calls me that!" She yells after him.

"Now you have someone that does!" He yells back.

The redhead rolls her eyes and decides she should get back home before the rain gets any worse.

...

Alex's apartment isn't anything out of the ordinary. A true run down, old-timey brick and mortar. The landlord is too old to be mowing the large lawn, so the grass in the front of the house is overgrown. There's leaf vines hugging the front and sides of the building. She doesn't mind though and thinks its adds to the buildings character. It reminds her of the town she grew up in, far from Japan.

The building has 4 apartment units including the redheads, but Mr. Taniguchi, the owner, is the only one who lives there other than her. She was surprised to learn that he wasn't renting out the other apartment, but she assumes it's because he was waiting for the right people. When she first met the old man, it was in a bookstore a few streets down. After talking with him about how she recently moved to Japan and she was looking for a permanent place to stay, he offered her an apartment and the rent was cheap enough, so she decided to take it.

After heading up a flight of stairs and down a short hallway, Alex unlocks and opens the worn down door to her apartment and steps inside. The interior is just as run down as the exterior. It's a quaint apartment and the bathroom down the short hall is the only room with a door. The sheer, lavender colored curtain hanging from the archway that leads into the bedroom is what's used for some sort of privacy, but it's not like she needs much when she lives there alone. There's frayed, old yellow wallpaper partially peeling off on parts of the walls, revealing the carmine colored clay bricks underneath. The windowsills are dusty, mainly because she can't be bothered to go around dusting the place. The floors are made from real, genuine mahogany wood and as one would expect, they creak when you walk on them. There's a bookshelf in her living room filled with a few old books the owner left in the apartment and allowed the redhead to keep. The book about time travel that she's been reading was also given to her by him .

Alex, fatigued from the draining day of university she had, doesn't bother turning on any lights and heads straight to her bedroom. She plops on her worn down mattress topped with a tattered, over used comforter and turns on the news. On the screen, she see's two reporters talking about a man named Kurou Otoharada who's holed up inside a school building, holding the teachers and children that are inside hostage. They explain that he killed and wounded six people before taking everyone in the school hostage.

Before moving to Japan, she would have never guessed things like this actually happen here. She was used to seeing violent acts and hostage situations on the news in her own country, but seeing things like this happen in a completely different territory terrified her. She isn't familiar with all of the laws in Japan, but she does know they are more strict with the prosecution process of criminals and she couldn't help but to cheer the police on in hopes they catch the criminal before anything bad happens.

The redhead leans over to her the digital clock on her nightstand and sets the alarm time for 7am. She gets under her blanket and leaves one, sock less foot sticking out. When she turns her attention back to the television, the new reporter abruptly exclaims that the suspect was reported to be dead inside and that the hostages were coming out. She sees the horrified look on their faces as they all flood out of the building. Shortly after the police rush in to investigate, the news reporter states that the criminal died of a heart attack while trying to tie one of the hostages up.

After hearing a satisfying end to the situation, the redhead rolls over in her bed and pulls the blankets over her head. She closes her eyes and falls asleep while listening to the news reporters talk in the background.

The following day

"They'll never find us back there." A small girl with thick round glasses and short black hair whispers to her friend. She squeezes herself into a small gap between a chair and the wall in the corner of the room, motioning for her friend to follow.

The redhead squeezes herself behind the chair after her friend, her curly hair sticking to the fabric of the chair. "It's so cramped back her." She complains as she brings her legs closer to her body, knees resting just below her chin.

The girl with inky hair covers her friends mouth. "Shh, they'll hear you!" She brings her index finger to her own mouth, shushing the redhead.

The two girls hear loud, clanky feet running down the hallway toward the room. A boy with a patchy, blue baseball cap peeks through the doorway, scanning the room for any hints as to where his friends might be hiding. He spots curly, red strands of hair sticking out from behind a chair in the corner of the room. "I think they're in here, Cyrus!" He calls out to another boy.

A boy with honey blonde hair runs over to his friend. "It looks empty, where do you think they are?" He questions.

The boy in the baseball cap points to the chair in the back of the room. "There." He whispers.

The raven haired girl looks at her friend. "Oh no! Your hair, Ally! It's sticking out." She quietly exclaims.

The redhead brushes her hair with her fingers, returning the loose strands back to their proper resting place. "Do you think they saw?" She whispers back.

The blonde boy rushes over to the chair, jumps on it and startles the girls as he pops his head over the back, grinning wildly as he looks down at them. "Found ya!"

"Oh, no fair!" The girl with glasses pouts.

"You scared me!" The redhead scolds.

The other boy runs into the room behind his friend as the two girls squeeze out from behind the lounge chair. "Your hair gave it away, Ally! We could see it from a mile away!" He and the other boy laugh. "Looks like it's the girls turn to clean the dishes again tonight!" He high fives the blonde boy.

"Oh, come on!" The dark haired girl pouts again. "We've been cleaning up after dinner for the past three days! I don't think Miss Capish will think it's very fair that you two haven't had to help." She crosses her arms and furrows her eyebrows in disappointment.

"Fine, Nina." Cyrus interrupts the girls complaining. He places a hand on the redheads shoulder. "I'll help you clean up after dinner tonight." He flashes her a flirty smile.

Nina and the boy in the baseball cap giggle. "You just want to help her because you have a crush on her." Nina teases. The redheads cheeks turn red.

"Yeah, you make it so obvious." The boy adjusts his baseball cap, revealing a large scar across the top of his forehead.

The blonde boy flashes a disapproving look at his friend. "Shut it, scarface!" He turns his attention back to the redhead. "Ally, wake up!"

"Huh?" The redhead asks, confused.

"Alexandra, wake up." A stern, female voice commands.

The redhead blinks a few times before fully opening her eyes. She lifts her head up from her desk and picks up a strand of hair that's stuck to her cheek and tucks it behind her ear. She yawns, and looks to the front of the classroom to see her teacher tapping her foot impatiently.

"It's about time, I nearly thought you had fallen into a coma!" The teacher jokes.

"S-sorry Mrs. Kotora..." The redhead strains to speak with her tired voice.

"Now, if you can refrain from falling asleep again, I would appreciate it. We're almost finished with the lesson." Mrs. Kotora turns around, facing the chalkboard and writes a few things down as she wraps up the lecture.

Alex raises her arms above her head in a stretch and looks toward the front of the classroom at Light Yagami. He's sat with perfect posture, save for his elbow propped on his desk and his chin resting gracefully on the back of his hand. With his free hand, the brunette is taking down whatever notes he thinks will be useful for the lesson. The redhead turns her attention so the side and gazes with thoughtful eyes out of the classroom window. She wonders how her friends back in America are doing. Have they been as bored as she has? Do they miss her as much as she misses them? When she first moved to Japan, she and her friends promised to keep in contact with each other, that was 7 years ago and she hasn't heard from them since. She would often write letters to them, telling them everything she was learning about Japan and how her life was going, asking them how they were doing and what was going on in their lives. She stopped sending them letters a few years ago, convinced that they didn't want anything to do with her. From the corner of her eye, she spots a small, red bird land on the outside of the windowsill. It flaps it's wings a few times and scans the area for any sort of food before jumping up and flying away, unsatisfied. Alex glances over at the clock above the door and checks the time.

Ten more minutes of sneakily watching the time pass by excruciatingly slowly and school is finally coming to an end. Alex taps her pencil eraser on her desk a few times, impatiently waiting for the bell to ring. After rummaging around in one of her desk drawers, Mrs. Kotora begins to bear news to everyone. "Alright class, before you leave I have an announcement. For this lesson, I want you to pick one major event or historical figure from any of the last 5 chapters of your textbooks and make a short essay presentation about it. Have it done by Monday." She briefly pauses as she picks a paper up from her desk. "The project will be done with a partner." Excited gasps from a few of the students interrupt the teacher as they glance around the room and pick partners. "Before you get excited," She pauses for dramatic effect, "I will be choosing your partners." The students sigh in disappointment as the teacher begins naming the pairs off, "Felix and Akane, Hide and Aika, Light and Alexandra..."

Shortly after Mrs. Kotora finishes telling everyone who they're going to be paired with, the bell rings and signals the end of the school day. The teacher puts her lesson plans in the desk drawer and locks it. "Alright, that's that then. Have a good weekend everyone, and don't forget about your projects!" All students except Light and the readhead quickly shove their school books and pencils into their bags and hurtle over each other on their way out of the classroom. The teacher calmly follows behind them, shaking her head and laughing to herself at how rowdy teenagers are after they've been cooped in a school all day. She makes her way through the flock of students and heads to the teachers lounge.

Light throws his bag over his shoulder and approaches the redhead once everyone leaves. "So, I guess were partners then." He leans toward her, placing the palm of his hand firmly on her desk. The brunette notices faint freckles sprinkled on her nose and cheeks, some larger than the others, resembling a night sky painted with a thousand stars.

Alex glares at the boy who towers above her. "It would seem so, Yagami." She clicks the eraser on the end of her mechanical pencil and presses the pointed end into the desk. She throws the pencil in the front pocket of her messenger bag, and stuffs her history book and notebook in the main compartment.

"It's due Monday and if we start it early we should have it done by tomorrow night. I figured we can work on it at my place today and tomorrow afternoon we can go to your place" He takes his hand off her desk and backs away a few inches, leaving enough room for the redhead to stand up from her desk.

"Jeez." She sighs. "You want to start it today? It's not due for almost 3 days!" The redhead usually waited as long as she could before starting (or finishing) most of her school assignments. She didn't think of it as procrastinating, she thought of it as allowing herself time to tackle the assignments with a fresh perspective. Besides, even if she waits until the day before an assignment is due, she manages to finish it on time and it almost never effects her grade.

"I've got things I have to do. Being the top student at the academy is hard work. I'd rather finish the assignment early, then have to worry about it the day before we have to turn it in."

The redhead rolls her eyes. "Alright, fine. We'll start it today."

30 Minutes Later

Light and his study partner arrive at the Yagami house. The brunette opens the front door hoping quietly, so no one would hear him come in. To his dismay, Sachiko is waiting patiently for her beloved son to get home. She comes over to greet him, "Welcome home, Light." She smiles softly. "Oh? I didn't know you were bringing company." Sachiko looks at Alex with the same smile she gave her son, "Nice to meet you, I'm Light's mother." She bows.

Alex respectfully bows back at the older lady and introduces herself. "I'm Alex. I hope I'm not intruding Mrs. Yagami. Light and I were assigned to work on a project together, it's due Monday but he insisted we get an early start on it so... here I am."

"That's my son, always making his school work a top priority! Oh, and nonsense! You're not intruding dear, I always love when Light brings home company. I almost never get to meet his friends. Why don't you stay for dinner?" The redhead assumes Mrs. Yagami wouldn't take no for an answer, so she nods her head yes. "Great!"

Seconds after everyone exchanges pleasantries, loud clanky feet come running down the stairs. "LIIIIIIIIGHT! Is that you?" Sayu yells as she nearly trips over her own feet on her way down the staircase.

Sayu reminds the redhead of a dog when their owner comes back home after being gone for a few hours.

As Sayu approaches her brother, her eyes widen when she sees a girl standing next to him. "Oh? I've never seen you before! Are you my brothers new girlfriend?" She asks with a sparkle in her eye. The redheads cheeks become flushed and she nervously fiddles with her school bag.

"No, Sayu." Light rolls his eyes. "She's here because we have a project due Monday so just don't interrupt us for now."

"Okay! Sure thing!" Sayu responds, trying to hide her excited giggles from her very serious brother.

The redhead and Light walk up the stairs and toward the boys bedroom.

A few paces from the top of the stairs Yagami stops and looks at the redhead, "Here we are." He opens his door and motions for her to enter first, following behind her. He lifts his bag from his shoulder and sets it on his bed.

Alex looks around the room and can clearly tell the brunette is cut from a different cloth then she is. His room is extremely tidy, almost too perfect. If she didn't know any better she would think he was some kind of serial killer. Then again, she wouldn't put it past his mother to make sure it stays that way. She combs the room for somewhere to sit that isn't the preppy boy's bed and plops down on his desk chair. Light narrows his eyes at her for a split second, but then returns to normal. "I'll be right back." He says before quickly leaving his bedroom. She gives him a smile and a thumbs up and starts messing around on his computer.

Alex opens the web browser and scrolls down the home page to see a news report about the criminal who died of a heart attack on television last night.

Light walks back in the room with a tray filled with Japanese pastries and tea. He sets it on his bed and looks over at Alex. "Sorry about that, I knew my mother would want to bring this up here for us anyway." He raises an eyebrow at the redhead. "What are you doing on my computer?" He asks, as if they didn't need to do any research for their project.

"Just looking at a news article. Did you see this?" She points to the article on the screen.

"Yeah. I was watching it on the news last night. That man is truly evil for putting all of those people, including children, in a situation like that." His eyes turn cold as he looks at the picture of Kurou Otoharada glaring at him through the computer screen.

"I just can't believe he got away with hurting six people before..." She trails off as she remembers how he mysteriously had a heart attack. The reporters on the news called it luck.

"He had a heart attack." Light finishes the redheads thought process. A small smirk forms at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah... Who knows, maybe it was really luck, or karma. They guy had it coming. Wasn't he already a known criminal? I thought the justice system in Japan was more strict. Guilty until proven innocent and everything?" She questions.

Light sighs. A strong sense of guilt overcomes him, quickly melting the happiness from his expression. He felt guilty. Maybe if he had reacted quicker to the situation, no one but that criminal would have died. "Yeah... It is. Unfortunately, if you have a good enough lawyer you can get away with almost anything. A few thousand yen come into play and suddenly a criminal is dismissed of all charges, it's a shame. The system is becoming so corrupt, even in Japan."

The redhead raises her eyebrows. "Wow, I had no idea it was that bad."

"Anyway, where are you from? It's obvious to me that your not actually from around here." He quickly changes the subject. Talking about the corrupt justice system only made him mad, and right now he wanted to focus on starting their history project.

"America." She states plainly. "Well, my mother was actually from Ireland but I wasn't born there. She met my father on a trip to Greece the summer before she started college, I guess they fell in love and moved to America. To start a life," She raises her hands and moves them in the shape of a rainbow, "In the land of opportunity!" She flashes a sarcastic smile.

"I take it you're not a fan of your own country then?" Light laughs. "Are your parents here in Japan too?" He asks, curiously.

The redhead looks down at her feet solemnly. "I... They died way before I even came to Japan."

"Oh... I'm sorry Alexandra. I didn't know."

"It's alright, Yagami. No use feeling sorry for me, it was years ago." The redhead forcefully perks back up. "Anyway, let's get this damn essay started so we can move on with our lives already!"

The brunette nods his head, pulls his history book out of his school bag and places it next to him on his mattress. He motions for the redhead to come sit with him. She plops down on the mattress, sitting pretzel style across from Light, keeping the book in between the both of them. She reaches out to turn the page at the same time as the brunette and their hands meet at the fingertips. Golden, caramel eyes meet sparkly green ones.

Light clears his throat, "So what do you think about using this guy as the subject of our assignment?" He points to a picture of an older looking man with a very long braided beard in the book.

She shrugs. "Looks good enough to me."

The brunette and the redhead work on their project for the next hour and a half until they are interrupted by Sachiko as she calls them down for dinner. The pair go downstairs and sit at the table with Lights mother and sister.

"Is daddy working late again?" Sayu asks her mother with disappointment in her voice.

"I'm afraid so Sayu, the investigation he's working on is keeping him very busy at work." Sachiko forces a small smile at her daughter. She looks over at Light and Alex, "So, how did your studies go?"

"We're not quite finished with the project yet, but it's getting late and Alexandra still has to catch the train home." Light explains and the redhead rolls her eyes at the sound of her full name.

Sayu giggles. "Are you sure you two aren't together?" She playfully questions her older brother.

Alex scoffs. "He wishes!"

"I do no- ! " Light was interrupted by the sound of Sayu and his mother laughing at him. He fought his body's natural urge to blush, keeping a plain, poker face as an expression.

"You sure are a lot like your father when he was younger, Light." Mrs. Yagami manages to say through her giggles.

After everyone finishes the meal, Sachiko clears the table and begins washing the dishes. "Light dear, you should walk your friend to the station at least. Surely she could use some company, considering how late it's getting.

"Oh no, that's alright Mrs. Yagami, I'll be fine on my own." Alex smiles at the older woman, thanking her for her kindness.

"I insist." Sachiko says in a stern motherly tone.

"It's fine, it's the least I can do. I did make you come all the way here after all." Light politely says to Alex, knowing all too well that his mother would not take no for an answer.

The brunette and redhead gather their things, throwing their jackets on before walking out the front door. "Wow Light, never thought you would ever be so polite." Alex teases sarcastically.

"You may not know this, but I'm actually not that bad of a guy. Just don't get on my bad side." Light said with a small laugh.

"Bad side? I think you're too much of a goody two shoes to even have a bad side." She playfully shoves him.

He laughs as he catches his bearings, "You have no idea."

An awkward atmosphere surrounds the two as they pass by a couple interlocking hands and laughing with each other. They continue walking, letting the sound of cars whizzing by be the only thing that breaks the silence.

When they arrive at the train station, the redhead points to a small yellow light in the distance, quickly getting closer. "Looks like we got here right on time!" She says, satisfied she didn't have to wait too long for the train to arrive. The conductor sounds the alarm, letting everyone know that the train will be coming to a stop. It chugs slowly ahead, blowing steam from the stop as it comes to a full stop. The redhead steps off the platform and into the passenger car, waving to Light as the doors close with a loud thud. The train whistles loud once more as the engine roars, signaling its departure. Yagami watches as the train slowly disappears over the horizon.

The next morning

Alex tosses around in her warm, comfortable bed, trying her best to ignore the annoyingly loud ringtone coming from her cellphone. She rubs her feet together, relieving the itch she had for the past five minutes. The noise from her phone finally silences and she pulls her blanket over her head before drifting back into a peaceful slumber.

It's around noon and Light is patiently waiting to hear from the redhead. He scrolls through a few news articles, all reporting mysterious heart attack. He smirks with great satisfaction. People around the world, especially in Japan, are starting to notice the world's most heinous criminals are being punished for their crimes. He turns on the television and flips to the news channel, waiting to enact justice on his next target.

One o'clock rolls around and Sachiko is downstairs watching as the lights hanging from the ceiling sway around and threaten to fall. Normally, she wouldn't think twice about entering her sons room when things like that are happening, but it's been going on for the past 45 minutes and she was beginning to worry. She heads upstairs and softly knocks on her sons door. "Light, would you stop that please? You're making me nervous. What's the matter?" She asks her son with concern in her voice.

Light swings his door open. "Sorry mom, I'm just waiting to hear back from Alexandra. We're supposed to be finishing our project today and she hasn't said anything to me yet." Light sighs and plops down on his bed.

Sachiko chuckles as she sits down next to him, placing a comforting hand on her sons shoulder. "Light, sweetheart. I'm sure that nice girl will let you know when she's ready. Maybe she's busy right now."

"Yeah, probably busy sleeping." He remembers watching her eyes flutter as she slept on her desk the other day, a puddle of drool slowly starting to appear next to her face before he decided to save her the embarrassment and wake her up. He smiles at the thought.

"You seem to be very fond of the girl. Is it the red hair?" Sachiko teases with a playful tone.

Light scoffs. "Psh. Her hair is unique for someone living in Japan, I'll give her that... But she's not my type." He defends.

"All right, I'll leave you to it then." She playfully ruffles his hair as she stands up and goes downstairs to fix lunch.

Light pulls a comb from his pocket and readjusts his hair, making sure it is perfectly back in place. He crosses his arms behind his head and throws himself back, now lying down on his bed.

The brunette jumps up at the sound of his phone ringing, knocking it to the floor. It rings again as he scrambles trying to find where it fell. He spots it and quickly picks it up. He takes a deep breath and flips it open. "It's about time, Alexandra. I was beginning to think you were going to make me finish the project on my own."

"Really? I've no idea why you would think that. Anybody in their right mind wouldn't pass the opportunity to be alone with Daikoko's most handsome genius!" She mocks.

"Handsome, huh?" Light replies cooly.

"I guess so, that's what everyone say's about you anyway. I'm not sure why they would think that. But hey, maybe they have bad taste." The redhead snaps back.

"Ouch. I'm so offended." He says sarcastically. The redheaded girl was proving to be more interesting the more he spoke to her. Though he wouldn't admit it, he admires how quickly she is able to come up with witty comebacks.

"Alright," Alex responds in a more serious tone. "Let's get this project over with."

After about two hours hours they finally finish their project. The redhead found that she and Light actually worked well together, even through the few arguments and disagreements of what information should actually be presented in their essay. She raises her arms above in stretch and topples over onto her mattress, mentally drained from the boring topic of history she spent the last two days researching. She was sure they would be getting no less then an A on their assignment, which of course, the brunette would say it was because he's the top student at Daikoku. The redhead didn't care, she was glad it was finally over and that she was able to get back to doing whatever she wanted to do for the rest of the weekend.

Lights gathers his things and heads home, shortly after, the redhead decides she would reward herself with a nice, long nap.

End of Chapter 1