Disclaimer: Nope, nope. Don't own the guys. The story is mine, so please
don't copy. blah blah ya know the rest. Thanks.

In The Beginning
Chapter Two
Started: 1/3/01
By: Jaya

~ * ~

Re-Capping:
First day of school. You may ask how can anyone get into trouble on the
first day of school. *snickers* I bet it can be done. But luckily the
guys get away, with almost bloody murder in the last part. Most like
thanks to 'Saved By The Bell.' Anyway. Why is Ryo so distant? Will Touma
be joining Shu for dinner tonight, or will his mother say no? Why did
Touma try and leave without Shu after school? Seiji already wants out of
school and it already started... And how does the Shin kid fit into the
picture? I just might and I just might tell you some of the answeres,
who knows. Jaya never plans what she writes she simply writes. (Why it
all turns out so funkily.)

This Is My Home

Ryo sat on one of the fense posts, of the fense that surrounded the
younger grades play ground. His tiger blue eyes shaded by the dark fall
of his ebony bangs. He watched the younger children who were playing out
there, laughing and chasing eachother around. The earlier grades, got
out later then they did. Not that it really made any differance to him,
he wasn't in any hurry to go home. -Not yet, anyway.-

A gental breeze, ruffled his dark hair about his tired face. For a
moment the young man closed his blue eyes. Sitting there, as if
communing with the wind in a sense, letting everything else flow
away.The cool wind, seemed sad in a way. Then a voice spoke up, breaking
through to him, pulling him back from where ever he'd been trying to go.

"Ryo-san?" He turned to find Sai standing there, with a smile on his
young face. Ryou knew Sai was older then him, but somehow, as he sat
tehre looking at Sai, he seemed so much younger. With that boyish grin
on his face, and the sparkle, almost hopeful gleam in his sea colored
eyes.

"Oh.." Ryo blinked. "Halo Sai." He replied jumping lightly off the
fence, leaning back against it stead. He watched the other as Sai
stepped off the foot path that ran between the two school buildings, and
out to the road.

"I'm going on." Said said grinning. "You wana walk with me?"

Ryo shrugged. "Sure why not." He stuck his hands in the pockets of his
dark blue uniform. "I don't have to go home for a while yet..."

"Where do you live?" Sai anwated to know as he and Ryo arrived back on
the path, falling into step with eachother. Walking side by side. "I
don't want you to have to go out of your way..."

"West Side..."
"Really?"
"Yeah."

"SO do I!" Sai did a couple dance steps walking back wards infront of
him, he caught Ryo's eyes, smiling. Ryo coulda sworn that was one of the
biggest smiles he'd ever seen. "Where on the West Side do you live?"

"Don't remember the name of the street. Some place over there. Doesn't
really matter..."

"Oh." Sai paused looking a little diseapointed. "Ok... I would invite
you over to my house for a while, but I volunteered to help out at the
Mariana, after schools for a couple of weeks. So I have to be over there
in about an hour." He glanced at his watch.

"Sounds interesting." Ryou commented softly. "Sounds like you."

Sai smiled at him. "If I'm bothering you, please tell me. Ok? My sister
says I try to be too friendly sometimes. I really don't wana bother
people... I just like talking to people and since your new here all, I
just wanted to make your feel welcome." He scuffed the toes of his
sneakers on the side walk.

""No, it's ok... really." Ryo replied with a shrug. "Your the first
person who's ever bothered trying to talk to me, when I've been new..."
He glanced up into he sky. "I move a lot, get used to it after awhile, I
guess..."

"Well, then I'm glad I talked to you." sai replied with a big grin. "you
seem like a really nice person Ryo-san. You'll have to come over
sometime, my mothers always bothering me about not bringing anyone home.
She worries about me.." He shrugged.

"Maybe." Ryou loked away. He seemed slightly uncomfortable with the
other boys on going attentions, but quickly hide it. Not wanting to
drive Sai away. "So umm... what do your parents do Sai?"

He saw the pause on the others face, and almost wished he hadn't asked
the question. "My father left when I was two and my sister was Six...
We've neve seen him since then. Just the three of use now." Sai
explained quietly. "My mom works at the Bank, My sisters going to be
graduating this year..."

"Oh.." Ryo glanced at Sai but Sai wouldn't look at him.
"That's ok." He shrugged. "I never knew him anyway... What about you?"

"My mom's dead. My dads a journelist." Ryou said, huntching his
shoulders slightly as if he was feeling cold. He watched the side walk
move under his feet for a few minutes.

"Sorry.." Sai sighed. "Well I guess we have something in comment then."
He smiled as if trying to find something good in everything. "You have
any bothers or sisters?"

"Nope."

"My sisters a pain." Sai nodded his head as if to emphasize his words.

"I see." Ryo paused. "Well I gotta go this way." He said nodding down
one of the side streets. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow Sai."

"See ya tomorrow Ryou." Sai grinned. "Ja Ne!"
"Ja!." Ryou said with a nod. "Have fun at the Marian."
"I WILL!"

Shaking his head Ryo watched as Sai tossed his auborn hair out of his
sea colored eyes, and took off running down the road. That same grin
he'd been wearing almost all day, still fixed on his face. His lunch bag
trailing behind him in one hand, his bag almost falling off his other
shoulder. But he didn't seem to notice. Turning away Ryo shrugged it
off, heading through the neighborn hood and out into another area all
together.

~ * ~

Sage heaved a sigh of relief as he stepped off the bus, listening to the
hiss of the door closing behind him.
-Good ridance.- he thought tossing his hair, back and for a minute it
stayed out of his face. But then of course it slide back down to cover
his left eye.

"You know I'm glad no one lives around here wti hme." He said, to the
forest behind him. Sage stepped off the road and onto the path that lead
off into the trees. None of the others got off at this stop with him,
there was another stop another couple more miles up the road. But this
was as close to his place as the bus would go, not daring to try the
winding drive that lead up to the 'Date Dojo'.

The blond, shifted his bag to his other shoulder with a sigh, flipping
the tap over in his walkman. Sage hummed softly under his breath, with
an almost smile. He was in no hurry to get home today, his mother
woudln't be off work till five. While his father, was away on a buisness
trip, and his grandfather busy running classes at the 'Dojo.' He wasn't
scedualed to help out today, till five which gave him at least two hours
to himself. Even his sister had gone to a friends house, she probably
wouldn't be back till late.

Not that he minded of course. Sage smiled as he paused to exmaine a
tinny flower that had grown next to the math. He perfered an empty house
to a full one. Though he would rather spend his time out in the forest,
there was no one to stop him this afternoon.

Suddenly Sage glanced up in surprise from his delicate flower, as
thunder rumbled in the distnace. This time there was a definate smile on
his well defined face. Even his eyes lite up in excitment, like those of
a little child, who'd just recieved a special treat of some kind.

"Yes!" Taking off down the path, his feet barely touching the ground as
he flew towards home. He would have been good, at Track if he'd never
wanted to, that is. A few minutes later, he brust out of the trees, into
the side yard. Sage paused throwing his bag onto the large portch.
Pulling his Walkman off his belt, he set it on top of his bag.

Sage slipped off his shoes and socks, with a grin. Tossing them over his
shoulder onto the porch not bothering to check where they landed, he
headed around the side of the house, towards the back. He hesitated near
the back, before taking off down the path towards the back fields.

"YIPPYYY! THUNDER!" The younge man cried doing a care wheel, as he broke
out of the trees into the clearing that edged their neighbors rice
paddies. Also one of the best places to watch storms come in across the
land. Which was exactly what, younge Sage Date planned on doing.

~ * ~

"So?" Kento asked glancing over at Rowen, who had been stranely quiet
since they'd left the school behind.

"So what?" Rowen replied, giving his long term friend a look, then he
shrugged looking back down at the side walk he'd been studying for a
while now.

"Your TOO quiet." Kenot pounted with a sigh. "Talk to me buddy. How was
your day? The Summer? Whatever, I hate it when you do the sulking
thing!"

"I am no sulking." Muttered the blue haired boy, glaring at the scuffed
toes of his 'holly sneakers'.

"Yes Ro-chan you are!" Putting his arm around Rowen's shoulders, Kento
messed up his friends hair. "Come on 'Blue Boy' at least give me a
little smile. You know at least I'm here with ya! I'm sure we can
convince your mom to let you come over. You've been stuck in that
apartment too long over the summer. I think it's turning your mind."
Kento grinned. "I wish I hadn't taken that trip to China now... What's
gotten into you?"

"Somethin' like that." Torwen sighed. "Come'on, Kento we'ra almos'
there."

Kento growled, pulling Rowen back around. "Hang on a sec, buster. I want
you to give me a smile first. Just a little one, then you can go in
iwith me!/i."

Rowen glanced at Kento, rolling his eues. But he did smile breaking away
from his large friend he shrugged. "Yea', Yea', Yea'. What would I do
without ya Ken-chan."

"I shudder to think. "laughed Keno with an evil grin. "come on, Buddy
let' sget this thing over with. Then we can go have some fun! And food!"

His smile died. "I guess so." He glanced up at the large apartment
building with a sigh.

"No worries Ro-chan." Kento caught his friends arm and puleld him
towards the door, though his face was serious now. "The sooner done the
sooner out, member I'm here.... Unless of course your friend to take me
up on that offer I made last year." He turned around, blocking the door,
a hard look on his normaly cheerful face.

"Kento." Rowen said quietly. "Leave it alone.... please. Dat was last
summa', las' year. Leave it."
"Last year, Last summer my ass," Kento spat but he stepped out of the
door anyway.

Rown shifted his bag to the other shoulder, fingering the tattered dark
blue strape nervously. Slipping through the door he took the lead up the
stairs, Though, Kento saw the look in his eyes before they were out of
eye contact rang.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Kento headed up the stairs after his
friend, making sure he stayed right behind him.

~ * ~
Jaya