Chapter 1
T h e - S t o r y - U n f o l d s

"Now class settle down. We have a new student to introduce to the school."

A few boys in the back of the classroom snickered.

"Heh heh. New kid. We'll have to give him the proper introductions, ne boys?" The boy who spoke slunk back in his seat. He was a lanky boy, but strong. His hair was chestnut brown and short in the back, but he had long bangs that hung in his amethyst eyes.
"We always do," a boy named Aaron grinned.
"Hey it might not be a guy, you know," a blonde, Kei, pointed out.
"Yeah, that's true. But judging from the way Sr. Martha's acting I bet it'll be a guy. Solo and I've been at this school since Kindergarten. You learn those things." the first boy, Duo Maxwell, smirked.
"Yeah. I heard this kid got perfect scores on the entrance exam. What a freak..."

The school was St. Michael's Institute. It was a semi-strict institution with the all the usual things you'd find at a Catholic boarding school. Uniforms, strict dorm rules, and the school mascot being an angel. (And a poorly built angel at that. One of the wings keeps falling off... and the cardboard sword for the poor arch angel was ready to fall apart.)

"Class, GET IN YOUR SEATS NOW!" Sr. Martha barked. Before one could blink the entire class ran to their seats and sat down. They knew very well that when Sister reached that tone.. well.. don't ask.
"Class, this student has just arrived here from far off. Be kind to him so he can adjust to the Sanc Kingdom." Sr. Martha stepped back to allow the boy to come through the door. He entered quietly, with thick dark brown bangs shading Prussian blue orbs. "My name is Heero Yuy. Nice to meet you all," he spoke as he bowed the slightest bit. Many of the girls giggled and winked at this new boy.
"Heero, there's a seat over in the fourth row. Go sit please."
"Hai ma'am." Heero did as told and sat down, ending up with Aaron at his side, and Duo at his back. He took out his math book and settled, waiting for the lesson to begin.
"Hey newbie." Duo poked him in the back with a pencil.
"Hn," the new boy grunted without turning around.
"Oh I've seen your type before," Duo whispered as Sr. Martha began with their Geometry, "the strong silent type. Don't think that the rumors haven't gotten around. We know about your perfect scores on that exam. Are you some kinda prodigy?"
"No, I just did my best. Maybe if you paid attention more often you'd be able to answer this question too."
"What're you goin' on about?" Duo narrowed his eyes.

"A-HEM. Mr. Maxwell, an answer would be nice before we're all old and gray." A distinct tapping of an angry foot made Duo look up sharply.
"You're already are old an-- ACK!" Duo's smirk faded quick as he realized everyone in the class was staring at him, some laughing, and Sr. Martha looking none-too-happy about his last muttered comment. He mumbled, "I'll get you for that one, Yuy," as he struggled to find an answer.
"Anou... four?"
"Class, Mr. Maxwell right here must be absolutely brilliant. Apparently the new definition of the Pythagorean Theorem is 'four'. Such insight." She paused to let everyone get a laugh in at Duo's expense. "Sit down, Maxwell, and pay attention. You've already had three after-school detentions this week and it's only Tuesday..." she sighed.

Duo sat back down about five different shades of red than he was two seconds ago. "Hai ma'am..."

*****

"Hey I heard there was a new kid in your class, Duo." Milliard walked into the dorm. "Weird.. transferring like that in the middle of November."
"Yeah. Some kid named Heero Yuy." Duo was on his bed, reading a Dragon Ball manga. Duo Maxwell shared a triple dorm with his older brother, Solo, and Milliard Peacecraft. It was a bit cramped at times, but they had their own bathroom to make up for it.
"I heard rumors about him. I feel bad that he's in your grade. A real perfectionist, that kid. Mysterious..." Milliard annunciated with hand movements to show as if Heero was some magical thing.
"No shit, Sherlock. And it's not like he's just a brainiac. We had basketball in gym, and he pulled off shot after shot from the other side of the court backed up against the wall!! He's an absolute FREAK. What's worse, he made me look like an idiot in math class."
"I heard about that," he snickered, "Duo, you always get in trouble for talking in class. And it doesn't help that your math teacher is the assistant principal, y'know." Milliard gave Duo a friendly smack on the back. Everyone in the school knew about Duo - the record-holder for the most detentions ever given out in a single day, (18 if you're wondering...). "Wonder what Solo'll think of the newbie.."

With the best of timing, the door flew open at the hand of a boy as loud and happy-go-lucky as Duo, if not more so. "Somebody call for me? Hey Millie! Was that chem test hard?" A lanky sophomore boy with light brown hair and crystal blue eyes came in, throwing his things onto his bed.

"Oh for the love of... stop calling me that!!!"
"Oh but it's such a cute name for a prince!" Solo crowed, giving his friend a pinch on the cheek. "Now.. about the test.."
"Yeah... If you didn't memorize all those equations Brother Dan put up on the board last week, you're dead. They're in chapter 3. I'm gonna see if it's a good night to sneak over to the girls' dorms. Later!" the prince with blonde hair down to his shoulders (which was as long as he was allowed to have it) left the room.

"Hey how's my bro doin'?" Solo jumped onto Duo's bed, tackling him.
"Just peachy, aniki." Duo mumbled, not struggling against his older brother's grip.
"Rrrreally now? Well then I guess I shouldn't go beat up Heero for making a fool out of you after all," Solo gave one of his classic smirks.
"How'd you know?!" Duo blinked in disbelief.
"You can't keep secrets in this school. You should know that by now." Solo laughed as Duo attempted to shove him off, but to avail. "Look, you've just gotta deal with him. So he's a weird kid. Maybe his parents expect a lot from him."
"Solo.." Duo coughed, "you're holding me down too tight.. c-can't breathe.."

"Oh, gomen bro." Solo released Duo from his mock death-grip pin, and quickly stepped to the side as Duo jumped at him in a swift counter-attack. A loud crash sounded as Duo tumbled to the floor, without prey in hand, nearly knocking down the bookshelf. "Duo, that trick never worked when you were in third grade, and it won't work now." Solo leaned against the wall.
"Can't blame a guy for trying..." Duo rubbed his head where it had made contact with the floor.

A familiar loud bark of a voice came down their dorm hallway. "MAXWELL!"
"Hehehhe.. you're in trouble now, Duo." Solo snickered.
"I'm talking to BOTH of you!" Sr. Martha's voice was getting closer.
"Uh oh.." Duo's nervousness began to show through, and Solo had already opened the door to the dorm.
"Duo get up! RUN!" And the two dashed down the hall, around a few corners (barely dodging Sr. Christine the librarian), and Solo began banging on another sophomore's dorm door. "Treize! Let us in! Open up! Wrinkles has ears like rabbit, hunts like wolf!"

Hearing the code for a Sr. Martha alert, a sapphire-eyed 16-year-old quickly opened the door and let the brothers in.
"Is it Sr. Martha?" a purple haired sophomore, Noin, was poking her head out of the closet.

The boys and girls of St. Michael's weren't allowed to get together in dorms without a dorm monitor's permission, and they had to keep the door open at all times while they were together. Of course, some students preferred to come on their own terms...

"Yeah. But she's after us two. Heard us... wrestling in the dorm again.." Solo turned a slight shade of rose, realizing to himself how childish it was.
"So can we come out now?" Another sophomore girl, Lady Une, with her brown hair kept back in two braided buns, stuck her head out from under Treize's bed, pushing her glasses back up on her nose with an irritated look on her face.


St. Michael's was the best institution in the country, but tuition to go there wasn't cheap, and many of its students were members of royalty in one way or another. This included Prince Milliard of the Sanc Kingdom, his younger sister Princess Relena, Prince Quatre (of a neighboring kingdom), Lord Treize (a distant cousin of Quatre), Lady Une (who was from a country ravaged by war, and living with Lord Treize's family, though unrelated), and Princess Dorothy, from a rivaling enemy country.

Many admitted that it was nice to see the teenagers from all classes getting to know and be friendly with one another. It was to be a good sign of peace for the Sanc Kingdom, and good government relations with the people, they said. But those who weren't of the higher class (like Solo and Duo) never bothered to use the titles 'prince' or 'lady'. The royalty in St. Michael's enjoyed that very much. Here, the students all had one common enemy - and that enemy was Sr. Martha, the assistant principal.


"Yeah Une, it should be safe. Treize you wanna check?" Solo was ready to duck into the closet as well rather than face Sr. Martha's wrath. (And if he could get in an enclosed space with the beautiful Lucy Noin... that'd be nice too of course. ~_^)
Treize took a gander through the peephole, only to be met by an angry magnified green bloodshot eye knocking on the door. "Open up, Khushranada!"
"We are so dead... Noin move over!!!" Duo shoved into the closet with Noin and shut the door.
Damn it Duo, I don't wanna go under the bed with the bitch.. Solo opted instead for the open window above the bed, hanging on the outside, barely gripping onto the sill. Treize quickly hid his visible fingers by moving some pillows around, just in time as Sr. Martha opened the door.

"Treize, where did everyone go that I heard in here?" Sr. Martha began the foot tapping again.
"Oh Sister, I'm terribly sorry if you had to suspect something of me. I was merely trying out different voices for my acting class." Treize poured every bit of his aristocratic charm into his young voice.
"It was almost too convincing."
"But dear Sister, there is no one in this room but myself. Do you see anyone?"

Oi, Treize, don't push her... Duo silently prayed, and could sense Noin doing the same next to him. Holy shit! I can see down Noin's shirt from this ang- "MMPH!" And a female hand was immediately placed over his mouth after getting his foot stomped on.

"Well, then you tell me where the Maxwell boys are." Sr. Martha put no mercy into her glare, glancing at the closet.
"Solo and Duo? Oh, I opened the door when I heard the commotion, just in time to see them continue down the hall and head toward the cafeteria. If I see them again, I'll hand them straight over to you, ma'am."
"I only wish those two upheld the same charming values as yourself, Lord Treize. Sorry to bother you then."
"No trouble at all. Now I must continue with my homework. Good day to you, Sister!" Treize spoke smoothly and led her out the door, shutting it behind him with a deep sigh of relief, then clapping his hands twice as an 'all-clear' once he saw that she was far enough away.

Solo climbed back into the room, shaking out his sore arms. Une shoved herself out from under the bed and dusted herself off. Noin and Duo made their way from out of the closet.

Treize turned back to his friends with a sheepish grin. "You know I didn't think she'd buy that one. It's the third time I've used it and I don't think she's realized yet that I don't have Acting until next semester..."

"Treize, you so have to teach me to talk like that." Solo gaped.

*****