My name is Daisuke Niwa and as of recently, I'm sixteen-years-old. The story I'm going to
tell starts on my 14th birthday. But I'm going to start with the introduction of my best friend,
and her sister.
I sat zoned in my seat staring, without really seeing it, at the chalkboard. The teacher
was late, against her rules, and the kids around me threw things at each other. I was thinking of
a girl in my class, Risa Harda, in all her glory a fourteen-year-old could come up with. But my
fantasy ended abruptly with the entering of the teacher and the girl following her.
Her hair was two different colors. The top was white and cut to an end just above her
hidden ears and very shaggy as if it needed to be cut again. The underside was black and just
barely brushed her shoulders as if she hadn't gotten it cut in a while. Her eyes were a piercing
ice blue and gave her a look that she could read your soul and on a second glance made it seem
that she had seen one to many years and many horrible things. The first thing I remember
noticing about her was that she was extremely well endowed for a fourteen-year-old (gutter out of the
mind, I know). The second thing was I noticed she looked in my direction more then once.
"Class, this is Xochitl Stevenson, she is a transfer student from America. Be nice to
her or you will not like what's next." The teacher added mysteriously and along with a smile
from Xochitl that could give a kid goose bumps. She ended up sitting next to me.
"Hi," she whispered. Her voice reminded me of flowers- frozen over and thawed out and
left in the sun. Actually, it was pretty cool I thought; and made me feel as if I was being
caressed. "You must be Daisuke Niwa. Do you want to be my friend?" That surprised me.
At least she was honest, if not blunt. I didn't know what to say. She was so random and, well, it
wasn't exactly rude, just... well... duh, random. With her hair and eyes and voice, it seemed
very weird. I never realized how much one word can do until after I said it. But it was for good;
I found that out later.
I found a friend in Xochitl that I never would again. I could tell all my secrets to her and
she would give advice, or comfort me and even listen to my problems. Despite what she looked
like on the outside, her inside was better then gold. And later I found out just how valuable her
friendship really was. But it was her sister Corby who really impressed me.
Her hair was a silky brown and her eyes reminded me of chocolate. Not as well endowed
as her sister, it was hard to tell they were related. The Stevenson family lived in America for
fourteen years and their dad got a transfer and they ended up here. Their house was almost the
same size as mine.I loved going over and playing tag or hide-and-go-seek with Xochitl. Her sister
would never join us because it was "immature" but that never stopped me from liking her. Some
day I wanted to tell her how I felt, but I am a shy kid. But then I turned 16.
'As I warned, I have taken the paining. Dark'.
Throughout history, works of art have been stolen under mysterious circumstances... Said by
some, to be the work of "Phantom" thieves.. Others dismiss it as a mere myth. But in this
country, the stories are all to true. The name of this mysterious thief? "Dark." And his true
identity? No ones knows...
My first love letter, was to Corby Stevenson. And it was "return to sender". I poured
my whole soul into that letter, letting her know just what I felt. All I ever wanted was for
Corby to love me back. But what she said hurt me almost to the point of death.
"Daisuke... I know this must have been hard for you to write... but I have to return it to
you..." she said, her small hands covering her mouth. Behind her I could just see Xochitl, her
sister. Xochitl's eyes looked funny, different; as if some part of her was being torn to shreds
before her very eyes. "I'm sorry... I just don't think of you that way, Daisuke."
"Oh, okay," I whispered. On my 16th birthday I, Daisuke Niwa, was totally shot down.
"But we can still be friends right?" I asked. And Corby shrugged. The rest of the day, I
walked around in a daze. My friends, Takeshi Saehara, and Keiji Saga, and Xochitl
Stevenson noticed something was wrong and wanted to know what it was.
"Yo, Daisuke! Earth to Daisuke! He's always so spacey..." Takeshi said. Keiji
waved his hand in front of my face, but I hardly noticed it. Keiji sighed softly.
"Hmm... He's been really out of it ever since lunch..." Keiji mused. "His stupidity is up
50 from normal levels." he joked. I didn't move at all. Takeshi, being the impatient person he
is, jumped up and attacked me, yelling:
"All right this is getting boring. C'mon Daisuke snap out of it!" Takeshi wrapped his
arm around my neck and started dragging me off. "Tonight's the big night!" he announced. I
could see the class looking at us as they left and there was Xochitl watching silently. "News is in
the air! My reporter's nose can smell it!" Takeshi continued and still dragged me off.
"Takeshi..." I gasped. "I can't breathe!" Suddenly Takeshi let go off me and I almost
fell and gave me scary look.
"Something's happening tonight... right at eleven! My dad tipped me off," he swung
around and handed me the broom in his hand. "I have to go and get ready...could you finish
cleaning up for me? I'll get you a picture of Stevenson... an eight-by-ten." he bribed and ran
off laughing evilly and l looked around for Xochitl, but she was gone. I finished up cleaning in
silence, thinking about Corby and Xochitl. Xochitl had been acting really weird lately and then
Corby rejected me. Twins will be twins I guess. But Xochitl hardly ever (if not never) avoided
me. Something was wrong with her and I was supposed to know what it was. But like a boy, I
didn't. My ape like mind was wrapped around Corby and it wouldn't let go.
I was so involved in my thoughts that it took me awhile to realize that the art room key
pad was rejecting my card. It was at that moment that I lost control. My eyes prickled and I
whipped my sleeve across my eyes.
"My life stinks!" I cried to myself. Why couldn't things go right just on my birthday? I
know I'm not that smart or good looking, but it took everything I had to give Corby that letter.
I cried harder. Suddenly there was a white handkerchief by my face. I looked at it and into the
face of Satoshi Hiwakari, my class mate. I took the cloth in surprise and Satoshi walked past
me toward the art room. At that point I panicked; he thought the door was unlocked!
"Oh, Satoshi, here let me open that," I muttered to myself after hurrying past to the
key pad. "Okay, so its... so that means..." I punched a few keys and taped some more and the
pad made a beep. "There you go!" I announced happily and slid the door open. I grinned at a
note taking Satoshi, wondering why he was here.
"Im on cleaning duty to day," he said at my asking, and snapped his pocketbook shut and
pushed up his glasses. "Daisuke, how'd you get the door open?" I panicked again.
A normal kid couldn't do that! What do I say? What a mess! I stammered,
pathetically trying to come up with an excuse. But all I could think off was that we had one at
home. We do have key pads but not this kind. Lame, lame, and lame! Satoshi looked at the
pad and back at me.
"You have a Debec Z1G II at home?" he asked. I nodded frantically, a stupid grin on
my face, knowing just how unusual that lock is. Satoshi gave me a weird look. I was in so much
trouble... again.