The sun woke Keiko up. She sat up and looked around and then got out of bed and stretched. She then changed and did other morning things one would do. She then pocketed her game boy and carried her sketch book with her. She walked out and saw the boy across the hall just walk out of his room and close the his door. He turned around and saw her.
-
KJ groaned at the sun that hit her face and turned over. She then rubbed her eyes and put her glasses on. She sat up and got up. She did a few karate moves to wake herself up and then she changed and got ready. She walked out of her room and saw Keiko in the hall. She saw she was staring at a boy with brunette hair and then she heard a door closed and saw a guy with blond hair wearing black clothes across from her.
-
Kuro eventually woke up. She had her blinds closed so the irritating sun couldn't wake her. She got up and brushed her hair with her fingers. Curly hair would get annoying at times but it was nifty when you didn't have to brush it. She got up and stretched and then opened her door, not caring that she was in her all black pajamas. She looked down the hall and saw Keiko looking at a guy with brunette hair and KJ was staring at a guy with blond hair. She just looked at them and then turned her head slightly when she saw the door across form her opened and guy in all white walked out, in his pajamas as well.
Keiko decided to brake the silence.
"Hi I'm Keiko, we're going to be staying here a week," she said holding her hand out to the brunette.
"Oh, I'm Matt. These two are Mello and Near," he said shaking her hand.
"This is KJ and over there is Kuro," said Keiko.
"So why only a week?" he asked.
"Kuro didn't want to come she didn't see the reason why, but we made a compromise and we're her for a week and if she doesnâ–“t like it we're going back to out old house," said Keiko.
"Shack, you mean shack," said KJ.
"Yea," said Keiko.
"That's stupid, why wouldn't you choose and place like this over a shack?" asked Mello everyone then looked at Kuro, but she didn't have to answer, she would anyhow they wouldn't understand, because a guy walked up, a teenager, he had shaggy black hair and walked bent over.
"Guys hurry up or you'll miss breakfast," he said and they all walked down to the kitchen and got food. They sat at their own table together as a group. Keiko and Matt were talking about game boy games, KJ was eating and Mello hesitantly asked about her martial art weapons she had and that started a conversation. L, whom they found out was the teenager's name, watched as Near and Kuro ate in silence.
Soon Watari walked over the table and they greeted him with either speech or the slight nod of the head.
"I'm glad you've made friends, even you Kuro," he said. She just looked at him.
"What is that suppose to indicate?" she asked.
"Nothing. Oh well I want to tell you, while you're here you may want to think an alias to use. I'm sure these gentlemen here told you their alias instead of their real name," said Watari.
"Then they aren't real gentlemen are they?" asked KJ.
"Just think of something," he said.
"As far as you're concerned these are the only names we'll ever go by," said Kuro. Watari just nodded to her and walked away.
"Since it's Sunday, we don't have school, do you wish to spend it with us?" asked L as he sipped on some sugar loaded tea.
"Yea!" said Keiko.
"It's better then sitting around," said KJ.
"I would prefer the confines of my room," said Kuro.
"Aw come on, you know you'll have fun. You and Near can be silent together, and keep each other company while we have fun," said Matt. Near and Kuro just looked at him.
"Just come Kuro," said KJ.
"You got me to this place and now you wish me to spend time with people I don't even know?" asked Kuro.
"We were strangers to you at one point," pointed out Keiko.
"We were in grade school together and I was sitting at your table I forced to get to know you by the teacher," said Kuro.
"Like I said, just come," said KJ.
"If not we'll force you," said Mello. Kuro just raised an eyebrow at him.
"Kuro, they never do anything except sit around, just sit with us like you're doing here," said Near. Kuro looked him and rolled her eyes.
"Fine, I don't even care anymore," said Kuro.
"Yay!" yelled Keiko.
They left the table and walked into the living room of the house. No one was inside since all the kids were outside enjoying the fresh air and warm weather. Keiko and Matt took over the couch immediately covering it with games.
"I love this game," said Matt pointing to one of Keiko's games.
"It's fun isn't it? No matter how many times you beat it," said Keiko.
KJ and Mello stood and KJ taught him some basic karate moves.
"I prefer to use guns, anyhow" said Mello as she told him he did it wrong.
"Well what happens if you lose your gun, it's knocked away, or you run out of bullets?" asked KJ.
"Point taken," he said.
Near and Kuro sat on the ground and Near pulled a new puzzle out. He held it up to Kuro who shrugged and they began to work on it.
L watched them all and laughed inside his head. Seeing his successors find a new friend was rare and it got them off his back and he quietly snuck away.
When lunch time came, Matt and Keiko had successfully completed the game they were talking about earlier, Mello had finally gotten all the basics down, and Near and Kuro had finished six 5000 piece puzzles.
During lunch L returned and ate with them. He saw Matt and Keiko talking about Mario.
"How did a plumber get a princess?" asked Matt.
"Luigi did too," said Keiko.
Mello and KJ were talking about action films.
"It's all about Chuck Norris," said Mello.
"No Bruce Lee, he's a classic," said KJ.
Near and Kuro were as silent as ever. L watched and nibbled on his strawberry silently observing. He knew his young friends had their own eating habits, much like himself, and decided to find out what the eating habit of these girls were.
Keiko seemed to follow everything she needs to eat applying to the food pyramid. KJ ate almost anything that looks tasty and drank milk. Kuro only ate fruit and seafood and drank root beer. It was interesting to observe eating styles you could find things out about people by what they eat.
Kuro finished and left, soon followed by Near. Matt and Keiko stayed there and talked while KJ and Mello went outside to learn a few kadas.
Kuro was in her room tossing her spider, James, up and catching him. Near watched from the hallway.
"Come in," said Kuro. Near walked in and sat next to her on her bed. He followed the stuffed animal with his eyes as it was tossed and he caught it as it came back down. Kuro looked at him as he stared into the spiders bead eyes and then flipped it around and looked at it. He then handed it back to Kuro who went back to tossing it. Near then got up and looked at the figure son her desk. They were just small plastic figures of people. His eyes then went to the puzzle and he picked it up. It was a brown box with just puzzle written on the top. He opened the lid and looked inside. He then turned around and looked at Kuro.
"Can we?" he asked.
"Sure," said Kuro, shocked that he said 'we' and not just 'I'. They sat on the ground and he poured the contents onto the floor and began. After ten minutes they finished it after about ten minutes, it was a small puzzle. Near looked at the picture and realized it wasn't a puzzle bought at a store, which would explain the box. The picture was of the three girls at around six in age. They looked a lot like they did now but just shorter and younger in face, while now they look more mature but not entirely.
"You look different," said Near studying the young Kuro in the picture and then looking up at her.
"It's because that was when we first became friends. My parents wanted me to keep this picture forever and they knew I liked puzzles so they made it into one and gave it to me for my seventh birthday. I was happy then I finally had someone how cared about me that wasn't just my parents," she said the most Near had heard her say.
"Where did you get the figures on your desk?" he asked.
"I saw them in the store and saw they looked like people I knew so I bought them," she said. He nodded and then stood up and then put a hand in front of Kuro.
"Come with me," he said. She looked up at him and then his hand and slowly put her hand on his and he pulled her up. They then walked to his room he then walked over to his desk and grabbed a few things and walked back over to Kuro and motioned for her to sit next to him on the ground. He had blocks and a few figures out. They then began to make an entire city.
-
"Your suppose to round house kick there?" said KJ.
"Right I know," he said and he pulled a chocolate bar out of his pocket and took a bite of it.
"I want some," said KJ walking over to him and trying to get the candy bar.
"No it's mine," he said holding it up from the short girl.
"That's not nice. All I asked for it one small piece that's the least you can do for someone who is possibly teaching you how to save your life," she said.
"It's mine," he said. Then he dropped it on the ground and it was in a dirt patch.
"Great," said KJ. Mello picked it up and then saw a kid walk by.
"Here," he said handing it to him.
"You would never give chocolate to someone so clearly something happened to this bar," said the kid. Mello just narrowed his eyes.
"Take it before I flying side kick you into oblivian," he yelled. The kid jumped, took the bar and ran. KJ smirked at the use of her line. She had used it on him when he wanted to give up on the basics and start on the actual combinations.
"You have learned much, grasshopper, but you're not a master yet. Once you get this kada down I'll let you start learning nunchakus," she said. He thought about it and then nodded his head. He then did the kada perfectly.
"Nunchakus," he said.
"You knew how to do the kada all along? You just didn't show me because your were trying to get me to start teaching you how to do nunchakus cause you knew that it would take a while before I actually would start, isn't that right ?" she asked.
"Yep," he said.
"Men," said KJ rolling her eyes and walking away and back into the house. Mello quickly followed behind.
"Hey, where are you going?" he asked. She just kept walking, "come on," he said. The walked to their hallway and KJ went into her room. Mello followed and watched her grabbed two nunchakus and shoved one into Mello's chest and walked out. They went back out side and he tried to look cool while spinning one but then hit himself in the face with it. KJ couldn't help but laugh.
"It's funny!" he yelled at her.
"Oh yes, it is. And you're bleeding nose makes it even more hysterical. Come on," said KJ. They went back inside and KJ helped him clean up his bloody nose.
-
Matt and Keiko were playing Sonic on Sega and Matt beat Keiko again.
"WHOO!" yelled Matt standing up.
"Darn," said Keiko as she put the controller down.
"Hey what's in that book?" he asked as he saw the book placed beside her.
"Drawings," said Keiko.
"Can I see?" he asked.
"Sure," said Keiko and she handed it to him. He flipped through it and made comments on some and when he was done he handed it back to her.
"These are cool," he said and flashed her a smile.
"Thanks," she said.
"Hey have you ever drawn someone before, like there on the spot?" he asked.
"Yea, I use to draw people on the street for money while KJ did karate and Kuro sang and the only drawing of Kuro sleeping with her stuffed animal was one. She looked so childish I couldn't resist. She's a funny person," said Keiko.
"Seems like it," he said.
"Anyway why do you ask?"
"Can you draw me?"
"Huh?"
"Draw me."
"Um, sure. Do a pose, a sane one."
Keiko pulled out a pencil and Matt did a pose. He was laying on the couch with his game boy up in the air. Keiko laughed at this typical scene and began drawing.
Dinner time was just like the other meals except new conversation topics. L watched them talk, or not, and then Watari walked over.
"How was your first day here?" asked Watari looking at the three girls.
"It was interesting," said KJ.
"I had fun!" said Keiko. Kuro just took a bite of her peach.
"That's great, I'm sure nothing too horrible happened with these young men," he said.
"Hey!" said Mello and Matt. Watari just smiled at them.
"Anyway tomorrow you'll start classes and you may all go to the same classes as your new friends," said Watari and he left.
"School? I thought this was an orphanage," said Keiko.
"Why do you think I didn't want to come? I don't want to go to school," said Kuro.
"Can you be anymore like a kid?" asked KJ.
"Yes," said Kuro bluntly taking a sip of her root beer.
"It isn't so horrible. For smart kids like us it's easy," said Mello.
"You can even fall asleep in class," said Matt.
"Or draw," said Keiko.
"I'm not going. I'll stay in my room all day," said Kuro and she got up and left the table.
"She's interesting," said L.
"She is a handful," said KJ as she got up.
"We'll go check on her," said Keiko. The two girls soon left and went up to Kuro's room where she was found on her bed and holding James with her back to the door.
When the girls left the guys all looked at each other and then got up and walked upstairs. The stayed in the hallway and peaked through the crack in the doorway and watched as KJ walked over to Kuro on her bed.
"Kuro, we know how you feel about school we all resent it but we have moved on. You're the oldest and you were put in charged to watch over us," said KJ.
"We rely on you, and we don't like seeing our hero like this," said Keiko.
"Hero? I basically killed our parents and you call me your hero?" asked Kuro sitting up and glaring at the two.
"Calm down, you didn't kill them. It was that drunk driver," said KJ.
"Well our parents wouldn't have come to the school if it wasn't for me and if the school didn't call my parents to pick me up they would still be here and we wouldn't even be fighting like this," said Kuro.
"We all have our views on who killed our parents and we see it as the other driver not you. Our parents put us in your care," said KJ.
"Kuro, please. Just give school a chance again. Give this place a chance. Look at the friends you made. Sure you didn't hang out with Matt, Mello, or L, but you did hang out with Near and it seemed like you had a good time with each other because you spent the entire day together, and we know you enjoyed it because, well you didn't," said Keiko as she trailed off.
"We didn't need to bring it up, but yes it's true you didn't try anything. Every time you get like this just look at your arms and remember that this place is full of people and we will save you so it's pointless to try," said KJ.
"Just leave me alone," said Kuro looking down. The others followed her eyes and saw the puzzle her and Near had put together earlier.
"All right, but please think about attending classes. We're going to tell the guys about everything just in case something does happen. I wanted to keep this from them and I'm sure you did too but you had to get this way so there's nothing else we can do," said KJ.
The guys took a step back as the two girls walked out. They then walked into KJ's room and KJ took a seat on her bed as did Keiko. Mello sat down at her desk chair and the others sat on the ground and looked at the two girls.
"So what was that all about?" asked Matt.
"Well we are orphans, clearly, and all of this really started when were in school. These two boys were picking on Keiko and her drawings and making fun of my height. We got upset and Kuro knew so she walked up to both of them and punched them in the face. She was caught by a teacher and all three of us and the two boys were brought into the office. We told our story and they called our parents.
"Our parents were out having lunch since, thanks to us, they were best friends when they got a call. They all came in one car and on the way their car was hit by a drunk driver. They were rushed to the emergency room and we were rushed to the hospital. When we got there it was too late, all three were gone. We got their wills and they all said that if they were to all go Kuro was put in charge," said KJ.
"Well Kuro had been taking all of this hard because she thought it was her fault. She kept muttering if she wasn't caught. We went into her room to give her some food and we saw her laying on her bed with a kitchen knife next to her and we rushed in and bandaged her up. The next day at school she was sent to the school counsler and that's where she was told that us three were moving to middle school. We went and more people would pick on us and her hatred for school increased. We were told about a school in England for gifted children and they wanted to see us. We flew to England and we missed our ride to the school and we waited. Eventually we fell asleep and never were able to catch the make up ride.
"We thought the school would come looking for us and they did but we were small and they never found us. We found that shack and were entertaining for money but Kuro looked around and saw what mess we were in and once again blamed herself since she was now in charge and tried again but we saved her again as well. And now two months later, they finally found us," said Keiko.
"Wow, that's quite some history, and that happened?" asked L.
"Well our parents died when we were nine and we went through to sixth grade to eighth grade in six months and when we got to ninth grade the sent us to England," said KJ.
"So you were suppose to be here in the first place," said Mello.
"Near," said L. Near looked up at him.
"I want you to stay with Kuro tonight. Watari wants to make sure nothing happens to his orphans. I'll go tell him that you are the girls," said L as he got up and left. Near stood up and left as well.
"Are you two okay?" asked Matt.
"Us, we're fine just concerned, but I'm sure she'll be fine in the morning," said KJ.
"Well I'm tired I'm going to go get some sleep," said Keiko and she left with the guys.
-
Near walked in and saw Kuro sitting on the ground staring at the puzzle. She then messed it up with her hand and a piece hit Near and he looked at it. It showed the small smile that was on Kuro's face in the picture. He walked over and sat next to her and handed her the piece. She just looked at it and took it from him and stared at it. She sighed and began to pick the pieces up. Near helped her. She put the box back on her desk and sat on her bed.
"Thank you," she said. He looked at her and nodded, "I suppose they told you the entire story."
"I don't think you killed their parents," he said looking at his hands.
"No one does except me because you're not in my position," said Kuro and she laid down on her bed.
"I understand," said Near as he got on the floor and laid down. He then felt something soft fall on his face. He saw James on his face. He then held onto it and turned onto his side acting like he was asleep.
"Hey," said Kuro nudging his shoulder. He didn't budge. There was then a knock on the door and Kuro answered it. L smiled at her and handed her a pillow and blanket then left. Kuro walked over to Near and picked his head up as she put the pillow under his head. She then draped the blanket over him. He opened one eye and looked up at her.
"Night," he mumbled.
"Night, Near, and thank you," she said and went to sleep herself.
-
KJ listened for anything and when she heard the bed in the other room squeak she calmed down and went to sleep as well.