The next morning KJ woke up to a sweet smell under her nose. She opened her eyes and saw a chocolate bar in her face. She went to grab it but it was pulled away and Mello took a bite out of if. She glared at him sitting on the edge of her bed.
"Why are you in here?" she asked.
"I was told to wake you up," he said as KJ sat up and rubbed her eyes then put her glasses on. She could barely see but she knew what everything was this morning because it has been established that she wasn't stupid.
"For school?" she asked. Mello just nodded and took another bite out of his chocolate.
"Come on get up," he said taking her covers away. KJ shivered at the sudden rush of cool air and she drew her legs into her chest and hugged them. She was wearing long shorts and a tank top so she got pretty cold.
"I'll be back in five minutes be ready because I'm coming in," he said and left. He walked into the hallway and saw Keiko walk out of her room.
"Morning," she greeted.
"Go wake Matt, I know he's still asleep," said Mello before going into his room. Keiko grinned and walked into Matt's room. She saw him sleeping and then jumped onto of him. He woke with a smart and saw the girl sitting on his stomach and her feet swinging off the edge of the bed.
"That hurts," he whined.
"Get up we have to go to school," said Keiko jumping off of him and sitting on her knees next to his head and poked him in the shoulder.
"Yea, yea, yea," said Matt getting out of bed and going to his dresser.
"I'll wait for you in the hallway," said Keiko and she walked out. After two minutes waiting Mello walked out of his room. He glanced at Keiko, who waved, then went into KJ's room. Keiko was stuck waiting some more. Matt soon came out dressed and ready and soon KJ came out followed by Mello who was rubbing his chin.
"What happened to you?" asked Matt looking at Mello.
"I walked in to get KJ after five minutes and she was brushing her hair and hit me in the chin with her brush," explained Mello.
"You should have knocked and I would have been aware of your presence," said KJ crossing her arms and smirking at Mello. He glared down at her.
"Someone should wake Kuro and Near up," said Keiko. They all looked at each other.
"I will, you'll be late. The teachers already know their excuse," said L walking past them and into Kuro's room. The four shrugged their shoulders and walked to get breakfast. On the way KJ hit Mello in the chin and he proceeded to pick her up and swing her over his shoulder. Keiko just laughed at her and when KJ asked for salvation Keiko just grabbed Matt's hand and ran away.
L saw Kuro and near sleeping identically to each other. Both were curled up into balls and covered to their chins with their blankets. L turned his head and smiled a bit then walked over to near. He saw him hugging a stuffed animal spider and pulled at it but Near had a firm grip on it. L then shook Near's shoulder and his eyes opened slowly.
"School," was all L said. Near nodded and L left the room. Near sat up and looked over at Kuro who had her back turned to him. He reached over the shook her shoulder. Kuro rolled over, looked at the time, then laid back down. Near sighed and sat on the edge of her bed and shook her shoulder.
"Don't waste you're strength, I'm not going," said Kuro looking up at him.
"Compromise. You go today if you still feel so strongly about not going then I'll ditch with you," said Near. Kuro thought for a moment then nodded her head. Neard nodded back then held out his hand. Kuro took it and sat up.
"We should get to class," said Kuro sitting next to Near on the edge of her bed.
"Aren't you going to change?" he asked. She shook her head. She liked her black and white plaid flannel pajamas. They then walked out and down the hall. They soon got to the classroom and they took seats at the back of the classroom.
The class was painfully boring to Keiko. She looked over and saw Matt with a book propped up and he was playing game boy. Keiko watched and right as he was about to beat the bad guy Keiko pushed the book down with a loud thump and the teacher looked over at the two. Keiko was laughing and Matt was whining to her.
"Matt! Keiko! In the hall now," said the teacher pointing to the door. They walked out and then burst into laughter at the look on the teacher's face.
KJ rested her hand on her arms as she tuned out the teacher lecturing on something math related. Mello sat next to her watching the teacher but having a difficult time.
"Why don't you just fall asleep?" she asked.
"Because there might be something I don't know and I can't have Near beat me," he said. KJ rolled her eyes. They had the conversation about Near and Mello before, when they took a break from karate. KJ just rested her head back on her arms and looked at Mello as his eyelids started to drop and then he'd shoot back up and it would happen all over again. Eventually he fell asleep with his head on the desk. The bell soon rang and Mello shot up. KJ stood up and stretched.
"Have a nice nap?" she asked.
"No," he said.
"Sure," said KJ as she walked out. Mello caught up to her and grabbed her hand stopping her.
"Where do you think you're going? You're suppose to be following me," he said.
"I know," said KJ grabbing his hand tighter. Mello saw the plan and sighed an then lead them to their next class. On the way they saw Near and Kuro.
"So you got her to come?" asked Mello.
"Clearly," said Near.
"That's good Kuro," said KJ. Kuro just looked down and walked on. Near waved good bye and then ran and caught up with Kuro.
Lunch time came and Keiko was talking with Kuro and KJ joined them. Matt was playing his game boy and slightly eating. Mello was watching Near as he ate. L then came up and squatted next to the three girls.
"When you're done with lunch go see Watari in his office, here's map. He needs to talk to you about something important. Don't worry about class for the rest of the day, I'm sure it's stuff you already know. We told the teachers to do review today," said L and he walked away after KJ took the map.
"KJ, I should take the map. You're horrible with directions," said Kuro taking it from her.
"That was one time," said KJ.
"We don't need to add to it," said Kuro.
"Remember that one time when we went to that corn field maze when we were seven?" asked Keiko.
"Where we challenged each other to who could get out first and I won," said Kuro.
"I came in second," said Keiko.
"And after an hour of waiting you guys came in to save me and found me no where near the exit," said KJ. Then they heard Matt and Mello brake into laughter, having listen to the story and Near was smiling.
"It's not funny," said KJ throwing her napkin at Mello.
"Nope, it's hysterical," said Kuro.
"You shut up too," said KJ shoving Kuro who fell off her seat and landed with her back on the floor.
"Okay, ow," said Kuro trying to get up. Near then went over and helped her back onto her chair.
"This is a different side of Kuro that we are seeing," said Near.
"This is how she usually is once she opens up, but you still haven't seen all of her yet," said Keiko.
"Interesting," said Matt.
"Well we should go talk to Watari now see you later," said KJ. The three girls left and Kuro led them to the office with the use of the map, neatly drawn by L.
"Girls please have a seat," said Watari indicating three chairs in front of his desk. They sat and stared up at him. "As you know this was the school that originally called you here," he said, they nodded, "and once our deal is up, and you decide whether you want to stay here or not at the end of the week, if you wish not to stay we will all send you back home, not the shack you had here in England but back to your real homes."
"Really?" asked Kuro.
"Yes, but if you choose to stay, there is something. You will have to stay in someone else's room because we need the room for more orphans," he said.
"We understand," said KJ.
"Thank you," said Keiko and they left his office and headed back to their rooms. In their rooms they saw a note telling them their next class. Keiko went off and Kuro first helped KJ to her next class and then Kuro went to her next one. She knew this was the perfect time to skip but she made a deal with Near so she entered the classroom and found the white haired boy and went and sat next to him. She kept her attention on the teacher the entire time. Occasionally she would feel Near's eyes on her but she ignored it and continued to watch the teacher. Next class was the last class of the day, and unfortunately for Kuro, the teacher assigned a class project that was to be done in pairs. It was on Shakespeare and each were given a play to write about. Kuro and Near were assigned together and their play was 'Much Ado About Nothing', to be due at the end of the week.
Class ended and they walked back to their rooms.
-
Keiko entered her class and immediately saw Matt standing up and waving his arms. The teacher looked at her and crossed her arms at Matt's behavior. Keiko sat next to matt and the teacher went back to teaching now that the interruption was over.
"So what was your meeting about?" asked Matt looking at Keiko, completely ignoring the teacher.
"Nothing much," shrugged Keiko.
"Oh, so when should we stat our English project?"
"When we get back to our rooms. We have Twelfth Night, right?"
"Yea, that's a crazy story."
"Yea, should be fun."
They barley paid any attention to the teacher. They were whispering to each other and playing games like tic-tac-toe and hangman all period. They would make fun of the others by picking phrases, for hangman, such as 'I have to be first' or 'transformers' or 'nunchakus' or 'I hate school'.
Class was over and they went o Matt's room. It was Keiko's second time in his room but this is the first time she actually got a good look at his room. She turned around his room taking it all in and she couldn't expect anything else from the video game loving guy. Video game boxes were stacked like books on his book shelf. He had a laptop on his desk and his bed had a Mario mushroom pillow and the orphanage's blankets.
"Interesting room," said Keiko sitting down on his bed.
"Sure," he said sitting on his chair, spinning, then stopped and opened his laptop.
"So we have to make a presentation on a board, right?" asked Keiko.
"Yea, I'll type you make the board pretty, how about that?" asked Matt.
"Works for me, you start writing and I'll go get stuff," said Keiko and she left the room. When she walked out she saw KJ and Mello walking down the hall complaining about Romeo and Juliet. Their project will be interesting.
"it's a romantic tragedy!" yelled KJ.
"Suicide is not a tragedy with those two who are annoying!" Mello yelled back.
"Hey," Keiko greeted.
"Hey Keiko," they said in unison before arguing again.
"It's not your opinion that categorizes stories," said KJ.
"Well it should," said Mello before walking into Mello's room and slamming the door shut. Keiko just sighed and went into her room. When she went back into Matt's room she saw him typing away. She sat down and laid the board out and stated decorating it. Son she head the printer going and both were working on the board. They soon finished and stood up and looked at it.
"I like it," said Matt.
"Me too," said Keiko.
"Well now we're done, and it's due at the end of the week," said Matt. He continued to look at it and then was whacked in the head by none other then his own pillow and heard Keiko laugh at him. Wow, her laugh, it was something never heard before. It penetrated all other sounds and hit Matt like a speeding truck. He didn't expect such a sound to come from something so little. I mean KJ was short and loud but this was different. Matt looked at her then joined her in laughing.
Once they calmed down from the laughter attack, Matt took his pillow from her then looked at it and hit her in the face. She had a shocked expression on her face and then took the other pillow on his bed and hit him in the head. Soon it was an all out pillow fight. Much to their neighbors discomfort.
"What the hell is all that laughter?" asked Mello angry from trying to figure out Romeo and his love to Juliet. In the end KJ had to write everything that involved love, while Romeo wrote about the fights between the Montagues and Capulets.
"They probably already finished and are having fun like ten year olds should, or whatever age they are. Point is, let's just finish," said KJ printing her work out.
"Arg, fine," said Mello before he sat down and typed more after muttering 'women'. KJ worked on the board and she finished when Mello finished printing his papers out. They put it on the board and sighed leaning back against the bed.
"Finally!" yelled KJ.
"It's your fault we took so long," he said.
"Not now, I'll fight with you later," said KJ looking around, "you know Mello, if you saved all your chocolate wrappers I'm sure you could have wallpapered this room."
"That would be horrifying," said Mello looking at her weirdly.
"Not as horrifying at the thought of you eating all that chocolate," said KJ turning her head to look at him.
"I thought you said you didn't want to fight," said Mello, KJ just shrugged," plus I've seen you eat your fair share of chocolate."
It's true, KJ had chocolate ice cream after dinner last night and this morning she happily consumed a large chocolate muffin. You could say that both are very happy to not be allergic to this addicting plant.
Anyway, with that said, Mello then poked KJ in the stomach and KJ let out a small squeak and covered her mouth trying to hide that sound that already broke loose.
"You're like one of Near's stuffed animals that I stepped on one time," said Mello and he poked her again. She squeaked. He tried to poke her some more but she blocked her stomach with her arms.
"Stop poking me!" she cried out with a bit of laughter in her voice.
"But it's fun!" she said in his defense. He poked her one more time.
"Sttttttoooopppppp!" whined KJ.
"Fine, I surrender," said Mello holding his hands up.
"Good," said KJ who then poked Mello in the stomach.
"Do that one mo-" he started but KJ poked him again.
"What now?" she asked smirking.
"This. Is. War." said Mello and they proceeded to get in a huge poke 'war'.
Matt and Keiko stopped their pillow fight to catch their breath from all that laughing. They then heard a light knock on the door. They opened it, with Keiko peaking from behind Matt, and saw Near there.
"What's up Near?" asked Matt.
"Can you keep it down and can you tell your neighbor as well?" asked Near.
"Sure, you still aren't working on your project thought, are you?" asked Matt. Near nodded.
"Kuro is probably making you do all of it since she isn't going back to school," said Keiko as a joke.
"She isn't feeling very well," he said.
"Oh that explains it," said Keiko simply.
"Aren't you worried about her?" asked Matt looking at Keiko.
"It's surprising when she isn't sick," said Keiko.
"What do you mean?" asked Matt.
"Something happened to her a few years ago and she has always been sick. It gets worse at times and comes and goes. I guess now it came. What symptoms?" asked Keiko looking at Near.
"Coughing, runny nose, headache, stomach ache," said Near.
"Yea that sounds about right, she should still be able to help you though," said Keiko.
"She insisted but I made her rest," said Near.
"Thanks Near, and we'll keep it down. I'll go tell Mello and KJ," said Matt. Near nodded and went back into his room. He glanced at Kuro sleeping in his bed then got back to work on the board. He was typing and finally finished the writing. It was printing when he saw Kuro stir. She sat up and yawned then rubbed her eyes. She then looked at Near as he walked over and sat next to her. He saw that hat that she always wore fell off and her curly brown hair was now exposed. He saw one particularly curly hair and pulled on it. She watched him pulled the curl and watch it spring back to it's original form. He did it a few more times.
"Entertainment for hours?" asked Kuro as Near did it one more time and nodded before Kuro turned her face to the side and coughed.
"You okay?" asked Near. Kuro nodded and looked at the board.
"I'll help," said Kuro getting up out of Near's bed and sat on the ground and Near sat next to her after getting the papers. Kuro read them and shook her head a bit.
"What's wrong?" Near asked stopping form gluing the title to the board and looking at her.
"Nothing, I was just thinking how funny adults are when they are in love," said Kuro gluing the paper to the board. They worked in silence except for the occasional sniff, cough, or sneeze from Kuro. They finally finished and Kuro sat up on his bed and he sat next to her. He then reached over and pulled another curl.
"Why do you cover your hair up?" he asked still having fun with that one curl.
"Well for this reason and it gets in the way a lot," said Kuro. Near nodded. Kuro then reached up and pulled his small curl but it wasn't as fun as the curls in her hair.
"My hair isn't that fun," he said.
"Want to bet?" she asked and then grabbed his head and rubbed his head just like a noogie.
"Ah!" he yelled while smiling and she smiled at him as he pulled away and his hair was sticking up everywhere.
"I'm thirsty," said Kuro and she got up and they walked out and down to the kitchen. They got water and walked into the living room and saw a few board games and began to play Yatzee but then they got bored and start to build a palace out of dice.
Dinner that evening was slightly more entertaining. The whole group was talking at least a little bit, Kuro would occasionally add a few comments. She then left early to get some rest, really she just wanted to go back to her room.
"I'm going to go check on Kuro," said KJ getting up. The others nodded and Near stood up and they walked up to their hallway.
"KJ can I ask you something?" he asked tugging on her sleeve as they walked.
"Sure," said KJ looking at him.
"How do you get her to smile, again?" he asked.
"Again?" asked KJ stopping.
"Yea, she smiled this afternoon, but I think that was a one time thing," he said.
"Why would you want her to smile again?" asked KJ looking at him smiling slightly.
"Be-because I l-liked it. She looked c-cute with a smile," he said looking at the ground. KJ smiled at this.
"Sure thing I know how to make her smile again," said KJ.
"How?" asked Near looking up at her. KJ just leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"That's all," said KJ.
"Wow, thanks," he said. KJ nodded and they went back to going to their hallway.
Near put the plan off for tonight and went to sleep.
"So how's Kuro?" asked Mello as he and KJ were in his room practicing some karate.
"She's perfectly fine," said KJ.
"I heard from Matt and Keiko that this is constant," he said.
"Yea it is, we usually don't worry too much about it. It get's worse with rainy and sunny weather and here in England where the Sun doesn't shine and the English will be the first with webbed feet, it has been more frequent," said KJ.
"Near will look out for her. He has grown fond of her," he said.
"Yea, and who have you grown fond of, hmm Mello?" she asked.
"Well who have I spent the most time with?" he asked simply.
"So it's not just to get my karate skills?"
"No."
"Good, because then I would have to kick your butt."
"I know."
"Keiko give me my pillow back," said Matt knocking on her door.
"But I like it!" she complained.
"I know, I like it too, and I want it back," said Matt.
"Fine," said Keiko and she opened the door and chucked it at his face. He smiled at her and hugged his pillow. Keiko couldn't resist how cute the kid looked while doing that and hugged him.
"What the-?" asked Matt as he balanced himself from the hug.
"You're a fun friend Matt, Night!" said Keiko and she went into her room and closed the door.