Title: To Stand Against the Sun
Genre: romance, drama
Rating: M for language, violence, and sexual themes
Pairings: JohanXJudai (spiritshipping); very, very mild ManjoumeXJudai (rivalshipping); other minor pairings
Summary: Judai Yuki was not expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen when he moved to live with his Dad in Copenhagen, Denmark. But this where his life truly begins. There he meets Johan Andersen, a mysterious and captivating student at his new high school. Judai soon discovers that Johan is hiding a secret, after he impossibly saves his life from a van with his super-human strength and speed. Judai is determined to unravel his secret, but the truth is more terrifying than he realized. Johan is a vampire. Any normal person would just keep away from him, but Johan and Judai have fallen passionately and unconditionally in love with each other. And so begins their forbidden relationship between a human and a vampire. But the young lovers soon discover that their troubles are only just about to begin.
Me: The first chapter!
Lucy: This is a long one, as all the chapters of this fic will be, so I hope I do not disappoint!
Me: This goes back to the Twilight story, and this is a fusion of Twilight and New Moon! The sequel to it will be a fusion of Eclipse and Breaking Dawn and it will be up soon!
Lucy: Please enjoy!
Chapter One: Copenhagen
About A Year Ago...
My mom, Lilith Yuki, drove me to the airport in Ribe, Denmark with every single window in her car rolled down. The sun was shining, and it was a good seventy-seven degrees out. The sky was nearly perfect, one or two clouds dotting the sky. I was happy today because I was wearing my favorite outfit, my short-sleeve red T shirt and my white jeans.
My mom and I were singing and dancing, as best we could with our seat-belts on, to whatever song was on the radio. I didn't remember what it was called, but I knew that I had heard it before.
I tried to enjoy the sun as much as I could. Because somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that when I arrived at the capital of Denmark, a city called Copenhagen, I wouldn't see much of the sun. It didn't shine very much around there during this time of the year, I had heard, and even if I would miss the sun, I was kinda looking forward to the rain.
This wasn't my first time going to Copenhagen.
My father, Nerigon Yuki- bizarre name, I know. Don't make fun of it. He hates it- lives in Copenhagen year-round. He has lived there ever since he and my mom got a divorce three years ago. It hadn't really bothered me. They were always fighting, anyway.
I was fourteen when they got a divorce, and I had spent every summer in Copenhagen. Well, actually, it was a month every summer. Not much longer than that. My mother always thought that it would be good for me to see my father every now and again so that I wouldn't feel like I was void of father-son bonding time.
Anyway, you may be wondering why I'm here now.
It's not summer.
I'm going to live in Copenhagen. Permanently.
No, my mother's not forcing me to. I asked her if I could go and live in Copenhagen with Dad. She seemed a little stunned and asked why, and I knew that she was worried that I had grown tired of being around her all the time. I assured her that wasn't the case. I loved living in Ribe with her, and I loved spending time with her. But recently, with her new husband, it just felt like she was unhappy. She spent all her time with me to see that I was happy, and that wasn't fair.
So, as a self-sacrifice, I asked to move away.
"Judai," my mom said to me when she stopped the car at the airport. She turned off the radio. "You don't have to do this."
I turned to her with a reassuring smile. It was at this time that I realized how much my mother and I looked alike. I got my hair color from her; a deep, rich chocolate brown color with a layer of orange on top. I then realized, with horror, what I was doing. How could I leave my mother- my poor, defenseless mother, to fend for herself? Sure, her new husband was around, so the bills would get paid, maybe, and there was food in the fridge, and gas in her car. But still...
"It's okay," I smiled. "I want to go."
Mom frowned a little, but tried to give me the most reassuring smile she could. "Say hello to Nerigon for me?" she asked. I could tell that she felt uneasy asking me that.
"I will."
"I'll see you soon," she insisted as I opened the car door. "You can come home whenever you want, honey. I'll come right back from my trip as soon as you need me, okay?"
I knew she was serious, but I could tell that somewhere, deep in her mind, she would be taking a sacrifice to come back.
"Don't worry," I reassured her. "It'll be great. I love you, Mom."
She gave me a tight hug and then I went into the airport, to my plane, without looking back at her. I knew I would regret leaving if I saw how she must have been fighting back tears. Once I got on the plane, against my better judgment, I looked out the window for her car, but she was already gone. Probably for the best.
It took a while to get to Copenhagen, so I fell asleep on the plane. Flying doesn't bother me- it's just so damn boring. The car ride with my father when I got there? That was gonna be a bit different.
Nerigon had been fairly nice about the whole thing. He seemed very pleased that I was coming to live with him for the first time with any degree of permanence. He'd already gotten me registered in the high school and he said he was going to help get me a car.
But, despite that, it was going to be awkward with Nerigon. We never really had a father-son bond, as people would say. We always engaged in small talk over the phone, and we had fun when we saw each other in the summer, but I knew it would be awkward, for both of us, when I stayed with him for longer than a few weeks.
When I finally landed in Copenhagen, it was raining. I didn't think of that as a bad omen, just something unavoidable. I had said goodbye to the sun when I got out of the car in Ribe.
Nerigon was waiting for me by his car. He was in his police uniform, but he wasn't driving the cruiser. He must have just come from dropping it off and picking up his regular car before he came picked me up. Nerigon worked for the police. In fact, the Chief was his best friend. He was going to retire soon, and it looked like the position of Police Chief would go to my father.
Nerigon gave me a slightly awkard hug when I stumbled off the plane.
Secret number one: I am a KLUTZ!
"It's so good to see you, Ju," Nerigon said, smiling as he helped me stand straight. He knew better than anyone that I was a klutz. "You haven't changed much, son. Still a skinny little stick. How's Lilith?"
"Mom's doing fine," I said. "She says hi. It's good to see you too, Dad."
I only had a few bags with me. I didn't have much in the world along the line of inanimate items that meant much to me. Most of my clothes were not suitable for Copenhagen's slightly warm yet cool climate. Mom had given me some money, against my will, to get some clothes that would be more suitable for Copenhagen. It was easy to fit my three small suitcases in the back of my dad's car.
"I found you a car, Ju," my dad said once we were in the car. "It's sturdy and really cheap for how good it is, too."
"What kind of car?"
"Well, it's a truck, actually. An old Chevy, I think. It belonged to my friend. Do you remember Jun Manjoume?"
I tapped my chin and tried to think. The name ringed a bell, but I wasn't sure. I hated when that happened to me. "Vaguely," I announced with a dejected sigh.
Nerigon laughed and patted my shoulder. "Well, don't feel bad," he said. "He probably doesn't remember you either. Jun's father, Ulric, is in a wheelchair now and can't drive. Jun, the sweet thing, tried to sell his father's truck so he could get some money for his father's medical expenses. I bought the truck from them. Jun said he'd think you'd like it. Claims all he can remember about you is your love of old and antique things."
"What year is it?"
Nerigon's expression shifted, and I wondered if he hadn't wanted me to ask that question. "Well, Ulric and Jun have done some work on it," he said. "The engine's almost brand new."
I hoped he didn't think I'd give up that easily. "When did he get it?"
"1985? I think?"
"Did he buy it when it was new?"
Nerigon shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Well, no," he said. "I think it was new in 1980."
I shifted so I could stare at him. "Ner- Dad, I really don't know all that much about cars, okay? If it breaks down, what am I supposed to do? I would have no idea how to fix or or even which place to go to."
"Really, Ju, the thing runs perfectly."
The thing. Great way of puttin' it, Dad, I thought with a loud sigh. Oh well, I'd give it a shot. I mean, my dad had gone through all the trouble of getting it from his friend, who was crippled now, I guess.
The rest of the car ride went on fairly silent. Nerigon and I talked every now and again, but it was very awkward. It didn't take long to reach his house, near the far outskirts of Copenhagen.
It was beautiful, of course; that much I would say without a second thought. Everything was green here: the trees, the trunks covered with thick green and brown moss, and the ground was covered with ferns. Even the light breaking through the trees, through the thick storm clouds and the rain, was a bright green.
Eventually, we made it to Nerigon's. He still lived in the same two-bedroom, two story house that he'd bought with my mom when they were first married. I recalled it when I was a child and when I came here every summer for a month. There, parked in the driveway in front of the house was my new- or rather, new to me- truck. It was a faded blue color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense shock, I loved it. I saw myself in it. I wasn't sure if it would run, but I had faith. Plus, it was one of those types of cars that seemed indestructible; it could go through an accident and come out unscathed, paint unscratched while it sat in a pile of pieces from the foreign car it had destroyed.
"Wow, Dad, I love it!" I yelled. "Thanks!"
Now, my first day at school tomorrow wouldn't be as bad as I had worried about. I wasn't all that worried, but I had some fears on not being part of the group of being accepted. That was one reason I was so willing to leave Ribe. I didn't have many friends anyway. The only thing keeping me there was my mom.
"I'm glad you like it," Nerigon said, embarrassed by my thanks.
It didn't take long to bring my stuff upstairs. One trip and it was over. I got the same bedroom I always had. It had belonged to me since the day I was born. It was so familiar; the wooden floor, the white-ivory walls, the blue curtains. The only change was that I had a bed there, with a blue comforter, and I had a desk, which Nerigon must have added while I was away. It wasn't here last summer when I came. The desk held a new lap top and a small phone right beside it. The rocking chair that belonged to my grandfather, Haou, before he passed away, was sitting right in the corner of the room.
There was only one bathroom in the whole house, so I would have to share with Nerigon. That didn't bother me too bad. I'd learn to get over it. We were both guys, we both used the same stuff.
One really good thing about my father is that he doesn't hover over you. He left me alone to unpack and get settled in. That was nice, since it was impossible to do that with my mom. She would have unpacked everything for me and clung to me the entire time. I loved my mom to death, but she just got really annoying really fast.
The high school in Copenhagen wasn't that big, I guess. Or rather, the one near where I lived wasn't that big. There were only about three hundred and fifty- okay fifty-one counting me- students there. I don't remember how many were in the high school in Ribe, but it was a bit more than that.
I hoped I would make some friends here.
I wasn't really considered "normal" back in Ribe.
Maybe if I had looked like everyone from Ribe expected me to. Tall, blond, tan maybe. But no, sadly for me, I was born a bit pale, fairly short- I am only 5 feet for God's sake!- and I have brown hair. But Hell, that meant nothing to me. Everyone in my school preferred people with blond hair, but I liked my hair. It looked good on me. I couldn't imagine myself blond. I gagged at the thought of it.
I slept fine that night, though I probably should have been worried about school in the morning. I would be the new guy, the one everyone would be wondering about, the one who would have to make his mark and pick a group or be pegged as a social outcast. But who gave a fuck about all that shit? I didn't care what people pegged me as. I am who I am. No questions asked.
Breakfast with Nerigon was a fairly quiet event. He wished me good luck at school. I thanked him. But, his wishes were wasted. Good luck tended to avoid me, since I was an ultra-klutz.
Nerigon left early for work. After he left, I sat at the old square table in one of the only two matching chairs. Nothing had changed. The cabinets that my mother had painted a bright yellow to liven the room were still there. Over the fireplace in the tiny and slightly dark living room was a series of pictures. First was a wedding photo of Nerigon and Lilith, and they didn't look super happy, now that I looked har enough. After that was a series of pictures of the day I was born. I was such a fat baby. Finally, there was a series of my school pictures up until last year. I tried my best to smile in all of them, but they just never came out good. I wasn't good-looking, so I didn't try.
I didn't want to be early to school, but I didn't want to stay cramped in the house either. It'd drive me nuts. I donned my black jacket and headed outside.
It was still drizzling outside, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed the rain. I locked the house up before I went. Nerigon had advised me to do so. I dashed across the yard to my truck, as I no longer wanted to stay in the misty wetness.
Inside my new truck, it was nice and dry. Either Mr. Ulric Manjoume or his son Jun or Nerigon had leaned it before I got it, but the seats still smelled of pepper and a light hint of tobacco. The engine roared to life, to my relief, but that was its one flaw. It stayed loud. Well, look out world, here comes Judai Yuki, superklutz ordinare.
Finding my way to the school wasn't difficult. It was just off the highway, like everything else. However, to my surprise, it didn't look that much like a high school until I got closer.
It looked like a bundle of maroon and white buildings. Over the front was a sign with the words COPENHAGEN HIGH SCHOOL in yellow letters. A bunch of bright green trees and shrubs surrounded the school, giving off the green feeling that Copenhagen seemed to be so famous for. I was happy that there weren't any fences around the school. I'd got enough of that in Ribe.
I parked in front of the first building that had a sign reading FRONT OFFICE. No one else's car was parked there, so I imagined that it was off limits, but I'd move my car later. I'd rather ask for directions, a sin against all male kind, than drive around for hours like a fucking moron. I stepped out of my warm truck and skittered across the short distance between me and the building. I took in a deep breath, calmed myself, and opened the door.
Inside was a bit warmer than I had suspected. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded chairs, orange-flecked comerical carpet, notices and awards everywhere, and a big clock ticking away on the wall. Some large ferns grew in plastic pots. The room was divided by a huge counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and bright fliers taped before it. There were three small desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a woman with fairly bright red hair. She wore what appeared to be a white dress and a pale blue jacket. I looked down at myself and felt a bit overdressed.
The woman looked up. "Can I help you, dear?"
"I'm Judai Yuki," I stated, and I saw the immediate awareness in her eyes. It was expected, I guess. Me, Judai Yuki, a topic of gossip here. The son of Nerigon Yuki, soon-to-be Police Chief coming home at last.
"Of course," she smiled. She dug through her papers until she found what she was looking for. "I have your schedule and a map of the buildings for you dearie." She put out several sheets before me.
She went over my classes with me, showed me where they were on the map, Hell she even highlighted them in case I forgot, and gave me a slip for each teacher to sign, which I needed to return before the end of the day. She smiled and hoped, like Nerigon, that I would have a good first day at school. I smiled back and thanked her.
When I went back out to my truck, other students were arriving. I drove around the school, following the traffic to the parking lot. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older, like mine. At home, in Ribe, it was common to see a new Mercedes or a Porsche in the parking lot. The nicest care here was a shiny new silver Volvo, and it definitely stood out. Still, I cut the engine as soon as I parked, since the loud rumble of my truck had already caused me to gain attention.
I looked over the map once and stuffed everything into my backpack. I slung the strap over my shoulder and inhaled deeply. I can do this, I told myself with a grin. Think positive. I exhaled and stepped out of my truck.
I walked down the lot towards the big doors, past a group of teenagers. They cast me a look, but smiled when I looked back. That was comforting and a little creepy.
Once I got around the cafeteria, building two was easy to spot. A large, black 2 was painted on the side. My heart was racing as I reached the door, and I tried to calm myself. I thought of everything I could do to not act like a freak. Smile and nod, Judai, that's what you should do. Just smile and nod.
The classroom was fairly small. The people in front of me stopped to hang their raincoats on the long row of hooks. I did the same and took the slip to my teacher; a tall, blading old man who I identified as Mr. Brawlder. He gawked at me when he learned my name- not a very pleasant or nerve-settling response- and of course, I blushed bright red in embarrassment. He sent me to the back of the class without introducing me and gave me a list of what we would be reading. It was basic: Shakespeare, Faulkner, Poe. I'd already read everything on the list. That was both a comfort and an annoyance. I wondered if mom would send me my old copies of the books along with all my notes. I also wondered if she would think that was cheating. I argued it for a while while the teacher droned on.
When the bell rang, a loud and ear-shattering noise, a tall boy with dark skin and black dreadlocks leaned across the aisle where his desk was towards me.
"You're Judai Yuki, right?" he asked. He had an accent, but I couldn't place it.
"Yeah," I said. "It's just Judai, though."
Everyone in a five-foot radius turned to look at me. I laughed nervously and waved back. To my surprise, a few of them waved as well and smiled at me just as friendly as if I had been there all my life.
"What's your next class?" he asked.
I had to check my schedule. "Uh..." I felt like an idiot and blushed crimson. "Government in building seven, I think. Yeah. Yeah, that definitely says building seven, right?"
"I'm heading to building four," the boy said. "I could show you the way to building seven. They're side by side. I'm Kenzan, by the way."
I smiled. "Thanks."
We got our jackets from the hooks and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. I could have sworn that the people behind me were close enough to eavesdrop on me if they wanted to.
"So, this is a lot different than Ribe?" Kenzan asked me.
"Not really," I admitted.
"Miss the sun?"
"Not that much. It's about the same here, I think."
"Well," Kenzan lightly tapped my arm. "That'd explain why you're so damn pale!"
I laughed a little. The clouds definitely didn't match the mood. It was gloomy outside, yet somehow, I was happy. Everyone was nice, unless they were all planning on ganging up on me in the last second. I didn't count on that.
We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the massive gym. Kenzan walked me to the front door and flashed me a big grin, very reassuring and friendly.
"Well, best of luck, Sarge," he saluted me with a nickname I had never heard anyone call me before. "Maybe I'll see ya later."
I smiled back and went into the classroom.
The rest of the morning passed in about the same way. My math teacher, who I could have hated already, made me stand up before the class and introduce myself. I blushed, stammered, and tripped and fell flat on my face as I walked down the aisle. I expected people to laugh, but the majority laughed with me and helped me stand up, most of them fairly concerned.
After two classes, people started to look familiar. There was always someone brave enough to introduce themselves and ask me about how it was to live in Ribe. I tried to explain it all, but someone would interrupt with a different question all the time.
One girl sat beside me in both math and Spanish, and she walked me to the cafeteria. She was a tiny thing to, just a few inches shorter than me, and I was only five feet tall. She said her name was Rei Saotome, and she told me that she was from Japan. My name was Japanese, but I didn't come from there. I had always wanted to visit. I asked her what it was like, but she didn't remember. She had moved to Copenhagen when she was just a baby.
We sat at the end table with most of her friends, who she introduced to me. I tried to remember all of their names, but it was hard. They seemed impressed that Rei was speaking to me. The boy from my first class, Kenzan, waved to me from across the room.
It was there, sitting in the lunchroom and trying to make coversation with strangers, that I first saw them.
They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I was sitting as physically possible. There were five of them there. They weren't talking, and each had a full tray of food, which they hadn't touched. They weren't gawking at me, like most of the students, so it was all right to stare at them without fear that they'd stare back. But it was none of these things that caught, or held, my full attention.
They looked nothing alike. Off the three boys, one was tall and thin and slightly muscular with spiked black hair that stuck in all directions. Another was thin and leaner than the first, and he had long brown hair, longer and lighter than mine. The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy teal blue colored hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they should be in college rather than in a high school.
The two girls were different. One was like a statue. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw in a swimsuit magazine, the kind of person that every girl took a hit on her self esteem just being around. Her hair was golden and long and came to her shoulders. The other girl was pixie-like and very thin. Her hair was the same as the boy's; a rich teal; but it was short and stuck in all directions.
And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was pale, the palest of anyone I had seen. They all had very dark eyes, despite their hair colors. They also had slight dark shadows under their eyes, as if they'd been lacking sleep for months. All of their features were sharp and defined and beautiful.
But this was not why I couldn't look away.
I stared at their faces, so different, so similar. They were so inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on a fashion magazine, where everything was airbrushed, or in a painting, where everything was perfect. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful of them- the blond girl maybe? Or the teal-haired boy.
They were all looking away- away from each other, away from the walls, away from the other students, away from anything. As I watched, the girl with the pixie-cut blue hair stood with her tray- a half-bitten apple and an open can of orange soda- and walked away with a quick, graceful leap that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed by her little dancer steps, until she dumped her tray and glided, barely touching the floor, through the door of the cafeteria. I edged over to the others, who hadn't even noticed.
"Who are they?" I asked Rei.
As she looked to see who I meant- as if my tone didn't already give it away- suddenly, the younger one, the boyish one, the teal-haired boy, was looking at her. He looked at Rei for just a moment, and then his dark eyes flickered to mine.
He looked away quickly, as if embarrassed. I dropped my eyes at once. My heart was thumping so loudly that I wondered if he could hear it all the way across the cafeteria.
Rei giggled in embarrassment and looked down with me.
"That's Johan and Jim Andersen, and Asuka and Fubuki Tenjoin. The one who left was Alice Andersen; they all live together with Dr. Andersen and his wife Andrea." She said this all under her breath.
I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy, who was now picking up his uneaten bagel with delicate, long, pale fingers. His pale lips were barely moving, and I imagined that he must be speaking softly to the others. They were nodding. Some of them eyed me for a moment, their dark eyes flashing, and then they looked back at the teal-haired boy. The others at the table were still looking away from him, but I felt that the blue-haired boy was speaking to them.
Strange names, I thought. The kinds of names grandparents had. The kinds you heard in old movies. But maybe that was common here. Small town names perhaps? I recalled that I had a neighbor named Nancy, another very old-fashion name.
"They're... very nice-looking." I struggled with a statement. Nice-looking was an understatement.
"Yes!" Rei hissed with a giggle. "They're all really close though. Jim and Asuka are, like, attached at the hip, and Alice and Fubuki are like Siamese twins. You hardly ever see them without one another. And they all live together." It sounded that, by the way she said it, there was something wrong about them being so close. But I could see how it would seem weird. But it wasn't like they were in a relationship with each other, was it? I mean, they weren't that close, right?
"Which ones are the Andersens?" I asked. "They don't look related..."
"Oh, they aren't," Rei explained. "Well, except for Asuka and Fubuki -the brunette and the blond- they're brother and sister. They're all foster kids for Dr. Andersen and his wife. I guess they've been living with them for a long time, like ever since they were little. I guess Andrea Andersen can't have kids or something like that."
The way Rei spoke, it sounded like she had something against Andrea Andersen. Though, judging by the look in her eyes, I guess it had to do with jealousy or something.
I looked to the Andersens again. They were all still looking at the walls, not eating.
"Have they always lived in Copenhagen?" I asked.
"No," Rei said, eyebrow raised. The way she said it made it seem like it should have been obvious, even to someone like me who had just arrived a while ago. "They came from somewhere in America, I guess. Alaska or Canada, I can't remember. They came here like two years ago."
I sighed in relief. I wasn't the only newcomer here. And clearly, I wasn't the most interesting. I turned my gaze to the youngest of the Andersens, and to my surprise, he was staring back at me in idle curiosity. His dark eyes blinked innocently. I felt my cheeks heat up. I looked down at the table once again, still feeling his gaze burning through me.
"Which one is the boy with the teal hair?" I asked.
I peeked over at the teal-haired boy once again.
He was still staring at me, but this time, his expression seemed flustered. His cheeks were flushed, and he seemed like he was trying to look away from me, but something was stopping him. He looked almost frustrated, like he couldn't figure something out.
"That's Johan," Rei said. "He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He won't date anyone. I hear some rumor that he's bisexual or something like that. Not that anyone cares who's straight or gay here. I guess no one is pretty or good enough for him here." She sniffed, a clear case of jealousy.
I smiled softly. When had he turned her down?
I stole a quick glance back at him. Johan, as he was apparently named, wasn't looking at me anymore, but it looked like his cheek was slightly lifted, as if he were smiling. I saw him look in my direction from the corner of his eye. He looked away again, and I thought I saw him blush. A small grin grew larger.
After a few moments, all four of them left the table. They were all graceful. It was both beautiful and unsettling to watch. Johan didn't look in my direction again.
I sat at the table with Rei and her friends a little longer than I meant to. I was anxious not to be late to class on my first day. I wanted to give off a good first impression so it would make Nerigon proud. Of my new acquaintances; whose names were Rei, Junko, Momoe, and Kenzan; Momoe had Biology with me next. She walked to class with me in silence. She was shy too.
When we entered the classroom, Momoe went to go sit at a black-topped lab table. She already had a partner. In fact, all the tables were filled except for one. Next to the center aisle, I recognized Johan Andersen by his unusual hair color, sitting next to that single, open seat.
As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I watched Johan the whole time. Just as I passed, his body went rigid. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with a strange expression- a mixture of fury, fear, and confusion. I looked away, quickly going red again. I almost tripped over a book laying on the floor. I caught myself with the table, but upon doing so, I noticed that Johan Andersen's hand had twitched, as if he would have reached out and grabbed me if I had truly fallen.
I noticed that Johan's eyes were black; coal black with a green-yellow tint.
Mr. Daitokuji signed my slip and handed me a book. He sent me to the open seat right beside Johan Andersen. When he announced this, a bit louder than needed, I noticed that Johan Andersen shifted uncomfortably. I kept my gaze low as I went to sit by him, worried by the fearful look he had given me before.
I didn't look up when I placed my book on the table, but I felt Johan Andersen shift. He was leaning far away from me, on the farthest edge of his chair. His face was averted, as if he had smelt something bad.
I took a piece of my hair and inhaled. I don't smell anything, I thought. Just coconuts, the scent of my shampoo. It seemed good enough to me. I wondered if he was allergic to the scent. If he was, he would tell me, right? I let my hair fall back into place. I noticed that as my hair fell back, the boy's eyes flashed for a moment.
He was staring at me again, still as fearful as before.
I tried to forget about the whole thing by focusing on Mr. Daitokuji. Unfortunately, the lecture was on cellular functions, something I had already studied in Ribe before I moved. I scrawled down notes diligently, just in case. I needed something to do.
I couldn't stop myself from looking at the pale teal-haired boy beside me. He hadn't moved all class. His expression was still one of fear and anger and confusion. He was chewing on his lower lip. I was afraid he'd chew it off. His spine was straightened, and he looked ready to pounce out of his seat the moment the bell rang. His hands were curled up at his lap, gripping his black jeans tightly. I saw the tendons in his knuckles, he was gripping his pants so hard. I was afraid he'd tear the denim fabric.
The class seemed to drag on a bit longer than the others had. I wondered if it was because of how embarrassed I was. I kept on staring at Johan Andersen as if he would unclench his fists any moment. It looked like he wasn't breathing.
Was he all right? He looked paler than before, it that was even possible.
I looked up from his hands and locked eyes with him. He was staring at me, and he looked horrified. He looked like he was going to have a heart-attack, he was trembling.
I was about to ask if he was all right, but the bell rang.
Johan Andersen jumped and was out of the room before anyone was out of their seat. He stole one last look at me, and then burst out of the room as fast as he could. No one seemed to notice, but I sure did. And it kinda hurt.
I got out of my seat silently and went into the hallway without another word.
The rest of the day passed on quickly. I didn't see Johan Andersen anywhere. Truth be told, I was a little worried about him. During one of my classes, a fairly, um, large boy came over and stood beside me. He was tall and wide, and he kinda reminded me of a Koala. He was kind of cute in a fluffy sort of way. I just wanted to pick him up and squeeze him(1).
"Hi," he said. "You're Judai Yuki, aren't you?"
"Just Judai," I smiled.
He smiled back. "Nice to meet you. I'm Hayato."
"Hi, Hayato."
Hayato smiled at me. Apparently, he had Gym with me. We walked and talked the whole time; mostly about Ribe and what it had been like to live there when I had. He was nice and some of the girls seemed to be squealing over him as he walked by. I wondered if he had a girlfriend or if he was also bisexual, like I was. Apparently, that was common and accepted her, just as much as homosexuals were.
When we entered the gym, he asked, "So, did you, like, stab Johan Andersen with a pen or what? I have never seen him act like that before. He looked like he was gonna have a heart attack."
I cringed. You mean that wasn't how he usually acted?
"The boy in Biology?" I asked, faking my innocence. "I never spoke to him. He looked like he was in pain though."
Hayato shook his head. "Yeah, he's kinda weird," he said. "Maybe he has heart problems. I dunno. Anyway, he'll probably be fine by tomorrow. He acts weird all the time."
I played during Gym, but I had to be careful.
I wasn't exactly as graceful as the Andersens apparently were. I was a super klutz, and I would sometimes fall, and take people with me. I was use to it though. No one seemed to hold it against me though. Gym went by quick, and I dashed into the boy's locker room to get changed. School was over now.
I walked over to the office to turn my slip in.
When I walked into the warm office, I almost turned and walked back out.
Johan Andersen stood at the front desk. I recognized his again by his exotic and tousled teal hair. He didn't appear to notice my entrance. I stood against the back wall, waiting for him to be done.
He was arguing with her in a low voice, but I couldn't catch the gist of it. The receptionist refused to agree to what he was asking. He still didn't see me in there, until the door opened. A girl danced in, placed a note in the wire basket, and left. The wind had rustled in and shifted my hair. I guess the coconut scent shifted, since Johan Andersen's back straightened as it had in Biology.
He turned to stare at me with the same shocked, coal black eyes. I shifted and felt the hair on my arms stand up. I felt cold in the warm room all of a sudden. He stared at me, and then turned to the receptionist.
"All right," he said. His voice was like velvet. "I see you can't do anything. Thanks for your help."
He turned on his heel without another look at me and walked by. As he passed me, I heard him inhale deeply. He murmured the name of the smell of my shampoo, coconut, then added a nearly inaudible, "it's nice", and then vanished out of the office.
I went to the front desk, my cheeks a vibrant shade of red.
The receptionist smiled and took the signed slip from me. "How did your first day go, honey?" she asked.
"Fine," I said, my voice stuck in my throat.
When I got to my truck in the parking lot, it was almost the last car in the lot. I sat inside and cranked the heat. I stared out the windshield for the longest time. I took the keys and turned the engine on. It roared to life. I headed back to Nerigon's house, my face just as bright red as it had been when I had first seen Johan Andersen and caught eyes with him.
No matter how hard I tried, the whole rest of the day, I couldn't get him out of my mind.
Me: Well, Johan and Judai have met, and unlike Edward and Bella when they first met, they both seem interested in one another! (1) As you can see, I changed the appreance of some of the characters just a tad to make them more attractive for this story!
Lucy: The next chapter, will we have Johan and Judai's relationship in a bit more depth!
Me: We hope you all enjoyed it!
Lucy: Please review! Thank you to everyone who likes my story! You're the ones who make this happen!