Chapter Two – Reasons
As soon as they stepped out of the plane a swarm of students came around them, all of them smiling at Ryuzaki, reaching out to show him things, and give him hugs. Ryuzaki took a moment out to say something kind to each of them english, knowing how important it was that each child felt good about themselves, if only for a moment. He promised silently to explain it all to Layla later in her native language.
"Why Matt, you're getting even better at your video games then last time I saw you!" he said gently to a boy dressed in a black and white sweater, orange goggles perched neatly on his flaming red hair.
He eagerly grinned and showed Matt his Gameboy while the Mario theme played on in the background. Ryuzaki ruffled the child's hair, "I'd say you're about one hundred percent likely to beat that game."
Matt beamed up at him, and ran off towards the building, surely to tell the other students what he had said.
Layla looked up at Ryuzaki slightly confused, and spoke softly in Estonian, "Why did you tell that boy he was one hundred percent likely to beat that game? Nothing is certain."
Ryuzaki sighed, "That's a very astute observation Layla. However, I find that it is probable to stretch the truth every once in a while. Today, Matt's day will be slightly more cheerful than it would have been without my comment."
She seemed sated with this answer now and fell silent, Ryuzaki placed his thin hands on her shoulders and they progressed across the lawn.
Slowly, the two of them reached the building and went inside. The institution was well furnished, and very homely. Several children were inside, reading, solving puzzles or even playing games with one another.
"Come up to my Office," he said gently, "I'd like you to meet two of the boys here."
Ryuzaki lead her up a winding staircase, and paused at the second floor, "Here are the bedrooms." he said quietly, "After you meet the two boys here, I'd like you to pick an empty room out of your own."
For the first time since he had met her Layla seemed honestly excited, "My own room?" she squealed, "All my own? I've always wanted a room of my own. I had to share a room with my brother back when I lived in Estonia."
Ryuzaki smiled and motioned for her to go up to the third floor while he followed her close behind, "Well, now you'll have your own things. Whammy will provide you with anything you need. Art supplies, clothes, food, whatever you want."
He strode down the hallway, down to a door at the far end of the room.
Inside, two boys sat waiting in chairs, as soon as Ryuzaki opened the door, the blond boy bounded forward, "L!" he yelled in English, "We missed you. I missed you! I beat Near at a puzzle! And I made an A on my last test, are you proud of me L?"
Ryuzaki had always had a soft spot for the blond child known as Mello. He was quite possibly the most affectionate to him of all the children at Whammy's and easily the most emotional. Ryuzaki almost envied the boy's emotional range.
He smiled, and ruffled the little boy's blond hair, "Of course Mello. I'm always proud of you...and Near."
He turned his attention on a small white haired boy, who sat in one of the room's corners putting together a white puzzle as fast as he could. Near was quite possibly the smartest child Ryuzaki had ever met, and also the only child that he felt he completely understood. He was the exact opposite of Mello, completely unemotional in every way. Preferring to think of everything logically and objectively as a puzzle or a game. It was no surprise that Mello had nothing but contempt for Near. However one-sided it might have been.
"Hello Near," Ryuzaki said calmly.
"Hello L." the boy said numbly focusing on his puzzle. "Please, tell us, who is the girl you've brought with you?"
Ryuzaki blinked, slightly surprised and glanced down at Layla who stood cowering behind his pant leg. He suspected that she had not had much association with other children and he could understand how Mello and Near could be a little intimidating.
Mello looked to her, then scowled. "Oh, another successor?"
Ryuzaki shook his head, Mello had been known to push his weight around on others, something he suspected was a bit of an inferiority complex to to Near's own genius. "Oh, no...this is Layla, we'll call her Linda, she's come to stay with us."
"Name not Linda!" she murmured in broken english.
"It's what we'll call you here." Ryuzaki murmured
"What is she, retarded?" Mello said, scowling meanly at her.
Layla merely blinked at him confused, her english was not enough to understand what Mello was saying, only that it was cruel.
At this Ryuzaki looked disappointed, "Now Mello, that was rude, she cannot speak english very well. She's from Estonia.." Suddenly an idea popped in his head, for he thought that Mello might benefit well from tutoring someone who was not as intelligent as himself.
"Mello," Ryuzaki said seriously, "I'd like you to teach her English."
Mello took a long look at Layla and sighed, "Fine. Come on."
He exited the room quickly and Layla glanced uncertainly at Ryuzaki.
"Go on," he said gently, "Mello is going to be your teacher from now on."
Cautiously she followed Mello obediently down the hallway into a room that was revealed to be a library.
"We'll start you off with some basic english I suppose," Mello murmured to himself.
Layla however was not listening, instead she couldn't help but take notice of a little boy who sat in a far corner quietly in front of a row of differently sized bells. His long messy red hair fell into his brown eyes as he picked up the smallest bell and rang it consecutively three times.
"Aren't you listening?" Mello snapped suddenly.
Layla jumped and glanced sheepishly up at Mello, "I is. Sorry sorry."
Mello looked over at the boy and then back at Layla, "That's Zion. Don't mind him. And anyway's you're supposed to say 'I am.' Not I is."
She blinked, then tried to copy his words, "I...I am."
Mello seemed slightly pleased by this and he pulled out a bar of chocolate from his pocket. He ripped the foil off hastily, and bit off a tiny portion of the candy with a loud snap while Layla stared curiously at it.
"It's chocolate." he said, waving it in front of her face, "Cho-co-late." he enunciated, "Say it
now."
"Chu-ca-lat." Layla said, trying to keep her eyes off Mello's piercing blue ones.
"No!" Mello said angrily, "That's wrong!"
The harshness in his voice made her jump, and almost instantly tears surfaced up in her grey eyes.
"H-hey!" Mello said quickly glancing between her and Zion who had paused hi activities for a moment to watch them both. "Don't cry, here." He broke off a small corner of the chocolate and handed it to her.
She blinked suddenly and smelled the sweet richness of the candy for a moment before popping it in her mouth.
"Careful careful!" Zion said suddenly, staring up at Mello. "Monsters hide behind her eyes."
At those words Mello glared, "Oh shut it Zion, keep your thoughts to yourself. Go play with Near and his puzzles if you want to be all cryptic.
Zion smiled dreamily as he gathered up his bells and headed out the door, "Beware of the names of others Mello. Beware of the pen in her grasp."
Mello scowled, "Zion is a bit of a fruitcake. He went all bloody loopy after Aaron died a few months ago."
At those words Layla ceased licking her the chocolate that had melted on her fingers, "What 'appen?"
"Happened," Mello corrected, "Aaron was the first one of us kids that Whammy had found. Do you know why you're really here?"
Layla shook her head.
"You're here because L thought you might one day have potential to succeed him should he die. L is an investigator. He solves crimes. He's solved over a hundred cases. We're all trying to become him next. Well, Aaron was the first one of us to try. We all called him A. I suppose the pressure got to be too much for him to bare and he committed suicide. Zion found him in his room, she's never really been the same."
At those words Mello crossed himself briefly and kissed the small red rosary on his neck.
"Poor A, condemned to a life in purgatory." he murmured.
Layla stiffened slightly at the show of religion from Mello and quickly muttered something in Estonian without looking at Mello. She retreated from the library without a single look at Mello.
Mello merely shrugged and bit off another piece of chocolate with a loud snap.