Wow! Thanks everyone for all the reviews and story alerts! And thanks to be beta as well! X)
Oh, and some of you seemed a bit confused - Bella is actually an Italian name, it's pretty common. Sorry Twilight kids, and her name is Isabella anyway.. XD And her brother's last name is the same as hers as well - hopefully there won't as much confusion in this chapter.
Once again, I only own my characters, Bella and Antonia De Luce, as well as any other random characters that are not cannon. And thank you for reading!
"See you at school!" Bella grabbed her soccer bag and threw her school bag over her shoulder as her brother nodded and lifted up his coffee cup, in acknowledgement.
"Do you have soccer practice after school, too?"
"Yeah." She slid on a pair on sneakers near the door. "…Why?" She could sense a favor being asked. Or worse.
"Well, I'm going out with Akiko tonight so you're going to have to feed yourself."
Bella froze and her eye twitched. Akiko was her brother's girlfriend – so going out was normal. Having to feed herself, not so much.
Her brother looked up from his newspaper – the headlines from the sports read something about a local baseball team.
"W-what did you say?"
"…You're going to have to feed yourself?" He frowned, looking a little concerned at his sister.
Bella's brows furrowed together. Make. Dinner. As in cook. In the kitchen. She didn't know how to cook. She never had to learn. That's what chefs were for. They cook and then you eat. There was no 'you-cook-and-then-you-eat' where she was from.
"Antonio! That is-! How am I-?" I only know how to make pancakes! . And even then I burn them! Burrrnnn!
Her brother's eye twitched in annoyance. "Just order a pizza, Legs. It's not rocket science."
Oh. That…that was so much easier. It was like a sudden weight had been lifted off her feeble shoulders….
Ahhh…Why was Onii-chan so smart?
Bella closed the door behind her, only to here Tony's muffled shout.
"Make sure you close the gate! Benzo is still outside."
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, De Luce-sensei…" Teach me all the necessities of life. Like closing the gate when I leave…Oh, Onii-chan, what would I ever do with yooouu?
And by Benzo, her brother meant Benzo. As in the mutt.
He instantly was at her side as she closed the door, wagging his tail and drooling everywhere. The slobbery beast.
Bella pat his head and smiled down at the large, hairy dog before jumping over the short gate (it was only up her hip and if Benzo really wanted to, he could jump it too). She wasn't going to bother opening and closing something like that. It was too early - the sun was just barely out the air was still cool…
Speaking of early, she probably should have eaten something.
If only I was back home. I could still be sleeping in, waiting to wake up to the delicious smell of breakfast in bed…Ahhh. Waffles would be awesome – with butter and syrup, or strawberry jam…Yumm…
"Haha, you look happy this morning!"
Bella blinked. What?
"Ah, there's drool on your face."
Oh. Wait! She blushed as she frowned, using the sleeve of her sports jacket to wipe the saliva off her face.
It was that guy, from her class. The one who plays baseball. She had only been in school a couple weeks and hadn't really paid attention to those around her. She learned that if she didn't bother anyone or make a fuss in class, things could go pretty smoothly.
"Ah..ha..ha. Yeah. Off to morning practice." She patted her soccer bag as she avoided looking at him. Of course she would get caught with drool on her face. At least Benzo had an excuse.
"Me too!" He grinned as he walked in step with her, patting his own sports bag. Where did he come from? Was he like a freaking genie or something? Wait a minute…
"There isn't any morning practice for baseball this morning. I think I brother would have said something this morning."
"Nah, Coach only comes to morning practice sometimes, since it's not really required." He must have really loved the sport or something. Though she could understand a bit. Soccer was pretty much the most awesome thing ever…
She did find it weird that her brother still didn't go, though.
Bella responded, "Ah," nonchalantly. She was hoping he would just leave her be. Really. Not that she hated him or anything, but it was still quite early in the morning and –
"So, you live around here too?"
"…Yes. Just a couple streets over."
He laughed again. "Me too! Hey! What was your name again? Sorry, I forgot when the teacher introduced you the other day." Other day? More like other week, bro.
"Bella."
"Oh! I'm Yamamoto!"
"Uh, nice to meet you, then." Okay. This was nice. Now she knew like, five people's name – including the few girls she ate lunch with. Maybe running into him wasn't so bad…I guess. But it's still too early for conversation…And I'm hungry…
A juice box was suddenly waved in front of her face.
"Do you want one? Your stomach keeps making weird noises! You know, you should eat breakfast – it's the most important meal of the day. At least that's what my dad says."
She grabbed the juice box. "Thanks."
"Hey Beru, did you finish last night's math homework?"
"Be-lah."
"Huh?"
"My name is not Beru. It's Bella. Be-lah."
"Be-lah," he laughed again as he opened his own juice box. "Bella."
This time, she returned the smile. "Yeah, Bella." Geez, he was kind of cute – when he was pronouncing her name right at least. He reminded her of Benzo.
"So, did you finish the math homework or what?"
"Ugh, no! I don't understand any of it. Did you?" She was reminded of the couple hours she spent just staring at her paper last night – she almost chewed up an entire pencil in the process.
"Some of it. I got kind of lost after the second half." He scratched his cheek. "Hey! Gokudera might help us! He always helps Tsuna out with his homework!"
"Who?"
"Ah, Gokudera is the one who always has a face like this," he then, attempted to, scowl which only looked horrendous. "And he smokes a lot. Tsuna is like, this tall," he brought his hand to her shoulder. "And he always makes the 'hiiiii' noise!"
Bella's eye twitched, "The way you describe your friends is weird."
"Is it? Ha ha, oh well. So would you be up to it?"
Studying together is something friends do, right? Like normal friends, who go to normal schools, who do normal things. That sounds nice – and it just fell in her lap, like nothing. Maybe it was karma for something nice she did? Whenever that…was?
Wait, this is kind of suspicious. People don't just invite you to things like this…
"I would like to, but I have soccer practice after school, so…"
"Oh, that's fine! I'm going to the batting cages after school too. We can go to Tsuna's house afterwards." He's going to the batting cages and un-required morning practice?
"I don't know where that is. Maybe some other -"
"Well, do you want to meet up? Then we can walk together and you'll know how to get there!"
There was no getting out if this.
She sighed. Maybe she could at least attempt to wrap her mind around the concept of math before she failed completely.
"Sure. Where do you want to meet up?"
Bella met up with Yamamoto after practice at the same place they met before school. She only had time to take a quick shower in the locker room so at least she wouldn't smell like soccer field and sweat. That would be lame.
And she hadn't been to anyone's house before, here at least. She tried to hide how excited she was – not even the girls she ate lunch with had invited her to their houses. And now that she had thought it over, studying with classmates was a good idea. Kids did it all the time in the shoujo mangas she read…
"Bella?"
"Huh? Yes?"
Yamamoto started to laugh. "You're making a weird face. Like this." He then looked like he was spacing out, a stupid grin plastered to his face.
"Pfft." She smacked him in the arm. "I do not make faces like that! I am a lady and ladies do not make such faces."
He laughed again, "Oh, okay then. Sorry."
Great, now she sounded like a snot. He probably thought – wait. Why does she care what he thinks?
Soccer practice had given her a lot of time to think about this 'sudden invitation'. She was going to use this as a chance to just boost her grade up, then she was probably never going to talk to them again.
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She wasn't here to make friends – she was here because she skipped school back home. Maybe if she did well enough, she could go home and continue living the pampered life she was used to living – you know, the one where she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to.
Yeah, she smiled, and if I get tutored, I can practically buy my plane ticket now...
Oh, ho, ho. No more cooking or doing laundry, no more homework, no more confining classrooms; this was just –
"Hahaha, you're doing it again! Making that face!" She felt an arm around her shoulder. "Maybe you should share your thoughts!"
Bella wiggled out from under Yamamoto's arm. "That would be no fun. I like to keep people guessing."
"Ah! Here we are!" He strode past the concrete block walls that surrounded the house – she was able to quickly read the nameplate above the mailbox: Sawada.
Yamamoto knocked lightly on the door and grinned at Bella as it opened.
"Ah, Yamamoto! Oh, and uh – De Ruce-san?" He remembered her name. This was, uh, Tsuna, right? It had to be – he opened the door and he looked like a guy in her class.
"Yeah! She wasn't understanding math either, so I invited her. Is that alright?"
"Ye-yeah. That's fine."
Bella put on her best 'thank you, sucka' smile. "Ah! Thanks Tsuna! I really appreciate it. And you can call me Bella."
Yamamoto quipped, "And that's Bel-lah." His tongue stuck out at the last syllable and Bella had a feeling he was mocking her. That brat…
"Uh, yeah. Gokudera-kun is already upstairs, so…"
"He's already here? Haha, that Gokudera sure knows-"
"Lambo-san is a Broccoli Monster! Kya! Kya!" Bella and Yamamoto proceeded to take off their sneakers as a small, furry creature ran into the hallway. It appeared to be chasing a…small, round child, with…a tail? She glanced back at the 'monster' and his large fluffy hair; she could easily understand how the term 'Broccoli Monster' would apply here.
Bella looked up and made eye contact with Tsuna, frowning. He looked back at two running around and gave Bella an apologetic smile as he blushed.
"My room is, um, up this way."
Apparently Broccoli Monsters were the norm at the Sawada household. Not that she should really be judging or anything. Her grandmother was –
"Oi! What took you so long? And what are you doing bringing in others, idiot?"
Hey! It was that guy from her first day of class!
She blinked.
Wait, a minute. He's talking to Yamamoto like he did me. And he's friends with Yamamoto…Isn't he? Maybe this kid is like a secret Tsundere or something - like in shoujo manga! Oohh! I shall figure out your secret, if it's the last thing I do!
"Mah, mah, Gokudera. She doesn't understand math either, so I figured –"
"I'm sorry…If you don't want me here, I'll just go. I figured I could at least help you out with English or something if you help me understand this math homework."
Tsuna's eyed widen as he let out a sigh of relief. He was about to respond when he was interrupted by something hitting him in the face.
"Gah! Reborn!"
"Ciaossu." A toddler dressed to the nines suddenly appeared on the table.
"Ciao, yourself, kid." She raised a brow. Tsuna rubbed the back of his head, apparently where he got kicked.
"I'm Reborn, Dame-Tsuna's home tutor."
"De Luce Bella. Tsuna's classmate. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement. Something about this kid…
"Reborn! Don't intimidate her – Bella-san-"
She peered past Reborn to look at Tsuna. "Bella's fine."
"Mah, mah. I really want to get this done before dinner…I'm starving!"
"Yeah, I don't understand any of this." Gokudera looked at the three of them as he put his glasses on. He definitely had his 'game-on' face and Bella could tell this would be a hellish kind of tutorial.
Bella had actually learned a lot during the hour and half session at Tsuna's.
She had learned just what was the point of solving y=mx+b and how to graph a bit. Thank God she studied her multiplication tables…
And she also learned a few other not-so-important things as well.
Like Yamamoto's and Gokudera's first names. The latter did not like to be called Hayato, and he especially didn't like it when you said it rhymed with tomato.
"Hai-ya-toe. Toe-may-toe." She tried to give them simple words that rhymed with their names so they could begin to at least get the pronunciation of English words correct – maybe she could save future foreigners from having their names said wrong too. Ah, she would be a hero to all those who suffered the same fate she had!
"Tsu-na. Tu-na."
"Tak-eh-shi. Ched-der chee-z-ah."
"Bel-lah. Bru-che-tah."
"I got it, Tak-e-shi." Bella looked at the boy next to her who was continuing to have fun with the simple word game, even if he still wasn't getting it. The street lights flickered on, it must be getting late…
"Haha, sorry. But they are so much fun, you know? Are you going to help us with English again? There's this essay due next week and I haven't even started." Yamamoto stretched his arms above his head.
"Glad to be of service…" She shifted the bag on her shoulder. At least her math homework was done – and she had to admit, Hayato was really good at explaining things, better than this nut over here at least.
"Well, this is my turn. See you later."
"Yeah! See you at school!" He waved goodbye as she turned towards her street.
At least that mess was over. She didn't understand how Tsuna could survive in a house like that – too many people and not enough…not enough…well, she couldn't put a name on it, but she guessed that house never had a dull moment, that's for sure.
She felt her phone vibrate in her bag. She reached in for it and flipped it open. A new text.
Bella sighed. Oh, dear. This day was never going to end, was it?
Thank you very much for reading! And I would love to hear (read?) any critique you may have! Please let me know what you think! It helps us writers out a lot, you know?
See you next week! And sorry if it's starting out slow - I want to develop a bit of relationship before the plot.. XD