The Order in Chaos

Chapter One:

"Are you staring at me?" The boy was older than me-- by maybe about a year-- and bristled at the slightly disturbed glance that grazed over his body.

I didn't answer and resumed eating the copious amount of fish that was in front of me.

I was at a diner, what the name was I really didn't know. It was a small place that looked like it carried a formidable dish of fish fillet and I had just happened to pass the special sign on the way in. The sign had carried no indication of fakeness, the letters were written by a weak hand and the letters showed up frail and bitter. It was blatantly obvious that the place wasn't looking to run the customers into the red. So I had, with my decisive manor, sat down in a booth and ordered my meal.

The boy, after my thoughts had drifted and I still hadn't answered him for the past five minutes, was still glaring at me. His blue eyes, gleaming with questionable intelligence, were angry as was his mouth, quirked into an undeniable grimace.

"Are you going to answer me?" Had I been staring at him?

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, recalling the strange way that he had nearly inhaled his food and the even stranger look that had crept onto my face. Yes, I had stared at him, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Yes and no," I replied evenly after setting my fork down and wiping my mouth with a white unfamiliar napkin.

"How is that an answer," he challenged. I noticed that he was sitting across from me now, his bright yellow hair in disarray and a black-orange commanding jumpsuit popping out from the top of the table.

I began to saw a fish chunk in half as I answered. "Yes to your second question-- I am going to answer-- and no to your first. I wasn't staring at you."

"Yes you were," his counter was childish at best and I frowned.

"No, actually I was thinking about my dead brother." The lie rolled off easily, but the common sympathetic look never crossed the boy's face.

"So you have a disgusted look on your face when you think of your dead brother?" He was calculating, his hand twitching as if he was ready to spring up and attack someone. I hid a smile behind my hand.

"He was eaten by boars," I lied matter-of-factly. "When I found him, his remains were strewn all around the forest."

"And you're sad about this?" Shoot, I forgot that part. I quickly feigned a small whimper.

"Terribly, he was my closest friend." I scrunched my face up (hoping that it would look rather distraught (however, I think I just looked constipated).

"What was his name?" The first thing on my mind popped out of my mouth.

"Fish," Damn.

"His name was Fish?" An amused grin spread across his face and I nodded solemnly.

"We never called him by his real name. He had this affection for fish. He was such a dear boy," I buried my head in my hands, poking my eyes subtly in the process so that they teared up.

"Is that why you're eating fish?" He still didn't believe me, so I nodded weakly.

"In loving memory of him," the holy look on my face was disturbed by a heavy hand falling on my shoulder.

"Vivian, it's time to go." My eyes snapped up to the form of my lanky older brother. His comical green tinged hair fell in his face, contrasting sharply with his light complexion and his clothing thrown brashly onto his body. "And who is this--" His eyes swiveled to regard the ninja across from me and I forced an unbearable sigh.

"Naruto," the boy said hastily; as if he feared being cut off. "I'm so sorry for your loss. He must have been a great man." His mouth was rising into a smile of triumph and I wanted to slap him.

"Loss--" I cut my brother off with another racking sob.

"Poor Fish!" I wailed and my brother instantly drew back confused. "He was an amazing person wasn't he Vance? Our older brother killed by boars, how very tragic." The confusion was instantly replaced by amusement, then faked sadness.

"Yes, he is in all of our hearts." And without further ado, I brushed my tears away and accepted the consoling waitress's offer to pay for my food.

I swung out the door with Vance in the lead; leaving a stunned Naruto in my wake.

Let me know if this should be continued (I don't know where to go from here, though I have many interesting ideas that could constitute as a story). So please review.

Flamingflie