Chapter four – Old connections
Upon awaking the next morning the pair had reached a mutual but silent agreement to pretend the previous night had not happened.
"Kanda?" Allen called out, frowning as he banged open his desk drawers before giving up and opening his wardrobe.
"What?" Kanda snapped as he appeared from the bathroom, dressed in the school's white shirt, open though it was to show the black shirt beneath, completely skipping out on the optional vest.
"Have you seen Tim?"
"No, I haven't seen your retarded snitch."
"He's a golem! A golem!" Allen snapped, slamming his wardrobe closed to glower over at his surly roommate who was in the middle of packing his textbooks in to his bag. Kanda looked up briefly to return his glare but for the most part ignored him.
Allen sighed. He'd figured once he got away from Master Cross, he'd have more freedom and comfort in his living situation. Instead, he'd somehow wound up with the school's number one temperamental recluse as a roommate and by some form of extension through Lenalee and Lavi a 'friend'.
Allen wrinkled his nose in distaste at the thought and flung his bag over one shoulder. Kanda as friend… That leaves a bad aftertaste… Even as Allen thought that he couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed that the two of them couldn't even try to get along.
"Hurry the fuck up Moyashi." Kanda growled one hand on the handle of the open door and the other in his pocket as he waited impatiently for Allen.
"Awww… Are you waiting for me?"
"I'm waiting so I can lock the damn door."
Allen rolled his eyes and eased past Kanda and out of the room, after a brief moment of hesitation waiting for him in the hallway. Kanda locked the door with a click and didn't even glance at Allen as he strode off, the younger boy falling into pace beside him. Kanda huffed but didn't protest.
They'd barely made it down the first flight of stairs when Allen heard running footsteps behind them and turned around just in time to be glomped by Lavi.
"Hey there Moyashi!" He cried happily, playfully swinging an arm over Allen's shoulders as he tried to remain upright.
"I keep telling you my name's –."
"Did you wanna head down to the café and get breakfast?"
"- You know, never mind. I can tell you're not listening to me anyway." Allen muttered as Lavi let go of him and Allen staggered down the last few steps, his foot catching on the rug on the bottom of the stairs he stumbled forward and snagged Kanda's sleeve to avoid face planting on the ground.
"Che. Let go of me." Kanda snatched his arm back from Allen's grip, twisting so he could glare at Allen over his shoulder. Allen rolled his eyes.
"In a bad mood as always I see Yu-chan." Lavi commented lightly, pushing open the door so they could walk across the student strewn path towards the cafeteria.
"Don't call me Yu-chan." Kanda snapped, speeding up his steps slightly so Lavi and Kanda fell a little behind him.
Lavi chortled, raising an eyebrow at Kanda's back as if he found baiting him incredibly entertaining – which he probably did.
The cafeteria was still rather crowded but a brief glance around revealed Lenalee occupying a table all on her own, carefully flicking through sheets of paper. She glanced up as the group approached, throwing them a smile before her attention returned to the papers.
"What's that you got there?" Lavi asked as the trio took their seats.
"Some papers I found on Ni-sans desk." Lenalee answered distractedly. Allen gapped at her, gob smacked.
"And you just took them?" He asked, sounding scandalized. Lavi laughed at him while Kanda huffed out his typical che. Lenalee smiled kindly at him.
"Ni-san never does any paperwork, so it's normally me who does all the sorting for him." She explained, shoving the papers away in her bag that was on the seat beside her. "Now, are you going to go order your breakfast? There's only about fifteen minutes till school starts."
Kanda was already out of his seat and heading towards the counter where his soba sat already prepared.
Allen rattled off a quick list of food and Jerry was bustling about the kitchen in his haste to prepare everything.
"Nothing for me, thanks." Lenalee said as she watched Jerry's pink dreadlocked form dash about his kitchen. Lavi seemed to be having the time of his life narrating Jerry's every move as if he were in a race.
" – And he reaches the finish line. Now it's up to the judge, Allen Walker, to decide whether his performance has been up to standard." Lavi took in a deep breath and watched with mock anticipation as Allen frowned at him and carried his tray of food back to the table and began scoffing it.
Kanda threw Allen a disgusted look as the boy finished off the last shred of his toast in unison with the Japanese man who delicately laid his chopsticks down on his plate.
Without sparing his friends a look Kanda got up, swinging his schoolbag over his shoulder and strolling off to class.
"Ah! Yu-chan!" Lavi stuffed the last of his toast in his mouth as Allen calmly wiped his mouth clean, snagging Allen's arm he dashed after Kanda. Lenalee waved them off and headed in the direction of her first class.
oOo_O_oOo
The day flew by and before Allen could even comprehend it, he was sitting in last session.
Allen tapped his pencil on the desk, trying very hard to focus as Miranda Lotto – the schools electronics teacher – stuttered on and on about the working of clocks.
A brief glance at Lavi showed the elder boy passed out on his desk, his notepad barren and free of notes.
Kanda himself seemed to have written down half of what she had said before giving up and staring out the window.
"-then you can attach the minute hand to the last gear in that train and –."
Miranda suddenly cut herself off and flushed bright red, glancing at one of the many clocks on the wall behind her. "Oh dear…I-It seems we're out of time."
The class perked up at that. Lavi lifted his head off of the table, as if those words were magic that revived him and even Kanda turned to face the front. Allen breathed out a heavy sigh and dropped his pencil, flexing his cramping hand.
"Did you write all of that down?" Lavi suddenly seemed to be fully awake, leaning over to snatch Allen's notebook from him and stare gob smacked at the page full of tiny writing, crammed in.
Kanda lifted his head off of his hand to see it and let out an annoyed 'che', when he saw the scribbling.
"I missed a lot of school, so I have to pay attention or I'll fall behind." Allen stammered, grabbing his notebook back and sliding it in his bag. Lavi shook his head in disbelief.
"I can't believe it. And here I thought I'd finally found someone else who would slack off with me." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "I'm ashamed of you, Moyashi. You're all smart and stuff…."
"It's not like that at all!" Allen protest, flushing red. "It's because I'm not 'smart' that I need to pay attention. I've never been to highschool before!"
That wiped the smirk off of Lavi's face and he stared at him. Even Kanda seemed to be mildly interested.
"You've never been to highschool before?" Lavi asked. Allen shook his head.
"Why?" Was Lavi's next question and Allen was mercifully saved from answering by the ringing of the bell.
"Let's go." Allen said, scrambling out of his seat as Lavi and Kanda gathered up their things and stowed them away
Lenalee was waiting at the door for them; a manila folder tucked beneath her arm and her bag over her other shoulder.
"How was your session?" She asked. Lavi was the one to answer.
"That was so boring! Not that I have anything against Miranda or anything, but all she does is drone on and on about clocks! And the way she talks about them you'd think they were her lover or something!" Lavi heaved out an exhausted sigh and slung an arm around Kanda's shoulders as he pretended to dramatically collapse. Kanda shook him off and he did crumple to the floor.
Lenalee rolled her eyes at them before smiling up at Allen. "Ni-san needs to see you." She said. Allen tensed up as he recalled his past encounter with the schools headmaster and the torment he'd received.
"He promises he'll be on his best behavior this time." Lenalee hurriedly added upon seeing Allen's worried expression. "I promise."
"What's happening?" Lavi asked as he hauled himself to his feet using Allen's arm as leverage.
"Ni-san needs to see Allen."
"Che." Kanda frowned but Lavi's expression brightened. "We'll come too!" Lavi offered, linking arms with Kanda and pulling him along before he could object.
The group made their way through the packed corridor, deftly dodging students as Lenalee led the way.
It wasn't hard to pick out which office was Komui's, what with the plaque reading HEADMASTER KOMUI plastered on the dull blue door.
Lenalee knocked lightly before pushing open to the door.
"Ni-san, Allen's here."
Allen's first thought was he'd stepped into a bomb testing site; what with the papers strewn everywhere and odd electrical devices he'd never seen before sitting on shelves or buried beneath unsigned paperwork.
His second thought was that Headmaster Komui, may indeed be dead.
"Is he alive?" Allen asked hesitantly as the approached the man slumped over on his desk, white beret crooked and glasses hanging off of his nose.
"Fucking moron." Kanda murmured.
"Me or him?" Allen asked, nodding at Komui.
"Both."
"Ni-san?" Lenalee gently shook her elder brother. "Ni-san, wake up." Komui remained asleep. Or dead. Whichever it was.
"Oh, for the love of -." Kanda whacked Komui on the head and the headmaster, fell sideways, spluttering.
"I wasn't asleep! I was looking for a piece of paperwork!" He panicked, digging franticly through the papers heaped on his desk for a moment before looking up and seeing that it was just them.
"Ni-san…" Lenalee frowned at him, setting the neatly organized folder down on his desk. "Here's the paperwork I sorted this morning."
"Oh, Lenalee! My beautiful and kind sister! How - ." Lenalee cut over his rant before he could get any further. "I brought Allen-kun."
Komui paused and peered around her at Allen who was hanging slightly back with Lavi and Kanda. "Indeed you did." He agreed.
"So, uh. What did you need me for?" Allen asked awkwardly.
Komui coughed, pushing his wire rimmed glasses up his nose as he pulled a sheet of paper from a desk drawer. "I was just going over your application for the school and I noticed that –."
"Wait!" Lavi cut in. "You were just going over it now? After you admitted him. Not before?"
"Well, yes. That is what I said."
"You're meant to that before hand dipshit." Kanda growled.
Komui looked miffed. "I'm headmaster. I have more important things to do."
"Like sleeping?" Allen asked.
"Well, yes. Now, back on the subject. I was going over it and it saw that as parent/or legal guardian you have Marian Cross down." Komui looked up from the paper.
"Marian Cross as in, booze and women Marian Cross?"
"You know Master?" Allen asked in surprise and Lavi and Kanda looked at each other.
Komui smiled – a nice and warm smile. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I used to work with him. Unreliable, selfish, arrogant, womanizer." He paused thoughtfully. "Good at his job though. I remember him mentioning taking on an apprentice a few years back." Komui upraised him. "Said he was a worthless, idiotic runt."
"That sounds like Master alright…" Allen said glumly. Kanda looked taken aback and Lavi had one eyebrow raised.
Komui slipped the sheet of paper he was holding back into his desk. "I'll have to give him a call." He smiled.
"Was that all you needed?" Allen asked and Komui nodded.
"You can go now."
Allen nodded at the party headed out the door.
"Oh! And Allen!" Komui called out casually after him. "Just thought I'd let you know I read your file last night – interesting read. Please come see me if you need anything." Lavi, Kanda and Lenalee blinked in surprise as Allen's back visibly stiffened and he paused.
Slowly he turned, a stunningly bright smile on his face. "Will do." He answered just casually, and left the office.
Kanda paused for a moment. He couldn't be sure, but just before that smile he could have sworn he saw that look in Allen's eyes once again.
oOo_O_oOo
Allen and Lavi had barely parted ways when there was a loud knock on the door. Allen paused and looked over at Kanda who was sprawled out on his bed with a book. Kanda narrowed his eyes and looked back towards his book – a clear indication that Allen would be the one getting the door.
Sighing, Allen tossed his homework on his desk and went to open the door.
Lavi was leaning against the doorframe, dressed in casual clothes with Lenalee standing slightly behind him. He beamed up at Allen.
"You left just five minutes ago." Allen said bluntly.
"Just enough time to get changed and to see if my two best buddies would like to accompany their two best buddies out!" Lavi proclaimed clapping Allen on the shoulder before striding past him to see Kanda.
"No." Kanda didn't even look up.
"Aww… Come one Yu-chan. It wouldn't hurt you to socialize a bit." Lavi tugged the book from Kanda's hands and threw it over on his desk. Kanda glowered up at him.
"You're already changed." Lavi grinned. Kanda frowned and made to reach for the book again but the second he stretched out his arm Lavi grabbed it and hauled him to his feet and out the door.
"Lenalee! Grab Kanda's bag!" He called out behind him as he pulled Kanda out of the room.
Allen smiled slightly, and stepped back, allowing Lenalee entrance to the room.
"You're coming too." She warned him.
"Yes, I figured as much." Allen agreed. "Just let me get changed and I'll meet you guys downstairs."
Lenalee smiled warmly at him and left with Kanda's bag, Allen shutting the door behind her.
He took a deep breath and ran a shaky hand through his hair as he leant against the door for support.
His vision was blurry and his arm was stiff and any movement sent waves of pain spiraling down it.
Allen sighed and strode towards his desk; pulling open the drawer he took out an unlabeled bottle of pills and shook a few into his hand, dry swallowing them quickly. He dropped them back into the drawer and slid it shut, pausing for a moment as he waiting for the small shivers running down his spine to stop.
He wondered just how much information his file had on him. Did it list his medications? Allen frowned. He always felt uncomfortable when people knew he took medication; however irregular it may be.
Was his entire life written down in there? That seemed even worse. He knew his life was in black and white on many folders in many places but the thought of somebody actually having access it, somebody being able to look up his entire history on a whim was still unnerving.
Breathing out, he headed to the wardrobe, changing quickly. He snagged his bag and left the room to join his friends.