Hey, Nukia here!
This fanfiction is a side story to Beyond This Love.
I don't know if any of my old readers are reading my rewrites anymore, but I'm going to keep going. I thought I'd say Nonie belongs to a friend of mine on , we were writing two separate fanfictions and we use to crossover into each others fanfics with our OCs. She's given me permission to use her OCs, so she will be credited now and again when they appear in my fanfiction. This chapter is just random, it's crazy and long!
But thank you for the reviews, favorites and the alerts! Also to the unknown people who read my fanfictions, I promise it will pick up at some point! If you don't like it, then don't read it.
Chapter 19!
I've lived at The Wammy House for over 3 week now, it was hard settling in at first and getting use to my new surroundings. Everything was new and different, also the lack of freedom was frustrating. Apparently there's different rules for different students so Mr Ruvie told me when I asked him if I could visit Rose, I don't like him at all and I know a few other students dislike him too. He's Watari's manager of the orphanage when Watari is not around, he's stern with some of the student and makes their life's hell.
The class lessons are hard here too, I feel so stupid in some of the classes and I have to ask the teachers for help. The stuff the students are learning is all new to me, I've got no idea what to do in forensic science or criminology class. They do have normal lessons here to like mathematics and literacy, they even have foreign language classes which all the students must take. I'm terrible at foreign language class, I'm beginning to think I'm the dumbest child in the orphanage. The only things I'm good at is forensic art and prosthetic make up, I get a lot of praise from the teacher who runs those classes. I got told I may have a future in forensic art for law enforcement's if I continued improving my skills, but I don't want to follow that path.
It's the 23rd of December now, the lessons have finished for the week so the children could relax and enjoy the Christmas holiday. I'm not really sure how Christmas works in The Wammy House though, do they get gifts or have Christmas parties or even have a Christmas lunch? I guess I'll have to find out, but for now I've got to help out with the Christmas decorations. All of the students have been given different tasks, some students were putting up paper streamers in the corridors and others were helping to decorate Christmas trees around the building. I've been paired up with Nonie, we're decorating the staircase in the main hallway of the orphanage.
We'd collected a big box of decorations from the assembly hall, there were a few different coloured baubles, plastic holly leaves and red coloured tinsel in the box. We both decided to each take a side of the staircase, we shared the decorations out between us and chose which side of the staircase we wanted to decorate. We both began to decorate the staircase's banisters, I looked over at Nonie and watched her hanging some of the tinsel under the handrail of the banister.
" And what are you looking at?" She asked.
" Nothing!" I replied and quickly turned away from her as I picked some tinsel up from the step I was sitting on. " I was just checking on what style you were decorating the banisters, I thought it would be better if they matched each other..."
" So you're copying off me?" She asked.
" No, I just didn't want the banisters to be mismatched..." I replied as I began to hang the tinsel from the handrail. " I've never done this before, we didn't really have tinsel at Christmas in my Aunt's cottage..."
" Why not?" She asked.
" I don't know, My Aunt was very set in her ways and never had tinsel on her Christmas trees when she was young or old..." I answered and looked over at her. " We use to make popcorn and then thread them on string to hang on the tree, she was very old-fashioned when it came to Christmas. We didn't even have Santa toys or flashing lights on the tree, just candles and holly across the top of the fireplace..."
" That sounds pretty cool in an odd way, what kind of popcorn did you use?" She asked.
" We dipped it in homemade toffee, I use to eat some from the tree when my Aunt's housekeeper wasn't looking..." I smiled to myself as I picked a green bauble up from the step and hung it on the tinsel. " It was nice, I'm guessing they don't do that kind of stuff around here?"
" No, if they made toffee popcorn tinsel then A would most probably eat all the popcorn from the trees!" She laughed and looked over at me. " My brother told me about your Aunt, I'm sorry that she died. But I don't understand why you're here, you're not like us..."
" Not like you how?" I asked.
" You're not smart for a start, there's nothing special about you at all..." She replied as she turned away from me and continued to hang the tinsel from the handrail. " Is it because you've got money, am I right? I know money can talk volumes that the greedy can only hear, I think you're here because you've got money..."
" I know I'm not smart, my Aunt arranged for me to stay here until I turn 18..." I sighed. " I don't think it's as anything to do with my inheritance, she was friends with Mr Wammy for many years and donated loads of her money to many charities. She even wrote in her will that she wanted to give some of her personal books to reading charities, she was a good woman even if she was stern with me at times and made me take elocution lessons..."
" You took elocution lessons?" She asked, she looked back over at me and smirked. " God, poor you! But your Aunt does sound charitable, I like people who give to the needy. But you need to change to fit in here, the way you dress for a start is terrible and outdated!"
I looked down at the light purple dress I was wearing, I didn't see anything wrong with it. It wasn't frilly or to girly, it was plan with a black belt around my waist. I looked back over at Nonie as she got up from the step, she was wearing a red devil hoody with blue jeans and wore black sneakers on her feet. She walked along the step towards me, she stopped next to me and crouched beside me.
" I want to do a makeover on you, I'll help you to fit in here..." She smiled slightly and held her hand towards me. " But you've got to promise me something first, do we have a deal?"
" What kind of promises and deals?" I asked.
" I want you stop trying to steal my brother away from me, he's my family and not yours!" She replied with a frown. " All he does is hang around with you since you moved here, he never as time for me anymore and I want him back!"
" I'm not stealing brother away from you, he's just being supportive..." I answered, I shuffled along the step away from her and leant my shoulder against the banister." Is that why you keep being rude to me sometimes? You can hang around with us too, I don't have a problem with you being around us. Have you tried talking to him?"
" I've tried everything to get his attention, but he tells me to stop bugging him!" She answered as she clenched her hand." That's why I want to help you, then you'll have to help me in return. I'll help you fit in, then you can help me get my brother to notice me again. So, do we have a deal after I've explained my predicament to you?"
" I guess so, I'll try my best to help you then..." I answered.
" Good!" She smiled as she jumped up from the step. " I'm glad we've got that straight, now come with me and I'll find you something more fashionable to wear, can I style your hair too?"
" But we're meant to be decorating the banisters, won't we get into trouble with Mr Ruvie?" I asked.
" Nah, we can say we went to the bathroom. He never questions girls when they say that, you just give him the monthly excuse and he's fine with it..." She replied, she yanked me up from the step by my arm and grabbed hold of my hand. " Come on, come to the clothes storeroom with me and I'll show you what they've got there! It's a good place to find your own style, but you'd have to leave your dress behind for a trade... "
I sighed to myself as Nonie led me down the staircase, what have I gotten myself into? But at least I know why she's being rude to me now, she's just scared that I'm taking her brother away from her. I don't have a clue why she would think I would do something like that, I would never dream of taking anyone's family away from them. She stopped me outside of a door labelled clothes storeroom, she opened the door and hurried me inside. I looked around the room and smiled to myself, this room was amazing. There was all kinds of different clothes in here, I felt Nonie tap my shoulder as she walked past me and I followed her down one of the aisle.
" Where did all these clothes come from?" I asked as I stopped by a rail of dress and took a look through them. " They're amazing, are they all donated clothes?"
" Yeah, they come from clothes companies or clothes manufacturers..." She answered and took a straw hat from a cardboard box. " They send them to us instead of throwing them away or they send us out of season stock, we get sent a lot of cool stuff though. Let me choose something for you to try on, have you ever wore a skirt before?"
" My Aunt wouldn't allow me to wear skirts, they're not ladylike..." I replied, I turned around to face Nonie and watched her run over to a rail full of different coloured skirts." Will Watari mind me trading my clothes? I have a lot of clothes of my own already, it feels wrong trading them in for new ones..."
" You're to innocent, don't you know how to have fun?" She asked, she took a red coloured skirt from the rail and smiled at me as she held it towards me. " Try this one on! I'll get you a black t-shirt or maybe a long-sleeved shirt to go with it! This will be so much fun, I never get to do things like this with friends!"
" We're friends now?" I asked.
" Yeah, I think we're friends now..." She replied.
I watched Nonie hurry over to another clothes-rail, she took a black long-sleeved shirt from the rail and took the shirt from it's wooden coat-hanger. She beckon me to follow her with her hand, she lead me to a changing room area and pushed me inside one of the cubicles. She hung the skirt on a coat-peg inside the cubicle, she threw the shirt over my shoulder and drew the changing room's green curtain.
" Get changed, I'll find you some boots to wear!" I heard her say from behind the curtain. "What size shoes do you take?"
" I'm a size 5 in shoes, but I think my feet may have grown since I last got them measured at the shoe shop..." I answered. " So, maybe a size 6!"
" Okay, I'll take a look around well you're getting changed!" She yelled.
I sighed to myself as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I pulled the shirt away from my shoulder and placed it down on the floor. I undid my belt on my dress, I quickly took my dress off and placed it down on the floor. I put the black shirt on and then the red skirt. I took a look at myself in the mirror and bit at my bottom lip as I ran my hands down my hips, I look so grown up. The skirt was just below my knee and the shirt was tightly fitted, I don't think this dress style is me.
" How does it look?" I heard Nonie ask from behind the curtain. " Do the clothes fit you? Can I see?"
" Sure, you can come in!" I replied
I heard the curtain of the cubicle get drawn back, I turned around to face Nonie and cupped my hands behind my back. I watched as she looked me up and down, she then held a pair of black ankle boots towards me with a smile on her face. I took the boots from her, I quickly put them on and walked out of the changing room.
" Now it's time for me to do your hair!" She said as smiled sweetly at me and took a hair-bobble from her hoody pocket. " Let's see, I think I'll tie your hair up. Yeah, I like that idea..."
Nonie quickly rushed behind me, she took my black headband from my hair and threw it across the room. She quickly tied my hair up into a ponytail, she gently pushed me out of her way and hurried into the changing room. She picked my dress up from the floor, she hung it on a coat-hanger and barged past me.
" Those clothes really do suit you, I think we should show A your makeover right away!" She smiled and hung my dress on one of the clothes-rails. " I'll go and find him, I can't wait for him to see you now!"
" Well, okay then..." I said quietly.
" I want you to count to a hundred and then come out of the room when I knock on the door, have you got that?" She asked with a smirk. " We'll be waiting for you outside, I'll be quick!"
I watch Nonie leave the room, I begin to count to a hundred in my head and walked over to my headband. I picked it up from the floor, I carefully put it in my hair and sighed to myself. I wonder why Nonie wants A to see my makeover so badly? I looked over at the room's door when I heard someone knocking on it, I walked over to the door and opened it wide.
" Surprise!" I heard Nonie yell. " Come out and play!"
Nonie quickly grabbed hold of my hand, she pulled me out of the room and pushed me into someone. I quickly said sorry, I stepped away from the person and rubbed the side on my face. I quickly looked over a Nonie, she had her arms crossed with a big smirk on her face. Did she just push me into someone on purpose? I looked over at the person and found out it was actually A she had pushed me into, he didn't look amused at all.
" What do you think?" I heard Nonie say as she walked past me. " She looks good, right? We were playing makeovers, I think she needed an upgrade from her normally dull dress style..."
" Why does she have mistletoe in her hair?" He asked.
" I don't know, it looks festive to me..." She replied.
" I have mistletoe in my hair?!" I asked and put my hands on head. " Is that what's digging in the back my head?"
" Yeah, keep still and I'll get it out for you..." He replied.
" Thank you, why did you do that Nonie?" I asked.
" I don't know, it seemed funny at the time..." She replied in a sarcastic tone. " I thought it would look festive in your hair, tis the season after all!"
" Ignore her, she can be childish at times..." He smiled and took the mistletoe from my hair." She needs to grow up, but can I ask why you've let her give you a makeover?"
" It sounded fun, change can be good at times..." I replied, I looked over at Nonie and saw her frowning at me." I guess you could call it's a clothes experiment, but no harm was done. We had nice time, it was nice spending some time with your sister..."
" Oh right, I guess clothes experiments are fine if you fancy a change..." He said as he gently grabbed hold of Nonie's arm and looked down at her. " If you'd excuse us SJ, I need a quick word with my little sister..."
I watched A lead Nonie along the corridor by her arm, they disappeared around a corner and I heard A raise his voice at her. I leant back against the wall, I looked up at the ceiling of the corridor and sighed to myself. I looked along the corridor when I heard someone humming a Christmas song, I saw Backup walking along the corridor with a Santa toy dragging on the floor behind him. I stood up straight as he stopped near me, I looked down at the Santa toy on the floor and saw tinsel wrapped around its neck. I looked up from the toy and stared at Backup, he can be really strange at times.
" What are you doing?" I asked.
" I'm taking Santa Claus for a walk, I plan to hang him outside of Mr Ruvie's office..." He replied with a smirk. " He will not find it amusing, but I on the other hand will find it hilarious. May I inquire why you're dressed like a tramp?"
" A tramp?" I asked.
" Yes, just humor me with an explanation..." He replied.
" Nonie gave me a makeover, but this dress style is not me..." I sighed and cupped my hands behind my back." I may go and get changed back into my clothes, I don't think A liked it. Also Nonie put mistletoe in my hair, I'm not really sure why she did that though..."
" Alternative dislike girls who dress in clothes like you're wearing, I think you've been pranked by Nonie. She really doesn't like you, but she doesn't know that you know that now..." He chuckled as he pulled the Santa toy up from the floor by the tinsel and smirked. " She think's you're trying to steal her sibling away from her, she get's very possessive at times over him. He's the only family she as left in this world, her Mother and Grandmother both died in a plane crash a few years ago. Many people died on that flight, she was one of the 14 survivors who survived that horrific plane disaster..."
" How do you know all of this?" I asked.
" I've read most of the personal files of the students who live at the orphanage in secret, I like learning about my fellow students..." He replied. " But I overheard most of what Alternative and Nonie were talking about in the corridor when I passed them, she confessed everything to him. If I were you, I'd stay away from her and watch your back. I believe she may have it in for you, but if you like I'll watch your back from a distance. I'll be like your shadow, you wouldn't even know I was there..."
" So she gave me a makeover to make A hate me?" I asked, I looked down at the clothes I was wearing and frowned slightly. " I feel so stupid now, she said we were friends..."
" Yes, cunning isn't she?" He smirked and dropped the Santa toy on the floor. " I don't trust her at all, she's like me in many ways. But for now I must say goodbye, I need to go and hang Santa Claus outside of Mr Ruvie's office for his little surprise. I do enjoy Christmas, it's full of mischief and joy. Quite delightful, don't you think?"
" I guess..." I replied.
I watched Backup turn away from me, he began to walk down the corridor with the Santa toy following behind him as he hummed. I took the hair-bobble from my hair and let it fall around my shoulders, I'm going to get changed back into my old clothes now. I hurried back into the clothes storeroom, I found my dress hanging on the dress rail and rushed into the changing room. I quickly got changed back into my purple dress, I fastened my belt around my waist and drew the curtain of the changing room back. I jumped when I saw A sitting down by a box of hats, he gave me a smile and got up from the floor.
" I'm here to say sorry on the behalf of my sister, she can be jerk at times..." He said. " She's gone back to the staircase to finish decorating it, so you can join her when you feel like it or you could be cruel and let her decorate it all by herself for her punishment..."
" It doesn't matter, I forgive her..." I said quietly as I put the shirt back on its coat-hanger." I understand why she did it, she just wants to spend more time with you. You have spent a lot of time with me lately since I moved here, you need to make some time for your sister too..."
" You're to understanding and forgiving, but I get what you're saying..." He smiled. " But Nonie as to learn, I've got a friend who need me right now. I think she's just a jealous little kid, she's been use to getting all of my attention for months and now she as to learn to share me with others. There's enough of me to go around, it's not my problem if I'm in high demand sometimes around here!"
" Big head!" I giggled and picked the red skirt up from the floor." But you should make some time for your sister though, I'll be okay alone for a few hours. Why don't you take her to the games room later, you could plays some Super Mario Bros with her or play board games or watch some television..."
" But I'd feel guilty leaving you all by yourself, I promised Watari I would look out for you well you stayed with us..."He sighed." I'll ask Nonie if she wants to hangout later in the games room then, but for now I'm hanging with you..."
" Okay..." I nodded.
" Come on, I'll protect you from Nonie well you decorate the rest of the staircase..." He said as he ran his fingers through his blonde shaggy hair. " I was meant to be helping Backup decorate the windows in the corridor, but he ended up disappearing on me..."
" I saw him, he was going to Mr Ruvie's office..." I smiled. " He had a Santa toy with him, he was going to hang it outside of his office for a joke I think. He said he walked past you and Nonie in the corridor well you were talking, didn't you see him?"
" You're kidding me?!" He asked with a hint of surprise in his voice. " I didn't see him, but I need to see this! Do you want to see Backup pranking Roger?"
" Sure, it sounds fun..." I replied.
I hung the skirt and the shirt back on the clothes-rails. I left the clothes storeroom with A, we hurried down the corridor and turned into another corridor. There was a few children hanging baubles on a giant Christmas tree near the main entrance of The Wammy House, I stopped dead and admired it. It was beautiful, it reminded me of the Christmas tree they have in the town square at Christmas in the village. I heard A call my name, I looked down the corridor and quickly followed after him.
" Come on daydreamer, you can check the tree out later..." He said.
" Is Christmas always like this here at The Wammy House?" I asked.
" Yeah..." He replied as we turned into another corridor. " You should see Christmas morning, now that's when the true celebrations begin! We get up at 9am, have a late breakfast and then sing Christmas carols until Lunch time. After Lunch, we just hangout and play games until late supper..."
" That sounds quite delightful!" I smiled.
" I guess it's delightful as you put it, but this year I'll have more family around me..." He said, he stopped me near a wooden bench and pointed down the corridor. " I've just seen Backup, he just disappeared down that corridor. That's where Roger's office is located, he should be back in a moment to hide in this corridor..."
We continued to walk down the corridor, we saw Backup hurry around the corner and he leaned back against the wall as he chuckled. A stopped next to him, I walked past them both and took a look down the corridor. I saw the Santa toy hanging from some tinsel in front of the door, why do people around here like pranking each other? I felt myself being pulled by my waist back into the other corridor, I looked over at Backup and watched him peep his head around the corner.
" Did we miss it?" I heard A ask. " Say we didn't miss it, I love it when Roger get's worked up over pranks!"
" No my dear Alternative, I'm still waiting for him to arrive..." Answered B as he looked over his shoulder at us. " Did she tell you about my prank? Hopefully no one overheard it or it may get ruined by tell tales, then I would have to punish your little friend..."
" Touch her and I'll break your fingers!" I heard A say from behind me." You know what Watari told you about punishing others, he'll come down on you like a ton of bricks the next time you do it!"
" It seems like I've hit a cord, how interesting..." Smirked B as he turned his attention away from us. " I think we should test SJ courage, what do you say?"
" Test my courage how?" I asked.
" I want you to fasten mistletoe above the Santa Claus toy's head, I think Mr Ruvie deserves a Christmas kiss this year..." Replied B with a chuckled. " What do you say? Will you take part in my prank? It's Christmas after all, maybe it will break your innocent streak..."
" I don't know, I don't want to get into trouble..." I replied and removed A's hands from my waist." What if I got caught? I'd get scolded by Watari, I promised Rose I would be good well I lived here under his care..."
" It's fine SJ, you don't have to do it..." I heard A say from behind me. " I'll do it, I want to see Roger's face when he see's old Saint Nick waiting for some Christmas kisses. I bet it will be brilliant!"
" That's the spirit, I believe you've got some mistletoe in your jean pocket from earlier..." Said B.
" How did you know that?" Asked A, he took the mistletoe from his pocket and held it over Backup's head. " Hey B, pucker up for A!"
I laughed and covered up my mouth as I watched Backup shoo A's hand away from above his head with a frown on his face. There is one new thing I've learned about A since I moved here, he likes making fun of Backup. But I like being around him, he's fun to be with when he's happy. I removed my hands from my mouth, I quickly tied my hair up into a bun and chewed at my bottom lip.
" Alright Backup, you're need to be my lookout well I fasten this mistletoe on the tinsel above the Santa toy's head..." Said A as he stepped into the other corridor. " If you see Roger I want you to whistle, have you got that?"
" Of course, you can trust me..." Smirked B.
" I find that hard to believe for some reason, I don't trust you at all..." Smiled A. " SJ, you can be my lookout instead. The moment you see Roger I want you to whistle, have you got that?"
" I can't whistle, I'm sorry..." I replied.
" Really?" Asked A.
" You're wasting time, hurry up!" Frowned B.
" Alright, I'm going to just have to chance it then..." Sighed A, he placed his hand on Backup's shoulder and pulled dramatic face. " If I get caught, you've got to promise me that you'll stay out of my stuff. Don't look under my bed or eat my toffee, I shall return at some point..."
" I promise you nothing, I hope Mr Ruvie gives you the cane..." Chuckled B.
" No, let me do it!" I frowned and grabbed hold of A's arm. " I will to do it instead! You'll end up getting caught, I can use the monthly excuse on Mr Ruvie because I'm a girl and I hear he doesn't question girls when they use that excuse!"
" What?" Asked A." What are you talking about?"
" Please let me do it, I don't want you to get the cane!" I replied.
" She's weird, I like weird..." Smirked B.
" No SJ, I'm going to do it..." Sighed A." Look what you've done now B, you've made her think we get the cane now for bad behavior..."
" My bad..." Smirked B.
I snatched the mistletoe from A's hand, I ran along the corridor to Mr Ruvie's office and stopped in front of it. I looked back along the corridor, I saw A beckoning me to come back to him with his hands and Backup laughing hysterically as he leaned back against the wall. I bit at my bottom lip as I stood on my tip toes and carefully began to tie the mistletoe on the tinsel.
" You! What do you think you're doing young lady!" I heard someone yell angrily from along the corridor." Take that down immediately and sit on the bench outside of my office!"
I gasped as I looked the other way down the corridor, I saw Mr Ruvie making his way along the corridor with Mr Wammy walking next to him. I dropped the mistletoe on the floor and looked up at the Santa toy, I'm going to get into so much trouble over this stupid prank. I looked back along the corridor, I saw Backup running away down the corridor and A gently banging his forehead against the wall. I took the Santa toy down from the doorway, I sat down on the bench across from Mr Ruvie's office and waited for him.