Disclaimer: Sometimes I like to sit back and imagine what my would be like if I was rich...then I come back to reality where I own nothing but a computer and work my butt off at school. But if I did own Death Note - or was at least was rich - I'd have others write fanfiction for me so my adventure would never end.

Story Arc 1: The Project

April 8th, 2004

Chapter 3

My head pounded; my veins thrummed painfully. Frustration coursed through me, the boy's voice on repeat in my head. My name. He knew my name. I hadn't told anyone my name—save for the police and Roger. How could he have known it? I thought that information was classified. I signed a contract saying I wouldn't give it to anyone. It was the only stipulation, the only rule upon coming here: give no one your name.

The way he had used my name, the way the syllables had rolled off his tongue, his tone interlaced with the words made me uneasy. Something told me he knew more than he should. Or at least he thought he knew something. But how?

I could only think of two ways: he overheard Roger calling my Miss Flian, or he somehow had access to Roger's folders.

I shook my head, the pain in my skull increasing with the sudden harsh movement. The happiness I had before was gone, zapped away by the stick of a boy who had plowed into me. I needed to be careful around him. The world was turning dangerous - especially with the recent rise of Kira.

My nose still stung a bit. I could feel the dull pain pulsating. I sniffed, testing the airway of my nose, surprised to find it still clear.

I continued down the hallway, the brightness of the morning sun had faded into an orange afternoon. Someone had opened up the windows lining the walls. A warm breeze floated through the hallway. The laughter from earlier had faded away, replaced by the singing of cicadas. It was nice, beautiful even, in its own quiet sort of way.

The sound drew me in, easing the pain of the headache, the tones ignited my body like a soothing balm.

I couldn't remember the last time I was outside.

A week ago?

A couple days?

Perhaps it had only been yesterday, but either way it seemed so long ago. Like another lifetime. A different me.

I craved to feel the sun kiss my skin with its rays. I yearned to roll in the grass and bask in the subtle scent of the earth.

I turned, walking to the window to lean out of it into the sunlight. The breeze felt good against my skin. It trailed through the my hair, pulling a few strands from the confines of the thin, black, elastic band binding them together.

Despite my earlier irritation, I could feel myself becoming calm. A lightness re-entered my body; the boy wouldn't matter anymore when my parents were found, so there wasn't a real need to dwell on him. I shouldn't be here longer than a month at the most.

I stretched up, the sill of the window digging into the skin of my hips, the bare pads of my toes pressed against the cool wood of the floor in my effort to taste the outside. I could see into the thick line of trees that boarded the property of the mansion. It was expansive, the trees gathered together to make a dense jungle, a sea of forest green meeting the deep azure of the sky.

Clouds swam between the two, floating along in sparse clumps. For a moment, I entertained the idea of being one with the sky, a bird or a cloud, and I sighed. I could watch from above as everyone went about their lives, laughing at their idea of problems. It'd be so easy not to care, to drift anywhere in the world. One day Paris. The next London. The next New York. I longed to have that luxury. A glimpse. A moment.

"Your atrocious singing is very distracting."

My hands barely caught the sill of the window as I pitched forward, startled out of my reverie. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins, I yelped as I found myself staring at the rose bushes laying two stories below. My hands hurt as they gripped onto the window sill, my legs locked straight to balance my body and prevent me from going over and falling two stories.

I pulled myself back, momentarily seeing stars, blood rushing to my ears as my feet finally made contact with the floor. I panted, still staring at the ground.

That was close. My heart pounded in revelation at my almost death.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to frighten you," a soft timbre voice said.

I shook my head, my headache returning immediately with the movement, indicating to him that it wasn't his fault. I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to will my heart to calm its cacophonous beating.

I glanced over, pulling myself away from the window, and saw him standing a little ways from me. He stood, arms crossed over a green t-shirt, his left hand toying with the strands of his dark brown braid. Khaki shorts went to his knees, exposing thin, tanned calves and slim feet in sandals. The boy's facial features were soft and feminine, the edges rounded by brown wavy bangs. His golden eyes were large, encased by thick eyelashes like two jewels atop a thin nose and a small mouth.

He was so beautiful. There was no way he wasn't a girl. Boys didn't exist that looked as feminine as he did.

"Um, is there something on my face?" He cocked his head to the side slightly. But then, while soft, the deepness of his voice was unmistakable. Definitely a boy.

I shook my head side to side.

"Well, anyway, I came over to tell you that I have a headache and that your singing was distracting, but—" he looked slightly uncomfortable. "My headache has vanished."

Shit! I thought and slapped a hand over my mouth. What the hell was I doing, singing in public? Fuckfuckfuck-

"But the comment still stands," the boy looked a bit more determined. "You probably shouldn't sing out in the corridor."

I nodded, forcing a smile on my face. Play it off, my subconscious told me. I slipped my hand from my mouth and tucked them into the pocket of my hood.

The boy smiled, his golden eyes warming. "I'm Drew. Who are you?"

"I'm Heather."

"I can't read sign language." The boy looked a bit embarrassed. "I didn't get to the orphanage until after they had dissolved that class."

I shook my head, smiling. I hadn't meant to jump to the conclusion that he would know the language, but the previous boy had known it, so I had slightly assumed. And then, for a moment, I was shocked; I almost just gave away my name. I wanted to slapped myself.

"But who are you?" Drew pursed his lips, skepticism creeping onto his face. "I haven't ever seen you on the grounds before." He leaned forward, stretching out a thin arm to grip the windowsill. "You didn't sneak onto the premise, did you?"

I shook my head, the strands that had been freed by the wind fell into my face. How do I explain that I was new to someone who wouldn't understand me?

"What? So you're new?" I nodded eagerly. His features were sharp and intent, as if he were trying to see into my soul to decide whether or not I was lying. He sighed, retracted his arm, and started playing with the ends of his braid again. "I'll believe you, for now. And until I learn your name I'll just call you B until we can communicate, okay?"

I must have looked confused, because Drew laughed. "It's because you're staring at the sky singing, like a goose who had broken his wing."

I sighed and smiled, snorting through my nose. I guess that'll have to do.

"Anyway, I have to go to class! I'll see you later, B!"

Edit 1/26/2015: The wonderful gamergirl07 helped in editing this chapter...isn't she amazing?

Edit and Added 07/02/2015: Went though and edited some grammar and added a bit more detail.

Edited 7/5/2015: InkstainedHands1177 edited this chapter to make it even more wonderful!