Disclaimer: I hope to grow-up and own a series this beautiful...but until then, I just going to keep writing things based on other's ideas.

Story Arc 1: The Project

April 9th, 2004

Chapter 5

"So that's it?" While a wave of relief washed over me, I couldn't help but feel apprehension slithering its way into my heart and laying a seed of doubt.

Roger smiled, catching my hand movements as he rose from his bow. "Precisely, Miss Beginning." He opened a drawer to pull out a small envelope. Extending his hand, he motioned for me to accept the package. "Here is your room key, I hope you've taken a liking to the room you have been residing in. When you return there you will find a pile of clothing; they are yours."

"I already have clothes." They wouldn't have thrown away my clothes, right?

"Of course—and you are welcome to wear them—but it is customary for children of this house to be provided with clothing. Most children who come here do not have much and must be provided with basic amenities."

I nodded, understanding.

"Additionally, you will begin classes on Monday, three days from now. You are expected to perform to the best to your ability. Textbooks will be delivered to your room in the morning."

"Classes?" A heaviness settled over me at the prospect, "Will I be here that long?"

"We do not know how long your stay will last. So, while you are in our care, we will provide you with as much as we would a permanent charge." He must have seen something in my face, because Roger sighed, before moving around the desk to pull me into around hug. "L will find your parents, don't worry."

He smelled of mint and coffee, and his tweed jacket scratched my cheek as I nodded into his chest, sinking into his embrace.

After a moment he pulled back and met my gaze with a kind warm smile. "You must be starving! How about I show you to the dining room?"

I nodded, releasing him. Honestly, I wasn't all that hungry. Even though I had slept more than twenty-four hours, all I wanted was to lay back down in my bed.

He guided me out of his office and down the hallway towards the main entrance. The other side of the expansive chamber held the opening to an equally large room. Several long, dark wooden tables ran parallel to the sides of the room. Handfuls of children, ranging in various ages, sat on cushioned benches in small groups. They talked lowly, the clinking silverware rang above their murmur. On the far wall sat an equally long table, layered with trays of food.

Roger clapped me on the shoulder, startling me. "Grab a plate, eat, and make some friends!" He gently pushed me forward, setting me into motion.

The murmuring of conversation and the clinking silverware stopped; I could feel their eyes on me. I turned back towards the entrance of the dining room, hoping Roger would smile and say: "Just kidding!" However, when I turned, I found he had slipped away.

Slightly unsettled, I spun back around, keeping my head down. I tucked my hands into the pouch of my hoodie, absently realizing I must not have changed my clothes yesterday as my hands brushed against hard crumbs nestled in the seam.

I walked a straight path to the buffet table that was along the back wall. Aromas saturated the air as I got closer; my stomach growled. Taking up a plate I absent mindedly ladled food onto the plate, plucking silverware from a side basket at the end.

Steam from the food wafted into my face as I made my way down to an empty area and set my tray down. I slid onto the wooden bench and bent over my tray.

Picking up my fork, the cool metal resting comfortably within my fingers, I plunged the spikes into the steaming portions of food on my plate. Bringing it to my lips, I closed my mouth around the food, pulling the metal out as my lips stayed clamped closed.

The food tasted heavenly, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. My stomach was restless. The unease that I felt caused my throat to clench, preventing me from swallowing.

In the end, I spat the food into the napkin I had grabbed from a basket on the table.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Drew slid into the seat next to mine, placing his tray on the table. "As you are still here, I can only assume that you passed the test." Like yesterday his hair was flipped over to the front side of his shoulder in a braid, the end tuffs disarrayed, as if he been toying with them. His clothes were the same as yesterday's, an emerald green tee-shirt with khaki shorts and sandals.

"Been assigned to classes yet?" He flicked his braid back over his shoulder and settled a napkin across his lap.

I shook my head. Roger hadn't talked to me about which classes I would be taking, only that they would be starting on Monday.

Drew took a bite of his roll, chewed, and then swallowed. "I wouldn't worry about it...they'll have it taped to your door by Monday."

"I don't sign up for them?!" I signed, my hands moving frantically as my fork clattered to my plate.

"Whoa!" Drew exclaimed, shaking his head. "We really need to get you some sticky notes, that way we can communicate."

I nodded, of course I had to be acquainted with someone who couldn't understand sign language. There were many questions I wanted to ask. What was happening? Why couldn't they have sent me to a school in London? Who was L? What was this school? However, instead of finding answers to these questions, I was stuck in the mess hall having a one sided conversation with a person who couldn't understand me.

"Anyway," Drew continued. "They choose the courses for you. They always give the ones they know you'll do well in...in fact, I've never had a class I didn't like!"

Well, I suppose that was, in its own way, a relief; but the seed of doubt grew a bit larger. What if I was the one exception?

"You'll adjust quickly to the classes." Drew continued, after swallowing a few mouthfuls of his food. "Their curriculum is intense, but the class sizes are insanely small. You'll get a one on one experience with your professors."

I picked my fork back up, resting the slightly re-chilled metal in the folds of my fingers. I poked at my food with the utensil. At least that sounds intriguing, I thought. And it was true. I hated boredom, so the probability of being one student of thirty in a class seemed like it would increase the chance of boredom. I was certainly willing to try if it meant I wasn't sleeping all day.

Drew rambled on as I half listened. "Wammy House is the most amazing place I've ever been too! The other orphanages were disgusting, and their residents were as intelligent as a rock." He shoveled some more food into his mouth, chewed, and then swallowed. "I've been to five before coming here. Many of the others were transferred to Wammy from orphanages, since their talents and intelligence made them social outcasts." Food. Chew. Swallow. "There's actually a study that's been done by a man named Mustaffa R. Ahmad. It's about the relationship between emotional intelligence and skills competency. He says-"

"YOU FUCKING ALBINO PILLOW!"

Drew's lecture was cut off as an intense shout echoed through the room. We turned our attention to the source: three boys. They were located further to the front than Drew and I, probably just a handful of steps from the door that led to the entrance hall.

I recognized the boy standing nearest to the doors. He also wore the same clothes (all black). This led me to believe that he and Drew, and the whole population of this mansion for that matter, probably possessed several pairs of the same outfit. While he wasn't tall, he was definitely slender. His hair hung at the same length, golden threads encasing two icy blue eyes. He was the boy who had run into me yesterday.

To his right stood a tall and equally slender boy. His back to us, he wore a red and black horizontal striped shirt and baggy older jeans. A random strap was wrapped around the back of his head, making his already messy brown hair insanely hectic.

Between them sat, from what I could see through the barrier of their bodies, a figure enveloped in white.

"You KNOW this is OUR spot!" The blonde's voice, while still loud, had lowered, only raising to drive emphasis to certain words.

A soft murmur rose from between the two boys. "You sit a few steps closer to the door, Mello."

The blonde scowled, his face turning red. "NO! We sit HERE!" He clenched his fists, knuckles turning white. "I don't want to eat anywhere near YOU," He sneered.

For a moment there was silence before the boy in all white spoke again, "There are plenty of seats you can occupy that aren't near me."

"Mello, it's fine," The taller boy moved towards the blonde, wrapping a hand around the blonde boy's bicep. "We can just sit somewhere else—"

"No," He spat out. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"But I am!" The taller boy whined.

The blonde boy glanced at his friend before ripping his arm from the taller boy's grasp. "Whatever." He turned and stormed out of the dining hall; the tall boy, despite his previous statement, followed.

As the boys made their exit the murmuring of the conversations rose again. I heard Drew speak from behind me, "That was messier than usual."

Usual? Usual. As in, happen often. God, they fought like that often? I sighed, there never seemed to be a quiet moment here.

I turned back, Drew had returned to his food, shoveling forkfuls unto his mouth. "Usually," he started after he swallowed his food. "Matt can calm Mello down enough for there not to be an incident, but today something seems to have upset him." Drew dabbed his mouth with the corner of his napkin. "From what I'm told, Mello hates Near."

Drew gestured with his head. I turned my head, my gaze landing on the lone figure in that direction. "There, the albino? That's Near."

And Drew was right. The boy in white was literally all in white. His hair, skin, shirt, and pants were bleached in the unblemished color. Near sat, his knee pressed up against his chest, the front of his leg resting against the edge of the table. His posture deplorable, he seemed to slouch over his knee as he used his fork to gingerly stab at a piece of food and bring it his mouth.

"The other two were, obviously, Mello and Matt," Drew said, the tone indicating the topic was over.

Edited 2/01/2015: This chapter was edited, on this date, by gamegirl07. Being the amazing person she is, she is the one who fixed a majority of the dumb little mistakes I keep on making!

Edited 7/5/2015: InkstainedHands177 edited this chapter as well!

A/N:

I hope this story's chapter is to your liking. Your love keeps me very motivated...so don't be afraid to share it.

AAnnR