FicWad

Chapter One
"Honey, they're going to love you."
Sixteen year old Bandit Lee Way looked up from tying her navy blue converse and saw that her father, Gerard, was standing in the doorway.
"You look pretty nice," She told him.
"Pretty nice? That's all I get? I think I look dashingly handsome."
She smiled at him. "Don't push your luck."
All of the sudden, her father's expression became serious. "Are you nervous?" Then, after a moment, "Dumb question, huh?"
"Very. I just have this feeling that I'm going to accidentally insult someone without even knowing it and have to hide in the ladies' room all year."
"So, just like every year?"
Normally, Bandit would have laughed at her father's joke. Today, she simply got up to punch him in the arm. "That isn't very nice."
"No, but it's certainly funny."
Bandit sighed a little. "It's not a day for funny, dad. Maybe not even a year for funny. Everyone here is so serious all the time," she lamented to her father.
"Not all of the time. Just most."
Professor Gerard Way reached out and took his adolescent daughter's hands. Bandit was comforted by this and looked up at his face. There were laugh lines around his eyes, but it seemed like centuries since the last time she'd seen him laughing, which was before her mother had been taken away from them in a car accident nearly two years ago.
"I have to leave soon. Are you sure you don't want to walk to school with me?"
Bandit nodded as she finished lacing up her shoes. Pausing to paint her mouth with crimson lipstick, she headed out the front door.
........................................
On the very first day of the new school year, it was chilly outside. However, the day was still unrepentantly beautiful. The way that Kumakushi Bay reflected the sky's brilliant blueness nearly stole Bandit's breath. She would have endured anything to be able to wake up to a view of such beauty every day.
Trying not to be distracted by the exquisite sight, Bandit headed off in the direction of Miyazu-no-Chi, the international boarding school where her father had taken up the position of teaching American Studies, and where she would be attending school. To Bandit, it seemed more like an ancient temple than any sort of school she'd ever seen. Imposing, yes, but much cooler than the dull, industrious looking school buildings she and her father had seen in Kyoto City and Tokyo.
Bandit had been dreaming of life in Japan for as long as she could remember, romanticizing the nation's rich history and mythology, while also devouring the new pop culture that was spreading all over the world. Actually moving to Japan had been a big step for both Bandit and her dad, a brand new beginning in a place they'd always wanted to live in, speaking a language they loved. She'd never, ever, forget her mother, or loosen the tight, horrible knot of grief in her heart, but it took that loss to realize that their dream should not be postponed.
The very first few weeks, Bandit had felt like Dorothy after she'd landed in Oz. Minus the singing, that is. It had taken a lot of effort to adjust to her new life, wandering around the city, or simply sitting on the Turning Bridge and playing her guitar. With school, it would begin all over again. She'd met a few students in town, and while they seemed nice enough, they weren't exactly welcoming.
Picking up her pace, she walked down the street. Now, she could see some other students. A girl rode past Bandit on her bike, nearly hitting her. "Sorry!" She called over her shoulder, and Bandit thought she sounded Australian. Two boys were racing each other not far away, their laughs echoing in the air. Another group of boys, this one slightly larger, was gathered around a tree, discussing a manga Bandit had vaguely remembered hearing about before. When they saw her walk by, they stopped their conversation and watched her pass.
Part of the reason they were staring was because she was new, but another large part of it was her appearance. Her hair was bubblegum pink, and that day, she'd been wearing it in victory rolls. Bandit was also wearing darker makeup than many other girls at school seemed to be wearing. The stares didn't faze her. She was used to this sort of thing happening at home.
She kept walking, and soon a secondary path caught her eye. She had about fifteen minutes before she had to be in class, so, figuring a little exploring wouldn't hurt, she walked along the path, curious as to what it would lead her to.
A shrine was set up at the base of a large, old tree. Drawings, photos, and a Hello Kitty t-shirt had been left there. There were also several notes, most of them addressed to someone named Sara, and there were candles. In the middle of this fairly recent shrine, there was a photograph. Bandit couldn't help but look at it. The dead girl had been quite pretty, with long black hair and bright green eyes.
She turned and stared at the pagoda towers of the school, and another wave of nervousness came crashing down on her. In her head, Bandit had repeated the words her father had said earlier.
They're going to love you, honey.
With a sigh, she started back towards the school, feeling ready for whatever misfortune she might run into on that day.