Heart Shaped Box

[cherrycutie1and5]

Joel Levato wanted to join the KND since he was a little boy but he knew he wouldn't be a good number. He liked the idea of having a number.

Because he hated his name.

After what he'd done to his parents, Joel hated himself. He hated every about him -

how could he have done this to them

- and he'd ignore the protests that they deserved it. Because he was locked into their heart shaped boxes forever and they'd just crush and broke him. Throwing him into a deeper shade of darkness and brokenness.

He was uneducated.

With no school.

With no love.

Just him. And his little numbers. He was Numbuh 69. And he didn't know why he hated the number so much. And he realized he hated the number because he was that number -

sometimes, he wishes he wasn't a member of anything

- because he felt like he was going to mess up and break and destroy everything again.

He stared outside the window -

pretty clouds in the blue sky

- and tried not to say anything. He was almost always like that. Didn't say a word as he brushed back strands of cinnamon brown hair.

[fangirl4315]

Penny Anderson, cheerful girl, per say, wanted to join the KND because her sister and brother used to be famous around KND. She wanted to be one of the greatest, and she has the chance to.

Numbuh 72. 72, her number. Her codename. She chose it over her birthdate and her first friend (and crush) from KND; July and Hoagie, a.k.a. Numbuh 2.

She walked down the sidewalk, and saw a cinnamon brown-haired boy, staring outside his window.

[cherrycutie1and5]

He glimpsed at her and he looked back into the window.

He tried not to break in front of her. He used to. All the time. When his father and mother would insult him (it was all they ever did actually). He loved them anyways and now that they were gone. He wanted them to see that he can do something right.

And his sister, Alyssa, was here to. As cute little Numbuh 65. And he stayed walking the window, in complete dullness. He blinked the surfaces of pink eyes and didn't say anything. He bit his lip.

He always never spoke.

He just watched and stared.

[fangirl4315]

She stared at the boy. Cheerful she was, and she saw how dull the boy seems to be. She waved her hand.

"Hi!" she greets happily. And along her tail, her Sector V teammates arrive.

[cherrycutie1and5]

Joel looked at her, flashing her a soft smile, even though he knew it was pointless. He waved his hand towards her and then looked back into the window -

the still blue sky

- and looked back at her. He didn't want to speak and she'd know how stupid he sounded. Like a six year old. Because he didn't know how to talk any other way. He was uneducated and he hated it.

[fangirl4315]

Penny and her team spots the boy. Nigel, the leader of the team, notices he recognizes Joel, maybe when he was watching a KND graduation. He wondered why was a KND operative, naturally adventurous, just sat alone, looking out at the window.

They walked towards the window.

"Hey, are you okay?" Penny asked calmly.

[cherrycutie1and5]

He slowly nodded his head, not bothering to turn and look at them.

Abby's mind was racing through a thousand thoughts as she looked at Nigel, Penny and then Joel. Why was he like this? They were always talkative and happy and as Nigel would like to put it, busy and adventurous but he looked dulled and miserable. She opened her mouth to say something but didn't find anything to say.

Joel blinked, he suddenly nods his head as if to answer her question twice.

[fangirl4315]

Wondering why the boy didn't talk, the Aussie started asking questions.

"Kid, ya okay?"

Joel nodded.

"Are you in the KND?"

He nodded once more.

"What's your name?"

Joel stood silent. This time, silence only. No nods. No answer.

"He's name is Joel!" Alyssa answered for her brother.

"Nice to meet you!" the Japanese girl said, always in cheerful mode.

Hagie nodded and extended his arm, for the boy to shake it. Joel looked at the hand. Curious he was as to what he should do.

"Shake it," Hoagie said. "No harm done."

Joel followed what the boy in light blue said. He reached for his hand and shook it.

It seemed the Japanese girl wanted to sigh, saying about having a new friend. Joel smiled; it felt good to have nice company around him for once.

[cherrycutie1and5]

Alyssa' felt like she could explain a little further. "Our parents died," she blinked away her own tears. "He can't handle it."

She walked towards Joel and put a hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it off softly. He knew why. He didn't want to hurt Alyssa.

Alyssa walked towards Penny. "He's always been this way, he's never going to change," she whispered softly to Penny.

And he walked away from the window and to his room.

Alyssa stared and she looked at the sector. Almost as dull as Joel but her cheerfulness came back in another moment. She smiled.

[fangirl4315]

Sector V looked at their fellow KND comrads. No parents; it wasn't right. Sure, they were against adults, but parents, they are pure and loving ones, ones who aren't being fought by KND.

"Man, it looks hard for them, especially for Joel," Kuki said sadly.

"Yeah."

Penny looked at them. She had one thing in mind already; a wish. She wished he could change. All of the things he were, she thought, wasted by dullness.

[cherrycutie1and5]

Alyssa sat on a chair and looked at Penny. Coughing and hiccuping, 'he was the first to see them die in front of him. He hasn't been the same since, I'm older than him and I'm supposed to take care of him," she looked at Kuki then Penny again.

"But throughout, he never talked to me." She smiled weakly. "I'll go to my room." She needed to sleep. She always slept when she felt tired or upset. So she walked away.

[fangirl4315]

Penny watched the little girl, exhausted, tired. She had to get some rest. When she closed the door, Penny left the house. She was thrilled towards new friends, but a bit down, seeing for once, a kid, dull. No parents, no happiness. She wanted to make him a kid who will have fun.

[cherrycutie1and5]

Nigel walked behind Penny. "Penny," he said as he caught up with her. Looking at her usual cheerfulness suddenly dimming, 'are you feeling well?" he asked, knowing the answer from her eyes. He didn't say anything else. She was usually fully beaming but half of that beam was gone for once. And he didn't like it.

[fangirl4315]

"I'm fine," she answered gloomily. "Don't lie," he told her. "I'm fine, but Joel. It's kinda sad to see him like that." Nigel understood quickly. He knew losing loved ones was hard. He then nodded and told her, "Well then, we'll see what we can do."

[cherrycutie1and5]

Abby looked at them from afar. Hearing everything and then asking them. "What can we do?" she asked Nigel and Penny, stepping towards them.

"I don't know," Nigel truthfully replied. "But we're a team, we'll figure something out. Won't we, Penny? Penny?"