I closed the text book I had been reading. I think if I read up anymore on The Psyche of the Criminal Mind, I would lose my own.

I had spent the past four hours reading that stupid book for class. I didn't need to read it all yet, but I knew that Near would have the damn thing read by tomorrow; and it had only been assigned today.

I leaned back on my chair, propping my knees against my desk and forcing my chair on to two legs. I ran my fingers through my hair and closed my eyes trying to relax them a little.

I only had ten chapters of the stupid book to go, I could have a rest now and go get myself a chocolate bar. I think I deserved that much.

I looked out of my bedroom window, it was only mid afternoon. The sun was still up and shining across the grounds of the Wammy House. I could maybe go outside and join the other boys in a game of football for a while to blow of some steam and then come back to the book and finish it after dinner; or maybe I could go see what Matt was up to. I knew he wouldn't be outside. Matt wasn't an outside kind of guy.

I sat my chair down and stood up stretching, I could come back to the book later as long as I finished it before tomorrow. That's all that mattered, right?

Thinking about it, I grabbed the book and decided that I could finish it in Matt's room, at least then I had someone to talk to while I was reading. Afterwards Matt and I could play one of his games together or something.

I snatched the book up off my desk and exited my bedroom, heading for the kitchen. I could probably get away with stealing a few bars of chocolate without the cooks noticing.

I crept past the cooks' pantry. I heard her inside grabbing ingredients for tonight's meal, and I grabbed a stool before I raided the cupboard I knew the chocolate was hidden in. Grabbing a few bars and stashing them in pocket I made a quick exit out of the kitchen before I was caught. If Roger found out I was eating chocolate before dinner again I would most definitely get punished.

Smiling as I took my prize out of my pocket I unwrapped it and stuffed the corner in my mouth, enjoying the sweet taste.

Yep, I deserved this after reading almost that entire book in one afternoon. I hummed around my chocolate as I tried to decide what we could do once I had finished reading my book. It would only take me about another hour to finish anyway. I looked out the window in the hallway I was currently in and saw the dark clouds coming in from the east.

"Hmm, glad I didn't decide on a game of football," I shrugged, turned on my heel and headed back toward Matt's room; I knew he would be in there probably playing on one of his consoles or something.

I got to the main stairway and saw Near sat at the bottom of it surrounded by action figures and building blocks.

There was no way he had started reading that book yet, I thought to myself. He had been sitting there the last time I had seen him. I smiled smugly, there was no way I was going to be beaten by him this time, not if he spent all of his time playing with his stupid toys.

I laughed as I kicked over one of his building black towers and raced past him up the stairs. I heard him protesting in the distance and that just put me in a better mood as I ran up the stairs towards Matt's room.

I didn't bother knocking on his door, I never did, I just barged my way in.

"Hey Matty!"

He didn't even look up from his game boy, "hey Mells, you're not studying?"

"Nope, I decided that I would grace you with my presence while I finished my latest reading assignment."

I smiled and allowed my body to fall to Matt's mattress.

"I feel honoured," he said, tilting his game boy more to one side as he struggled with whatever game he was playing at the moment.

I laid on my front, propping the book open on the pillow and began to read. I got through another chapter, and found myself unable to concentrate anymore; the words kept going blurry and no matter how much I read I just couldn't absorb the information the book was offering.

I growled in frustration and slammed the book shut.

Matt look up momentarily from his DS, he was giving me a quizzical look before dropping his eyes back down to the small screen.

"What's wrong? Not interesting enough or a stupid ending?"

I sighed. "Neither, it's really interesting actually. I want to finish it, but I can't concentrate, the words keep going blurry."

Matt paused his game and looked up at me from his position on the floor, leaning against the bed.

"I know exactly what's wrong there Mell, you need to take a break, what you've been reading all afternoon no wonder your head is messed. Mine would be if I read for that long, you just need to take a break, go for a walk, watch some TV or something."

He un-paused his game and went back to playing it, how he could play that thing for so long and not get a headache I would never know. But his idea did make sense, maybe I did just need a break for a little bit.

I grabbed the remote from the bedside table and flicked on the TV, I started flicking through the various channels.

"Nothing... nothing... nothing..." I kept flicking for a while, "you going to be on that much longer?"

"Maybe. Why?"

"Well, you know, I just wondered. I don't want to be lying here all afternoon watching TV; I would actually like to do something."

"Okay fine, give me another half hour then we can do whatever you want."

I sighed, damn Matt and his stupid games.

I slid off the bed and down on to the floor next to Matt and carried on flicking through the channels.

I stopped on a cartoon and watched for a little while until I realized I'd seen this one, so I flicked the channel again, nothing... nothing, I stopped when I heard Matt cussing at his game boy.

I turned to look at him, and saw him restarting the level again; I smirked and turned back to the TV.

A stupid soap opera was showing. I was just about to flick the TV over when I saw the camera zoom in on the couple on screen as they began to kiss.

Usually I would have turned it over by now, but I got really interested in watching them kiss.

The way their lips moved against each other's so perfectly, how did they know what to do? And how didn't their noses get in the way? And better yet how did they breathe?

I watched them for a little while longer, there had to be something about kissing because the people on the TV screen where definitely enjoying themselves.

I frowned as I tried to figure out exactly what could be so enticing about you rubbing your lips against other person's.

I frowned a little more when I saw them open there mouths and rub their tongues against one another.

How could that feel good? It looked disgusting.

I had to know. I looked at Matt; it wouldn't be weird, right? Matt was my best friend, and plus it was all being done in the name of curiosity, I'm sure Matt was just as curious.

"Matt,"

"Mm?"

"Put the game down."

"What, you said half an hour, it hasn't even been 20 minutes."

"I want to try something out."

"Well, you can in about ten minutes, okay?"

I snatched the game boy out of his hands, "no, not okay! I want to try this out now."

"Hey Mello!" I threw the game boy over my shoulder and onto his bed.

"Shut up, I want to try this out now so just shut up and don't move."

I positioned myself on my knees in front of him. Matt just stared cluelessly at me as I pulled his goggles down around his neck.

I closed my eyes and brushed my lips against his, I left to them linger there for a second, waiting for Matt to respond. I pulled back when he didn't.

"Matt, how is this supposed to work if you're not going to cooperate?"

"Well...what am I supposed to do?" he looked at me with a look of total shock and confusion.

"Uh… I don't know! More than what you're doing, do something."

Matt still look totally clueless as he stared at me, "oh... kay."

"Right, try again," I brought my lips to his once again and just left them resting there for a moment.

Matt pushed forward a little, pushing against my lips a more, and then I began to move my lips against his just like I had seen the couple on the TV doing. I really had no clue what I was supposed to be doing, but it must have been right because Matt responded and started moving his lips as well.

And all of a sudden I guess I saw what the fascination was, although everything about the kiss was clumsy and awkward, it still felt nice.

I tilted my head to the side so I had better access to Matt's lips, and I realized this is how your nose didn't get in the way. I smiled at my own realization. As the kiss progressed it became less clumsy and awkward; our lips falling into a smooth rhythm against one another.

I pushed further into the kiss and I ran my tongue over his lips, he hesitantly opened his mouth, his tongue meeting mine.

I lost all train of thought then; all I knew was that it felt good. I leaned in a little closer touching my hand against the hand Matt had leaning on the floor and I covered it with my own.

After a little while longer of us both sitting their kissing, we broke apart, cheeks flushed and panting slightly.

Once our breathing calmed Matt just looked at me.

"What was that about?" he looked at me with glazed eyes, and his face was almost the same colour as his hair, which all of a sudden I noticed was my favourite shade of red.

"I saw the people on the TV doing it; they seemed to be enjoying it so I wanted to know what all the fuss was about."

"Oh.... okay then," he smiled slightly and reached for his game boy, "so it was all in the name of curiosity then?"

"Yeah."

I saw his expression change a little when I said that, but he covered it well and re-opened his DS to begin playing his game again.

"But, of course, now that I know what the fuss is about, I think I need to practice some more," Matt looked up at me and smiled, "so once your half hour is up that's what I think we should do."

Matt flashed a grin at me and laid is DS down on the floor.

"Half hours up," he said before pushing his lips to mine once more.

------

Sitting in class the next day when the teacher asked who had done the reading assignment, Near handed his book back to the teacher, "I finished it last night, I don't require it anymore."

I felt myself getting really angry at the little cotton ball. I had spent all afternoon reading that damn book and I hadn't fished it; I looked down at the book in question, I had two chapters left to read and I would have finished it.

"Stupid Matt," I muttered. I looked around over my shoulder and saw him playing his DS under his desk. The sun was shining off his hair making it that perfect shade of red again.

Thoughts of what exactly had distracted me from my book for so long came floating to my mind, I felt my anger fade a little and my cheeks heat up slightly.

Okay, so maybe I wasn't angry at him, but I knew I definitely wanted to study with him again tonight.