Mello liked chocolate.
That was no secret - in fact, very few things about Mello weren't common knowledge in Wammy's. He was, had always been, an "open book", so to speak. And he, like Near, had an actual chance of becoming L one day (heck, he had even met the man). So one doesn't have to be a genius to know that Mello was well known around the institution.
That, however, was never the same as being well liked.
With his fiery temper and air of superiority, the number of children who did like him was not very large at all. Mello was painfully aware of that.

But, back to chocolate, it was really good.
It could sooth his anger and melt away his sadness and on the rare occasion that he was in a light mood - or even, dared he say, in a good mood, it could still make everything feel impossibly better.
Mello liked chocolate. He'd never thought too much about it.
Not until that happened.

"A physical exam is coming up just next week, Mello." a random kid, a boy, said out of the blue.
Mello continued to munch on his chocolate like he hadn't even heard anything, not bothering to look up.
"We'll all get weighed, y'know," another one called.
"Your point being?" He inquired, without a care in the world about how he looked speaking with his mouth full.
"Well, I'd watch my fat intake if I were you."
He finally looked up then, only to find out that every kid in the common room was staring at them. Suddenly, he felt self conscious.
He had been sitting alone, waiting for Matt to show up, just ignoring the others. Like usual. And now they were all looking at him, watching him. Waiting for his comeback.
By way the boys who approached him were smirking, arms crossed, baggy pants and shirts two sizes two small, it was clear that they liked messing around. There was absolutely no reason to take them seriously. Right?

"Fuck off," he shrugged, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of knowing they'd gotten to him.
But he set the chocolate bar down on the small wooden table and refrained from swallowing until he was sure no one was watching anymore.
He could hardly move without feeling all eyes on him, which was simply ridiculous, but still.

Mello started watching his weight, just in case. And he saw it go up slowly, month after month.
He wasn't fat, was he?
Well, not that it would matter - it shouldn't.
Of course he didn't like feeling self conscious nearly all the time. He didn't like fearing that someone might start the name-calling (he knew that, once it started it was never over, if Near being called a sheep to this day meant something). He didn't like wondering if he looked pregnant (he was mistaken for a girl often enough to know it wasn't too unlikely, especially if he continued to put on pound after pound like this - and the lack of mirrors in Wammy's didn't help either).
And it's not like he couldn't lose weight, if he wanted to.
He wasn't fat, was he?
Either way, losing a couple of pounds wouldn't hurt.

"Matt, do you think that maybe I should eat less chocolate?"
He didn't know why he asked that.
They were just hanging out in Matt's room, Mello laying on his stomach on his redheaded friend's bed while said redhead sat comfortably on the floor, playing God knows what on his DS.
Mello was just thinking, wondering, when the words came floating out of his mouth. It wasn't the first time Mello said something impulsively, but he couldn't remember ever regretting saying something more than he did now.
Matt apparently hit the pause button to look up at him. Well, that was first.

Mello jumped to his feet and lifted his chin at his friend's obvious bewilderment.
"What, you don't think I can?"
"That's not it," he was quick to assure, "It's just... Why would you even want to, Mels?"
"To try it out." His voice faltered and he internally cursed, unconsciously lifting his chin higher.
"Try it-" Matt shook his head, disbelieving, "Are you even listening to yourself?
"I'm not as weak as you think," he said coldly, "I can do it. You'll see."
"Geez, Mello! What in the world got you so defensive? I'm your friend here, remember?"
"Whatever."
He turned around and stormed out of the room. And maybe it wasn't just out of anger. Maybe it had something to do with the tears threatening to fall from his eyes that he definitely could not let Matt see.

A/N: Let me know if you liked it at all. Please?