bElectricals. /b

It was nice, that day. Well, I mean, it started off nice. Nice and…inice/i.

Too many nice's.

That morning was fucking brilliant.

The power was down. DS was dead – no power to charge it. PSP broke. No computer – again with the power. It was my worst nightmare come true. The power at Wammy's had short circuited, and being so desperate to fix the damn problem and get the games working again, I was trying to fix it myself. Most of the floors had been reconnected with it, but ours hadn't. Why is this a 'nice' morning? Because unlike normally, Mello was actually with me in the small room that held all the power mains. I never knew why he'd come with me, but it didn't matter.

"Hand me the screwdriver" I mumbled, holding my hand out expectantly, my fingers curling around the object as the heavy weight was pressed to my hand. "Thanks"

"Matt… d-…" I heard the blonde shift against the wall he was sat against, his leather clothing squeaking slightly as he did so. Goggles pushing my hair upwards, I slid them back over my eyes and yanked the protector off the case. Which wire? I thought quickly, my fingers brushing the other wires as I took one and pushed it towards another. "Matt?" I heard the chocolate snap and smiled. It was strange how I'd adjusted to hearing it. Usually, to anyone else, the motion was quiet, almost unheard unless the eater made it heard, but either way, I heard Mello's eating.

"Yeah?"

"Do y-"

"Is the green light on behind you? For our floor?" I heard him shuffle again, then a 'uhhh' as he studied the large board with all the controls and lights.

"Yeah"

"Okay. I think I've done it" Picking up the screw driver, I put the protection case back on the electricals and put the equipment back in the box, leaving the box in the corner. I glanced up at Mello's stubborn face; I pushed away a smile. "What?"

"Nothing…" Mello hardly ever did that sort of thing, the whole 'start a sentence, decide it sucks, it's 'nothing', so forget it'. I always wonder what it was he was going to say, but I've never found out. Back then, it didn't bother me so much.

Electricals fixed, we headed back to our room whilst laughing about something stupid. I think Mello was taking the mick out of my games again… but then again, I did—No! Our funerals! That was it, we were planning our stupid funerals. Mello would die due to a sugar overdose after being diagnosed with Diabetes, and I would die and horrible death because of the cancer, but we managed to laugh our way back to our rooms, imagining our funeral with no guests – we wouldn't invite Near, and being young we assumed Watari would be dead – Roger would be the only person there, laughing at our dying graves. But then we'd come back as zombies and kill him, so it didn't matter much. Our room was a sty. As usual. I headed over to my side and tried the computer. It whirred to life, and I flashed a grin at Mello.

"How are you second when you have no idea how to fix the power?" He scoffed at me, falling onto his own bed with a mouthful of chocolate. It disappeared quickly.

"Because I don't need to fix the electrical stuff; you'll do it" My attention sparked at this, and I left the computer to load on its own. It didn't need me jeering it on anyway.

"What?"

"You'll do it. Duh" I was thoroughly confused. I ran a hand through my hair, letting Mello think what Mello wanted to think as I turned back to the PC. I jeered it on.

"What was your score on the last test?" He asked, turning onto his side in the dimly lit room and staring at my head. I felt his eyes burning into me, not glaring, but it was irritating. People shouldn't stare.

"Uhm… I don't know. Why? What did you get?"

"Don't you check the boards?!" Mello rolled his eyes, flopping back onto his back and drawing his feet up so his knees bent. "I got one less than Him. 998" Him only meant one person to me and Mel.

"Then I was probably-"

"Nine hundred and ninety seven" He shrugged, his head turning to face me as he put the chocolate down. "One less than me"

"Great" My voice was no where near enthusiastic. I didn't see why it should be. First and second place were all that mattered, 'sides, I'd never overtake Mello. I'd never Iwant/i to. "Why ask if you knew?"

"Just wondering if you did, that's all"

"Why?" The computer had loaded, and I quickly opened up the usual things. Roger's computer caught my attention, so I started my pranks there.

"Because you've been one behind me ever since the second test. You've only ever overtaken me once – and that was the very first test you took here"

"Nice observational skills" I squinted at the screen, copying the rude address and pasting it into Roger's favourites, putting it as his homepage. Loser.

"I was angry at you when you did…it sunk me down to third—No offence!"

"None….taken" I said slowly, concentrating on all the addresses and pictures, websites and numbers I could inject into Rogers PC.

"It's just that…" Hmm? Now what? A virus maybe? It was all a scam really. The rude addresses were just for fun, but he knew I was the only one who could successfully disable the viruses without having all his work go down the drain. He always gave me two packets of cigs for it. I grinned at the thought. Which reminded me, I needed more. More motive! I set to work--

"….that I didn't like being third--! You're not even listening!"

"What?" Mello growled, turning onto his stomach and falling into his pillow.

"The first time you came second!" He repeated, agitated.

"Was my first test here" I finished. See, I did listen!

"Yeah! After that, I got all pissed at you" Mello rolled his eyes.

"You did?" I didn't remember that.

"I tried to whip you with the playstation cables I broke– you have a scar on your shoulder where I clipped it!" Mello sat up, tossing the pillow to me. Ah, I did remember that.

"Okay…so…"

"So I lashed out at you cause I was third and since then you've always been one behind me! Just one Matt! And its not cause you're scared!"

"So?" I could clearly see the point, I just wasn't wanting to disrupt Mello's moment.

"So! You've been doing it on purpose! You know how I felt about it!" He realised this inow?/i Had he really only just realised? It's been like, six years…

"Prove it" I grinned at the screen, planting the virus in Roger's computer and sitting back.

"I-…" He couldn't, he knew he couldn't. "Fine. I'll go and ask Roger for the papers! If I can find a question you know the answer to but you've got it wrong, then that's evidence enough, right?" Roger wouldn't give him the papers, they were confidential to the person. I told him that. "Well--… You get them!" No. I told him that too. "Why do it?" He mumbled. "If you're better than me, then I don't deserve second place"

"You don't need to recognise it Mello" I frowned at him. "It doesn't matter. Me being in second wont help you overcome Near" I shrugged and shut down the PC. It was boring. "Besides, think of it as me helping you to first. If I let you be second, and I'm third, then you're one step closer to overthrowing Near. If I go to second, then it's just another nightmare for you" Mello shrugged, wordless, and I knew I'd won. "I don't mind" Mello nodded at the confession.

"It just seems unfair" Unfair?

"You actually … care?" Mello's head snapped up, and I new the face. Did he think I had feelings or something?! I burst into laughter, and so did Mello as he saw that I wasn't going all soppy on him; he'll never know how much I wanted him to say the opposite to what he said next though. He'll never know that I wanted to go 'all soppy' on him and tell him … things.

"No! I was just, y'know" I nodded, determined not to make Mello seem uncomfortable any longer than I had. Our laughter had stopped when the door was knocked, and Mello accepted. A mop of white hair poked in, a small but delicate hand holding the door only inches away from the frame. He had a right to be nervous, Mello hardly ever let him in the room without being threatened.

"Mello, Roger would like to see us in his office" Mello blinked, rolled his eyes, and sighed.

"I didn't do it" He said, shaking his head.

"I can assure you, whatever it is he wants us for, it's not about whatever it is you've Inot done/i. He said to hurry" Near disappeared and Mello quickly made a face behind his back. He sighed and stretched.

"Gotta' go" I shrugged, moving to the floor and turning the TV on. I forgot to pray to God for thanks, now the electrics were back on, thinking back – maybe this was why the day didn't end so well. Mello ruffled my hair affectionately as he passed, smiling slightly with his chocolate in hand. After five minutes alone, I followed, goggles over my eyes, game in hand, cigarette in mouth. Once at Roger's door, I leant against the wall to the side of it, one leg pressed to it as the other stuck out slightly for balance on the floor. I paused the game as Mello's voice raised. This would be interesting.

I"Dead?! How?!"/i

I felt my head smack back against the wall, my eyes wide. My hands clammed up quickly. Were they talking about L? Mello wouldn't get this worked up if it was anything other.

i"Does it mean that Kira finally killed him? Kira finally had him? Did he kill him!? This cant be!" /i

Roger scolded Mello, his voice ragged. What was Mello doing? I heard a clatter, something being tipped to the floor. It wasn't heavy enough to be a person.

I"If we don't arrive to finish the game…"/i

Near? My Original Nintendo fell to the floor, my heart racing.

I"…To complete the puzzle, it is necessary to start from the beginning"/i

Oh God. No.

I hated the feeling. I heard Mello mumble something, say something, but it was muffled. It got louder. Mello's voice was hard, restraint, but hard. Like it was difficult to say what it was he was trying to say.

i"Near has, contrary to me, the patience to restart a puzzle from the very beginning. Im going!"/i

My eyes bulged.

i"I'm leaving the school!"

"Mello-"

"I'm old enough! I'm fifteen! I'm going to do it my way"/i

Like a coward, I ran back to our room, the game forgotten on the floor. So, I was on the last level – level fifteen – it didn't matter. What to do?! My eyes frantically dove for the window for some strange reason, and I found myself on the window-sill in seconds. The door burst open, Mello's raging form coming in with long strides. He halted.

"W-What the fuck are you doing?!" He was in a foul mood. He didn't know I knew why, but then again, I didn't know if he was going to tell me. "Get down!"

"Why?" Why was I asking that? I could jump! The strange sensation made me want to kill myself and it sucked. I mean, Mello was leaving Wammy's! I'd never be L, Mello was going, why hang around?

"What do you mean why! Get down! You'll fall!"

"Well why don't you leave and you won't have to watch me!" The words flew out before I could stop them, and I'll never forget the horrified look he gave me. I leant out, the green grass below looking so appealing.

"M-matt…" Grinning, my fingers unpeeled from the frame, my legs kicking off the sill as I leant back and spread my arms out. "MATT!" I'd never heard him scream like that, but I'd never jumped out of a window before either. My knees smacked into the wall, my shoulder aching rapidly as a shocking spasm hit it. I wasn't falling. I looked up, Mello's hands gripping my arm. "You're fucking insane!" He cried.

"You're the one leaving!"

"I have to!" He hauled me up, but I desperately tried to kick him off. I kicked the wall, pulled against him, anything to get him off my arm. "Matt, L's dead! Near's won! I won't let him win this level! It's just a game—MATT!" His grip loosened as I pulled his arms, my feet digging into the bricked wall. I felt his grip loosen, and I did it again. "I can win the next round! If I leave, I can get Kira before Near does! I'll still win!" With my free hand, I tried to unpeel his fingers, and it sort of worked. I slipped, but he still gripped my hand. Almost there. "Matt, please!" i'No Mello…/i'. By this point, death seemed too difficult. I wanted to run away from him. Did I? I could run away with him, but if he'd wanted me to, he would have mentioned it. He didn't want me, he didn't need me.

I"Because I don't need to fix the electrical stuff; you'll do it"

"What?"

"You'll do it. Duh"/i

When would that be, huh Mello?

"Sorry…" I frowned, hauling myself up slightly and biting his fingers. He yelped, his hands unclenching automatically. I fell from the four-story window, winded as I crash landed on the grass. I got up quickly, running from the window and out of sight. I didn't see Mello turn to look out for me, or destroy our room. I only realised how angry he was when I got back. The room was torn apart. The wall was scraped and completely vandalised. So many things were on the floor it was impossible to move from the doorway. Nothing was intact any more, nothing but the photo stuck to the wall between what was mine and Mello's bed. Even that was ripped.

I hold it in my fingers every now and then, touching the edges, the taped bit in the middle. I sometimes run my fingers over Mello's hair. I'm not a kid any more, I'm older. I can survive without Mello, but my head still hurts when I think of him. It always has. Especially because whenever I do think of him, I always get the image of his things, what was left of them, lying in a pile on the floor, most of his other things taken. It's dark out, but I always keep the window open. Not in case he comes back, but just so I can jump. If I really want to. My work is done for the night, and I glance at the picture in the picture frame to the left of my PC. It's the same one that was between the beds, only faded and old-looking. I touch the glass lightly, my eyes – covered with the orange tint – turning to the phone as it rings loudly and echoes in the small place I call my apartment. I lean over and pick it up.

i"I hear your good with electrics. Computers, Games, Hacking maybe?"/i

"Depends on who's asking" I mumble, leaning back over my seat and reaching for a cigarette. I spark it up, the clink of the lighter echoing as it's caught in the phone.

i"You still smoke?"/i I blink. Still? i"Those things'll kill your brain and you won't be smart any more"/i

"Who is this?" I frown, the voice seeming faded and distant. Vague, but familiar.

I"I have your game"/i My game? I glance at my collection, but none's missing. I haven't ordered anything either. i"The Original Nintendo?"/i I blink.

"Impossible. I lost it a while ago"

I"Exactly/i" Came the exasperated sigh. i"Y'know…it's still on level fifteen…/i"

"Mello?" I whisper, but whoever it is doesn't catch it.

i"Are you planning on finishing it, or can I delete it?"/i

"Why would you do that?"

i"Because it's taking up space in my drawer"/i

"Why do you keep it in your drawer? Why not bin it?"

i"Because … it means something to me"/i

"It's not mine. You have the wrong number" These things are stupid.

i"I get it. You were listening. I know you were. You dropped the game and ran. Dude, I think my… I had a heart attack when I saw it"/i I don't know what to do! I"Mail…can I ask you something?"/i Only one person, other than Roger, knows my real name. I let myself smile slightly.

"What, Mihael"

i"How are you with electricals?"/i