The hazy afternoon sun shone dully in the pale blue sky. For most people, today was just another normal day. For them, they would be doing what they usually did at that time or maybe the odd person would be late for something. Not the children of Wammys House. Today something big was happening. It was the day they had been eagerly awaiting for months. Surely on this seemingly perfect day nothing could go wrong?
"IT'S ALMOST TWELVE IN THE AFTERNOON! GET YOUR FAT ASS OUTTA BED RIGHT NOW. DO YOU KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS?!" screamed a young blonde haired teenager for the billionth time that day.
He was stood on his roommate's bed, jumping up and down like a rabid monkey whilst eating a chocolate bar and scattering bits of it everywhere. His roommate, Matt, opened one eye sleepily and focused it on the blonde.
"Yeah, it's Saturday now leave me alone. I wanna sleep..." mumbled the redhead, closing his teal eyes again.
Anger flared up in Mello's azure gaze. Sleeping on the day he had been waiting so long for? How rude! He would not allow it. The temperamental blonde kicked his friend in the ribs – not too hard though.
"NO YOU RETARD IT'S L'S BIRTHDAY! THERE'S GONNA BE A BIG PARTY AND EVERYTHING NOW WAKE THE HELL UP!"
A sigh escaped Matt's lips and he sat up slowly, a scowl placed firmly on his face. The two looked at each other for a few seconds, both glaring, both annoyed. After about a minute Matt sighed again and rolled his eyes.
"Fine you win. I'm getting up, okay? Happy? Jeez it's not my fault I was playing Super Mar -"
The gamer didn't get chance to finish as Mello grinned in delight and hugged him tightly.
"Today is gonna be so awesome! Hurry up and get dressed or we'll miss all the fun!"
Mello jumped off the bed, chocolate bar in hand, then dashed towards the door. "Bye Matt!" he called, running out into the hallway and closing the door behind him.
"Oiy Whitey! Did you hear? The party starts in an hour. That means that guy you're obsessed with will be here." sneered a voice.
Near didn't look up from his plain white puzzle. He already knew who the speaker was. It was Dallas, the guy who bullied pretty much everyone in the orphanage. Excluding Mello and Matt, of course. Most people were afraid of Mello and if anyone messed with Matt they'd have Mello to deal with.
"Just because I am number one that does not mean that I am obsessed with L. I would also prefer it if you called me Near," murmured the albino in his dull monotone voice.
Dallas muttered something to his gang and they all snickered. A moment later Near felt himself being lifted off the ground by the back of his pristine white collar. The small albino sighed inwardly but said and did nothing. Instead, he merely looked at the person who had picked him up, saying nothing.
"Did you just give us an order?" growled the boy who was holding him.
Near didn't even have time to react as a large fist smashed into his ribs, followed by laughter. The white haired boy gave a muffled whimper and he closed his eyes. This wasn't the first time that he'd been hit. In fact poor Near got beaten black and blue everyday - he had the bruises to prove it.
"What's the matter Near? Can't take a bit of pain? Aw what a girl!" Dallas sneered, leaning his face a few inches away from the albino's.
Near turned his head sharply to the right so Dallas couldn't see his face properly. The older boy narrowed his eyes and slapped him across the face, leaving a big red mark. Near's grey/black eyes snapped open and he slowly lifted his right hand to the abused patch of skin.
"You will look at me when I'm talking to you. Got it you little runt?"
Pause.
Dallas narrowed his eyes and kicked him roughly between the legs, earning a cry of pain from the smaller boy.
"Answer me you son of a bitch!" he yelled.
Near flinched at the venom in Dallas's voice then murmured an inaudible reply.
"Speak up!"
"...I said yes..."
"Don't use attitude with me ya fucking piece of shit!"
Another fist made contact with Near's pale skin.
"You know what? This week you've been very lucky, Near, because we've been too busy to...play...with you. Liner, how much longer 'til L's party starts?"
The boy who was holding Near must of been called Liner because it was him who replied.
"Forty-five minutes," he said at once.
A cruel grin appeared on Dallas's face.
"Perfect! That's all the time we need. Drop the dog, Liner, I've just thought of a game we can play."
Mello studied himself in the mirror, eyes wide and frantic. It was almost time for the party and he had to make sure he was absolutely perfect. L would be there and he wanted to impress him. He reached for his brush (Well it didn't actually belong to him. He had stolen it from Linda. Yes, that's right. It was a girls brush. A pink and blue one, actually.).
"Matt should I put my hair up?" he asked his roommate.
No response.
"Matt I asked you a question!"
The blonde haired teen turned away from the mirror, only to remember that Matt was collecting the outfit he had ordered especially for this party. "Oh yeah he'll be waiting at the office...I hope he hurries up," Mello sighed, thinking out loud.
He turned back to the mirror and examined his clothes for the fifteenth time. He was wearing black skinny jeans and a casual black shirt with a small white skull in the lower right corner. It wasn't fancy but it didn't need to be. He looked good and that's all that mattered...right? Dammit where was Matt when he needed him?! As if on cue, the door burst open and Matt ran in clutching a bundle of parcels.
"Hi Mello! Your still getting ready? Wow!"
Mello shot him an angry look and he reverted back to trying – and failing – to find a decent accessory of some sort. Matt watched his friend for a couple of seconds before crossing to his half of the bedroom. He started to rip open the parcels, pulling clothes out from inside.
"Maaaatt! I don't know what to wear!" whined Mello from across the room.
Matt looked up from his new stripy shirt and frowned at his friend.
"You look fine. Wait...stay there!"
"Well it's not like I was planning on going anywhere..."
Mello watched as the happy-go-lucky redhead leapt off the bed and began routing through all of his belongings. He couldn't help but laugh as Matt vanished beneath a pile of clothes and belts. Wait a second...since when did Matt have so much stuff? he thought thickly.
"Ah ha!" the redhead yelled triumphantly, leaping out from under the pile of things.
He rushed to Mello in a nanosecond, clutching two items in each hand.
"You want to look good, right? Well with my help you'll look great!" said Matt proudly.
Mello could only stand there as Matt put the objects on the floor, lifting a belt out of the pile.
"Like it?" asked Matt.
The belt was black leather with a glaring silver skull on the buckle. Very gothic. Mello nodded.
"Good!"
Matt took a step forward and carefully slid the belt through the belt loops on Mello's jeans, stretching his arms around the blonde's slender waist to get the belt into the back belt loops as well. A light blush crawled into Mello's cheeks, a blush which deepened as the redhead slowly clasped the buckle shut.
"What do you think?" asked the redhead calmly.
"S'cool," muttered the chocoholic without lifting his gaze from the belt buckle.
"Of course it's cool. I knew you'd like it!"
Matt walked away from him and picked out another object from the small pile. He didn't have to stand so close...besides I can put a belt on by myself! Dammit Matt! Making blush...bastard. Wait why am I blushing anyway? It's only Matt! And why am I stressing about it? ...Fuck. Mello was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt soft fingers brush against the back of his neck. He glanced down and saw a silver crucifix on a delicate silver chain being placed around his slim white neck.
"Wow..." he whispered, voice hoarse, "It's..."
"Beautiful? I know..."
Every hair on Mello's body stood on end. He could feel Matt's steady breathing against the back of his collarbone. They stood like that for what felt like a century, neither saying a word. Just then, the door swung open and a boy with short black hair peered in.
"Hey L's car's outside! Aren't you two coming to see him?" said the boy with a grin.
Mello jumped away from Matt, acting as if the redhead was diseased.
"Y-Yeah we're coming – just finishing our outfits," stammered the teal eyed gamer.
The raven haired Wammy boy nodded once then vanished from view, leaving the pair alone. Mello immediately picked the remaining two items that Matt had selected for him whilst the said redhead walked to his side of the room to change his clothes. Mello looked down at the two objects. One was a thin silver ribbon which he guessed Matt wanted him to use instead of a bobble. The other was a studded black wristband. He slid the wristband onto his wrist then turned towards the mirror to fix his hair. As he tied the majority of his hair back into a ponytail (he had decided to leave his fringe and a few locks of hair from the front out of the ponytail) using the ribbon, he couldn't help spotting Matt in the corner of the mirror. The redhead was stood up in just his boxers and goggles, looking down at his new clothing. Mello forced himself to look away. Matt was his best friend and that's how he wanted it to stay. Damn hormones.