Characters are property of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, creators of Death Note
"Everyone, another student has arrived at Wammy's house," the headmaster Roger Ruvie, an old man with stringy white hair and a slouching posture, announced to the room full of children. His gray eyes lit up with the flare of the candles, causing the silver flecks in his irises to dance. Wammy's founder, Quillish Wammy, stood next to him, a wrinkled old man in a spotless gray suit.
The children in the cafeteria, ages ranging from five to seventeen, glanced around with curiosity, hoping to spot the new arrival first. They only saw the headmaster, Watari, each other, and several of the course teachers. No new face could be seen.
"Don't be shy, Near. Please step out and look at your new classmates," Roger urged.
Ms. Lea Castro, the Mathematics professor, glanced behind her. Stepping aside, she revealed a small child. He was no more than seven, crouching on the floor with one knee tucked under his chin. He glanced up briefly, and then continued playing with carpet strands, looking completely absorbed. He was grasping Lea Castro's skirt with a small white hand. The teacher's eyes softened.
Whispers broke out among the tables of the younger students. The upperclassmen studied the boy with no apparent interest, dismissing him with a simple nod, but even they were intrigued by the new boy.
"Mello, Matt." Roger called.
Surprised, the two friends raised their heads to look up at the headmaster. Mello self-consciously fingered the stolen chocolate bars in his pockets. Matt shifted anxiously in his chair, wincing as hidden snack wrappers crinkled.
"Boys, meet your new roommate. This is Near. Mello, Matt, come forward, please."
Reluctantly, the two boys stood from the table and approached their headmaster and the new arrival. As they passed, snickers erupted from the tables as the other students heard the rustling of wrappers being jostled in their pockets.
"Meet your new roommates, Near." Roger said gently, loosening Near's grip from Ms. Castro's skirt and pulling him to his feet.
Mello had never seen a boy quite like this. The boy, who had been determinedly staring at the floor, looked up suddenly, surveying Mello with steady blue eyes. He twisted a lock of white hair around his finger. Mello took in a sharp breath, abruptly and completely taken by surprise. He studied the boy suspiciously. Who is he? Why is here, anyway? He couldn't hope to be the one to take over as the new… No! That had always been me! He wouldn't dare…
"I'm Matt," Matt said amiably, interrupting Mello's dark musings. "Nice to meet you."
"Mello," Mello said shortly.
"I trust that the two of you will make your new roommate feel very welcome," Roger warned after a tense pause.
"Of course." Matt nodded.
Mello snorted.
Without another word, Near was led by the two boys down a darkened hallway at the other end of the cafeteria. There goes my lunch, Mello thought sadly. And my chocolate… As they made their way down the corridor, he could feel the gaze of the new boy burning a hole into his retreating back. His fists clenched. Matt chatted agreeably to Near, seeming untroubled by the boy's short replies. Mello scowled as they reached room 142.
"Welcome to your new room!" Matt announced, throwing open the door.
He smiled crookedly and watched with eager eyes for Near's reaction. Mello hung back, still wary of the new arrival. He tried to see the room from Near's point of view. It seems okay, he finally decided.
Near's unreadable eyes flicked from the faded tan wallpaper to the four twin beds in each corner of the room. Two pushed against the far right wall were messily made; the other two seemed untouched. A crammed bookshelf filled the space between the two untouched beds. The rest of the furniture was plain. A simple desk and chair stood between the two beds at the right, and an old television and couch was directly across from the entrance.
"Which bed is mine?" Near asked quietly.
"Pick whichever one you want. We have two extras. The one to the right here is mine," Matt pointed to the bed closest to the entrance. "That one in the corner, which always smells like chocolate, is Mello's. I'd stay away from it, if I were you. If anyone goes near his chocolate stash, Mello will attack!"
Mello flushed. He looked away, avoiding Near's gaze. Luckily, Near didn't reply.
"Anyway, both the beds on the other side are free. Take your pick." Matt continued, flopping onto his bed, unmoved by the crackle of empty food wrappers.
Near nodded. He twirled a strand of hair around his finger as he pointed silently to the bed directly across from Mello's. He looked at Mello, a hint of mischief dancing in his blue eyes. Mello frowned, a little unnerved. What was the new boy playing at?
Matt groaned loudly and said, "We're gonna have to go out again tonight, Mello." He laughed at himself. "Not that I mind…it's just that my stash is getting low."
Mello rolled his eyes.
Matt grinned. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Whatever…." Mello muttered.
Near frowned, sitting on his new bed. He pulled his knee under his chin in the way that Mello began to recognize as his signature pose. "What's going on?" he queried.
"We're going out to –" Mello began.
"Why don't you come with us and find out?" Matt interrupted, flashing Mello a pleading glance.
Mello narrowed his eyes and continued anyway, as if Matt wasn't there at all. He faced Near and said stiffly, "We're going out to restock our 'supplies.'" He motioned to Matt's bed, the empty wrappers needing no introduction.
Near nodded, understanding. Mello gritted his teeth as a pillow sailed across the room, smacking him on the side of his head.
Matt glared at him angrily. "What's your problem?" he snapped.
"What the hell is yours?" Mello shot back. His frustration had been mounting all day, and this was just the vent he needed. "Lying to the new kid? What sort of welcome is that, huh? What kind of role model does that make you?"
"Role model?" Matt cried incredulously. "Who said I had to be a freakin' role model? God, Mello… And I was not lying! How dare you –"
Near spoke over Matt, his quiet voice drawing Mello's attention. "Where exactly are we going?" He added dryly, "If we're ever going at all…"
Mello sighed. "Let's just go."
Matt scrambled to the closet behind the desk and roughly pulled open the wooden doors. "Fine," he muttered, grabbing a ragged coat, the kind with extra deep pockets. Mello motioned for Near to follow them to the bathroom, a nondescript door beside Near's bed.
"Don't worry," Mello said quietly. "It's not dangerous."
Mello didn't exactly know why he was explaining this to the new boy. He didn't receive an explanation when he and Matt first discovered the tunnel. He just dropped in and got what came to him. But somehow Mello felt a big-brotherly sort of need to explain these things to the new boy… to Near. I'm turning into a softie! Mello grumbled. For some reason, the thought did not unduly worry him. He glanced back at Near.
"I wasn't worried," Near replied calmly.
The bathroom was cold. Mello flipped on the light and made his way to the familiar back corner, strategically placed under two adjacent towel racks. Matt shoved past Mello, obviously still angry, and crouched there first. He dug his fingernails in the blue tile closest to the wall and pulled it up.
With Mello's help, Matt uncovered the tunnel completely, casting aside four other tiles. The tunnel was a dark, gaping hole in the ground. Mello thought it looked somewhat like a mouth, swallowing you as you descended into its depths. It wasn't a comforting thought. But speaking of dark depths…
"Damn!" Mello muttered. "We forgot the flashlights again…"
"Whatever. Let's go." Matt said impatiently. He slid until he hovered over the hole, feet first. He supported body weight with arms as he lowered himself down.
"How far is the drop?" Near asked.
"About eight feet. We crawl up a slope for a while, before falling another two or three feet." Mello informed him. Near absorbed the information impassively, like a robot.
"Hey, Mello?" Matt called from the bottom of the tunnel.
"What?" Mello replied.
"I think you're gonna have to catch the new kid," Matt yelled. His voice grew mocking. "We don't want him to go through what you did the first time you went down this tunnel, now do we?"
"All right, all right!" Mello snapped. Still grumbling to himself, he slid down the hole and landed, very carefully, on his feet. He would not get another sprained ankle again… when that had happened, he'd been limping around for weeks on stupid crutches… Matt'd had a field day…
Mello looked up at the circle of light that was his bathroom. Near's face poked over the edge, seeming illuminated by the brightness behind him. He dangled his little legs over the edge and paused.
"Should I come?" Near said softly.
"Yeah… go for it," Mello sighed. He held out his arms reluctantly.
Near let go of the edge and fell, the air billowing around his baggy pajamas.
"Umph…" Mello caught the boy in his arms. He was lighter than Mello expected, and oddly enough, he smelled like marshmallows. Awkwardly, Mello set the boy on his feet and took a step back. Near's hair was a little windswept, but otherwise he was in one piece. He stared at Mello with piercing blue eyes for a moment before opening his mouth to speak…
"Are you guys coming, or do I have to give you a moment alone?" Matt's sarcastic voice floated from the darkness beyond them.
"Shut up!" Mello snapped. Turning, he quickly walked up the slope, but then paused and sighed. He had forgotten about the new boy. He looked back at Near.
The boy hadn't even moved! He seemed to be waiting for something, but for what, God knows.
"Come on!" Mello held out a hand for him. Near took it without hesitation, and together, they walked up the slope.
So that's what he was waiting for. He was waiting for Mello.
The thought made Mello somewhat embarrassed, but he didn't pull his hand away. He was glad Matt couldn't see him like this, though. Having the little boy tag along behind him like a lost puppy was uncomfortable enough without Matt's irritating personality added to the mix.
Right before they neared the top of the slope, Mello carefully slid his hand out of the boy's tight grip. Matt was leaning against the tunnel wall, munching on a pastry. He crumpled the wrapper when he saw Mello and Near emerge.
Sighing loudly, Matt said, "Well, you sure took your time! How ya doin', Near?"
Near shrugged noncommittally. Mello could agree.