Title: Of Chocolate and Quarters

Author: Penmanboat

Rating: T

Fandom: Death Note

Warnings: One swear word.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Prompt: Quarters

Of Chocolate and Quarters

You could say that the entire ordeal started with quarters. Mello would be the first to tell you, though, that it was in fact the machine's fault. Matt, however, would tell you it was an operator malfunction. Mello would then proceed to hit him.

You see this is a story of bravery, of friendship, of chocolate bars, and of quarters.

Mello was in desperate need of some chocolate. Well, he usually was, but this time it was serious. Matt and Mello were in a Los Angeles. The weather was warm and the sun was shining. It was a simple task to get lost in the happiness of the day. That is until Mello stopped walking and stated, "I need chocolate."

"Okay," Matt said with a dumbfounded look, "don't you have any?" Mello always had chocolate.

"Ate it all."

"Well, there has got to be a candy store around here somewhere. Let's go look."

And with that, the two boys took off once more. They past clothes stores, general stores, food stores, pharmacies, art stores, thrift stores, and everything in between.

"There wasn't even chocolate bars in the grocery stores! This place is wiped of chocolate. This place wants to watch the world burn," Mello screamed.

"That's a little bit drastic, isn't Mello? Maybe they're just out of chocolate," Matt shrugged.

"You're on their side aren't you?" Mello asked right in Matt's face. "Aren't you!"

"No..."

"Better not be," Mello said as he flicked his head to the sky. Suddenly, he swung his head to the left. A girl and her friend walked out of a store named Fashion Forward. Mello ran to them with Matt close behind him. She had a chocolate bar in his hand.

"Where did you get that chocolate?" Mello interrogated.

She gave him a 'who the hell are you' look and pointed in the store she just came from. "The, uh vending machine."

Mello and Matt both ran to the store and they each heard the teenager mutter, "Freaks."

"Finally," Mello said. "We've reached the promised land." He grinned at Matt as he dug for money in his pocket. He pulled out a handful of change.

He put in four quarters, one by one, into the slot. He punched in the number and letter combination in order to receive the precious brown gold. It didn't come out. He punched in the combination again. It stayed where it was. Mello kicked the machine.

"Mello. Look," Matt said as he pointed to the little screen. It flashed 'Insert 1 quarter'.

"How much are these? They're usually a dollar," Mello said. "A buck twenty-five? That's highway robbery!" And after a moment of silence, "I need another quarter! Matt!" he said as he turned towards his friend, holding a hand out.

"I haven't converted my money, yet. All I have are pence. Sorry."

"What kind of a friend are you?"

"The poor kind."

Mello went and hunted down a sales associate. "Do you have a quarter?"

The lady looked at him, wondered why he was in a girl's clothes store, and said, "No. And I want to make sure that you know that we don't discriminate here. You won't judge you for what you want to wear."

"What?" Mello asked.

Matt whispered in his ear, "This is a girl's clothing store. Be thankful they think you're a dude."

"We also don't discriminate against sexuality," she said matter-a-factly.

"Great," Matt said. "Now she thinks we're dating."

"Seriously," Mello said under his breath, "how many is that now?"

"In total? 236. Today? 32."

"Thanks for your help," Mello said as he walked away.

He found another girl by the clearance rack. "Do you have a quater?"

"..."

"Hey! Do you have a quater?"

"..."

"Lady!"

"'I wanna see you choke on your lies, swallow up your greed, suffer all alone in your misery!'" She sang to herself.

"LADY!" Mello called. The girl practically jumped out of her skin.

"What'chu want little man?"

"You have a quater?"

"Sure do." She went back to looking at the clothes.

"Can I have one?"

"'ON A VALENTINE'S DAY!'"

"Oi!"

"What's up?"

"Can I have a quarter?" he asked exasperated.

"Sure thing little man," she said as she tossed him a quarter.

"Stop calling me that."

"Sure thing, shortie."

Mello walked away.

When he was back at the vending machine, he saw a little kid pull out a candy bar from the bottom slot. "Momma! Look! It only cost me a quarter."

Mello's face slowly grew to resemble that of a revenge seeking husband. "That twerp. Stole. My. Candy. She must pay!"

"Mello. Darling. Calm down. It is just a chocolate bar. She's like three. Let's just go home. You have chocolate there. Come on," Matt said trying to calm him down.

"Fine." They walked off towards Matt's car. "Call me 'darling' again, and I'll rip your head off."

"You're not calm."

The songs that the girl is singing are both by Linkin Park. The first was Lies, Greed, Misery. And the second was Valentine's Day.