When the Bell Chimes
Wammy's house had always been home for Mello. The twelve year old knew every hallway inside and out, which came in handy when he creped around late at night to snag chocolate bars from the kitchen or played pranks on his rival, Near.
Just as he knew the workings of the building inside out, he knew the interlaces of his fellow Wammy children as well. There was Linda the artist and Near the unsocial one, Hunter who was good at math and Robbin who always had the latest gossip. There was no one that Mello hadn't met, and among the ones he had there were very few who he hadn't beaten up.
Everything about Wammy's house was hum-drum and average, life reaching to a dull point for the sugar-addicted is, everything was dull but one thing-and that was Matt. Matt was an odd kid, dressed in black and white stripes with bright crimson hair and a pair of orange goggles covering his eyes at all times. Above all else, he was the only one who Mello kept around for reasons other than shear entertainment. He was his friend, and the one person who Mello trusted.
"How do you always get video games? For an orphan, you sure have a lot." Mello joked, flopping on Matt's bed and picking up a copy of Super Mario Bros.
"I have my ways." Matt replied with a chuckle. "When you need something, it doesn't matter where you are, if you have to have it, you have to have it. Just like you and your chocolate addiction."
"I guess that's true." Mello sat up, dropping the game on Matt's sheets and taking a moment to think. "All I ever need is chocolate, and I've always got that."
Matt smiled, "And they say you're the one who's going to become the next L. From the looks of things, maybe I should take your place."
"Hey, shut up." Mello chucked the game at Matt, watching it bounce of his goggles.
"Shoot, look at the time, dude. It's pretty late." Matt eyed the digital clock that sat on his dresser.
"Fine, but you better not just be kicking me out so you can play Kirby." Mello teased, jumping off the bed and exiting the room just in time to hear Matt laugh.
The next day when Mello awoke he pulled on a fresh pair of black clothes over his blond head and swung his door open, inhaling the familiar orphanage air. He jogged over to his best friend's room and banged on the door; it had always been their tradition that when one of them woke up, it was their job to wake the other.
"Hey there Mello." Matt yawned, wearing a pair of black pajamas, his goggles lopsided on his drowsy face.
"S'upp dude? Let's head down and get some breakfast."
"Great, I'm starving." Matt motioned for his friend to wait while he changed into clean clothes and came out again, his goggles set right and his eyes back to their normal, innocent and energetic wideness.
The two slid down the banisters to the large dinning room, plopping down in their usual seats at a lonely table next to the window, away from the other tables yet with a perfect view of everything that when on. It was the ideal spot for Mello for all his "I hate Near" schemes.
"Shoot, I forgot to grab more chocolate last night." Mello slammed his fist down on the table, looking down at the waffles in front of him as if they were topped with maggots. "The shipment usually comes at seven, but it came late yesterday... I got so caught up in that match of poker we were having that..."
"Don't sweat it, man." Matt shot Mello a warm smile. "When you need something, it's always there for you." In Matt's out stretched hand sat a mouth watering milk chocolate bar, packaged in glittering sliver tin foil that looked more precious than gold to the hungry orphan.
"Matt..." Mello looked at Matt slowly taking the chocolate from him and looking at his friend like he was bride who had just been proposed to.
"I grabbed it last night, I remembered what you said yesterday about the shipment not coming in and figured you'd forget." Matt explained, watching Mello dig into the chocolate bar, biting off huge chunks at a time.
"You know, Matt," Mello grinned, swallowing a piece of chocolate and taking another bite. "chocolate isn't the only thing that I need."
"Jeez, Mello, what else do you want me to get you?" Matt laughed.
"I need you too, Matt." Mello blushed, looking out the window so as not to make eye contact with Matt.
"You're my best friend, Mello." Before Mello could push away, he felt the twelve year old's arms wrap around him, embracing him in the first hug Mello could ever remember receiving.
"Dude, get off, everyone will think we're wussies!" Mello flipped out, but made no move to tug himself free of Matt's hold. He let out a sigh, excepting the redhead's momentary clingy-ness, "You're my best friend too, Matt."
Matt released his friend, spotting Mello glance around nervously, checking to make sure no one had seen his once-in-a-life-time tenderness.
"Mello, there's something else I want to give you." Matt smirked.
"It better not be another hug."
"Unfortunately, even I can only take so many hugs. Don't worry, it's better." Matt reached into his back pocket and presented a small gold bell on a cherry colored piece of string, dangling it out between the two of them. From what Mello could tell, it was an ordinary bell. Made of simple metal, no chance of being actual gold, and on a string that could've easy just been pulled from an old red sweater. Like Wammy's house appeared to the young boy, the bell was nothing special.
"A bell?"
"Not just a bell." Matt corrected. "It's a magic bell."
"Are you kidding me, Matt?"
Matt shook his head, continuing in a grave tone. "Whenever you ring this bell, I'll be there. If you ever need me, just ring the bell." He took hold of Mello's hand and placed the bell in his palm.
"But you're always with me already." Mello pointed out.
"Just in case." Matt winked.
Mello jumped down the flight of stairs that was right in front of his room, landing on wooden floor below with a thud and moving hastily to the kitchen. It's ten o' clock, which means the cook's gone for the day. The twelve year old was certain in his thoughts. If Matt snagged one chocolate bar for me last night, and I can assume some jerks have eaten around three bars, that means there should be eleven bars left, five milk and six dark...
The door banged open, Mello baring no fear of being caught. He had repeated this routine countless times in his life, and it had been reduced to the excitement level of watching Matt beat Mario Cart for the sixteenth time. The only thing about the late night runs that still made his heart quicken with anticipation was his longing for the moment that the creamy goodness would actually fill his mouth, carrying any worries he had (which usually numbered few) away and replacing them with bliss.
Mello trotted over to the counter, jumping up on top of it and reaching up to pull the slivery handle open, revealing stacks of chocolate, five packaged in a light creamy brown with the word "milk" printed on them and seven with matching, dark brown covering and the word "dark" printed in a welcoming font. Looks like I was wrong. One more than I expected. He counted twelve bars. Must be my birthday. He grabbed three milk and one dark, knowing if he took too many in one night that the staff would catch on. Pocketing his load in the back of his black jeans Mello jumped off the counter, facing the door out of the kitchen.
Milk or dark... which should I start with? I'll need two for tomorrow before I can come and get more... I need to space out the amount of time I eat them... Mello considered how to devour his stolen prize, but knew it the end he would do what he always did: eat one milk chocolate bar that night, one the next morning, two in the afternoon, and one with his dinner.
He grabbed the door knob and gave it a sharp twist, anxious to go back to his room.
Hm? He gave the knob another turn, yet it hardly budged. What the heck?! Mello was relentless as he jiggled the door knob, not releasing his hold on the knob that gradually became slippery with the sweat that had accumulated on his hands as his anger and panic rose. The door opens inward, but it still won't move an inch... someone must have glued the door shot while I was getting the chocolate. I bet it's that jerk Ray, he's just pissed 'cus I beat him up last week... he deserved it, calling me and Matt pansies!! Mello tried to pin down the culprit.
Right, the bell! He remembered, fumbling past his sweet treasure to pull out one of a golden nature. If Matt comes, he can just get the cleaning lady to come and help. As long as it isn't the prune Roger, he just looks for reasons to blow his top off at me! He doesn't even like kids!
Mello held the bell in front of his face and tapped it with his finger, releasing the door knob and listening to the sound of the clanking metal resonate. Silence. Mello jingled the bell. Still, no Matt.
Maybe it takes him awhile to realize it's ringing... maybe he doesn't just appear here, maybe he just knows that I need him and has to take some time to get here... yet, I bet that's how it works. Mello tried to hide his fretting behind the taste of a soothing chocolate bar, taking off giant chunks and waiting by the door, his faith in his best friend slowly fading with each bite.
"Matt! You told me you'd come! You promised!" He shouted. "Matt! You liar!" Mello tossed the bell at the door, watching it bounce off the wood and let out a tinkling sound as it finally rested on the ground. I can't believe I ever trusted you!
"Mello?!"The blond jerked up right, still fully clothed in the outfit he had worn the day before, chocolate wrappers scattered around where he lay on the kitchen floor.
"R-Roger!" Mello gasped. He couldn't think of a worse way to wake up then caught red handed by gray haired geezer. Every wrinkle on Roger's face seemed to twist in some horrid display of rage as he commanded that Mello get to his office at once, throwing in that "he should be ashamed" this and "he'll never eat chocolate again".
This is worse than death, this is hell. Mello thought as Roger thumped out of the room, expecting Mello to follow obediently after him. Mello paused for a moment, considering his chances on making a get away. They're good enough, but it's not like I did anything wrong. Why would I glue myself in a room? I'll tell 'em that I was locked in here by that weakling Ray and had no choice but to eat the chocolate or starve. Mello glanced down on the ground at the bell he had discarded, bending down to pick it up and considering if he should light a fire using Matt's video games and throw the stupid, utterly nonmagical bell on top.
"Mello!?" Roger stopped and called back to him, Mello let the bell slip from his hands and clink on the floor as he ran to catch up with Roger, running to as to avoid being yelled at rather than to meet up with the senior.
I'll teach that Matt a lesson. The only thing magical about that bell is how quickly it ended our friendship. No one plays me, no body makes me look like a fool. Mello thought as he zoned out of Roger's rant.
When Mello was set free from Roger's deadly grasp he ran outside, an act he had participated in many times before he had befriended the house potato Matt. He considered finding Ray and pounding him to a bloody plump, but just wasn't in the mood for once. I could play kickball with Linda and the others... He pondered his options, finally deciding to sit down on the grass in front of Wammy's as the fellow orphans frolicked in front of him. He let out a sigh and reached into his pocket, feeling around for the bell and thread that was no longer there. He checked the other pocket and the two back pockets located on his behind. That's right, I dropped it.
"Looking for this?" The redhead had almost surprised Mello, coming up from behind him and dangling the bell in front of his face. Matt recoiled, pulling the bell back and taking a step away from his know-to-be-dangerous friend.
"You lied to me!" Mello burst, getting to his feet and raising a fist.
"No I didn't." Matt grinned, praying to god that Mello didn't have it in him to punch him. Matt had seen how hard Mello hit, and he didn't want to feel that square in his face. "I said if you rang it, I would be with you, and I was. I was right here, with you the whole time." Matt took a daring step forward and reached out a hand, pressing it against Mello's chest. "The fact that you rung the bell is proof enough that I was in your heart, and the fact that you still looked for it afterwards must mean that it was pretty important to you."
Mello blushed, slapping Matt's hand away from his chest. "That's lame, dude." He chuckled despite himself, smiling up at Matt, unable to keep himself from grinning at his corny friend. "You play way to many video games, your imagination's getting the best of you."
"No, Mello, you're getting the best of me." Matt laughed. "Here, this is yours." Matt tossed the simple bell and cherry string back to Mello. "Best friends?"
"Of course." Mello nodded, and the two went up to Matt's dimly lite room to play a comfortingly predictable round of Super Smash Bros.
Mello's body was numb, in particular the side of his face, which had subsided from a sharp, burning sensation to dull tingling numbness. The smoke was clearing, the rubble surrounding him crushing the bodies of some of his fallen ex-comrades, gangsters and thugs the lot of them. Not a single on he had trusted.
The gas mask Mello had worn was discarded next to him in the wreckage where he lay, his mind racing as he tried to figure out an escape method, knowing the police would be searching for his corpse in the destroyed hideout.
Biting his lip in an act of nervousness, hoping his bold escape would be enough to allow him to evade the grasp of the law, Mello reached one hand into the pocket of his tight, leather pants that reflected the moon light in the broken landscape. He searched for his cellphone, hoping to get a hold of one of his remaining connections when his hand brushed against a cold, metal ball. Matt's bell... The keepsake rung as his finger tapped it.
"You're a sorry sight, Mello." Mello's eyes shot up to the teenager that stood above him, wearing the same orange lensed goggles as always with a cigarette between smirking lips.
"M-Matt..."
"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Matt picked up his best friend, carrying him piggy back style (to which Mello normally would have objected, but given the situation allowed).
"Yeah... How did you know where to find me?"
"The bell, you rung it, didn't you?" The two teenagers began to make there way to God-knows-where in the cover of darkness, Mello feeling oddly calm with Matt despite his only recent near encounter with death.
"You still play too many video games." Mello laughed.
"You're my best friend, Mello, I'll be able to find you anywhere." Matt smiled, relishing the comfort of being reunited with Mello. The feeling of being home was shared by the two as the bell sounded from within the blond outlaw's pocket, Matt's smoke blowing backwards in Mello's face as they continued their journey together.