A little less humorous than the first chapter, but for good reason. Things should settle back down in coming chapters.
"Oh god, this is stupid," Mello groaned as he let his forehead thunk down onto the table. He ignored the din of the cafeteria around him and lifted his head high enough to rest just his chin on the table.
It was there. At eye level, just past the mountain of mashed potatoes and peas on his plate. The egg.
"You're stupid," Mello said, staring the egg down. Look at it- just sitting there, mocking him with its round, eggy-ness. "I hate you so much." He reached out a finger to poke the egg.
Mistake. The egg teetered for a second, knocked from its precarious position, and began to roll unevenly towards the opposite edge. "Shit!" Mello said as he half-dove across the table and managed to grab the egg before it could smash onto the floor- and straight into an F grade.
"You should really be more careful with your egg Mello," said a soft voice from behind him. Near. Only Near had the ability to speak so quietly, yet still sound so damn condescending. Mello scowled and turned around, still clutching his egg.
"Oh yeah?" he said with a sneer, looking at Near's hands, empty except for a well-creased paperback. "And where's yours? Or do even inanimate objects not want to be around you?"
"Xanthe has it," Near said, shrugging. Mello seethed silently; he hated it when his insults were ignored. "I think she's playing the violin for it, to help stimulate its brain."
"It's an egg. It doesn't have a brain."
"We're supposed to treat it like a child."
"Well, I am treating it like a child," Mello said, eyeing his egg distastefully. "This is exactly how I would treat a child. I fucking hate kids."
"Hmm," mused Near, tapping the book against his hand. "So is that what you're going to write in your egg journal? That you verbally abused it?"
"My what?"
"Egg journal."
Mello's face twisted into a murderous expression. "What the fuck is an egg journal?"
Near sighed. "You didn't listen to Roger's instructions at all, did you Mello?
Mello shrugged. "Of course not."
Another sighed again and ran a free hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "We're supposed to write in a journal each day, and document all the things we do with our egg. It's half the grade."
"Jesus Christ," Mello pressed a hand to his face and muttered. "Could this project get any fucking stupider?"
"Rankings go up today," Near said, changing the subject..
"Yeah," Mello growled through clenched teeth. "I know."
Near shot him an unreadable look. "Good luck," he said, and walked off, burying his nose in his book.
Damn, did Mello hate that kid. He grated on Mello's nerves and gave him the most overwhelming urge to strangle someone. He was always best and he didn't seem to try- or even care.
"Fuck it," Mello said, standing up and rolling his egg between his fingers. It was time to go look at this month's rankings. There were more important things than a stupid project to worry about right now.
Rankings came on the fifteenth day of every month. They were calculated meticulously, using every grade the children had available, and factoring in other variables, like attendance and participation. It was finely tuned system- and one that Mello absolutely loathed. The other kids could get excited about it, seeing their names move up and down in the rankings depending on how hard they had worked. But not for Mello.
Mello had only ever seen his name in one place on that list- right below Near's. He didn't suppose this time would be any different, but he still stalked as quickly as dignity would allow him over to the bulletin board outside Roger's office.
It only took him a second to run his eyes down the typed page and confirm what he already knew. He was second and Near was first. Like always.
And like always, Mello's hands began to involuntarily tighten into fists, nearly crushing his egg. "Goddamnit!" he cursed, holding the offending object in front of him. A few students nearby backed away. Most of them knew full well to stay far, far away from him on ranking day.
Mello stared at the egg a few more seconds, a twitch starting to develop in right eye, before turning promptly on his heel and stalking down the crowded hallway.
"Matt!" he yelled loudly. "Matt!" Where the hell was that partner of his? He had had enough. He'd be damned if he was going to do this idiotic project on his own, not when he had more important things to worry about. "Matt!" he screeched again, and a girl nearby frowned at him.
"What?" said a voice from his left, and Mello nearly fell over in surprise. He whipped his head to left and was met with the sight of a tall, lanky, red-headed teenager leaning against the door to the rec room, hands fiddling with a DS.
"Are you Matt?" Mello recovered his anger quickly enough and rounded on the boy.
"Yeah. Are you the dude that's been running down the hall yelling my name?" the boy replied casually, never taking his eyes from the screen.
"I'm Mello," he growled in response. "And you're my partner for the Sex Ed project, and I think that you should take responsibility for our egg now. Are you even listening to me?" Mello reached out and yanked the small stylus from Matt's hand.
"Hey!" Matt exclaimed, looking up. "I was using that!"
"Like I said," Mello continued, holding out the egg. "I've been carrying this thing around all day. You should take it now."
"Uh, sure," Matt replied, raising his eyebrows and taking the egg from Mello's outstretched hand. "Can I have my stylus back now? I'm trying to beat Zelda here." Matt slipped the egg into his jacket pocket as he spoke.
Mello's eye twitch increased. "What are you doing?"
"Holding onto the egg? Seriously, man, give me back my stylus."
"Not until you take better care of our egg!" Mello screeched, his voice increasing with his anger.
Matt scoffed. "Don't order me around, dude." Mello's eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath to speak, but Matt cut him off. "And don't start with that whole, 'Oh, I'm Mello. I'm terrifying. I have a horrible temper and act like a spoiled brat when I'm not number one', routine. I'm not scared of it. Yeah," he said, at the surprised look on Mello's face. "I know who you are. It's kind of hard to miss the guy who's always stomping around, destroying the peace, like a toddler who got his favorite toy taken away. Listen, I'll do this project with you, but I will not be ordered around by you. And I will not be fucking intimidated by you, because let me tell you a little secret blondie," Matt lowered his voice and leaned in close, "I guarantee that I hit a hell of a lot harder than you."
Matt plucked the stylus out of Mello's hand, taking advantage of the blonde's shock. "Thanks," he said, turning to go. "I'll bring the egg by tonight. So we can name it and shit." He smiled brightly and wiggled his fingers at Mello. "Bye now."
Mello stood still, staring at the redhead's retreating back. This… was…
This was unacceptable. He didn't think he had ever been this mad in his life. No one, no one, spoke to him that way. Right then and there, he resolved to get this thing straightened out tonight, when Matt came by. Mello would make it clear that he was not a person to be trifled with.
But, for the first time in his life… Mello wasn't so confident he would win.
Hmm, that's just how I see Mello sometimes. Spoiled by the system at Wammy's, but so angry at being second he can hardly see straight. Sigh. Motivations are hard to figure out.
But on the brighter side, I like my Matt with a lotta backbone. =]
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