A.N.- Thank you for the kind reviews :) Like I say, I mimic the stories they are reading slightly. As Waiting for Godot is a play, the last couple of chapters have been dialogue heavy. This chapter is short and was supposed to be part of chapter three. I broke them up because I thought it was too long. This is less comedy and more sad. This too is like the play, which, for all it's humour and quips, also has a strong underlining of futility and helplessness and the characters battle with their boredom and procrastination.

"People are bloody ignorant apes."

― Estragon, Waiting for Godot

"So, we should continue discussing the play, shouldn't we?" Matsuda looked around nervously; at last everyone was in the living room and sitting comfortably. Everyone had a hot drink (with the exception of Mello and Misa, Nate had decided that it would be best to give the twins a Capri-sun each instead) and everyone had a copy of the play in hand though none aside from Sayu had even opened it.

"We can't continue discussing the play," sneered Mello, "because we haven't even started it yet."

"Well, I for one think-" began Sayu before she was interrupted by Kiyomi saying:

"I think, if it's going to be like this every week, then maybe Light and I won't bother showing up next time. It's very frustrating." Nate didn't answer her so she continued, "or maybe, certain people shouldn't come, as they clearly don't like reading or discussing in an adult and friendly manner."

The blond twins bristled, they knew when someone was having a go at them.

"Well maybe," began Mello quietly, setting off Lights inner 'potential psychopath' senses again, "maybe if you wouldn't be so self-important to interrupt this lovely young lady, we could start the discussion."

Sayu giggled nervously at being called a 'lovely young lady' by a possibly homicidal, gothic eighteen-year-old, but wasn't able to speak due to the pressure of having all the attention turned back on her and from being used in a back-handed insult.

"We aren't going to leave the group," chuckled Light, attempting to lighten the air, but only irritating Kiyomi by dismissing her, "and I'm sure we're all going to be good friends from now on. Personally I am excited. So, Sayu, what would you like to say?"

"Well, when I read it I thought-"

Suddenly the theme tune for early nineties children's TV show 'Fireman Sam' began to play loudly. Everyone looked at each other except for Lawliet, who was still staring blankly towards Light. Light noticed this and scowled at him.

This moment dragged on as the others slowly but surely began to realise that the theme tune was coming from Lawliet's backside.

"Oh," he suddenly said, but without any actual surprise. He stood and pulled a mobile out of his pocket, turned it on and sat back down. "Hi!" he shouted down it, still looking at Light. "Yes. Yes. Well...maybe...I don't know. Really? Wow, tell me more please!"

"Lawlipop what's going on?" Naomi was asking on the other side, "I just wanted to know if you were finished yet and if you needed picking up?"

Lawliet laughed loudly, "no, no, no, perhaps yes. But what did John say to that? No way!"

Light was gritting his teeth when Kiyomi, noticing Light's anger, leaned forward and began to hiss, "maybe you should take this out-" but Lawliet interrupted her by waving his hand in her face whilst still shouting down the phone.

"Lawliet," sighed Naomi, "are you high again? Have you relapsed? Lawli?"

Her serious fears jolted Lawliet out of his fun, "no I'm ok, just making a point, I can walk home tonight, no problem." He promptly hung up.

"Why did you do that?" barked Light. Lawliet shrugged at him lazily causing the prettier man to snarl in frustration. 'He obviously did that just to irritate me!' he thought bitterly, 'but why? I don't understand his hostility! It's so childish and pathetic!'

"And you was saying we were rude," bit out Misa to Kiyomi, then turning to Light and purring, "I'm not like that. My brother is, but not me. Ow!"

Mello slapped her lightly around the head before continue to suck away at his Capri-sun.

"Well, like I was saying," began Sayu anxiously, eager to get on with some learning, "I loved how the characters in the play seemed to be wasting their lives away, never achieving a goal because-"

"It doesn't matter now," interrupted Nate suddenly. "It's gone nine O'clock and this meeting was only supposed the last an hour. It's time for you all to leave now. You have over-stayed your welcome."

"Thank god!" cried Misa, flinging her copy of Waiting for Godot across Nate's living room and knocking a lamp off the table-stand.

"S-seriously?" gaped Matsuda, "can't you just make it a little longer, just for this week?"

"I have classes tomorrow," answered Nate as if that ended everything.

"Well, in that case, I suggest that Sayu get's to choose the next thing we read," Light smiled warmly at the girl, who returned a very similar grin.

"Nooo!" shrieked Misa.

"Christ-on-a-bike Misa!" barked Mello, "me and the blood pouring out me ears thank you for that!"

"It's not fair!" she wailed, ignoring her brother, "please, please, please let me choose next week's book!" She looked longingly at Sayu, "I've had hot chocolate thrown in my face, talked down to by that," (she pointed at Kiyomi who rolled her eyes,) "horrible woman, I saw that horrible man's nasty, pale bum," (Light stared at Lawliet in shock, his face blushing slightly,) "I was treated like I would be too stupid to even like being here by my own family, and I put up with reading that long boring play." ("You read the Wikipedia entry half hour before we left the house you liar!" shouted Mello, but he was ignored.) "Please let me choose the next book!"

Sayu smiled warmly, her eyes brimming with unshed tears for Misa's great misfortunes. "Of course, Misa, what book do you want us to read in the next fortnight?"

The blonde girl grinned, her voice suddenly switching from high-pitched depression to the perky cheerfulness of a children's television presenter, "I want us to read the classy and sassy novel The Model Wife. It's awesome, you'll all love it."

"I've never heard of it," said Nate, and the others repeated their ignorance of the book.

"Who's it by?" demanded Kiyomi.

"Julia Llewellyn." Misa felt extremely proud that she had remembered the author's name. "Stuff actually happens in this story, like a girl gets married to this guy, but he's a jerk and oh ho ho ho, I don't want to ruin it for you, just read it and find out!"

"Chick-lit," sighed Kiyomi, rolling her eyes and looking belatedly at Light who was biting the sides of his cheeks in an attempt to not laugh in the blonde girl's face, "I can't believe this. Light, me, reading chick-lit, this cannot be borne! We should leave and not come back."

Nate resisted saying 'you wouldn't be missed' and instead said, "this book club is for everyone, Sayu chose to forfeit her turn of choosing something, so let Misa choose what she wants. She read Godot, so we'll read her book. It's only fair. Kiyomi, you can choose something high brow and literary when it's your turn."

"What?" Mello looked around the room and then, (Nate was surprised to see,) actually blushed from embarrassment, "let's not do this guys. We can't go from Waiting for Godot to some chick-lit story! Misa, stop it! You're doing this on purpose. Choose a proper book, or better, let someone else!"

Misa stood up and stomped her foot, "no, it's my choice and I want The Model Wife! It's good!"

At this Mello got up, grabbed his sister's arm and dragged her outside through the hallway and into the bathroom. Everyone sat in the living room, awkwardly over-hearing a violent and slightly muffled argument as Nate's home was so small they could just about hear it. They sipped their luke-warm hot chocolates in silence.

"Why are you doing this?" Mello was yelling, "why are you purposely humiliating me?"

"I'm not, I'm being pro-active! It's a good book, you might like it."

"It's dumb! Is this about earlier? The hot-chocolate? I'm sorry, don't do this please!" Mello gripped her arms, his eyes shining with unshed tears, "please, they'll laugh at us" he said through gritted teeth, "they're university toffs and lawyers, and they're all older than us. If we choose something like chick-lit we'll always be at the butt of their snide jokes. I want to prove I'm not like that, and so do you, that's why you came isn't it? Choose something literary!"

"They think we're stupid and trashy and poor anyway!" Misa screamed so loudly that Nate's neighbours probably heard her, "stop trying to impress them!"

"You can talk!" Mello bit back spitefully, "the way you're fawning over that smug prick is disgusting!"

At this point, back in the living room, Light coughed loudly. "Well I think Kiyomi and I shall leave now." Kiyomi smirked and left the living room to get on her coat.

Nate looked up at Light, "I suppose you shall not return?"

Light heard Lawliet snigger and just barely held on to a scowl, "actually I would love to. Today went a bit wrong but I'm sure we'll do better next time. Here's my mobile," he passed Nate a small note with a number written on it, "let me know if we are meeting in two weeks time. I shall read The Model Wife while I wait."

"Will you?" asked Lawliet, causing Light to sigh.

"Yes I shall. Is that alright with you?"

"Like you care. That you are saying it's alright with you is what surprises me, especially as earlier you and your lovely companion were dignified and sophisticated enough to mock a young teenage girl for her choice in book, therefore humiliating her and her brother so much they exited the room and locked themselves in the toilet of a stranger's house."

"I didn't mock her," said Light suddenly feeling uncomfortable, "and Kiyomi offered some slight criticism. If they are old enough to come here, dressed as they are and speaking as they do, I'm sure they can cope with some criticism!"

Lawliet said nothing but stared at Light in a way that suggested that he had somehow won because Light had revealed something about himself. Light looked around at the others, Nate was looking bored and away, and Sayu and Matsuda looked uncomfortable and confused.

"Well, I'm leaving now," he finished quietly, "like I say, maybe next time it'll be better."

"But we haven't discussed anything," cried Matsuda in some distress, "this will be a waste of time if we don't talk about anything!"

"Why are you so uncomfortable?" Lawliet asked Light, ignoring Matsuda's pleas. "Is it the class difference between you and them that they are openly acknowledging in their argument now?" Lawliet's voice stayed low and quiet as he challenged Light, "it can't be because you are genuinely ashamed on Mello's behalf, you don't empathise enough with other people for that. You only made to go when Misa mentioned that you think she's stupid and Mello called you a smug prick, why does that make you particularly uncomfortable?" he smiled slightly, "is it because you have a fragile ego, because I doubt that. Or is it because it's true? You really do look down on them for their cheap clothes and doll-like faces?"

As Lawliet spoke, Nate snuck out of the living room and back into the sanctuary of his kitchen to make more hot chocolate; it seems no one was leaving anytime soon. Matsuda made the hurry after him but Sayu pulled him back and shook her head.

"We should go," she whispered in his ear, "it's ok, I still had fun and would still like to do this again." They left their phone numbers on the table where the lamp had been knocked off, and went into the hallway to get on their coats and to say a few kind parting words to the twins.

They knocked on the bathroom door before allowing themselves in. Misa was sitting on the bath, her arms folded resolutely, and Mello was in the exact same pose on the toilet. Neither twin was looking at the other.

Sayu hugged Misa, "We're going now. Personally, I think your book sounds like fun, I can't wait to read it!"

Misa grinned, "you'll like it! It's fun and stuff happens! It's very dramamtic."

Matsuda in turn smiled at Mello, "don't let other's get you down," he whispered as the girls giggled and gossiped together, "it's not how you think. I'm in university but I'm from a working class background. My mom was at home and my dad was a self-employed carpenter. We often didn't get enough. I don't look down on you, and I'm not choosing anything literary. Book clubs are about having fun too you know."

Mello nodded silently but said nothing. Finally Matsuda and Sayu left, calling cheerful good-byes to Nate who waved to them half-heartedly.

In the living room the argument continued, Light pulled on his coat scowling, "I don't know who you are, but you presume too much about me."

"I never presume, I analyse."

Light looked at the man, in his shabby uniform and at his pale skin and dark rimmed eyes, then smirked. "You're nothing but some junkie, it's obvious. Don't act superior to me."

Lawliet got to his feet and stood in Light's face, making the others watch with wide eyes, "don't act superior to me. It's you who doesn't have a clue about anyone. You and your girlfriend are too self-absorbed for that."

They heard a cough and saw Kiyomi standing imperiously in the doorway, where she had been standing unnoticed for some time, her fur coat dragging off her slender body and a look of frustration on her face.

Light could feel Kiyomi pulling on his coat telling him to leave already, but he couldn't help but stand there, staring down the other man. Light had never been talked to this way, by anyone! Not even his parents chastised him! He felt angry and humiliated but at the same time...excited. It was the first time in years that he felt like he was being challenged, that there was a break up in the monotony of his life.

He smiled again, trying to make it genuine but knowing Lawliet could see the sardonic mocking underneath, "well Misa might prove us wrong and choose an amazing piece of work. I've never read The Model Wife, so who knows? See you in two weeks Mr-?"

"L, just call me L."

"L, as in the letter? Fine, whatever."

The handsome couple left then, calling out their goodbye's to Nate, who ignored them in turn.

Mello walked back into the living room, "has everyone gone now?"

Nate ignored Mello, but Lawliet looked up and answered, "yes, everyone is gone apart from us. They've all agreed to go with Misa's idea. I think they all have been swept away by her cuteness and now cannot refuse her."

"I haven't been swept away by anyone," replied Nate blankly.

Mello sighed, "fine, I guess Misa wins. Did you hear that sis?"

Misa appeared from behind him. She smiled at Nate and Lawliet, "I did. Goodbye guys, our big sister is here to pick us up."

"It was a pleasure having you," deadpanned Nate. Mello rolled his eyes at the boy, but handed him down a torn piece of paper with numbers crudely scribbled on it.

"It's our mobile, I mean Misa's mobile, in case anything goes wrong or you need to call us before the two weeks is up."

Nate looked at it, not knowing why he would ever want to contact the twins before seeing them again. Mello sighed and left the flat, following after his sister who was walking on air she was so happy.

Once more Lawliet and Nate were alone.

"I suppose you want me to leave?" asked Lawliet, "as you have classes tomorrow."

Nate looked up at Lawliet, "You seem a lot like me. Why have you chosen to come to a place where you would have to socialise? It makes no sense for the likes of you to come to a social gathering."

"It makes even less sense for someone like you to organise one."

The two men stared at each other for a while, cold, dark eyes boring holes into one another before Nate finally blinked and turned away. As he did, Lawliet rose to his feet and put on his jacket announcing, "I better go. I'm not keen to be returning home so early, but next time I'll try and get here on time. Thank you for having us Nate."

"It's alright," Nate stood and felt his heart beating hard in his chest as he said coolly, "but you can stay a while longer. The kettle has boiled with enough water for several people. You are an adult, so can return home anytime. How about you help me finish off the hot water with copious amounts of hot chocolate before it all cools, and in that time we can actually discuss Godot?"

Nate was a champion at putting on the polka face, but even Lawliet noticed that slight quiver in his voice and the quiet gulp after his proposition. Lawliet smiled, recognising himself in Nate.

"Of course. I would love to."

And so Nate poured out two extra cups of hot chocolate and the two sanest people of the group sat down to actually discuss the play.