Author's Note: While I really don't want to be the ever whiny author, there's a complaint I have. People, I know it's kind of tough to gather the courage to review. Especially when you really don't know what to say. And I know it's even worse for the author to base how the story is going to go/when they're going to update on reviews, but honestly. The whole point of reviewing is to help give the author the encouragement to write more. It's kind of tough to try and think up the next chapter when you don't get any feedback. So, I'm just going to say a big thank you to the people who review, because no matter how small it is, it's still positive feedback that is greatly appreciated. ...lyke, srsly.


Diary,

I want to see L soon. He is important to me. I want a piece of cherry pie next time I go to my session. I don't want Mello as a Social-Buddy. That camera in the top corner is not hidden enough. Today Dr. Beltalco just made me sit there. It was boring. The playroom was occupied when I got there. Ema needs to stop giving me the stink eye. If I want to watch Powerpuff Girls then I want to watch Powerpuff girls. It's my playroom. It's my TV. If only Rick had been my boyfriend. He would have bought me a TV. And a playroom. He even told me he'd adopt me. I would have given him my butt. It's time to go to sleep. Goodnight.

-Near.

deer diary

near iz a grt socialbuddy! we rlly git along. we played 2day 4 a long time. jackson wuz rlly meen 2 him! he kiked me out teh room n made near kry. i wish matt wuz mi roommate. l beder git here soon! near iz rlly sad. he iz rl hapi wen wit me tho. o! we shuld hav a sleep over! jackson cud sleep in matts room n matt cud sleep wit us!

c u 2morrow!

mello!!


L made a curious noise as he read over the journal entries.

He had arrived in secret shortly after curfew, and as soon as he had seen Roger he had demanded that all the staff go along with his new plan, which was completely opposite of what Roger's pamphlet had said.

Now, watching L as he read over the diary entries only made Roger more pissed off. "Who the hell does he think he is? God?" He growled to himself as L bit his thumb and made another noise. "My pamphlet was made by fucking professionals, who have degrees in dealing with rape! Whose fucking orphanage is this? Mine! This is my orphanage!" Roger, having been around his share of angsty teenagers, proceeded to shout out the lyrics to a Slipknot song in his mind.

"Roger?"

"INSIDE MY SHELL I WAI--huh!?"

Roger laughed awkwardly and then coughed. "Uh, yes, L-san?" L stared at him. "What did you gather from the diaries?" More staring. "…I think Slipknot understands me in a way my companions don't." L turned his head back to the diaries, and Roger didn't see him start to snicker and mouthing the word "poser".

L hid his emotions and turned to show Roger the diaries. "These are pointless." "Excuse me?" He threw them on the desk in front of him and smiled. "They're fake. The boys knew that you'd read them and wrote what you wanted to hear." He pointed. "Especially Mello. In fact, the only real thing about Mello's entry is its grammar and sadistic undertone."

At the word sadistic, L couldn't help himself. He turned to face Roger and smiled. "Did your best, did you?"

Loud sniffles could be heard from the speechless Roger, and his brows started to lower. "Oh, I see." His eyes watered as they started to twitch. "Would you like me to fetch you something?" "Tea, if you can. Two sugar boxes." Roger straightened up before he left the room.

As he passed Watari, he leaned into his ear. "Dr. Beltalco's office, 3 o'clock." Watari winked his agreement before going back to being a very secondary character.


L's plan was like this: no one other than the staff was to know that he was there, the boys were to be spied on and their actions were to be written down and reported to him everyday, and eventually he would find out whether or not the rape story was real. If it was, then he'd have contact with Near and find the rapist. If it wasn't, then Near was going to have to expose his intentions.

It should kill about a week's time.

Meanwhile, since he was alone….

He pulled out the MyScene doll and sat it on the desk. He frowned at it and started to touch its little imperfections.. The Swiss Army knife really was sharp. That's why the places where the twisty ties held were scratched up, some even cut into. "Poor things, they're empty inside." He tried to play with it, jigging it around and making it talk to one of his fingers, but quickly grew bored. How'd girls find fun in these things?

Oh, well. Since that didn't work, he might as well work.

He turned on the cameras to Near's room and watched calmly as the boy slept.

Near was certainly delicate in appearance. Like a lamb, he was small and ….white. So small. The boy wasn't that old, but still, his body was that of a seven year old, even a five year old at some times. His pajamas were baggy, yet that seemed to just highlight how petite he was. He was meant to be protected. A little lamb in need of a shepherd.

Well, who better to be Near's shepherd than L, a genius.

He sighed and scooted the chair up to the monitor. Near was shivering, and really needed his covers pulled up over him. L would buy him a pair of nice, white pajamas before he left.

White complimented him so much; pale to the point of having a pigment disorder, soft white curls, and pale eyes. Yep, a small white lamb.

L smiled as he leaned back.

He was so opposite of Near. When beside each other they're black and white, but black and white are the same in the grand scope of things. Both are color-less, both go great with others, and both really shine when compared with the other.

White goes with nothing better than black; Near goes with no one better than L.

So Near, in a way, was his. And he couldn't really complain. No one else would have him staring at the screen out of mere fascination, or comparing and contrasting.

Or slightly aroused.


The door to the room opened, and Roger walked in. Watari smiled at him and beckoned him over to a small chair. "What's wrong with that chair?" Watari sent a look towards the large chair behind the desk and frowned. "I sat down and this strong odor hit me, and this sticky stuff was all underneath the armrests."

Watari was confused as well, and walked over to feel under the armrests. "Do you think it the jelly from a doughnut?" "I think so. We had some earlier for the staff."

Roger's briefcase was opened and Watari took the chair previously offered. The inside of the briefcase was lined in lights, and it illuminated the evil grins that spread over the two men's faces.

"It's perfect." "I know. The best thing to put that L in his place."

Roger reached into his pocket and pulled out leather gloves, which he slipped on his hands before picking up the item. "I had to search long and hard for this. Looong and hard. But, oh is it worth it."

They laid it down softly on the table, making cooing sounds. "No longer will we be outsmarted by him, treated like stupid pawns because we're not geniuses. I will no longer be your mindless slave, 'Ryuuzaki-san'!"

"Do you believe he had the balls to talk to me like I was a kid? 'Did your best, did you' he said! Oh, we'll show him! Try it out, I need to be completely sure it will work on him." Roger gripped the desk harder as he remembered. He had played his Slipknot and Korn records the rest of the day but his anger hadn't fizzled until it was time for their meeting. Now it was back stronger than before. Oh yeah, that L would get what he deserved.

Watari started to read, and Roger smiled to himself. He had a perfect find, maybe even perfect enough for Watari to help him sneak out and go to a strip joint with him. Mmm, he hadn't had a taste of PusPus in a while.

"One girl gets on a bus. She has one backpack. In her backpack she has seven large cats. Each large cat has seven little cats. How many legs are on the bus?"

Roger let out a loud cackle as soon as Watari finished. Perfect! L would think himself so smart as he said the answer, and would be wrong again and again while Watari and Roger pointed and mocked him!

"You outdid yourself with this one! When do you want to trap him and lay it on him?" Watari asked as he set the paper softly back into the case. "Hmm, after he finds Near's rapist. No, no, he didn't follow the pamphlet, so it'll take him too long. Okay, one week to find out a little more to help us with Near, and then right at midnight we give it to him. It'll be perfect!"

Watari nodded and they both threw their heads back and started to laugh maniacally.


"Neeeeaaarrrr." Near gulped as he heard the door to his room slammed open. He tightened his grip on the sheets and kept his eyes closed. A hand flung itself close to him and he jumped awake from the fear of being beaten. Mello laughed and plopped himself down on the bed. "You're such a sissy!" Mello smiled at him in his evil little way and Near looked up at the most visible camera with the most pitiful look that he could muster.

In Roger's office, L couldn't help but growl at Mello.

Back in the room Mello pulled Near up and drug him out of the room. "Now, we got a big day ahead of us! Know why?" "Of c--" At the look Mello sent him, he quickly whispered out a "no, sir." Mello patted his head and then kissed his cheek. "Today you're going to try on your new costume!"

Near's feet immediately stopped as he stared in horror at the taller boy. Mello looked back in confusion at the stopped pace before smiling and nodding. "That's right, Near," His smile covered his face in a very Jack Nicholson way that made the dread in the pale boy worse. "Matt ordered you a little costume right after Roger told me I was your Social-Buddy. It cost way much to get it here within three days, but boy was it worth it."

Mello started to walk again, dragging Near with him to his room. Both of them didn't notice their math teacher, Mrs. Fran, following them, notepad in hand.

Jackson was getting ready, only boxers on and by the closet, when Near and Mello walked in. Mello sneered at him and shouted for him to learn to sleep in clothes, while Near felt a blush rise to his cheeks. Who knew Jackson worked out? The other boy noticed the blush and blew a small kiss to him, which Mello was quick to whine about. "Can you just hurry up and get dressed!?" Jackson rolled his eyes and picked out an outfit.

"Near, would you like to come with me to breakfast?"

"NO HE WON'T!" Mello, being the ever dramatic boy that he was, threw Near behind him, which wound up with the pale boy banging his bony hip against the wall.

"Why don't you cool it, Mello!" "He's my Social-Buddy! Which means he's supposed to go to breakfast with me!" They both turned to Near, expecting him to pick a dining companion. "Near, he's crazy, just wait for me to get dressed and I'll take you." He quickly put on a jumper and some pants, but by that time Mello had gripped Near's wrist and rushed him over to his bed, where he threw him down and sat on him.

Jackson threw his hands up and just gave up. "Have it your way, Mello." "Oh ho, I will!" He waited until the boy left completely before getting off Near and kicking an already dented part of the wall. "Stupid. Idiot's. Going. To. Be. Outta. Here. Soon!!" He kicked the wall with each word, and poor Near reached into his pocket, pulling out two small Matchbox cars from his pocket and playing with them.

Mello's little fit and Near's playing went on for a while, as the narrator of life was out of material. Poor Mrs. Fran, who was watching this from the large crack between the open door and the frame left by Jackson, was about to fall over from boredom. But she was soon saved when it finally hit Mello as to why he had brought Near there in the first place.

"Oh, yeah! Your costume!" He dived under the bed, and Near, who hadn't been paying a bit of attention, shot up at the loud banging and moving from under the bed. Oh god….the B-boogie M-man was real!

He threw his cars up and let out a loud, shrill scream as scrambled off the bed and ran (more like quickly wobbled) towards the door. Bad thing was he lost balance after opening the door wider, so as soon as he hit the hall floor his legs flung out from under him and he banged his head on the ground.

The last thing he heard before passing out was Mello screaming, "there's a goddamn car in my eye!".