"Go away, Mello!" Matt was leant against the back wall, looking down at where he stood.

"No. Let me in, Matt..." Mello shouted to him, although as quietly and calmly as he could. Here and there children were wondering about, walking aimlessly down the long corridors of Wammy's. Mello was wary of them, wanting to avoid prying eyes - not that he would have normally done.

"I won't." Matt said, for the umpteenth time this evening. "I told you...I'm fine already."

Mello's response was sharp, his patience running thin by now. "Well then open up."

Matt's possibly even sharper... "No, Mello. It's getting close to curfew, go to bed." Mello had come here to speak to and see Matt, his best friend, and now he wouldn't even let him in.

He tried again. "Please...tell me you're alright, truthfully."

"I just told you Mello."

"But...I've heard things...about--" He stopped, thinking over the conversation he had heard in the corridor between Roger and L. "I heard that...I heard about your mother...and father. Is that why your wrist is...?" Mello could feel Matt look away from the floor and towards the locked door he was stood behind.

-Flashback-

"Mail!" Father grabs my arm. I jump up, striking my head on the roof of the car.

"Do you have any idea what your mother's been doing? I can't get a moment of peace in that house! For Christ's sake, it's been nothing but hell since you left! Can't you just try and stay out of trouble? Try and make her happy? Just stay out of her way and do whatever the hell she wants. Can you do that, Mail? Can you do that for me? Well?!" Father yells, raising his voice so loud I can feel my skin crawl.

Slowly I nod my head - yes. I don't dare make a sound as I cry inside...I know I'm wrong. And I know, as always, it's all my fault. I turn to father whilst carrying on nodding. He reaches over to pat my back gently.

"Alright.." He says, in a softer tone, "Alright...That's my Tiger. Let's go home, okay?" As father drives the car up the same abandoned street I walked down hours ago on my escape, I sit at the far side of the car, sighing heavily and looking out the window.

I feel like a trapped animal who wants to claw it's way out of the cage.

The closer we get to The House, the more I can feel myself quiver.

"Home." I say to myself. I stare down at my hands, my fingers trembling from fear. I know in a few moments I will be back where I started. In all, nothing's changed, and I know nothing will... I wish I were someone, anyone but who I am now. I wish I had a life, a loving family, a proper home. Father drives into the garage, turning to me before opening the car door.

"Well, here we are," he states with a false smile. "We're home."

I look right through him, hoping, praying he can feel my fear, my pain from inside of me... "Home?" I say to myself. "...I have no home."

-End-

"What of my family?" Matt said, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"...So, what they did to you..." Mello's face softened for a moment as he trailed off. "...It's true?"

HOLY CRAP GUYS~ NO POV'ing THIS TIME C:

Anyway, I'm pretty chuffed on this chapter...and I'm gonna make a chapter like this one for Near and Mello too. Lil' backgrounds ;o Yay~ ANYWAY! Please review c:! If you have any ideas for the story or backgrounds, they'd be appreciated! xD... oh and, is this short? its 805 words or whatever but...it looks really short to me, considering how much time i spent on it D:

~ xNear