第7話
"Whisper"
.:.12 YEARS.:.
"Hey, Mello..." Matt grabbed his friend's arm as they headed to P.E. that morning. "What do you say we skip P.E. and go hang out outside?"
Mello looked at him like he was crazy; a boy wanting to skip P.E. was about the equivalent of a girl not wanting to wear make-up. Though with Matt, he wasn't really surprised that the other boy wanted to skip; he never was much on socialization or physical activity. "I'm not getting into trouble," Mello said.
"Come on – it's just P.E.!" Matt protested.
"Yeah, well...it still counts for a grade! I'm not getting a bad one. Besides, if one of the teachers were to catch us, we'd get detention."
"Come on...we can steal some chocolate from the vending machine..."
"Matt, the answer is no."
Matt gave a heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll see you later then."
"You're still skipping?"
"Hell yeah – I don't wanna go to P.E." Matt smiled and gave a small wave. "I'll see you later."
"...'kay." Mello watched as the other boy turned and walked down the hallway. He shook his head slightly, before turning and going back in the gym.
When Mello got back to class after P.E., he was surprised to see that Matt wasn't in his seat. He sat down, figuring that the other boy would be back after he beat whatever video game he was playing outside.
But Matt didn't show up the entire class period. He didn't show up next class, either.
"Hey, Alex," Mello said, tapping a boy on the shoulder. "Have you seen Matt?"
"Matt? He went home early – didn't you know?"
"Huh? Went home? Why?"
Alex shrugged. "I don't know. He's your friend, isn't he?"
As Alex walked away, Mello stood dumbstruck in the hallway for a minute. If Matt knew he was leaving early, why hadn't he said anything? Or had something come up?
When Mello arrived home, instead of collapsing on his bed, he tried to call the other boy. However, when he dialed the number, he discovered that it had been disconnected.
"The hell...?" He shut off the phone and gave a sigh.
It wasn't but two minutes later that the phone rang.
Mello reached for it, but his father got to it before him.
"Hallo?" he said gruffly, and Mello froze in his spot, waiting.
A pause, and his father glanced at him. "Yeah – one moment." He sighed and handed the phone to Mello, who immediately grabbed it and ran up to his room.
"Matt?!" he all but yelled into the phone.
"Mello, I'm sorry!" Matt said, in a voice that sounded like he was crying.
"What happened? Where were you?"
"I'm sorry, Mello...we got kicked out."
"Kicked out? What are you talking about?"
"My p-parents, they couldn't pay the rent – so they...we had to move, to an apartment somewhere."
"Apartment? Where?" Mello demanded.
"Just a few blocks from our old house. But... I'm scared, Mello," he said, his voice becoming a whisper. "I don't know what to do. I don't think we have much money, and they're still out gambling..."
Mello could feel his eyes widen as he heard Matt's trembling voice.
"Will you still be at school?" Mello asked.
"Yeah – yeah, I will."
"Okay. I..." Mello couldn't find any words to say.
"Do you think...I could stay over tonight?" Matt asked quietly.
"Yeah – of course," Mello replied without hesitation.
"Thanks. Your parents...do they know?"
"I don't know. Didn't your parents tell them?"
"I don't think so. I think they're trying to keep it a secret," Matt whispered.
"Alright, then – I won't say anything. Just come over tonight, okay?"
"Alright. And Mello..?"
"Huh?"
"...Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
That night, Matt showed up as promised.
When he came into Mello's room, he was shaking slightly.
"Are you...okay?" Mello asked, sitting down beside him on the bed.
Matt shook his head. "I don't know." As Matt started crying, Mello wrapped him in his arms.
Matt tried his best to not break down in sobs, his arms tightening around Mello, as the other boy gently stroked his hair.
As Matt clung to him, Mello suddenly understood what he was to the boy. Out of everything in Matt's life, everything going wrong at this moment, Mello was the one thing he could trust, the only one that even seemed to care about him at all.
"It'll be okay," Mello whispered.
Later that night, the TV played, muted, in the corner of the room, as the two boys rested under the warm covers of the bed. Matt had his arms wrapped tightly around Mello, his face buried in the other boy's back.
"I'm really scared, Mello," Matt whispered. "I don't know what's going to happen..."
"It'll be okay," Mello assured Matt, giving his friend's hand a small squeeze.
"You won't leave me, will you, Mello?"
"Of course not. I'll always be here, whatever you need."
"I don't know what to do," Matt whimpered. "Everything is falling apart..."
"I know it seems that way now, but things will get better."
"How do you know?"
Mello swallowed hard, to get rid of the rising lump in his throat. "I don't know."
Matt tightened his hold around the other boy. "You're lucky – you have everything. You have a home, and a stable one at that."
"You have a home, Matt."
"No I don't – not anymore."
"Matt..." Mello turned over on his other side to face Matt, who was slowly beginning to cry again. "I can't promise things will get better, but I'll do anything I can to make it easier."
I love you, Mello, Matt thought, absolutely absolutely dying to say it aloud.
"Thank you – for everything, Mello. I know I'm pathetic, and you're a saint to put up with me."
"You aren't pathetic." Mello wrapped his arms around Matt and pulled him close.
"Mello..."
"Just go to sleep, alright?" Mello said gently. "The faster you do, the less you'll have to think about this."
"I don't want to go to sleep, because then I'll have to wake up and go home. I want to stay here." With you.
"I know. I'm sorry." Mello sighed. "But I'll be here all night, okay? I'm not leaving."
"Mello...thank you, I..." Instead of saying the three words he so desparately wanted to say, Matt changed the subject. "Why are you doing this? Why do you bother to even try and make me feel better?"
"Because – you're my friend, and I care about you," Mello said, as though Matt should have realized this fact.
"Boys shouldn't care about their friends this much," Matt blurted out.
"What do you mean?" Mello laughed.
Matt blushed slightly, though Mello couldn't see it through the darkness. "All the other boys could care less about their friends. It's as if they have no feelings whatsoever."
"Obviously I'm above those people, and I figured you'd know me well enough by now to know that I'm not like those idiots."
"But...I always thought getting good grades was more important to you than anything else."
"Matt, making good grades is important to me, but it isn't the most important."
"Then what is?" Matt asked.
"You are."
Matt could feel his face burning. "I'm sure that isn't true," he mumbled. "There has to be something you care about more than me."
"What else do I have to care about?"
"I don't know – you have other friends."
Mello laughed slightly. "No I don't."
"Na?"
"I may talk to the other boys, but I'm not really friends with them."
Matt was silent.
"Stop minimizing your importance to me," Mello said. "You're my best friend."
"Why do you think we're friends?" Matt asked.
"I don't know. Because of our parents, I guess."
"Yeah, but we stayed friends. How come?"
"I guess we just got along." Mello laughed again. "What's with all the weird questions?"
Matt shrugged. "Just wondering."
"Everything will be fine, okay? Just get some sleep." Mello turned over on his other side and Matt wrapped his arm tightly around his waist, curling up against him. He was silent for a minute, debating.
"Mello...?"
"Hm?"
He paused, his voice caught in the back of his throat. "I.." He swallowed, and his next words were but a whisper. "...I love you."
Mello didn't reply for a while, and Matt wondered if he had heard him. He could feel his own face burning, as he held his breath – waiting for Mello's reaction.
Finally, after a few seconds, he heard Mello's voice – a soft, sweet, whisper. "...I love you, too, Matt."
第7話 - 終
