Phew. Stayed up till 1 am to type this. I like this chapter. :D

Memorial

Chapter Eleven

Awkward

A knock at the door.

Scarlett heaved herself up from her favorite chair, making sure not to step on Opal, who played with My Little Pony's on the floor. A glass of tea, an old book, and a box of Kleenex, decorated a small table next to the large, burgundy chair Scarlett called her own. It had been at least a few hours since her visit at Matt's, and Scarlett had stopped crying, but was far from getting over it.

Mello really was a sick bastard, wasn't he?

Another knock on the door.

"I'm coming," Scarlett sighed as she made her way over to the oak door. She grabbed a pocket knife, just in case. Call it paranoia, or being incredibly smart, it works either way. She opened the door, to reveal a tired, worn out, and bleeding Matt. She looked at him up and down, and then cocked her head sideways, and narrowed her eyes.

"What the hell happened to you?" She asked, letting him in. He wasn't the sick minded murderer, was he?

"Mello kicked me out, so you know, I'm looking for a place to stay," Matt began, sitting down on the couch, "So I walked outside, when I realized he had the keys to my cars. I didn't really feel like breaking into my car, so I had to walk. About three blocks away from my apartment, I was attacked by a bunch of thugs, who stole my cigarettes, money and gameboy. They left me in one of the alley ways, and a bunch of wild dogs came, and started pecking at me, like I was dead! So I got up, and tried to shoo them away, when they attacked me. They chased me two blocks, I lost them when I made a detour through a junkyard," Matt lit a coughed, as an intermission.

"Yeah, so I was in a junkyard, and I fell down on something, and all of these spiders were on me. They were like attacking me. So I ended up shaking them off, running four blocks in the process. I finally got to your neighborhood, and I was walking around, looking for your house, when this chick started screaming that I was a mad man. Her boyfriend got out of the car and started beating me up! I got away, and I had narrowed it down to three houses that could be yours. Number one belonged to an old lady, who tried to hit me with a frying pan, the other to an old pervert, who asked me to come inside because he wanted to show me his 'banana'. The third was your house," Matt sighed, falling on the couch. Opal cooed, realizing that he was here.

Scarlett stared at him. "Wow…" She trailed off. In any other mood, she would have laughed. "So what, you need a place to stay, right?" She assumed.

"Yeah," Matt nodded, wiping his blood stained chin.

Scarlett sighed, picking up Opal. "Well, we should probably get you cleaned up. You can sleep in Ella's bedroom; she's still with her parents,"

"Thanks!" Matt smiled. "By the way, nice house. And do you allow smoking?"

"No, we don't," The blond sighed.

"Figured,"

--

"Matt, things aren't like they used to be, are they?"

"No, they aren't,"

"Matt, have you ever killed someone?"

"Nope,"

"That's good,"

"Hmm,"

"Do you think Mello regrets what he did?"

"Everyday,"

--

"Elwa?" Matt opened his eyes to see Opal's hazel ones, wet with tears. A rumble of thunder rolled by, and a flash of lightning lit up the room, causing the two year old to squeak in fear.

"Opal?" Matt said, as he reached out and picked up the little girl.

"Storm!" She whined, grabbing on to him. The clock read 3 am.

"It's okay, the storm's not going to hurt you," The gamer told Opal, patting her blonde hair.

"But…" Opal stared down at him.

"Are you scared?"

Opal nodded.

"Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

Opal nodded. Matt tucked the little girl in next to him, and rolled over, his back to her. "You know…" he began, "I used to be afraid of Thunderstorms. But Mello was always there…" He trailed off, realizing how much he missed his best friend, no matter how bitter the blond man was.

"Matt?" Opal asked, clawing at his red hair.

"Hmm?"

"Momma," She commanded.

"What?"

"Momma!"

"You want Scarlett?"

"Hmm!" Which was Opal's way of saying yes. Matt found his way out of Ella's giant bed, and grabbed the two year old. Stupid kids, he thought. Once they had made it to Scarlett's door, they pushed it open to reveal a sleeping blond writer.

Her hair was tied up, and her head was just missing the pillow. She wore a large purple T-shirt with a faded My Little Pony logo, and green and pink pajama pants. A painted toenail stuck out of her large, pine green blanket. Her eyes were closed, lost in sleep, and her face was at rest.

Matt poked her in the head.

"Get away, grandma, I know kung-fu…" She muttered as she woke up from a dream.

"Scarlett?"

"Momma!"

Scarlett sat up in bed. Another rumble of thunder rolled by. "Matt?"

"Opal wants to sleep with you," He said, handing over the baby, who immediately grasped her mother.

Scarlett put Opal on the other side of where she lay carefully. "Thanks Matt," She smiled, the smile sending butterflies into Matt's stomach.

Matt began to leave the room, but Opal cried for him. He turned around. "Do you want to sleep with me, then?" He asked, getting frustrated.

Opal shook her head, and pointed to the spot next to her in bed. Scarlett looked up at Matt, blue eyes shining with humor.

--

"Scarlett?" Matt asked from the opposite side of the bed, where he lay awkwardly. He couldn't leave; it was the only way Opal would sleep.

"Yes?"

"This is awkward,"

"I agree,"

--

Scarlett stared into her bowl of cereal, trying not to fall into it after a sleepless night. Do you know how awkward it is to have to sleep in the same bed as one of your best friends? Very awkward, dear children, very. The blonde knew she was probably pale, and most likely had large, dark bags under her eyes.

Opal was last seen in Matt's (not so) capable hands. Scarlett grabbed a bite of cereal, and sucked on it, waiting until all of the flakes were dry, before spiting it back out into her bowl. Her vision was abruptly cut off, when a sack was pulled over her head.

"HEY!" She yelled, as she was pulled off her stool. Who was kidnapping her, in her own home? "Matt?" She asked, as she was pushed out of her house, and into a near by car.

"Scarlett, just be quiet!" Matt commanded, as he shoved her into the back seat, next to a happy and sleeping Opal, strapped tightly in her seat. Matt slammed the door and got in the front seat of the car.

"Matt, what the hell do you think you're doing?" The blonde writer snapped, as she pulled off the sack fro her head.

"I miss my apartment and my smoking freedom! We are going to apologize to Mello, whether we like it or not!" He hissed from the front seat of the car, as he carefully backed out of the driveway. Best not to look suspicious, the neighbors already suspected him of being a crazy, psycho rapist.

"Me? Apologize to Mello! He should be apologizing to me!"

"Okay, how about this. You both apologize to each other!?" Matt compromised, lighting a cigarette. He must have gone shopping; Scarlett put two and two together.

The twenty-one year old groaned, which caused a sigh from the red-headed, chain-smoking, gamer in the front seat to mutter the phrase used by men of all ages: "Women,"

The drive took about twenty minutes, and soon they were in front of Matt's apartment. Scarlett gazed up at its run down walls, as if her worst fear was hiding inside the building. Maybe it was.

"You coming?" Matt asked, grabbing Opal out of the backseat and swinging her onto his shoulders. Scarlett looked down at herself. She was in slippers and a bathrobe. Her hair was a fuzzy ball of… fuzz.

"Yeah," She muttered half-heartedly as they walked inside the building.

--

"You go!" Matt argued outside his apartment door. Who was going to face Mello first?

"No, it was your idea, you go!"

"You started it!"

"No way!" Scarlett slammed her foot on the ground.

"Okay, I have an idea. We both go in at the same time!" Matt suggested, jiggling the door handle, initiating the plan.

Scarlett narrowed her eyes. "I know this is some kind of tri-" She was cut off as Matt pushed her into the apartment, after Mello had opened the door. She fell right on top of the ex-mafia member.

"Get off me!" Mello commanded, pushing her off. Matt had already closed the door, and was probably holding the handle to prevent anyone getting out.

Scarlett lay on the ground. "It's not like I had much of a choice," she muttered, pulling herself up.

"Why are you here?"

"Why? Because Matt just pushed me in here!"

Mello stared into Scarlett's terrified, blue eyes. Her fear made him sick and… kind of… feel bad.

Scarlett hesitated for a moment. "But the reason he pushed me in here was… I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my disorder," She admitted. She still wanted out, though. I mean, mental disorders are one thing, but murder?

Mello stayed silent.

"And… Mello… I-I don't know what to say. You just… you just… I can't believe you…" She trailed off, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. Like she wanted to cry in front of him.

"I'm a bad person, aren't I?" Mello asked, his voice as quiet as possible.

"Hmm?" Scarlett asked. She hadn't heard his question.

"I'm a bad person," He said louder, his voice full of shame.

"Oh… oh, Mello…"

"I'm a bad man; I've done many bad things. But for all the right reasons… does that count?" He asked.

"Mello… you're not bad…"

"Don't lie to me," He hissed, turning around to face her. He had his hair behind his ears, showing his entire scar.

"But, Mello… I'm not…" Scarlett sniffed. His scar had never really bothered her… until now… it was there, grotesque and hideous. Skin frayed and fried.

"Yes. You are. You are lying. I'm a bad man. I'm ugly. I'm hideous. They hate me, they stare, they pity me," He said, his voice full of venom.

"Mello… what do you want me to say?" Scarlett commanded her voicing growing in volume.

"Tell the truth, we aren't going to lie anymore," He smiled, as sick and twisted smile.

"Mello-"

"Mihael. My name is Mihael Keehl," He insisted.

"Mihael," The name felt foreign to her tongue, "You may be a bad man. You may be ugly, and they may hate you, and stare and pity you, but if we are telling the truth, I really, really like you. I always have," Scarlett spit.

Mello looked up from where he stood. The words seemed like poison as he said them. "I really, really like you, too,"

The entire world seemed to stand still. The two orphans, man and woman, said nothing.

"I'm glad," A red-headed gamer broke the silence from the doorway. "Because I've already come up with a few pet names for you two lovebirds. Take your pick, Scello, Marlett, Mihaelett," Matt laughed, creating a heart with his hands.