Chapter 3

Holy crap! FINALLY! I am soooooooo sorry! I've been really busy lately so I haven't had time to write i'll try to update faster… again i'm sooooo sorry! Hope you like the chapter! I introduced one of my own characters although she might not be in the story long… she's just there so that Matt has someone to talk to:)

Finally I was free from Mello and school! For today anyway…. Anyway, I walked a couple of back alleys and let my ears stretch out. It was the best place to do so. It was still slightly drizzling outside, but that's fine I'm done with my temporary dye for today. As I trudged down a familiar alley, I passed a cardboard box with wood stacked all around it and on top of it to keep the water out. It was very effective. I would know, it being my home and all. Once I made it out of the maze of alleys, I stood in front of my local 'grocery store', if you will. It was titled Paws N' Claws Pet Shop, I only know this because almost every time I walk in someone has to yell the name of in at me and welcomes me to it. I walked in, with my ears hidden again, and made my way to the front desk. The cashier, a friend whom I call Ms. Darby, looked up, "Matt!," she exclaimed,"It's great to see you again! We got a new shipment in on flea collars, would you care to see your options?"

"Yes, please." She pulled out a cardboard box of flea collars and pulled out the one's that had something to do with stripes.

"This one here," she told me as she held up a black flea collar with green, red, blue, and yellow stripes on it, "is our newest one."

I gently reached out to touch it and she smiled. "I knew you would like it," she said smugly, "Would you like to put it on in the back? Tabby's back there."

"Sure thanks."

"No problem Matt."

I walked around the front desk and down the hallway until I came to the room where Ms. Darby and Tabitha stay when they work at the pet store. When I made it to the room all the lights were out….weird. "Uh…. Tabby?" I asked into the darkness. Suddenly the leather chair (hey Mello wears leather…. no stop I'm here to talk to Tabby not think about my Mello problems) spun around and a lamp clicked on.

"Greetings Matt, I've been expecting you," the some-what smallish, orange tabby cat said. I chuckled. "Wow Tabs, you've got a pretty nice way of greeting people."

"Ha ha. At least I look like a cat instead of freakish person with dog parts," she joked. I grinned and rolled my eyes. Tabitha, Tabby for short or Tabs, was the only friend I had at the the science lab.

She started out a human, a teenage girl to be exact, but after a heavy, heavy dose of cat hormones, and whatever else they injected into us, she turned into a full cat. She can still speak to humans but she really only speaks to people who know of her condition like her mother, Ms. Darby, and me, and she can read, and do a lot of other human stuff. Unlike me, Tabby lived with her mother when she was taken away to be an experiment. The scientists just kinda kidnapped her, so when I escaped I took her with me and we set out on a quest to find her mother. Two months after our escape we found Ms. Darby here in this city. We've lived here ever since. Ah… that was almost three years ago. I'm glad I helped her escape, she's been a great friend.

"So, Matt, has Mum broke the awesome news to you yet?" she asked.

"Well, besides this great new flea collar that she gave me for a great price then no she hasn't given me anymore news," I said, fastening the collar around my neck. "Please, do tell."

"She says you can get a job here! In the puppy section you know like in charge of selling puppies and puppy supplies, since you can talk to the puppies you know?"

"That's great!" I said, wagging my tail, "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow after school."

"Ok. Oh holy crap! I gotta go or I'll miss my chance for dinner! Bye Tabs!"

"Bye, Matt, see you tomorrow!"

I rushed out of the store, thanked Ms. Darby for the collar and the job, and headed to the park.

Ah…. the park. The park is a great place for everything, sleeping, playing, and eating. Yup, eating. Tourists come to the park and usually have picnics everyday. Those picnics are what I eat. I know it's stealing, but sometimes you have to steal to survive. I'm hoping that this new job will give me enough money to buy my own food, although food these days is pretty expensive. I finally made it to the park, thats when I noticed a couple of big buses, my mouth watered. Yes! More food! My sharp nose picked up the smell of meat and various other foods. I'll have a good meal tonight, unless I'm caught that is. I snuck around in the bushes to my favorite spot to get food. It's a clearing with thick woods surrounding it on one side (perfect for a quick getaway) and it's got tons of bushes. I smiled to myself, this will be easy.

Third person pov.

Mello sat on a bench in the city park. Roger, the headmaster of Wammy's brought some of the kids to the park today. It was a beautiful evening now that it had quit raining. Mello watched the people who were having picnics, he laughed at their food choices after all chocolate was the best food, no doubt.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a mass of red, he turned his head toward it. The red had appeared again this time closer to the people that Mello was watching. He scooted close to the end of the bench. The red had disappeared again, only to come up even closer to the people. This time, though, the red stayed. It waited until the people had their backs turned and then a hand reached out and snatched up some food off the picnic blanket. Mello gasped, surprised. He watched the red mass and recognized it as Matt. Matt hit a couple more picnic baskets before disappearing all together. Mello stared at the spot where Matt disappeared, " *Vergib iihm, den re we es nicht bessser wissen* ," he said quietly, looking down and clutching his rosary. ''What are you staring at?" someone asked. Mello jumped and spun around. He took in the white shirt, pants, and hair and the little toy robot clutched in his arm, Near. "None of your business!" Mello yelled. He got up and began to walk away with one last glance over his shoulder, "**Bitte, Vater, vergib iihm, iihm verzeihen."

*Forgive him for he knows no better

**Please, Father, forgive him, forgive him

Haha Mello's German! don't kill me if those translations are wrong blame the website not me:)