The Challenger

Chapter Eight: Shadow's Rainbow

The sun's rays crept through the crack in Shadow's curtains. She slowly opened her eyes. "Why are my curtains open?" she asked herself.

"I remember closing them last night". As Shadows vision became clear she noticed a figure standing just above her. Shadow panicked and screamed. She jolted one fist in the air and hit the figure in the centre of the face.

Shadow was now sitting up and the figure was rolling around on the floor crying in pain. "Shadow!" yelled Mello he appeared in her doorframe.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Shadow looked at Mello and back to the figure on the floor. "Oh crap!" she thought she recognised the figure as Matt.

She smiled weakly at Mello "I am fine but I can't say the same about him," she pointed at Matt, who was now getting up holding his nose.

Mello took one look at Matt and burst out laughing. "Good morning," grumbled Matt still holding his nose. "Sorry," said Shadow she felt bad for hitting him in the face, but he shouldn't have been hovering over her like some sort of stalker.

"Matt I really didn't mean to hit you I thought you were a stalker," she admitted.

"Oh thanks I'm a stalker now," grumbled Matt. Shadow gave him an awkward smile "I don't exactly mean stalker, you know you were just invading my personal space," she laughed.

"Whatever," grumbled Matt he took his hand off of his nose. "Oh crap Matt your bleeding!" yelled Shadow as she jumped out of her bed and ran over to him.

"What," said Matt he touched his nose. "No your lip I think you must of bit it when I hit you," answered Shadow.

She went over to her desk and grabbed a few tissues and began wiping the blood off of Matt's lip. "So anyway why were you hanging over me all stalkerish like that?" asked Shadow.

"Well Mello told me to come in and wake you-ahh- up, cause we wanted you to-ouch! That hurts you know," yelled Matt.

"Maybe if you stopped moving it wouldn't," replied Shadow.

"What do you-ah- mean if I stopped-err- moving? You're the one who asked the question!" "Okay, okay I get the point," surrendered Shadow.

"So what did Mello want you to ask me," said Shadow as she finished wiping blood from Matt's lip. She looked at Mello who was still standing at the door.

"We were wondering if you wanted to come out with us today," he replied glaring at Matt. "What do you mean where are you going?" asked Shadow confused.

"Oh yeah I forgot you haven't been at the orphanage for long. Every second weekend we are allowed to get a train and go out. Ya' know go and see a move, go spend our allowance," added Matt.

"So are you two going to see a movie?" asked Shadow who was liking this idea. She hadn't been out for a while.

"Yeah where're not to sure what is out so when we get their we'll decide," replied Mello. "Awesome count me in! I've been looking for a way to get out of this hell hole".

"Sweet," squeaked Matt who seemed to have forgotten the little incident earlier. "Okay now I just need to get ready," said Shadow in a cheery voice.

She ran over to her draws and began digging in them. She started throwing cloths out behind her, every now and then she would pause and look something over.

Mello and Matt just stood there staring at her. "Okay, I figured out what I am going to wear," announced Shadow. She skipped over to the window and looked out.

The sun was shinning and it looked like a nice, warm day. Shadow turned back toward the middle of her room and a look of surprise came over her face.

"Oh you two are still here," she said surprised. "Ahh," answered Matt. "Well get lost I need to get dressed," she walked toward them and shoved them toward the door.

"I'll see you two in a minuet," she called then shut her door. Shadow threw off her black singlet (which she had slept in) and slid off her long purple pyjama pants.

She pulled out a t-shirt which was white and had a hot pink love heart on it. She then slid on a pair of black short-shorts. "Hmm," she mumbled as she looked over her reflection in the mirror.

"Something is missing this look is way too boring, wait I know!" She ran over to her draws and dug through the bottom one.

A smile crept over her face when she seized what she was looking for. She unrolled the socks and stretched them out.

Then she carefully slid one foot into one sock and began pulling it up. Shadow had a very 'out there' choice of clothes, so it was no surprise that she had socks like these.

Most of her socks were knee-high however this was her special pair. She kept pulling the socks up, they passed her knee and came up to around mid-thigh.

She then put on the other sock. She turned and looked at her complete outfit. White love heart shirt, black short-shorts and her mid-thigh high hot pink and black striped socks.

"Sweet!" she said to herself "now I just need to decide on how to wear my hair, hmm straightened or not straightened?"

Matt and Mello had since returned to their own room next door and were getting ready. Both of them dressed in their normal clothes nothing special.

Mello sat down on the chair next to the window and looked out. "Hey Matt," he said quietly Matt looked up from where he was playing on Linda's Nitendo DS.

Matt had begged her to let him borrow it after Roger had stolen his own. However no matter how much he begged in the end Mello threatening to drop Linda's art book down a toilet seemed to be much more effective.

"Yeah what is it?" asked Matt. "What do you think about Shadow?" replied Mello not taking his eyes of whatever was fascinating him outside.

"Yeah she's pretty cool," answered Matt his eyes glued to the screen of the DS again. "Do you like her?" asked Mello. "Yeah she heaps mad hard to think her and Near are actually related," answered Matt.

"No I mean do you like-like her?" said Mello he turned to look at Matt. Matt looked up at him "like-like?" he said.

"Yeah you know like-like as in girlfriend, boyfriend". "Ahh," answered Matt "do you like-like her?" he asked. "I-I-I asked you first!" answered Mello.

The two looked at each other both feeling pretty awkward. "Well?" asked Mello. "Ahh-" just as Matt was about to answer the door to their room slammed open and Shadow burst in.

"Okay I'm ready to go when are we going? I can't wait!" she yelled but quickly quieted down. "Ahh is it just me or is the air in this room reeking with irritation?" she asked.

When neither of the boys answered she walked over to where Mello sat. He was still staring at Matt, Matt returning his gaze. Shadow reached out to Mello and shook his shoulder.

"Ah Mello," she asked. He snapped his head away from Matt and looked up at her. "What," he snapped.

Shadow looked taken aback for a moment but then her look turned sour. "Don't get all pissy with me!" she warned and slapped him across the head.

Mello glared at her for a moment then looked down. "Are you seriously wearing that?" he asked. "What don't you like my outfit?" she asked.

"I was referring to the socks," he replied dryly. "Hey my socks are awesome!" she retaliated. "Besides at least I am not wearing the same boring clothes as always! So when are we going? I am so bored".

"Not till 10:30," replied Mello. "Ahhh!," groaned Shadow. "Hey! I still haven't picked out what shoes I am going to wear," she chirped up.

"Come Mello you can help me," before Mello even had the chance to retaliate she had his sleeve and was dragging him off towards her room.

Matt sat in his and Mello's room and looked down at the game in his hands. He sighed and shut it off then got up and headed out of the room closing the door behind himself.

Matt walked toward Shadow's door but paused when he heard voices. " What the hell Shadow! These shoes are all the same!" It was Mello.

"Nah look these ones are green and these ones are black, there is a difference Mello!" That was Shadow.

Matt knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but he couldn't help it. "Frigging hell you have your own personal rainbow don't you? What is with you and this brand of shoe?" asked Mello.

"They are awesome you should really get a pair I bet you would look heaps hot with em' on," replied Shadow.

There was some rummaging sounds then more talking. "Here try on these ones". "What hey no! I don't wanna' put on your stupid shoes besides they won't fit".

"Oh come on Mello! Pretty please I wanna' see what they look like," moaned Shadow. "Fine give em' here, they're red".

"Yeah I know how cool are they. A friend from my old school gave them to me. I can't wear them cause they are too big, but I bet they would fit you," answered Shadow again.

"Converse All stars jeeze these shoes are hard to get on!" "Give them here you retard!" demanded Shadow.

"Now keep your foot still I'll get them on. Wow! These ones are hard to get on oh well no surprise. They have been in that box for so long".

"Ahh that hurts!," yelled Mello. "Almost…there," struggled Shadow "Wait…ahhh!" Matt heard a crash.

He walked into the room "Are you two okay?" he asked but then paused. Both of them were lying on the floor Shadow on top of Mello.

"Ahh this is awkward," she joked looking up at Matt. "I think you broke my foot," grumbled Mello. "Hey but look I got the shoe on!" she said cheerily.

"Get off me," he replied. Shadow slid off Mello who then sat up. He pulled the shoe off. "What no! Why did you do that? It took forever to get those freaking shoes on!" she yelled.

Mello smiled and stuck his hand into the shoe. He then pulled out a piece of scrunched up paper.

Shadow's face went pale then bright red "Ah he he yeah I put that in there so the shoes would keep its shape. Woops must have forgotten to take it out," she said awkwardly.

Mello then slipped the shoe back on with ease, he then took the paper out of the other shoe and put that on too. "Yay! I was right they do fit," yelled Shadow.

She then tied up the laces and tucked them into the shoe. "Trust me they look way cooler this way," she said. Matt looked Mello over. "Hey they actually look pretty good on you Mello," he said.

"You don't look like a total emo now". "Emo how do I look emo!?" yelled Mello. "Oh sugar, honey, ice, tea!" yelled Matt as Mello started running toward him.

"Hey wait up you two!" yelled Shadow as she hopped on one foot pulling on her other shoe. The three of them ran off down the hallway Matt running from Mello, Mello chasing after Matt, Shadow chasing after both of them.

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Yayz DOUBLE UPDATE!! Here is a special double update for all of you, I guess this is my way of saying sorry it took so long to get these chapters up. So anyways this chapter isn't as long as the others but it's still just as good (well at least I hope so!). So Mello, Matt and Shadow are going to go to the moves together, Mello tried on his first pair of chucks (A.K.A. Converse all stars, ahh I love those shoes!!) and the boys had 'a talk'. Hmmm suspense I wonder if Shadow will end up with one of them. Anyways so heres a little insight on what the next chapter is going to be biased on *drum role * The train ride there, yeah I hope it is a funny chapter for you guys. By the way I need to put more Near in this story and there will be more Near but right now it's mainly Matt/Mello. So yes to get your next fix of fan fiction from me can I please have the little review number go up to 15, pretty please.