[[I. Am. So. Sorry.

You've all probably abandoned this poor story. Who remembers something like this after so many months have passed? AND, even worse, this is a filler chapter. It's official. I'm a bad person…

*sniff* Please don't hit me with virtual pots and pans. ):

Anyway…

Chapter five awaaayyy! Woowoo! All aboard!

…

…..

*shot*]]

I wondered mutually, the next morning, if the reason I hadn't heard the noises that night was because of Matt. It bothered me that we both hadn't heard a word, sound, sniffle, et cetra. Maybe it was because I felt comforted that I wasn't alone. Maybe it was because I fell into a deeper sleep due to the lack that I had gotten two nights before. Who knows. Maybe I really was just crazy.

It was already after classes and I worked on the homework I was given, nibbling my pencil eraser. I couldn't concentrate on my studies. This was a problem. All I could think of was the mystery of the ghost child and why, why, why hadn't anything happened last night? With a clank I threw my pencil into it's holder (I had a small cup for my writing utensils, okay?) and hurried out of my room. Fresh air would be good for me. I strolled through the halls with a chocolate bar in my hand, slowing my pace the more I progressed. Unconsciously, I was looking for Matt because I suddenly walked into the game room where he was, once again, seated directly in front of the television. His eyes were glued to the screen and a controller was in his palms. I swear, the boy had issues.

Nothing a little fun couldn't cure.

I tiptoed silently behind his back, not even taking a bite out of my chocolate. That would only disrupt the silence. As soon as I was in range, I wrapped my arm around his neck and put the gamer into a killer headlock.

"Accckkk!"

"Hello Matt. I see you've been wasting your time with these stupid games once again."

"Mel?" he croaked, "Uncle, uncle! Release!" After a few more half-strangled noises coming from his throat and small flailing arms, I let him go and grinned mischievously at him.

"No need for violence, Mello." he groaned, rubbing the side of his neck. I merely shrugged, continuing to ravish my bar of chocolate. I leant back against the wall to our right, trying to collect my thoughts.

"Matt."

"Hmmm?" He was still rubbing his aching neck.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"I believe you, Mello."

"…"

I looked at him skeptically before he plopped himself on the ground with a "seriously!".

"Just because we didn't hear something last night doesn't really mean that you're lying. You know what I think?" He didn't pause to let me answer. Rhetorically questioning, I suppose. "I think that maybe the ghost didn't come cause it knew what we were planning."

"And what do you suppose we were planning, Matt?" I replied, licking the melted chocolate on my middle finger.

"I dunno… something. Ghosts can read our minds better than we can, I think."

"Do you?"

"Yes." He looked at my face and composure carefully, "Wait a minute! You're totally not taking me seriously right now, are you?"

"I never said that, Matt. I'm just glad you aren't going to turn my so-called delusions into Ruvie."

"'Course not."

A beat of silence passed with only the occasional nibble of chocolate or awkward cough Matt gave.

"Soo…" he began.

"So. Let's go." I threw the metallic wrapper into the garbage as I passed through the doorway. I knew Matt would follow even without looking.

"Where're we goin' Mello?" he piped up after a few seconds of catching up to my steady pace.

"Investigate. It may be pointless during the day, because I haven't heard anything during this time of day but it's worth a shot. It all starts at the scene of the crime you know." Matt nodded at my words and we ascended the staircase, making it into the upstairs hall where my room was. I sat in front of my doorway, although the door was still closed, and Matt sat in front of me.

We awkwardly glanced at each other every few seconds. I didn't want to admit it, but I had no idea where to go from here. I was at the investigation spot, sure, but what do you do to investigate this kind of mystery? A groan of frustration caught in my throat as a figure of white passed my peripherals. Nearly giving myself whiplash, I did a double-take to look at the ghostly creature.

I gaped like a fish. Grabbing Matt's face with my right hand, I spun his head in the direction of the ghost. It was a boy in pajamas, white hair, and deathly pale.

"Holy Mother of Mary." I whispered, crossing myself, "Matt do you see it! It's the ghost! In plain sight!" The ghost child glanced straight at me with cool eyes as he brushed past us. Matt burst out in laughter and I turned back to him slowly, eyes wide. He must be going through some sort of shock.

"Ahahahahaa! Mello! Oh my God!"

I could feel my shocked expression turn into a scowl at Matt's strange behavior. The ghost boy disappeared to the downstairs. I scowled even more. Matt was clutching his striped stomach and falling over onto the wooden floor.

"What!" I screeched, shocking Matt for a moment out of his stupor.

"That's not a ghost! It's just a Near!" he giggled a little more, wiping a tear from his eye.

"What's a near?" I growled, hating not knowing something Matt did.

"He's Near. That's his name. Well, his alias I guess. He's one of us. He's not a ghost. Just. Near."

I glared and pouted all at the same time.

"How was I supposed to know? Who wears pajamas in the middle of the day, really? And why does he have white hair! That's stupid!"

Matt shrugs his thin shoulders. "It's just… Near."

"That's stupid."

Matt rolls his eyes at my dramatics.

"No." he says, "That was hilarious."

"Whatever." I huffed, "I'm leaving. There's no point in this if you're just going to keep laughing like a moron."

I stood up to leave, but didn't even get halfway before Matt tugged on my sleeve. I kind of suspected that was going to happen.

"No wait, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh at you. It was just funny, that's all. To me…" He looked up at me desperately, pathetically. He wouldn't meet my eyes but still tried to make an effort.

"Please don't leave." he continued, "I'll be bored. You shut off my game… we can go to the tree house." Smiling as if that was the key to make me stay.

"Alright, fine. I won't leave. For the sanctuary's sake. We still have work to do on that place." I sighed, helping Matt up off of his bum.

"Sweet, let's go."

Before Matt began to trot off, I grabbed him by the sleeve.

"If we want to fix up that place, we should get supplies."

Matt was looking at me from over his striped shoulder.

"Oh yeah, huh. That would be smart. But, from where? How about we just clean out all the stuff from the inside and than try and do the rest later on?"

"… Fine."

As much as I didn't like following someone else's orders, I didn't like looking stupid for not being able to get something I'd said we needed even more. So Matt had me beat me on that one, and we made our way outside the gates of Wammy's with minds set on a job and black garbage sacks stuffed up our shirts.

[[Fail chapter, fail chapter, fail chapter. I'm so sorry guys. D:

I'll try and be faster with updates.]]