A/N: Thank you for the reviews so far! You guys are sweet :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of the characters except for the OCs.

CHAPTER 4

Mello

When Valerie disappeared behind the walls bordering the kitchen and the living room, out of hearing range for certain, I couldn't put on the poker face any longer. With Matt's attention on the TV, I took the opportunity to kick him on the shin. Hard.

"OW!" he whined at the hard contact and shot me a glare. "What the f—"

I didn't give him any chance to finish his scolding, instead I pulled his arm in a harsh tug so he didn't have any other option but shifted closer to me. "Look who's talking. What the fuck was that for?" I hissed while keeping my voice low, nodding my head to the kitchen.

For a split second Matt looked puzzled, before finally hissed back at me. "I've told you! Jack isn't coming, we both know you're not ok, so when I know that Val is a med student, will be going for clinical rotation at the second place, I ask her for a help," he sputtered. "Is that a problem?"

"You ask me if that's a problem? Yes, that is a problem. Matt, we've talked about this before! Never involve outs—"

"Never involve outsiders, I know that," Matt interjected. He took a glimpse at kitchen direction, making sure Valerie couldn't hear what we're talking about before continuing. "I'm not a fucking dumbass, ok? I've told you it'll be ok, and I promise you that."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't even know who she really is. There's a slight chance she might be a spy the Rod sends to monitor us or—"

Matt gave a dry laugh. "Spy? Please, Mello, you're being paranoid. She's just a student, that's all."

"I'm NOT paranoid—"

"—Yes, you are." Matt's face suddenly darkened. "I'm doing a favor because I'm worried about you, yet your response is this?"

I began to boil. Now who's giving him permission to get mad at me?

"Can't you just fucking let me finish my sentence without fucking cutting me off?" It took all of my will power not to land my fist to his face; concerning the fact there was still a stranger inside the same room as we were, unaware of anything.

"No, if you keep acting like a fucking douchebag."

NOW THAT was the bait. I opened my mouth to spit more of my best cursing words, only to shut it when I saw Matt's expression.

Behind the tinted glass of his goggles I could see the way he looked at me: exhaustion, annoyance, contempt, and… concern.

I paused momentarily. It came to me that he just did what he had to do under this circumstance. And how did I respond to that? Bitching around like a PMSing woman.

Finally I gave up. "I'm sorry," I muttered, averting my gaze away and leaned back to the couch. "You're right. I'm a douchebag."

I felt a hand patted my shoulder and I looked up to see the owner. "It's ok, Mello," Matt spoke quietly. "You've had enough of this, I know that. I should be the one saying sorry."

I snorted. "Then we're even. Problem solved."

Matt gave out a weak smile. "Ok, I know you still don't approve my decision but... it's the least I can do. It makes me sick every time I see your awful condition. How would you get revenge if you're no stronger than a shrimp?"

"I'll get better in no time," I asserted the redhead, my look got even more serious.

Yeah, I'd get better in no time, I promised myself. Cause I'll make sure I'm gonna be the one to kick that bastard's ass...

A tingling familiar pain crawling on my skin, making me cringed and cursed. "Fucking pain..." I groaned under my breath. "I'm gonna hit the drug." I stood up and made my way to the kitchen.

"Don't take more than you need!" came Matt's voice behind my back, which I responded with a nonchalant wave. When I came to the kitchen counter I saw Valerie was still observing the pills, her back facing me. She seemed not aware of my presence though.

I made quiet steps approaching her position and stopped right behind her back. Still no response. "Move," I uttered coolly.

"Wha—!"

She suddenly turned around in surprise, surprising me as well, and in the brief moment her hand slapped the opened Vicodin bottle on top of the counter; the bottle fell down to the floor below in a dull sound, and despite my startled self I noticed at least half of the content scattering out of the hollow, many of them were smashed or broken in halves.

It took me a few seconds to process the sudden event. When I did, I slowly turned to the girl who held the responsibility.

Valerie

I gulped nervously when Mello sent me such a dangerous, cold stare, making me grew stiff on the spot. I admitted I didn't notice his presence at all when I was checking the Vicodin pills, as I was too absorbed on my thoughts, but to my luck it was now... oh, dammit.

Now he's gonna yell at me for throwing out his medicine. The sight of his scarred face, looking at me in such dark looks assured me that. I'm doomed.

"Look what you've done," Mello hissed in the most menacing tone I've ever heard.

"I'm sorry... Y-you surprised me!" I quickly retorted, my hands clenching to the kitchen counter desk, slightly trembling. He should've known I was truly sorry about the simple accident, and moreover, I was feeling like a trapped mouse under the whole dangerous aura coming out from him. But I guess he wasn't in the mood of forgiving someone so quickly.

"That's my medicine you threw away, you know that?!" Mello glared at me, pointing to the scattering pills.

Matt quickly jolted from the living room and joined us. "Mello, stop it." He put his hand on Mello's shoulder. "She didn't do it intentionally, you're overreacting."

I watched Mello swatted Matt's hand and shot the goggled redhead a glare. "Overreacting? I don't give a damn whether it's intentional or not, she disposed half of them!" he sputtered.

I flinched over his harsh tone. I knew he was mad, in a greater amount possibly due to the analgesic effects, but much worse because it was me whom he threw his tantrum to. I could feel my heart hammered fast of fear.

"I-I'm sorry..." I stammered, averting my eyes to the floor. I just couldn't help myself to look at the raging blond man. "I'm really sorry—I promise I will—"

But that time, when I looked at the floor, something distracted my attention. I fixed my eyes at the smashed pills and the powdery substance generated from them. I stuck my head further to the floor to have a better look, and when I did, my eyes widened.

Mello

I waited for her next words, but they didn't come. Instead, Valerie fixed her gaze at the pills on the floor. There I noticed there was a change; she wasn't trembling anymore. Her breathing gradually became steadier, and her face suddenly got a lot more serious. Her eyebrows furrowed deeper like she was thinking hard of something.

Slowly, she released her grip off the kitchen counter desk and crouched down, not taking her eyes off the scattered pills. Matt and I exchanged looks, bemused. Had this girl gone insane or what?

Valerie extended her index finger and tapped a bit of powder from the crashed pills, and now I guess I knew the cause. My eyebrows furrowed, and so did Matt.

The pills were white, the three of us knew that well, but inside of the broken pills were brown powder.

She brought her finger coated with the powder to her nose and sniffed it. Then her eyes grew as wide as plates.

She stood up, almost losing balance because she got up so sudden, but quickly retained it back as she turned to Matt, her face surprisingly more serious than ever. Her next words were no less confusing than her attitudes.

"Matt, if you have a tin foil with you, please bring it to me. And I'll have to borrow your lighter."

Valerie

After the required materials were ready, I quickly moved, not wasting any time. It can't be... I mused in silence, squeezing my brain in process whilst my nimble hands working their ways in deft movement. But if my suspicion's proven true anyway, the symptoms would make sense. So I need to perform a little experiment. I wasn't a B.A. in Chemistry for nothing.

Attempting to ignore the intense stares from the two other guys, I washed my hands and put on the medical gloves I brought along with the medical bag.

I tore a small piece of the tin foil and heated the entire surface with the lighter to burn off all possible toxic coatings. Next, using a knife I found inside one of the drawers, I scooped a small amount of the brown powder from the broken pills and dropped it on the foil, then heated it as well.

And the result was... as what as I expected.

From what was powdery substance, it was now melted in to dark beetle looking blob surrounded by white smoke.

"Heroin."

Matt whispered in disbelief, taking a closer look at the blob. I turned to Mello, his expression was no more different than the redhead. He stared at me, his steely eyes demanding an explanation.

"No wonder you got more severe symptoms..." I started carefully. I was astonished as well. "You've been, unknowingly, taking heroin every day, for the entire week."

Mello opened his mouth, but no sound came out. It's clearly seen that he was completely taken aback with the result. He and Matt then exchanged looks, the same stern look I saw him gave his pal a few hours ago, which I still couldn't decipher the meaning.

Now it's a perfect time for me to ask for an explanation. Breaking the uncomfortable silence I began, "You said you got the drug legally. And legit drugs wouldn't get smashed so easily like that. Now can you please tell me the complete story?" I eyed the two men before me.

They didn't say anything, seemingly still in shock, but I could see from their states they were bundles of nerves. And not a mere tense; I understood they were astonished since I found out about the fake yet illegal drug, but was it really necessary to have such grim—and may I say—ominous looks?

The second later, I got my reply.

BANG!