Graffiti chapter 16: Confessions by blackdragonflower

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When Mello returned Matt was rubbing his eye a sad expression on his face. Mello hurried over and waved the twenty ounce bottle

of mountain dew in Matt's face. "Here. I got you some. Figured you'd want something sweet."

"... Thanks." Matt took the soda but made no motion he was going to open it. The boy just stared down into his lap. Mello sighed.

"Hey Seraph I got your stuff too... There was no change."

"... Liar." Seraph challenged calmly plucking the bag of skittles and the bottle of pop from Mello's arms.

"HEY!"

"Sh, or you'll wake someone."

"..." Mello eyes narrowed. "Give me back my soda!"

"Give me the change that you owe me you troublemaker."

"..." The blonde glared death but decided keeping the change wasn't worth it. He pulled the few coins from his pocket and handed them over. The white haired female gave the boy his drink rolling her eyes.

"Did you learn anything while you were off wandering?"

"Yeah..." Mello grumbled. "It's about Stripes."

Matt stared at Mello his hands shaking. "What?"

"I don't think I should tell you..."

The redhead grabbed Mello's collar with one hand. "Tell me what the hell you know Mello. Don't go bullshitting me right now!"

"... Let me go Matt."

The gamer slowly let Mello go his body trembling in fear of what was to come. "What do you know Mello?"

"Stripes won't remember you..."

"What?"

"I ran into Stripes's doctor and managed to get some information out of him." At those words Seraph eyed Mello. The blonde continued on ignoring her gaze. "The doctor said something like he won't remember you but he will? Ya know... that kind of crazy bullshit. Otherwise he said his condition is stabilizing and he should pull through." Matt jumped from his chair his soda flying into the wall nearby. He ran. Mello cussed and followed after the boy Seraph at a distance behind them. The redhead ducked into the men's bathroom where only Mello could follow. Seraph cussed under her breath and slowed to a stop.

"Shit..." She bit her lip. She couldn't just lounge around the men's bathroom, that'd be weird, strange, and would draw too much attention to herself. Snaking around the corner Seraph took a seat towards the edge of the waiting room where she could peer down the hall to keep an eye on the bathroom. She wasn't going to let anything get out of her sight if she could help it.

Matt slammed a bathroom stall shut and locked it. He sat on the toilet and wiped the snot, which was beginning to run down his face with some of the toilet paper. "Stupid Mello... telling me that..."

"Hey I heard that you twit!" The redhead gasped seeing his blonde friend climbing over the top of the stalls. Mello grunted from the effort and bit his lip in frustration. "Dammit... I'm stuck." Matt blinked. He either had the option of leaving him there -which was actually looking quite good-, or he could help his friend out of trouble, either way he could win. "Matt... if you're going to leave me here at least grab my coke and hand it to me..." The gamer was surprised Mello had read that far into his thoughts.

"Who says I'm leaving you stupid..." Matt reached up and grabbed a hold of Mello's leg and yanked. Mello yelped in pain when his back scraped against the rough ceiling. He was clinging onto the top of the stall as if for life.

"Unstuck yet?"

"No."

"Okay." The redhead pulled harder and Mello popped free. He fell, his fingernails clawing at the wall to no avail. Mello banged his knee against the metal edge of the toilet paper dispenser. The blonde growled, gritting his teeth.

"Ow... Fuck... Ow..."

"... Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" Mello snapped. Noticing Matt's involuntary wince Mello sighed and apologized, "Sorry..."

"I-It's fine... Why the hell did you come after me?"

"Can't a guy be concerned about his best friend?" Mello asked with a slight pink tinge to his face.

"Best... friend?" Matt's mouth fell slightly agape.

"Yeah... Don't make me have to repeat myself. You're my best friend okay... So what I don't have any friends, I don't need anyone besides you. Can we get out of this stall? It's kinda awkward us being in the same stall..." Matt fumbled for the lock and just as he was about to walk out Mello grabbed his wrist. "C'mon... We need to talk." He led the redhead to the floor underneath the automatic hand dryers. "Sit and no running off."

"... Okay Mello..."

"Why'd you just up and run off all the sudden when I told you about Stripes?"

Matt bit his lip and cradled his knees close to his chest. "I couldn't stand it... the thought of him not remembering me. After all... Stripes saved my life..."

"What?!"

"When I was about four my house caught on fire, my parents died, but I survived because some stranger in a striped shirt came to rescue me last minute." The flashback was chilling, full of choking black plumes of smoke and crackling embers that cackled in delight of their destruction. "I don't know for sure if it was Stripes or not... but... over the years getting to know him... I get convinced more and more of it, that he was the one who pulled me from the flames. If Stripes can't remember me... how am I supposed to be able to look at his face and talk with him huh?"

"Matt...Ya know you didn't let me finish telling you what happened..." Mello pouted moodily. "The funky doctor also told me despite the fact Stripes won't remember us... eventually it's suppose to wear off."

Matt looked at Mello with big glossy eyes, "You really... mean it Mello?"

"Uh... let me think... yeah." The chocolate loving boy was surprised when the gamer threw his arms around his waist. Mello tensed as the redhead cried into his shoulder. The feelings that washed through Matt were many: fear, happiness, sadness, so many at once. He was a little surprised when he heard Mello ask in a pained voice -he was obviously not liking this closeness as to him it affected his manliness or something to that thinking-, "Matt... why are you bawling like a girl... and hugging me?"

Underlying the pained tone was the soft growl of, "let go of me." Matt removed his arms from around Mello's waist and scooted away a foot or so. "Sorry..." He wiped a tear with his sleeve. "Just... everything weird has been happening lately... I don't know what to do anymore..."

"Matt... if we get through all this shit I'm buying you a new videogame!"

With that Matt's eyes sparkled and became huge glittering orbs. "Really? You'd really do that for me Mello?"

"... Duh... if not why would I bother even mentioning it?"

"Mello..."

"Yeah...?"

"We can go back now... and... your coke is still sitting on the counter..."

"Holy fuck it is! How'd I forget that!" Mello scrambled towards the bottle and snatched it up. "Which reminds me..." The blonde flicked Matt upside the head. "That's for throwing a perfectly good bottle of mountain dew." Matt rubbed the spot a slight grin on his face.

"Wow Mello... you're weird... Guess that's why I like hanging out with you so much." The redhead laughed.

"Huh what?" Mello had been too busy untwisting the top of the bottle to pay attention.

"Nevermind... let's go... Thanks man."

"Sure no problem... Only question is..." Mello bit the inside of his lip and thrust the bottle of coke towards Matt, "Can you get this open?"