Whoops!
Once I had gotten over my embarrassing crying fest, everyone went down to the dining hall for lunch. Feeling like I hadn't eaten in days, I loaded up my plate, talking happily to my friends as we caught up with each other. "I hear we're going to get really good weather for our trip!" L said holding Jenn's hand as he spoke. Those two really did make a great couple. It had been love at first sight. Their personalities had been so similar that they had automatically gone together and fit perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle. Of course, I'm not one to talk! My dating experiences have been tragic, with all of my guy friends being just that; friends and all my boyfriends being jerks who my friends chased away. Jenn was my best girl friend ever! There really were no secrets between us; we just talked and trusted each other that much! The closest guy friends I'd had in my life were the ones that were surrounding me today, and the one I felt the closest to out of all of them was Matty. Matt was something special. I felt like I could tell him anything in the world, it had always been that way, and we both treasured that friendship; and that was all it was and all it needed to be. Whenever something was wrong, Matt was the first to know or find out and when something was really wrong, it was Matty who held me when I cried. We both needed each other, but not in that way and I was glad. It made it feel more permanent, like nothing could come between us and I depended on that solid foundation like it was my life. If anything were to happen to Matty…God, I don't even want to think about it!!!
"Speaking of rain, where's Mello? Or did you guys just say that he was coming just to torture me for a week straight?"
"Torture you? Now what have I ever done to gain that kind of reputation?" came a soft laugh from behind me. Slowly, I turned around, dreading what I would see when finished moving. Taking a deep breath, I saw the reason I'd been dreading this trip all week. Standing in front of me was a tall blonde, just as gangly as Matt but in a black shirt and jeans. A long scar ran the length of the left side of his face, and I was sure, the left half of his body. A chocolate bar held in one hand, he stood looking down at me with a smile on his face. "Hey Molls, it's been a while huh?"
"Hey Mello," I replied, and without thinking twice, I stomped on his foot with my heel, and ran for the deck, only stopping when I had reached the side of the boat. I clambered up onto the railing and started down at the white caps the boat was making below as we sailed onward. A few minutes later, Matt came up. Spotting me at the far end of the deck, he came up and stood next to me. "You're still taller than me!" I said in surprise as I stared at the gap between the top of my head and Matt's.
"Yeah, I grew a bit since I saw you last, huh?" Matt said smiling down at my amazed face. Back at Wammy's I'd been taller than Matty for the longest time. It was only at the very end of our stay that he started growing past me. Matt took his hand-held game system from his pocket and turned it on.
"Yeah, I guess you did." I smiled contentedly and leaned against Matt's shoulder, watching him play his latest game. I sighed contentedly.
"What's up?" Matt asked looking over at me. Another thing I love about Matt, he doesn't pry. If you don't want to say something or he sees that you don't want to talk, he's content with just sitting with you until you're ready.
"It feels like we're back at Wammy's doesn't it?" I said looking up at him. "I mean, you're playing video games, I'm watching, soon you'll be explaining the whole thing to me so I can understand what's going on and I'll be asking too many questions. Plus, Mello's still annoying, and all of our friends are here, so it's kind of like a being at Wammy's where it's warm and we're on a boat.
Matt laughed. "Yeah I guess so! But Molls, you really should try to be nicer to Mello. I know you two didn't get along sometimes back at Wammy's, but he's a really nice guy and I think you should give him another chance. We've all changed."
"Oh sure," I said sarcastically, "if 'not getting along sometimes' involves him taking my favorite skirt and dying it pink on picture day!!!" I was practically screaming now, "I HATE PINK!!!"
"Well, you did throw pasta in his face at dinner," Matt reasoned trying not to laugh too hard at the memory, "and stole his favorite pair of leather pants and hung them from your favorite climbing tree that no one else could figure out how to climb!"
"I gave them back!"
"After you painted them every color of the rainbow!"
"Okay you've got a point, but he didn't go easy on my either!"
"I never said he did. Look, Molls, just try to get along with Mells, okay? I know it would mean a lot to everyone else…especially me."
Crap, he was giving me puppy-dog eyes. If anyone could do puppy-dog eyes better than me, was Matt!!!! "Fine, I'll…I'll….try to be nicer to M-ell-o…but I will not call him any of your stupid nicknames!!!"
Matt laughed at my miserable attempt to say Mello's name. "Okay good, I'm holding you to that one Molls. And Molly?"
"Hmm?"
"Being nice does not involve stamping on his foot, or stealing his chocolate!" Matt added as an afterthought, staring pointedly at my hands. I looked down at the chocolate bar I had swiped from Mello's pocket on my way out of the dining hall.
"Caught me, old habits die hard I'm afraid and Mello doesn't' seem up to scratch on catching me! Oh, okay Matty jeez I'll give it back you don't have to look at me like that! He has tons of chocolate anyway I'm sure it won't matter if I eat this bar-scratch that- it will matter but he can always get another bar!!! I'm sure L stocked up on plenty of chocolate before we left!!! Oh alright, Matt, I'll be nice! But I'm only doing it for you and everyone else!"
"Sure Molls, sure!" Matt said, ruffling my hair and poking me good-naturedly in the stomach. I laughed and shoved him in the shoulder because in all our years at Wammy's House, I had never been able to find a ticklish spot on Matt. Matt retaliated by placing his game system on a nearby table and tickling me full force causing me to scream and laugh; kicking and flailing as he continued to torture like he had back at the orphanage.
"Stop it Matty STOP!!!!!" I cried, as I kicked out in an attempt to stop my friend's hands. But Matt only dodged my feet and continued attacking me laughing my screams.
"What's going on, what's happening?" Everyone came running up the stairs and onto the deck to see what the commotion was, Mello in the lead. He had an icepack in his hand and his foot was swollen and red. Good. Unfortunately, my lack of concentration cost me. Matt, seeing an opening in my horrible defenses, lunged forward and tried to tickle me again. Out of pure luck, my foot connected with his stomach and he stumbled back with a loud 'Ooof!' as his breath left him. While this was happening, the force of my kick knocked me off balance. I fell backwards, tumbled off the railing, and fell down towards the white caps below! The last thing I remembered was seeing Mello's stunned face full of fear as I tumbled head-over-heels over the railing. Whoops, I thought as my vision blurred and I sank down into the oncoming darkness.