Wow, so many positive responses to chapter 1! Honestly, I didn't think I'd get so much feedback so soon. I've gotten five reviews since I posted yesterday afternoon XD! I hope I continue to get good reviews, but criticism is appreciated, and if there's something that is wrong, or bothers anybody, please let me know and I'll adjust the text accordingly. I know that Near is a little bit OOC (okay, maybe more than "a bit"), but I like to accredit that to the fact that this is AU. I don't think I could write for Near if he was in character. Sorry... Anyways, I have the first seven chapters written out, and I'm still trying to get ahead, so I'll probably be updating regularly, which wouldn't normally happen -_-'. So you shouldn't worry that I'm running out of material anytime soon. And I'm sorry that chapters are so short. They seem longer when I write them.
Well, I'm beginning to ramble, so I'll just get on with it already.
Disclaimer: If I were to discover that I owned Death Note, I would die of happiness. Seeing as I'm still here, typing away on Fanfiction, we can all assume that I'm not dead, and therefore, I don't own Death Note. Yet. ;)
Chapter 2: Of School, new Faces, and a Shootout
Bloody hell.
Those were my first thoughts as I entered the public school building, already hearing the snickers about the incident from yesterday, and hearing the jibes about my now pink hair. The reaction I wanted to have was a scowl, or a frown, or even clenched fists. However, I knew from experience that it would only make the slight giggles turn into guffaws, and turn the quiet mockery into full blown taunting.
Thank God it's Friday, I thought, feeling horribly cliché for using such a tired phrase, even in my own mind.
Still, I maintained a vacantly bored expression, careful not to show any reaction. Instead of deterring the students' attention, it only seemed to draw more of it to me. Before I knew it, I was picked up by two boys I'd never seen before. Judging from their size, though, they were probably in my grade. I didn't object or protest as they lifted me by my arms, dropping me into a nearby metal trash bin, making my bottom sink downwards.
I sighed, waiting until they were gone to climb out. The first place I went was the bathroom. Once I was there, I went into a stall to inspect the seat of my pants. They weren't very dirty, considering the fact that the trash can had been close to empty due to it being the beginning of the day.
It's Friday. I thought firmly. The week is almost over…you'll survive one more day, and then it's time for recuperation.
What kind of pissed me off, though, was that recuperation time only lasted as long as we were out of school. After that, it was right back to being undermined and roughed up.
It's Friday.
That was going to be my mantra to get me through the day.
After sitting through Math class, my final class of the day, with little incident, I was glad to finally escape the institution. I had only just fast-walked off school grounds when a couple of junior girls walked by me, purposely bumping my shoulders, rather roughly, at the same time, which resulted in my immediately falling into the concrete sidewalk.
I pushed myself up off the ground, wincing at the pain in my elbow. I jumped when I noticed a hand in front of my face. And for once, it wasn't a fist.
I allowed my gaze to travel up the arm to the person's face, and found myself looking at a blonde teenager (possibly in his early twenties), with long hair, some of which managed to cover most of a grisly-looking burn scar. In one hand was an open, half-eaten chocolate bar. Only when his grip tightened around it did I realize that I'd been staring. Gratefully, I took hold of his hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet.
"Thank you," I said politely. I just kind of stood there for a few minutes while he looked me over with an inquisitive expression. After a few moments, he gave a curt nod.
"Anytime," he said, turning to walk away. I raised a thin eyebrow.
That was a little weird…
Upon entering my home several minutes later, I saw that L was nowhere to be found. The tap-tap-tap of his fingers against his laptop keys gave away his position behind the couch, though. Highly anti-climactic.
After eating dinner and finishing my homework that night, I found myself sitting on my bed, thinking.
I'm so bored.
I'm so bored.
I'm so bored.
I'm so bored.
I'm so bored.
Eventually I got tired of this mantra. It only added to the immense boredom. Instead, I tried to think of things I could do.
I could play chess with L…That was an option, but L usually won the games easily, having more experience. I could help with a case…That was a good choice, I really didn't feel like working. I could go out and see if I meet anyone interesting…Hmm…If the likelihood that I wouldn't run into some of my classmates if I went out wasn't so high, I probably would've gone with that one.
Suddenly, so it seemed, I came upon an epiphany. There'll be lots of other people there, and no one will bother you in public. If they do, all you have to do is call for help! I nodded at my logic, satisfied for the time being. I checked the wall clock, noting that I would have to be home before dark, which would come in probably around three or four hours, leaving myself plenty of time.
Pulling on shoes and a jacket, I pocketed a few dice, my cell phone, and some money. "Elliot! I'm leaving!" I called as I was walking out the door. "I'll be home soon!"
He didn't respond.
I closed the door of the apartment behind me, taking a deep breath as I left my home willingly for the first time in…well, ever.
And what was the most mundane, ordinary thing that I could possibly think to do?
Go to the mall.
Being at the local outlet mall wasn't much different than being at home. Okay, so maybe that's a bit much. In fact, they were very different. At the mall, it was noisy and stimulating, with people in every direction you looked. At home, it was quiet, and when L was home—which was basically all the time—he remained staring at a computer screen nearly 24/7.
So really the only way they were the same, was that they were incredibly boring.
If someone wasn't staring at me, pointing me out to their friends, than I was staring at them. I was practically hunting with my eyes, combing through the crowd to find people that looked worth talking to. Of course, though, my obsessive crowd-scanning led me to notice the blonde man from before, the one who'd helped me up. What unnerved me, was how he actually seemed to be looking in my direction if not directly at me.
Standing up from my empty table in the food court, I began walking over to him. As I got closer, I noticed his eyes widen, and he seemed to want to back away. He looked straight at me, and when our gazes locked, he seemed to realize that running away wasn't an option. So he stayed in his spot, looking anywhere but at me.
"Hello," I said pleasantly, when I was only a few feet away. He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking anywhere but directly at me.
"Hey." He didn't really seem to be in a 'talking' kind of mood.
"I never caught your name," I mused. Just because he didn't feel like talking didn't mean I wasn't going to talk to him. And he seemed like a pretty nice guy. I mean, a jerk doesn't go around helping random strangers to their feet in the middle of a deserted sidewalk.
"I never threw it," he replied, cheekily. After a moment of hesitation,"…It's Mello." He finally decided to turn his eyes back to mine. Hmm. They weren't green like I'd thought. Rather they were a bluish color.
"I'm Near," I said. We just kind of stood there for a few minutes, neither of us speaking, and I got the feeling that he was about as socially adept as L and me, even though his appearance radiated with confidence. I mean, could a timid person walk around in so much leather? It wasn't necessarily skin-tight, but it was still leather. Black leather. If the guy dyed his hair black, he could be goth, and the silver rosary around his neck didn't say much against the fact.
"What's up?" he said awkwardly, breaking the silence. I shrugged.
"There's nothing interesting going on," I replied, bringing a hand up to twirl my hair. "Home is boring, and this place is worse." I glanced around, noticing that there was still nothing of much significance happening. "Do you know of anything nearby that is even mildly attention-grabbing?" The words came out of my mouth before I really thought about what I was saying.
Mello eyed me strangely, but seemed to think it over. "…Not much to do but shop and eat here," he concluded, taking a bite of the chocolate I didn't even notice that he had. It was the same brand as before, though it was definitely a different bar.
I sighed. "Thanks anyway." I began to walk away, trying to go a bit slower than usual in my stupid hopes that maybe he'd remember something and point me in the direction of it. When I was pretty much out of range from him, though, I gave up hope and started wandering around, eyeing the small boutiques set up in the middle of the giant corridors. In the end, I did buy something—a small glass panda paperweight. It seemed like a good joke for my overworked cousin.
Once my purchase was secure in my pocket, I sat back down at the food court, pulling out the dice I'd brought along. I stacked them as high as they would go, even though there were only five. When that got boring, I started rolling them in an attempt to get all sixes consecutively. Thankfully, that provided a challenge that distracted me from the world around me.
…at least until I heard someone walk over to my table.
Upon looking at the person, I practically felt my stomach drop. It was one of my well-known tormentors, Scott Wilkes. He was infamous for physical confrontation. He wasn't a cliché athlete, like in movies. He just worked out on his own time. And if you're wondering how I know, it's kind of obvious from his appearance. You don't get muscular by sitting around playing video games. Plus, it's kind of hard not to notice when he brags about it constantly.
So what could he possibly want with me? By the way, that was sarcasm.
"Scott," I said in greeting. "Kaleb, Jacob." Two of his friends were on either flank, and I had to hold back a snort at the cliché of it. Apparently, my acknowledgement of the bully and his cronies must've insulted him, because his face went from a smirk, to a slightly twisted snarl.
"What the hell are you doing here, sheep?" he demanded, grabbing the front of my shirt. "You don't have any business at a place for socializing." I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Not only was he spouting stupid nonsense, but it seemed as though he was trying to show that he was on my level intellectually by using a 'big' word like 'socializing'.
"I believe that whether or not I have business to attend to in this place is up to me, wouldn't you agree?" I said coolly, hoping that my voice didn't betray my dread, and slight panic. "And in any case, I actually did come to socialize with someone." I knew that would probably earn me a punch to the face, so I didn't let my eyes stray from Scott's face.
"Oh yeah, sheep?" I nodded. "Who?" I actually did allow myself a scowl that time.
I opened my mouth to reply and—
BANG!
SHATTER!
SCREAM!
Seemingly all at once, the mall went into chaos. A loud 'bang' sound resonated at the same time the sound of a shattering window could be heard. It was one of the windows at the top of the front wall of the food court, which also happened to be the front of the mall itself. The screams came almost simultaneously. I threw my head back to look at the falling glass across the room, and I was dropped to the ground in Scott's haste to escape a potential shootout. I took just a second to grab my dice from the table and run towards the exit. Just because I was able to keep a poker face with bullies, and even now, didn't mean I wanted to get shot.
I didn't stop running until I got home, slamming the door behind me as I doubled over to catch my breath. My lungs weren't necessarily burning, but they seriously hurt. I don't think I'd ever run like that in my life. It was kind of contradictory to my personality.
"Near?" L's concerned voice drifted down the hallway from his room. I sighed, kicking off my shoes before going to him. "Are you okay?" he asked, seeing my slightly disheveled state and heat-flushed cheeks. I nodded.
"I was at the outlet mall in the town center," I explained. "Someone shot out a window, and there was basically a riot." L's eyes widened minutely. It was such a small change that it looked like he'd merely twitched.
"I trust you are not injured," he said, sounding strained. I shook my head, and he seemed let out the smallest of sighs, in what I figured was relief.
"It's not high on my list of the great experiences I've had, but I wasn't hurt." On that note, I went into my room and laid down on my bed.
I guess this is what I deserve, I thought. I'm the one who wanted something interesting to happen.
I think I've discovered something about life.
Karma is a bitch.