On the way home, I go to check on A and BB. I'm pleased to find that BB has found his feet and is content with sitting on the sofa with his jam jar and A, watching psychotic movies as A sleeps across his knees. I don't stay for long, I think Rod will kill me if I stay out more than I'm actually in school; BB understands though, and doesn't keep me long. I leave at around five o'clock and pace home quickly, coming across, eugh, Derrick and his band of shitty men. He says a few things, calls me a few names, jeers at me a little, it doesn't take much for him to try my patience. I continue walking and am fully prepared to be co-operative and talk him down and leave him alone, despite what he's done to BB. But no. He's an asshole and wants to be a badass. So I do what I shouldn't and defend myself, A and BB in the best way I know how. We fight, I win, he loses, I threaten him a little and go home in a good mood. Simples.
The weekend arrives. On Saturday I do all of my homework before noon, receiving a non-suspicious letter in the mail from England, containing the elegant and very distinct writing of none other than (I hoped) Watari. I sit in the living room, my chocolate balancing on my knee as I tear open the envelope and pick out the letter.
"Dear Mello,
I hope you don't think this as intrusive, but I received an email from your guardian, Rod, regarding your school situation. From your two years at Wammy's, I evaluated many things about your person and your behaviour, amongst which, your incredible determination to do things to their full capacity stood out. Amongst many other things such as your strong personality and sense of justice, which I hope (and believe) is the source of your issues at your current school.
As you know, Wammy's is a school for the gifted and talented, which I can certainly categorise you into. Should you need it, Mello, you will have a place here up until your eighteenth birthday, before which if your current school excludes you, you will be guaranteed immediate enrolment here at Wammy's. Age eighteen is the age limit on the school itself; personally, I'd have you stay here in England much longer to enable you to peruse work experience that could benefit you highly in the States. Wammy's acts as an elementary school, a high school, and a college for the select few that are able to get places at our prestigious school, open to both the fortunate and the less so. You already know this, I digress. We would be happy to offer you a scholarship to the further education side of our school that acts as a substitute-university, if you would. Should your current school situation change before the completion of your senior year, or perhaps you would consider having an unconditional offer for the higher education prospects here in England, we would be glad to take you on board and have you back with us as one of the 30 students we offer this to.
I urge you to consider your options Mello. Understandably, being in the States will be your top priority, your friends, family and possible future aspects are there with you, and transitioning to England for what would be the better half of three years might not be 'your cup of tea'. I understand completely if this is your situation, however, never think that all your options are out. My institution will gladly accept you and take on board anything you wish to do with your education.
Reading this back, I seem so formal. I apologise Mello, this was supposed to be on informal and utterly friendly terms. None the less, the offer remains standing for the foreseeable future, and I hope to hear from you soon; even if to update an old man on the mischievous adventures that a rebellious young man such as yourself has gotten into.
Best of wishes,
Mr Quillish Wammy (Watari)"
I feel genuinely honoured. The amazing thing about this man is that he has the ability to make someone feel special, individual, and almost like royalty within a few sentences of his thoughts. And I sure do now. A teeny part of me thinks that maybe I should just abandon my education in the States right now and fly to England. But the other part needs me to stay, to finish what I've started and to be here for BB and A. So I spend the rest of Saturday afternoon in a great mood, a smile on my face and content with doing nothing.
I reply to Watari's letter, informing him of my ambiguous thoughts on going to Wammy's and the recent events regarding BB and A. It feels like a diary entry, so I probably write a little too personally, but something tells me that Watari won't mind.
The following few months leading up to Christmas are boring and lethargic. Being the final year, the work load was a lot a first, but once I embraced it into my routine, it seemed normal rather than a chore. I'm on friendly terms with Rod, we don't talk about A and BB much though, it tends to spark glares and heavy sighs. Other than that, things stay relatively normal. On the first Friday night of December, I go out to town with A and BB for a laugh, just around a few places, bumping into a few people, it's refreshing. It's like a breath of fresh air, and I'm not sure why. I think...i've had this stuffy feeling in my chest that makes ... I think-... it's like I'm anticipating a heavy blow or something, like I'm in a fight and I'm rooted to the ground, body tensed, waiting for the fatal blow that will inevitably come. I find it ridiculous that now, in this calmness, I'm thinking that something bad has to happen, because things can't stay calm for too long...but... I don't know.
Its like my world is holding its breath in anticipation, anyway
That night out helped though, it made me feel more relaxed, like just an average teen.
"Melly, you're spacing out again" I smile at A and chink my beer bottle with his glass of water. BB got those fake ID's. "You feeling alright?"
"Yeah, just...it's nice. Being out like this" A gasped and laughed softly. It was barely audible, but I saw his body movement and the smile his lips gave; it was a quiet laugh but an amused one none the less.
"Melly's turning into a softie" I give a definite nod and swig some more of my beer down, BB coming back from the bar with two more beers and a glass of lemonade. "Thank you BB" A takes BB's hand under the table; I notice because BB stops spreading the drinks out with a jerk of surprise. Public displays of affection with A were rare. I feel proud! So I grin madly, say nothing, and swig my beer down. The night ends on us all laughing down the street, more than tipsy from the beer. A was slightly apprehensive, constantly telling us to be quiet and not wake up the houses. BB giggles and slinks his arm around the slight, pale thing and mumbles lovely words in his ear, making A much too embarrassed to bother telling me to stop my loud semi-drunken singing of "Can you feel the love tonight?".
Almost at our parting point, some guy starts yelling things at us, but we tell him to fuck off and he goes away with his bad words that me and BB don't catch. A seems to ignore them, wishing me luck on my stumble home, asking more than once if I wanted to stay with them for the night. I decline every invite; Rod wouldn't be too pleased. A stumbles back with a drunken BB hanging off his slight self, but I'm too concerned with getting the right street to go down (it's hard when the street signs move when you're not looking) to wonder if he'll be OK.
I can't unlock the door; luckily Misa opens it for me in her little pink PJ's, her hair plaited down her back with a grumpy look on her face.
"Rod is going to kill you now" She tugs me in and slams the door, locks it for me and stomps back up the stairs to bed. I don't know what time it is, so I try to check the clock on the DVD Player. 15:13? 13:45? 14:35?
"Ehh..." I squint at the blurry numbers, as if it'd help them become more focused.
"It's quarter to four, Mello"
"Rod!" I squeak, knocking my knee on the sofa and falling onto it. "Ooof, hey, c'mere" I stick my hand up and motion for him to come closer, but it looks weird. Do I really have six fingers? "Roooddddd" He grabs my arm and pulls me up. "Mmm..." I try to focus my blurry eyes on him. "You're in 'jama's" I chuckle. "Wow" I gasp. "OH! Did you know that the alph'bet and the-...that twinkle twinkle n' the 'phabet have, like, 'same tune?" Rod knocks me down with a shove to the chest, leaving me laughing to myself and rolling on the sofa. He pulls a blanket over me, tells me to shut up and leaves me in the darkness of the living room. I think he grounded me too.
LOL. –snore-
"—but it wasn't like he was doing it wrong, it was just that I was a better model! They liked my attitude apparently, but yeah, an opportunity is an opportunity to be taken So, please, please, please, please say yes?"
"Misa, shut the fuck up!" I grab a cushion and launch it at her voice, my eyes already slammed shut into my cushion of a pillow.
"Just because Mello has a hangover that he shouldn't have, doesn't mean he can take it out on me!" The cushion is launched back and hits my back. "Unlike you, I have a life!"
"Shut up, Bitch" I mumble, sighing and rolling over and braving the sunlight of the morning. I'm on the sofa, yes. In the living room, yes. At...half ten past eleven in the morning...yeah.
"Please Rod?"
"Misa, shut up!" I groan loudly.
"Mello, fuck you!" She retorts.
"Bitch"
"Asshole!"
"Hey!" Rod cuts in. "Misa, you can do it, get Halle to sign the forms"
"Yes!" Clip clip – the Princess has left the building (or the room, at least).
"Mello, you're grounded. Just in case you didn't hear me last night"
"What can you possibly add to the list, Rod?"
"I'm debating taking away your chocolate, actually"
"Eugh" I grumble and sit up. "Don't dare"
"Mello... you need to learn how far you can push things, and right now, you're pushing me off a cliff" When Rod uses metaphors its huge. Rod's an in-control type of guy, using metaphors to suggest something bigger isn't a good thing with him, it means it's something out of his control, and – a bit of maths here – Rod+No control=Bad. "What can we do about this Mello?" He sits next to me with a cup of coffee in his palms. "Cause I'm running out of options with how to deal with you"
"I've been good for the past few months! Don't pin one late night out as a bad thing" I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.
"Derrick's guardian called; apparently Derrick hasn't complained about you much for the past few months. His mother said he came home one night with a shit load of bruises and a broken wrist, but Derrick said it wasn't you"
"He actually lied..." I mumble
"Mel, you beat him up, didn't you?" I debate lying to him, but I choose not to.
"Yeah, but he didn't tell anyone...why is that? God damnit, I bet he's got some ulterior motive, like...wait...so if I've been-" I make quotation marks with my fingers. "nice' to Derrick... does that mean I get Her back? Skyar doesn't have to drive my anywhere anymore?"
"...A deal's a deal I guess..." He hands me the keys to My Lovely, which I cradle in my palms with a grin on my face. "Mel, if you beat him up one more time..." I turn to him with a small smile. "I will remove you from school"
"I won't touch him if he leaves BB and A alone. It's a deal"
"No, Mello" Rod stands and takes my shoulders in his heavy hands. "If you hurt Derrick, once more, I will remove you from that school. Forget your ranking, forget your friends, forget the fucking attitude, we'll move to LA and I'll make sure that you never see Those Two again" He raises his eyebrows. "Understood?"
"Fuck yes" I breathe, slightly overwhelmed at the threat now looming over my shoulders. "Yeah"
"Good. I want you back at eight at the latest, every night" I nod. "Until then, go and clean your room Do your homework. No TV, you're confined to your bedroom, only to come down for meals" I sigh and nod. "Skyar will be at your door. Don't try anything" I nod. "Phone"
"What?"
"Phone" He holds his hand out expectantly. I pass my Blackberry to him. "i-Phone" I pass that to him too. "i-Pod" My eyes widen. "Gimmee" I pass it over. "...Chocolate"
"Eh? No!"
"Just for kicks" He grins and wiggles his fingers. "Give it over" I smack it into his hands and huff. "Go to yeh' room" Rod leaves and I head for the bathroom to shower and change before heading to my room.
Within fifteen minutes my room is clean. I have no homework to do because I did it when I got it, and I didn't get any on Friday night. I don't have a headache any more, but I'm bored.
"Skyar!" I call, opening the door and poking my head around. "Hey"
"You're under house-arrest Mel, get back in there" He takes my head lightly and shoves it back into the bedroom.
"No, no wait!" He shuts the door and I groan loudly. "Skyar I'm bored!"
"Not my problem Mr. Stop-out-all-night!" So much for his help. "I'll call you when lunch is ready"