Wednesday:
It's nice receiving a text from friends in the morning, agreed? Yeah, especially when its from A – he has a knack for making people smile with texts – namely me and BB, but still.
To M-
From A:
Message: Mornin' Melly! (insert my smile here) We're coming into school today (: (insert bigger smile) bring cake!
Ha, I'll have to find some from the kitchen…
I make Sykar find some for me whilst I change for school and go down for breakfast.
The morning, in contrast to yesterday, was quite hectic. Rod has an 'official' meeting with the press at one o'clock, which means that Halle has to update him a fair bit, so she's at the table, yabbering away when I come down the stairs with my bag.
"Hey Halle" I give a wave and she gives me a quick 'mornin' Mello' as a response. My bowl of cocoa-puffswaiting on the table, where I sit and eat them until Skyar comes back with the cake, wrapped in foil and placed in a box. I put it in my bag.
All the chaos isn't really needed. Rod will be wearing a mic and earphone, unseen of course, and Halle would be on the other end, listening to the questions and telling him what to say. However after the one time that it failed half way through, and Rod had to guess , laugh and joke his way through the interview, he wasn't taking any chances. Halle appears to finish quickly, leaving Rod to sigh his 'fucking hell' sigh and grumble about needing a vodka.
"You have counselling today – don't forget" Rod tells me, sighing as he leans back.
"Like you'd let me" I shovel in a spoon of cereal and grin. Skyar sits next to me; both he and Rod have their 'I need to tell you something' faces on. Rod's eyebrows are furrowed slightly as he slowly clasps his hands together. "Wash?" I splutter, unable to hold my 'need to know' complex in as well as the cereal in my mouth. He looks at me blankly, so I repeat after swallowing. "What?"
"Just so you know…Derrick's back in action" I run my tongue over my teeth and push the bowl away. Suddenly, it's very unappetising. "You knew he was in hospital, right? Broken wrist? He had a concussion too..." I nod, either Rod or Skyar had told me at some point; I know because they blamed me. Saying that, I think it would have been Rod…
"Well he's out…so… keep it cool?" Skyar offers me an encouraging smile, but I blank it.
"I will if he does" I sigh. "Ok" I stand up, brushing myself down and heading upstairs to brush my teeth again. Derricks name left an awful taste in my mouth, and it was only on my way out that I realised why.
BB and A were coming back today as well. Conflict would be inevitable. Skyar hands me my bag on my way out; I'm going to walk again today.
"BB and A will be in today" I mention casually, smiling a little as I take the bag from him.
"Derrick too?" Skyar seems troubled, but only sighs. "Just…keep yourself in mind, ok?"
"So what happens if I can't, and he starts a fight?" I want to know what he would say, because honestly, I have no idea. If I fought, I got into trouble, if I didn't I looked like an ass and he gets away with offending BB and A – no, scratch that, if I didn't fight back then BB would, and if BB does then hell is unleashed. "What if he hits me first?" I suggest.
"Bloody well hit him back harder" Skyar scoffs, switching to Mafia-Mode. His body language stiffened and his face became darker. "oh – shit" he realises what he's said. I raise my eyebrows.
"Really, wow, thanks, I'll be sure to do that. Rod will be glad to know you have an influence"
"Mel, seriously, forget I said that" I grin, but nod. "If he hits you first, and only if he hits you first, can you push him back"
"Now you're encouraging me to be violent? Jeez" I roll my eyes.
"Lets just say we have an upper hand on the situation, so as long as its within the school building… you'll be fine"
"Eh?"
"You're going to be late, move it"
Just as I move out the door, I hear Halle rush back into Rod, who groans and thumps the table.
"Chill out woman! What are you, my secretary?" I hear him shout.
"Might as well be" I hear Halle challenge; I imagine her with her hands on her hips, scowling at him like a misbehaved child. "Do you want to look a fool?"
"And this is why you're my co'worker, so to speak" Rod grumbles. "What now?" I sneak out while I can, waving silently to Skyar as I aim for the door and leave.
So I get half way to school before realising that I probably could have driven the bike...but I'm half way there so I don't dwell; I just walk faster because I'm going to be late for whatever lesson it is that I have first (probably Art?).
When I get to school I head for the hall, where the commotion usually is. People are surrounding Derrick as they would welcome home a war soldier, but as far as I know he had done nothing to fight me back and deserved no such attention. I glare at him as he catches my eye, but he smirks just past me and I'm forced to turn and see why. A glomps me, BB tailing behind with a mischievous grin.
"Morning Melly!" His smile is infectious, so I grin. Despite the emotion in his voice, he never raises it above his 'indoor-voice'. "We missed you!"
"Speak for y'self" BB grumbles. "you slept most of yesterday, leaving me alone to do nothing. Who was more bored?" A grumbles and releases me, looking quite dejected. I pat his back and offer him his piece of random cake from my bag. Ever since I brought a piece of Misa's birthday cake three years ago, it had become a custom to bring cake in whenever one of us was ill; how birthday cake evolved into yay-you're-better cake, I have no idea.
"I see he made it out alive" BB murmurs.
"Out of where?" A asks. BB hugs him but doesn't answer the question. Diverting A's attention was way too easy sometimes. He gives me a knowing look and then a smirk. Probably because, yes, if I could, I wouldn't have let him live.
First lesson: Art.
"How are you Mello? A has been awfully worried about you being lonely; were you lonely?" I give BB a quick look before nodding seriously and feigning total depression.
"So lonely A, really" A smiles a little. I think sometimes he needs to feel useful, appreciated, needed and wanted. I'm sure BB made him feel all those things, sometimes all at once... but if I could help then I would.
"I'm sorry; You're very social though Melly, I'm sure you would've found some better company than yourself" A jokes, hiding a blush behind the sleeve of his jacket at he chuckled almost silently. I scoff.
"Yeah" Rolling my eyes, I smile. "Missed you though" We take our seats and I put the paper to use; I'm drawing still life, so I make use of the simple objects around me and create something of a masterpiece. Half way through, A goes to get some clay – because he's creative like that – and BB leans closer to me.
"He was genuinely concerned about leaving you alone for too long. I don't think he's ready to be back" I sigh at BB's statement, biting my lip. "He had jam n' toast and a cuppa' tea for breakfast" I raise my eyebrows. "I'm worried he'll revert back to his old ways... it would be understandable, but... I'd rather he didn't" That was as close to a worry-confession as BB would get to.
"We'll keep an eye on him, we always do" BB nods just as A comes over, suspicious as ever.
"Is everything alright?" He asks, setting some more clay down with a shy smile. "BB?"
"Everything is ok" BB grumbles, turning to his own dark painting and slogging some navy blue on it. I smile.
"A-ok" BB grins and A chuckles.
"I like it Melly"
Lesson ends and we head to our next one before lunch at one. In the corridor, we pass Derrick, who says nothing but smirks as he passes. I get the feeling he'll annoy us today.
One o'clock rolls around and I turn on the radio on my phone. I listen with one earphone in to Rod's conversation with someone named 'Kiyomi Takada' about the latest media postings, figures and fame overall. He briefly mentions Misa's success within the media, making sure it sounded like Misa's own hard work rather than his connections, and also mentioned me too, at which I listen with my mouth agape.
"So how's Mello coping in the spotlight of his sister then? Not too spiteful I hope" A casual laugh.
"He's coping pretty well, he's his own independent person, I can't fault him for that"
"But he hasn't found a... a direction yet? Doesn't he want to do something within your field?"
"I think Mello will be happy when he finds something he wants to do. There's no point in making him go somewhere he doesn't want to go. He'll find his direction soon enough – I hope"
"We heard he got into a bit of trouble at school? Isn't this happening more often?"
"And that has got to do with...what?" I could almost see Rod's utterly serious face as he says it, but although I know he would pounce on her if he could, I'm sure Halle is telling him to laugh it off as a joke. So he laughs.
"Melly, you ok? You're pulling a face..."
"Psh – yeah, shh a sec" I push the earphone in a bit more and turn up the volume. BB peeks over at what I was doing and tunes in on his own phone. He gives the other earphone to a curious A as they listen too.
"Well... do you think perhaps that he's got more...more of an upper hand when it comes to these things?"
"Mello is a guy, fights tend to come with that. I don't think he gets any lenience from his teachers or his school – he's treated as a normal kid and that's all I've wanted for him and Misa"
"Of course, but-"
"Are we not going off track?"
"Hell yeah!" I kick the table and grin, surprising A slightly. He jumps a little and smooches closer to BB. "Sorry"
Lunch-break ends before the interview finishes, but It doesn't stop me listening discreetly whilst Ms Rem drones on about stuff. BB and A had a different class, but I'd see them next lesson anyway. Overall, Rod handles the interview very well. I make a mental note to praise his acting skills when I get home.
Walking out of Ms. Rem's class, I find A and BB waiting for me against the wall. They must've got out early, so I walk quickly over to them and sigh.
"I'm bored of today; not that it's great to have you back A, but school is lame"
"Like you?" Another voice jumps in. I'm shoved forwards, falling onto BB as we stumble back a bit.
"Derrick" I spit. "You're still alive I see"
"You, you little shit, couldn't even kill me. What a fucking pussy" He shoves me again. BB steps forward to defend me, but Derrick turns on A and pushes him into the wall. The class is still filing out of the classroom and some see, but none of them do anything. BB rushes to defend A, so I feel relieved. Derrick then rounds on me pushing me against the locker.
"Didn't know you liked it like this" I mumble, my stoic face seemingly unaffected by his rudeness.
"Shut the fuck up; you're gonna' pay for what you did – that attack? In the ally? Yeah, don't think I forgot" I raise my eyebrows expectantly. I knew there had to be a twist.
"Gonna' take my bike away again?" I taunt. He laughs, moving his head so dangerously close to mine, that I almost feel like kissing him to make him piss off. But Derrick and Kiss shouldn't be in the same sentence, so I don't.
"No...maybe something else" He spares a second to glance at A; BB frowns in confusion and I go limp in surrender. "I know your bargaining chip ...Melly" I scowl. "I plan on using it" He shoves me a final time and stalks off, leaving A mumbling his panics to BB whilst I try to control my temper. In the end, I can't face A's delicate smile, encouraging me to believe that it will all be "A-OK" because it won't. I head to our shared class alone.
"What did he say?" BB asks, leaning in as A talks lightly with an equally shy person near him.
"Who?" I play dumb, trying to do my work and failing.
"Derrick" BB drags his name out, as if twisting it and stretching it painfully. "He looked at A funny"
"Oh?" BB frowns, grabbing my writing-hand and digging his nails into my wrist painfully. Surprised at his aggression, I let the shock seep onto my face before breathing and calming myself down. A doesn't notice our little play-fight.
"Don't lie. Don't ignore this" BB hisses quietly. "Answer me"
"Mello? BB? Is everything ok?" The teacher raises her eyebrows in expectancy but says nothing more. BB releases my arm and kicks me hard under the table. As childish as it sounds, it bloody-well hurt.
"What did Derrick say to you before he looked at A?" BB says quietly, writing death threats and dark images all over his book.
"He threatened...me. This has nothing to do with A, it was just a look, ok? Leave it"
"He looked at A like he was ready to fucking jump him. Mello, I will not leave it. If he so much as touches A, or even looks at him wrongly, I'm going to kill him"
"Will you calm down" I hiss. "This has nothing to do with A. Stay with him like you always do and nothing will happen. Simple" BB growls dangerously before banging his head on the desk, alerting A to his anger.
"B?" He puts a pale, delicate hand on the messy bush that was BB's hair, stroking it slightly.
"Fuck off" BB hisses, making A jump back into himself and wrap his arms around his body. I noticed the way he shrunk into himself after that, the way he brought his legs closer to his body and didn't talk any more. I hoped BB would apologise before the hour ended. A wouldn't be able to take it any longer than a day.