Thursday, November 20th

Mello checked his email on his cell phone every morning as soon as he woke up. Before this was because getting a message from Matt gave him a reason to drag himself out of bed, but, at the moment, it was just a habit. Matt only messaged him after school hours, and Mello rarely received other emails, yet it was still the first thing that he did each day.

This was how he was the first one in the family to find out about Beyond's latest predicament. Beyond's email, with the subject: READ THIS NOW, was the only new message that Mello received. Mello had never considered himself an optimistic person, yet he oddly wasn't filled with dread once he received his older brother's virtual letter. However, once he clicked on and read the first few lines of the email, Mello couldn't help but groan at said brother, despite knowing he could not hear him.

Beyond didn't go into much detail regarding the trouble that he had gotten himself into this time. He didn't bother promising that whatever happened wouldn't happen again, but, given that this was Beyond, Mello had not expect those words. Getting down the the point, Beyond had asked if Mello would mind hacking Wammy's computer just incase the school informed the person paying his tuition of what he had been up to. Beyond also asked that Mello not tell L anything about what had just happened.

Mello had to admit he was tempted to email back flatly denying Beyond's request and telling him that he was on his own. However, partly because he owed Beyond for not telling on him about the party on Halloween, and partly because he wanted to see if he would be able to get into Wammy's computer without getting caught, Mello agreed to help. Keeping the secret from L would be easier said than done, mainly because Mello didn't filter much when talking to L and it was rare for him to keep interesting information from his older brother. L moving had enforced this even more, due to Mello's need to keep his favorite family member connected the goings on of the household. The only thing that Mello hadn't told about L in the past few months was Matt, and that was only because he didn't want to explain meeting a friend online to his social skill lacking brother.

Mello was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of two short knocks on his door. This was code for 'get up now.' Since L and Beyond had moved out, no one was brave enough to enter Mello's room the the morning in fear of encountering the grumpy version of Mello. Considering he had thrown his stapler (conveniently setting at his bedside table) at Near the last time he had tried to tell him to get out of bed, Mello couldn't blame his family for not wanting to bother him.

Deleting Beyond's email and sliding his phone into the pocket of the jacket he planned to wear, Mello prepared himself to face another school day.

Mello was speed walking to the hiding place that he spent his lunch period, when he saw a semi-familiar head of red hair. Usually when he recognized someone that he knew in the hall he didn't rush to say hello or anything to them for that matter. It was even more out of character for him to say something to a kid that he had only met once, and didn't even remember being told the name of. However, he was over come by the urge to be social, oddly not being able to snuff out this impulse.

"Hey," he hear his own voice say.

"Hi," the redhead said back with a grin, after turing around at Mello's greeting and seeming slightly started.

Mello continued to walk down the hall, but the kid was apparently headed in the same direction as he was, and his strides were soon matching Mello's.

"I didn't get your name the other day," the kid said. "You know, after you watched me smoothly dive into the ground."

"You're making you tripping sound a lot worse than it was," Mello informed the boy. "I'm Mihael."

"Mail," the boy extended his hand for Mello to shake and his continued talking. "It's a weird name, and most people usually can't pronounce it right. The fact that it's spelt as in the mode of communication that the internet and cellphones are steadily driving into extinction doesn't help much."

"Miel?" Mello repeated the name the way that the boy had spoken it.

"Yeah," Mail said. "It's an odd name and contrasts with my irritatingly un-odd parents."

"Half of the people that I meet either call me Michael of Michel," Mello told him. "Trust me when I say I understand odd names."

"What grade are you in?" Mail asked.

"Tenth, you?"

"Same," he relied. "It's weird that I haven't seen you around before."

"It's a big school," Mello shrugged. That and I spend most of my time avoiding other students.

"Yeah," Mail admitted. "Do you have a class right now?"

"No, lunch." Anticipating that Mail's next question would be why he was so far from the cafeteria, Mello quickly asked: "Are you headed to class?"

"No." Mail didn't add why he was so far from the cafeteria, as they had reached the library which Mello realized was Mail's destination. "See you around, Mihael."

"Bye."

Mail flashed a smile that Mello thought was a little to cheery for someone who was spending their free time away from his peers. Mello grinned back before he continued on his way to where he would be eating. He couldn't help replaying the conversation that he'd just had in his head as he walked down the hall. It wasn't that talking to Mail had much of an effect on Mello, it was just that thinking about him gave his bored mind something to focus on. If he were being completely honest with himself, it was more than the boy's friendly nature and the fact that he seemed to be willingly spending lunch alone that threw Mello off guard. Yes, he would admit that he thought Mail was cute, but that was the extent of his thoughts on the kid. Probably.

Mello paused his inner musings to log into the gaming site on his phone. He knew that Matt was probably still grounded, but wanted to check if he had sent him a message earlier that morning. He had been too busy reading Beyond's email to check the gaming site. To Mello's surprise Matt had sent him a message two minutes ago.

So you're not grounded anymore? He asked.

Nope. Matt instantly replied. Still in trouble. I'm on a school computer, thankfully they didn't block this site.

So you're aloud to play games on school computers? Mello knew that this was against the rules at his school, but maybe Matt's was more relaxed.

Nope. If I disappear it's because I librarian caught me.

Um…

I'm kidding. I won't get caught.

Mello shrugged, deciding not to worry about Matt getting in trouble at school.

This is the first time we talked without your friend reading over your shoulder in weeks.

Yep. Have any embarrassing secrets you need to get off your chest?

"No, just annoying ones about my brother nearly getting kicked out of school," Mello muttered.

He considered telling Matt a version of this story. It would be nice to be able to express his frustration to someone, and, if Matt couldn't keep the secret, he didn't know who Mello or Beyond were. Beyond would be angry if Mello told anyone, but he wouldn't find out about this.

Mello pushed the idea away. He'd still feel as if he was betraying Beyond's trust, and it did mean something that he was the only one Beyond had told about this. Also he didn't want to his and Matt's limited conversation time talking about his brother's issues.

No. You?

My life has been completely boring for the past three weeks. Tell me something interesting!

Um…

Please…!

Mello considered correcting Matt's use of punctuation. That would at least give him a few seconds to stall thinking of something interesting to tell him, although he didn't doubt that Matt would call him on this. An idea of something that he could say flickered into Mello's mind. He knew that this would be stretching the truth, but it wouldn't technically be lying. Matt was the one who was desperate for some sort of story.

Well…

If he wasn't going to scold Matt's punctuation, then Mello felt no guilt over using ellipses.

Well?

Matt's reaction was encouragement enough.

I met a hot guy. Five minutes ago.

Maybe the word "hot" hadn't exactly been what he was thinking when he had talked to Mail. And, maybe, he was making his conversation seem a lot more exciting than it actually had been. But Matt had not way of knowing this. It wasn't as if he hadn't noticed Mail's attractiveness at all, or that he was making the encounter up.

It took two minutes for Matt to send the message: Oh.

Not interesting enough?

No. But why do you always meet hot boys? I never do.

Don't worry. It happening twice in a row was a coincidence. Usually I never meet anyone.

This was the full truth.

They continued to talk about boys, or lack thereof, to the point that Mello compared them to gushing ninth-grade girls. Mello almost didn't notice when lunch ended. Since luck had a way of spiting him, he only glanced at the time two minutes after class was supposed to start.

I have to go. He quickly type. Sorry.

No problem! Me too!

Mello hurriedly shoved his phone into his bag, not bothering it zip it as he pulled it around his shoulders and darted down the hall. A string of muttered curse words poured from his lips as he ran. His gym teacher was going to kill him. Halle would probably laugh. Despite going as fast as he possibly could, Mello was able to stop his bolting when a red blur appeared in front of him as he pated the library.

"Sorry," Mail exclaimed.

"It's fine," Mello continued running, Mail following behind him.

"We're making a habit of this," Mail remarked.

"Neither of us fell this time," Mello pointed out.

"So we're getting better at it," Mail reasoned, absentmindedly pushing his red bangs out of his face.

"I like your hair," Mello heard himself blurt.

Where the hell did that come from? His thoughts demanded. He was pretty sure that his face about about to turn the same shade as said hair.

"Thanks," Mail replied to the compliment. "I like yours. It's long."

"Um," Mello drew out the salable. "Thanks?"

"That came out wrong, right?"

"Yeah," Mello chuckled.

"Sorry," Mail said sheepishly. "Where are you headed?"

"Gym."

"Oh, you're dead," Mail informed him. "That came out wrong again."

"I figured."

They parted ways at the next hall. Mail had significantly less of a journey than Mello. He would have felt jealous of this, if he wasn't so focused on not thinking about the trouble he was about to be in once he got to class.

"See you," Mail panted, running in the direction of his classroom.

"Yeah," Mello replied, although he doubted that the other boy was listening anymore.

He let his gaze linger on Mail before directing it to making sure he wasn't about to run into anything.

Maybe I wasn't very off when I described him as 'a hot guy I just met.' Mello couldn't help thinking.

It was only when Mello arrived home that night that everything clicked.

Thank you to , Corliss Kat, and brightnight003 for reviewing!

, the repetition is intention and I'm glad that you noticed it!