So, Yoji's back. 'Cause I wanted him. I suppose I'll just nestle him into the plot I have unfolding in chapters that are not yet posted. Now you're curious?

Feb. 11th was my birthday, so I was at my friend's on Saturday, otherwise I would have updated sooner. We went to an Asian restaurant and somehow Mumzy(her mom) told them it was my birthday without us noticing, so they came out with a gong and ice cream cake.... Aside from that, Miyu(=my friend) was totally jealous 'cause I got the hot waiter, and there was a group of people at a table near us and at least one of them was definitely gay :3

I'm allowed to say all this 'cause Miyu's not a fan of yaoi/shounen-ai, so she'll never read this.

..... Um, Death Note isn't mine. (Hasn't said that in a while...)

Xs and Os

kyo

Linda shoved a piece of paper in my face. It was much too close to my face to make out words or really, anything coherent. All I could tell was that it was colourful. Which was quite enough to give me a bad premonition. "Did ya know about it?" Linda's triumphant voice rang out from somewhere behind the paper, which was sufficiently consuming my vision.

"That there are blurbs of colour headed our way?" I inquired.

"No, nit wit!" She snapped. "Jeez, what a worthless guy you are. You ought to pay more attention to your surroundings." I reached for my plate of turkey, but Linda slapped my hand, as I knew she would. "Look at I,." She demanded, handing me the paper. I let my eyes skim over it.

"Um... okay?"

"What's with that bland reaction?!"

"What what?! It's the winter dance they hold every year no matter what. What's there to be excited about? Can I eat?"

"Not until I get my answers. Are you gonna go?"

"I never do." I rolled my eyes. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"What about Matty? Is he coming?"

"Like hell I know!" I snapped.

"Defensive, aren't we?"

"I'm tired and would like to eat," I answered.

"Turkey makes you sleepy, you know," she tsked, waving her hand. "Whatever, eat," she decided, sitting down across from me. I ignored her to attack the plate of turkey. "But speaking of which, where did you and Matty run off to yesterday? Sneaking off without telling, how scandalous." She grinned at me. I took the opportunity.

"We were with Roger."

Her expression contorted into a grimace. "Oh, gross. Way to kill the image."

"Whatever you imagined was long past life," I assured.

"What a letdown. Erity will be so disappointed, you know." She sighed. I gave her a look, unable to speak with a mouth full of food. "Erity's like, the biggest fujoshi* on the face of the planet. Ever since she found out you and Matty are rooming together she's been on Cloud 9, fantasizing. I don't know if I have the heart to break it to her that you and him weren't on a romantic getaway yesterday." She snickered. I felt my face get hot and I stared down into my food. I knew she was going to notice anyway, but I couldn't look her in the eye. "But you weren't, right?"

I could have mentioned that Elsewhere was, indeed, a fairly 'romantic' place to be. Given the timing and of course, people. Matt and I were definitely not those people, though, I assured myself. And of course I didn't mention Elsewhere to Linda. Because a) it was sacred and b) why the fuck would I ever do that ever? "No, of course not! That's completely disgusting, Linda!" I snapped, although the words hung in the air and I breathed them back in until the air in my lungs was fouled with them, stinging my insides. I wondered, briefly, if smoking could be worse than the inner rotting my own words caused. And that I never should have said those words. Those uneraseable words that could hang over me for so long.

Linda gave me a wide-eyed look. "Yeesh, Mel." She rolled her eyes. "Touchier than usual, are we?"

"Yeah~ Mel, way to be a d-bag~!" Sang a new voice as he rested his arms around my neck and chin on my head.

"Y-you?!" I bit.

"Yoji, please." The Japanese boy released me to give a deep, eloquent bow. He adjusted his glasses with an easy smile. "Sorry, but I couldn't help but eavesdrop... or 'overhear,' I mean."

"Bastard!" I barked. He casually sat himself next to me.

"Um... hey?" Linda waved.

"Oh, terribly sorry." He turned his black eyes to her. "I'm Yoji." He offered his hand. "A childhood friend of Mai... of Matt's."

"Oh? From childhood?" Linda's eyes got round as saucers. "Really? I didn't think anyone in Wammy's had 'childhood' friends. Were you from the same orphanage?"

I shot a sharp look at the boy, but he wasn't looking. He was still calmly smiling towards Linda. "Something like that, yeah," he decided.

"That's pretty cool." She gave me an icy smile. "I always though Mel was the closest person to Matty, but I guess I was wrong." I shot her a look back, but Yoji broke out laughing.

"I wonder if I am that close to Matt. He usually only comes to me for favours or to vent. But I guess that means we're still close, right? Since he still trusts me with secrets."

"Secrets? Ohmigawd, tell?" Linda practically jumped out of her seat.

"Tsk, tsk! Then they wouldn't be secrets anymore!" Yoji tutted, putting a finger to his lips.

"They lost the status of 'secrets' the second he told you," I muttered. Both of them turned to me. "Secrets... secrets are in your head. The second they're said they belong to the wind and it'll take them everywhere. If you write them, they are the pen's, the paper's. It's only a secret if it's restricted to one person," I murmured.

Yoji chuckled. "Deep," he decided. "I wonder how many secrets Mel must have. I hope they don't weigh you down too much. Your shoulders will sag. It'll be bad for your posture. I wonder if they'll ever let you sleep?" His smile had a bitter edge.

Images of a dark eyed man with slouched shoulders danced through my mind. "Wh-what...?" I murmured. "Just who the fuck are you?"

He chuckled lightly. "Just another Wammy's kid, you know. Y, the second to last letter." His eyes focused somewhere behind me. "Oh, Matt!" He chirped up, waving.

"Y-Yoji? What are you doing here?" Matt blinked.

"Chillin'. I took care of what I had to for the time, so I thought I'd come to the cafeteria for once. Then I happened upon your girlfriend." He grinned, giving me a hearty pat on the back.

"W-would you-?!" I snapped.

"Yeah, ease up on Mel. He's a homophobe, after all," Linda tsked.

"I-I'm not! Don't say it like I'm a terrible person!"

"You so are. Both." She shook her head. "Matty, are you gonna go to the winter dance? You should."

"O-oh... I wasn't planning on it, no. After all, I hate the feeling of walking into that sort of thing alone," he chuckled.

"Yoji will take you," Linda decided.

"Of course I would!" Yoji shamelessly grabbed Matt's hand. Matt casually laughed at the interaction and made no sign of pulling his hand away.

"I know you would," Matt assured.

"It's only common sense that lovers should go to a dance together once in a while." Yoji kissed the back of Matt's hand, just making Matt laugh more.

"Common sense, obviously," he agreed. "Alas," he continued.

"Yes, yes, as usual. I'm busy as hell." Yoji dropped Matt's hand and I unclenched the fist I had unconsciously made under the table. "But you know I would if I could," he added once more.

Linda, who must have had the common sense to know that they were playing around - because she hadn't turned into a squeeing fangirl - took over again. "You could come with me and a few friends," she offered.

"A few friends and I," Matt instinctively corrected her grammar. "A-and it's fine. I'm sure you have a date, Linda. Don't worry about me." He held up a hand. She flushed.

"I don't!" She protested. "Neither does Erity, though a bunch of people* asked her, she said no. Toya and Jeret don't either."

"What a geeky group. None of you have a date?" I scoffed.

"Oh, like you're one to talk! And are you calling Matt a geek, too?" She bit back.

"Uh, duh," I jerked a thumb to Matt. "He's very obviously a geek."

"How mean!" Linda huffed.

"Oh, like he doesn't already know." I rolled my eyes.

Matt held up a hand. "I'm a geek," he assured.

"You two are too boring. I hope you know I'll still be waiting to be pleasantly surprised by your last minute arrival." She grinned.

"Oh, you cheater." Yoji smiled at his friend. "But, I suppose it's fine. While the husband's out on his business trip, his wife needs some 'company.'" He assured, waving a hand dismissively.

"Hey! Don't make me the wife all on your own!" Matt snapped, giving his friend a smack in the back of the head.

Yoji laughed loudly. "Ah, well, my time is up." He shifted to his feet. "Have fun, my love."

Matt smiled. "Yeah. Work hard," he bid as Yoji quickly paced off. Matt took the seat his friend had abandoned.

"What does he do all the time?" Linda asked.

"Hm?" Matt leaned into the table. "Whatever he has to." He smiled one of those smiles that didn't touch his eyes.

"O-oh?" Linda murmured. She didn't have the heart to question further, and I didn't blame her. "Well, anyway," she concluded, slipping the colourful paper in front of Matt. "I hope to be surprised." She smiled.

"D-don't... hope too much," Matt answered, taking the paper into his hands. She shrugged and skipped off. I continued eating, only glancing up when I heard the paper tear. I looked back down, wondering briefly if Matt hated the idea that much. By the time lunch break was over, Matt was toying with a colourful origami crane.*

* A fujoshi is a fan of BL, Shounen-ai, yoai, etc. It's literal translation is "rotten girl." Isn't that mean? I think it's totally mean 3

*6 boys and 1 girl, too be exact :3

*And the flier was on rectangular paper. The tear was Matt making it a square so he could make it into a crane. I bet you thought I was gonna put a footnote for what "origami" is, huh?