"What's this?"

"Your schedule."

"My schedule?" Matt asked, looking up from the paper in his hand to stare at Roger who nodded.

"Your classes start today. You are required to attend everyday, Monday through Friday, unless you are physically or mentally unwell." Roger said, the statement sounded rehearsed like he had said it to every child before Matt. Matt glared at his schedule. He shifted in the wooden chair across from Roger. He had five classes a day from eight to four with a break for lunch.

"Your dismissed." Roger hinted and Matt stood. He turned and grumbled as he left the office, slamming the door behind him.

"So you got your schedule?" Lily asked, pushing of the wall she had been waiting for him on. Matt nodded and Lily took the piece of paper from his hand and read through it.

"You have Science and English with me!" Lily cried brightly and Matt sighed in relief, glad he would at least know someone in two of his classes. He had Science first so Lily led him toward the classroom. It was in a wing Matt had never been in before. One student hurried pasted them, holding a tower of books.

"Here we are." Lily stopped outside of a room with a fish on it. Matt stepped in, three other students were already there, talking away as they waited for the class to start. Lily ran to get Matt a pencil, book, and notebook. They were forced to sit in the front seeing as all the other seats were full.

"Only five students?" Matt asked, looking around at the other three. Lily nodded "There are about twenty-six of us and five classes."

"Wow, there are twenty-six gifted children in this place?" Matt asked, surprised.

"Yeah, thirteen rooms and everyone but Mello had a roommate when you came so twenty-six kids." Lily said like it should be obvious. Matt laughed, embarrassed "I never really thought about it before now."

Lily was about to response when a black haired teacher entered the room. All the students rose and Matt quickly followed suit.

"Good morning class." The teacher greeted without looking at the five.

"Good morning ." The class chorused, expect for Matt who had no idea who the woman was. The woman looked at a sheet of paper and began to call out names "Lily."

"Here!"

"West."

"Here Ma'am."

"June."

"Here."

"Pavel."

"Present!"

"Matt."

"Here..."

Without looking up the woman gestured him forward. He stepped forward nervously.

"You a new student correct?" She asked, scratching a note on the attendance paper.

"Y-yes."
"Welcome to the class Matt. I am Ms. Resnerp, you are to address me as Madam, Resnerp, or Ma'am."

"Yes Ma'am."

Ms. Resnerp nodded then sat, the students followed her lead and Matt quickly went back to his seat. He quickly learned Ms. Resnerp was not to be messed with. If you gave the wrong answer she would glare at you till you managed to correct yourself. Because he was new she didn't call on Matt much. But he knew this one class he wouldn't want to play his games in.

Next was Social Studies. Lily led him to the room then gave him a good luck smile before she ran off toward her own class. Matt took a deep breath before he pushed the door open and stepped in. He almost fainted with relief when he saw Mello.

The blonde was given a wide birth by the other three kids that were talking. Mello however was writing in his notebook, eyes narrowed. Matt approached Mello's desk, stopping to wait for the blonde to notice him. Eventually Mello looked up and a flicker of shock crossed his face then it went smooth.

"Hi." Matt whispered. Mello nodded in greeting "Get one of the yellow books then take your seat, rise when the teacher enters."

Matt smiled gratefully and retrieved one of the heavy books and sat down in the chair nearest Mello. The other kids were sending Matt weird look, but it seemed Matt looked happy with this arrangement. The teacher that entered was Mr. Alset. He was more laid back than Ms. Resnerp and even let them talk from five minutes before class was over. Matt took the time to study the map he had revived to find his next class.

The next subject was English taught by Mrs. Acissej. Matt sat next to Lily. Mrs Acissej was, to put it honestly, boring. She would lecture someone every two seconds about something unimportant and every desk had a pool of drool by the time they switched periods.

After that was Math taught by Mr. Elfson. Matt didn't know anyone in that class, but luckily they weren't doing partners. Mr. Elfson was a nice guy, but he had a nasty temper, as Matt found out, on his first day, when one of the other children threw a paper airplane. Mr. Elfson grabbed the plane before it had even gone a foot and the boy who threw it, Na, got a nasty talking to.

Last was a Computer class. Mrs. Mik loved Matt at once. He, as he said before, knew everything there was to know about computers, and answer every question easily. Even better was that Mello was in the same class.

"Ugh, soooo tired." Matt complained, collapsing onto his bed. Mello had more classes than Matt so he was still at class so Matt had the evening to himself.

Game Time!

Matt played till it grew dark outside and he skipped dinner. Mello returned around seven. He raised an eyebrow at Matt, who was sprawled on the ground with some of Lily's candy beside him.

"Finished?"

"Hmm?" Matt asked without looking up.

"Your homework."

"Homework?" Matt questioned, too enthralled to really think.

"Yes. Homework. From class."

"Oh...yeah...right...haha." Matt laughed nervously as he saved his game and sat up "Forgot."

Mello rolled his eyes and began unloading his bag while Matt munched on some taffy. Mello looked at him. "Matt."

"Oh right." Matt got up and got out his own books. He started with his computer homework, it being the easiest. He finished it within minutes and with a dreading sigh turned to his English homework. The two worked into the night as their eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Matt was about ready to pass out when he finally finished his math and turned to his science. Mello yawned over on his bed and drew a candy bar from his bag.

It was one of the ones Matt had given him. Matt grinned.

…

Have you ever woken up in a puddle of drool and wondered why your pillow felt so hard and book-like?

Well that's how Matt felt when he was woken by the buzzing sound of an alarm. He raised his head from his now damp homework. He had barely finished the last of his homework when he had drifted off.

In the other bed Mello was blindly trying to find the clock, his covers pulled over his head. Matt watched as Mello swore and looked out. He slammed the snooze button on the clock then glared at it like it had insulted him.

"I call the show-" Matt started but Mello had already rolled out of bed and into the bathroom. The door slammed, silencing Matt.

"Or not..." Matt muttered, pushing himself up. He threw all his books and stuff together. He would have to get a bag like Mello. While he waited for the shower to be free Matt made his bed and made sure the alarm clock wasn't broken. He ended up just staring up at the ceiling after that. Mello came out after what seemed like an age but was merely ten minutes.

"Finally!" Matt cried, collecting a set of clothes and heading into the bathroom. The mirror was still covered in steam, and the floor was damp. Matt came out smelling like coconut, the scent of his shampoo, and dressed for the day. Mello was just swinging his bag onto his back when Matt exited the bathroom.

"Class doesn't start for another half an hour right?" Matt asked in alarm. Mello nodded "I've got things to do though."

"Ohhh good. I thought I was going to be late for a moment."

Mello left with a slam and Matt followed moments later, heading for the breakfast hall. He had finished working, much to the cooks dismay, so he didn't need to get up any early.

"Morning." Lily yawned, almost face-planting into her bowl of apple sauce. Matt waved limply and began to suck down his cinnamon toast and apple sauce. He drained his pear juice, and just sat in his chair, trying not to fall asleep. The room was quiet, people drowsy from lack of sleep.
"We all got to use to vacation" Lilly muttered, closing her eyes. Matt yawned, his wet hair pressing against the back of his head. A bell rang and everyone miserably trudged toward there classes.

"Tell me Matt," Ms. Resneps called on him, looking over her spectacles "What is the study of brain waves called?"

"Electroencephalography." Matt muttered dully, staring out of the window. He wished he could just sit back and play his game instead of listening to Ms. Resneps drone on and on. He let out a soft sigh as the class was dismissed. Although Mr. Alset class was better, no one really woke up in till he made everyone jog around the classroom and do jumping jacks.

...

"Ugh." Matt groaned, starting his social studies essay on Japan. After an hour and a half of non-stop work he had finished everything but his social studies homework, which wasn't due till Monday. Wednesday and Thursday had painfully passed and now Matt had the weekend to look forward to. That's why he wanted to finished this stinking essay so he could goof off.

"Just because we're gifted doesn't mean we should get more homework." Matt muttered, smacking his face against a Japaneses culture book. Mello was still at class. Matt guessed he really shouldn't complain seeing as Mello had a lot more homework but still, Mello chose to do more while Matt had to.

"UGH!" Matt roared again and gave up the essay for the day. He pulled out his DS and let his frustration out on some aliens and Yoshi. It worked like a charm, and soon Matt was lost in the pixels of the game. He unconsciously stuck his tongue out as he drew neck and neck with Yoshi as both carts neared the finish line.

"Come on, come on!"

A missile hit Matt's cart and it sent it momentarily spinning out of control.

In that time, Yoshi pasted the finish line.

Silence filled the room.

Mello choose that time to arrive, throwing his bag onto his bed and unzipping it. Then...

"NO WAY! THERE IS NO WAY! YOSHI I WILL KILL YOU! UGH YOU TOO LUIGI! YOU AND YOUR MISSLE THROWING SELF! UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!" Matt turned the game off without saving and glared skulking at the DS. "Oh, hi Mello."

Mello was staring at Matt, his eyebrows arched and Matt's cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"Yoshi." He said pointing at the game like that explained it. Mello didn't response, he sat down on his bed with a sight and started pulling large books from his bag.

"Weekends' coming up." Matt said with a smile.

"Huh."

"Do you have any plans?"

"No."

Matt looked down at his unfinished essay and picked up his pencil. He dropped it. Picked it up. Dropped it. Picked it up. The pattern continued till Matt started to laugh. Mello's eyes flicked up then back down "Are you that bored?"

"Yeeeeees." Matt whined, picking up the pencil for a final time. He grudgingly began work on his essay and slowly the page filled with writing. Matt ate candy for dinner and him and Mello worked in silence for most of the night. Neither spoke or moved other than trips to the bathroom. Matt's heart gave a little jump as he approached his closing sentence. He leaned forward, a smile forming on his lips as he finished the essay with a period. He looked over a Mello who was changing subjects. His unfinished homework was in one pile and his finished in another. The unfinished pile was growing small.

Matt yawned and simply shoved all his books off the bed. He stretched out and felt his stiff muscles sigh. He curled up into the fettle position so he could see Mello. The blonde's eyes were intense on the paper below him. He had a sorta grace to his writing. Matt smiled and felt his eyelids push down on the orbs below.

"Good night Mello." Matt muttered, curling up tighter and closing his eyes.

Silent.

Then.

"Good night." Mello replied, his words accompanied by the rustle of paper.

Matt's lips twitched upward before thinning into a limp line.

The nightmares no longer tortured Matt's mind. Ever since Mello had woken him he had been free of the haunting faces of his mother and father. Matt could sleep peacefully.

Expect for when a buzzing alarm woke him.

Matt opened his eyes and glared pointy at the clock that read six-thirty. Mello groaned in the other bed and his fist slammed down at the annoying device, effectively breaking it. The blonde rolled over and continued to sleep.

Matt had to suppress a laugh as the alarm clock went dead. But after the rude awakening Matt couldn't get back to sleep. Instead he stared over Mello's limp form and out the window where snow was falling quickly and heavily.

Matt slowly pushed himself up and cold that hit him almost sent him back down. He rushed to the bathroom and turned the shower water as hot as it would go. He adjusted it to a warm but not burning temperature when he got in.

Mello was still asleep when Matt exited the bathroom. Matt grabbed his jacket and mittens before he tiptoed out of the dorm. No one else was in the hall. Everyone was still snug in their beds and had remembered to shut off their alarm clock. Matt jogged down to the front doors and stepped out into the cold winter air. The orphanage's grounds were relatively big so Matt began to walk around the large building.

It was silent, even the wind seemed to be sleeping at this hour. Matt's hair was soon pure white under a powdery blanket of snow. He didn't even notice the other freshly made footprints as he walked. He didn't suspect someone else was up in till he heard voices. He cursed when he recognized one was Mich's. He quickly backtracked, his feet crunching the snow below them.

"Aww, shrimp long time no see."

Matt froze.

Why was it that this always happened to him? Couldn't he just get a break? Was it just his imagination or was someone out to get him? Couldn't he just go for a walk alone without someone picking a fight with him? Mich's voice certainly didn't sound friendly.

Matt sighed before he turned to face the gang.

"Hello Mich." Matt greeted tonelessly.

"Wheres blondey?" Mich asked.

For a moment Matt imagined Mich asking that and Mello sneaking up behind him and saying "Right behind you." Mich would jump a mile and Matt would laugh till he was blue in the face, but that obviously wasn't going to happen, so Matt just shrugged.

"Hm, scared to show his face?" Mich grinned.

Matt raised an eyebrow. Was this guy forgetting Mello had knocked him out cold?

"The guy's a total sissy." Mich continued and his gang snickered, watching Matt. Matt glared at them but didn't say anything.

"If he hadn't surprised me I would have killed him."

Sure you would have. Matt rolled his eyes, starting to seriously consider just walking away. He wondered briefly what Mich would do if Matt did that.

"I mean he thinks that just because his parents went and offed themselves means he can he king of the jungle."

Matt pulled his fist back and slammed it into Mich's face.

Mich had crossed the line. Next moment the whole gang including Mich was on Matt. Matt fought with tooth and nail as the gang hit every part of him. He managed to stomach someone in the gut and bite another's arm till his mouth filled with blood. He couldn't over-power them, and he knew it. But he went down fighting as he received a kick in the gut and a blow to the head.

He flailed his fists randomly and felt them connected with something and a howl of pain told him it was a person. Finally Matt was thrown to the ground, limp and unconscious. He received several globs of spit then was left there. Bleeding from the nose and feeling as if every body part was broken. Snow began to cover his form as the storm picked up.

…

"Matt?" A voice whispered. A hand closed around his limp one, and squeezed. Matt's eyelids fluttered, but didn't open.

"Matt?" The voice spoke again, alarmed this time. Matt tried to keep his eyes open, a blur of yellow was all he saw before the effort of keeping his eyes open became to much.

Mello? Was his first thought. But then the voice called to him again and he cast the thought aside. This voice was higher and more feminine. Lily's maybe?

"Let him rest." Another voice spoke. It was another woman's voice, softer but still female. The hand slid out of his and was replaced with a pressure on his wrist. Matt felt him slipping down into the darkness again. He tried not to slip but his senses dulled and he slip back into unconsciousness.

…

The next time Matt woke it wasn't to someone saying his name or squeezing his hand. No, none of those things.

It was the smell of rosemary that woke him.

"Mello?" He tried to say but I should more like a grunt. A shadow fell over his eyes and he tried again. "Mello?"

His eyes flickered and opened. He blinked and a smiling woman blurred into view over him. She wore white, maybe she was a nurse? Matt's head hurt to much to think so he simply stared. Her smile widened. "Your awake!"

"Mello?" He muttered again, trying to move his head to look for the blonde. The woman frowned, but said, "He's here. Mello!"

A moment passed and then Mello stepped into his line of vision. Matt's mouth twitched, but his muscles were to tired to form a real smile. The woman walked out of Matt's sight but he didn't care. He focused solely on Mello.

"Hey." He managed to croak, but Mello didn't response.

"Your here." Matt struggled to say "Does that mean you were worried?"

Again, Mello didn't answer, but he didn't need to. Why else would he be here? Matt's insides filled with a sudden warmth and he once again tried to smile. Mello sighed and shook his head, finally speaking "Why does this always happen to you?"

"I ask myself the same question." Matt yawned. Mello looked around, probably looking for the nurse "You need to sleep."

"But I've been doing that for... how long have I been out?" Matt asked. Mello looked down at him "Almost a week."

Matt's eyes tried to widen but they did a sorta twitch instead "Really?"

"Yes."

"Hmm."

"Song." Mello called to the nurse who smiled. "Yes, Mello?"

Matt frowned at her tone but didn't dwell on it as Mello continued. "Matt needs to sleep."

"Of course Mello." Was Matt imaging it or was her tone flirtatious? He felt a mask be put over his face and he was instructed to breath deeply. He complied, staring at Mello till his eyes rolled back to his head.

…

Matt slowly got better, after another week he was able to sit up and speak clearly. Lily visited him every day, and she hovered til Song ordered her out because Matt need sleep. Sometimes Mello would visit too, as much to Song's delight as Matt's. Matt found out she was the nurse's assistant and was training to take over. Mello didn't try to pry anything out of Matt til Matt was able to stay awake for an hour or longer.

"Matt," Mello started.

Here it comes. Matt glanced up from his DS which Mello had brought him "Hmm?"

"What happened."

"You got straight to the point, huh?" Matt put the DS on the hospital bedside table. Mello waited, expression hard. Matt sighed before he began explained how he had gone out for a walk, discovered the footprints right before he heard the gang's voices. At this point Mello scowled. Matt smiled inwardly and continued about how he had retreated but Mich had catch up to him. At this point Matt paused, hesitating.

"What?" Mello, who had been silent the whole time, asked. Matt glanced down at his hands "I punched him."

"You punched him?" Mello repeated.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I felt like it. He's a jerk."

"You are lying." Mello accused, narrowing his eyes. Matt swallowed "It's nothing."

"You punched him. It is something."

"He was going to start a fight anyway!"

"That isn't the point."

Matt shifted uncomfortably under Mello's gaze. He wanted to tell Mello, but what if Mello flipped out?

"In the end you will tell me so just spit it out. Or I can go see Mich." Mello scowled.

"No! Don't do that!" Matt cried and Mello raised an eyebrow. Matt took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff.

"Heinsultedyourfamily." Matt muttered quickly and quietly. He cringed against his pillows and waited for the explosion he was sure woulds come. Mello was silent, either he hadn't heard or he was angry. Matt hoped it wasn't the latter as he shrunk down into his blankets. (For those who didn't figure it out- "He insulted your family.")

"You shouldn't have punched him."

Matt looked up at Mello, who's expression was calm.

"B-but-"

"You shouldn't have risked your life for such a small thing. When Roger found you, you were covered in snow and half beaten to death. You could have seriously died." Mello scowled. "My family's dignity was not worth it."

"They said they went and offed themselves." Matt muttered.

"And they did. It doesn't mater, it still wasn't worth it." Mello replied, icily. Matt looked down at the white sheets he was clutching "I'm sorry Mello."

"I am not the one in the infirmary," Mello sighed, uncrossing his sleeved arms. Matt didn't look up as Mello stood from the chair he had been sitting in. "I have to get to class."

Matt nodded, he could hear the stiffness to Mello's voice. It was Saturday, what Mello went by class was: Mich in pain 101. He grinned as he imagined what it would be like to be Mich right now.

"Mello!" Matt called after him. Mello glanced back, a questioning look on his face.

"Thanks for worrying about me!" Matt smiled.

Mello didn't answer, he just turned and left the room.