Chapter three:
The very next day Near seems to have gone back to normal.
Mello wonders if it really was all a dream as he walks along through the orphanage when there is some commotion going around. He eats the piece of his chocolate he snapped off then goes over to the group. "What's going on?" He asks.
"There is news of new arrivals. Coming sometime this week." Linda says. "I heard it when I went to visit Rodger."
Mello hums then bites off another piece as he thinks to himself.
That's what this is all about?
He turns and leaves not really caring.
There's the new person every now and then so this doesn't surprise him.
He doesn't see the reason to make a whole commotion about it. He stops when he sees Near heading to the library. He eats his chocolate and since there seems to be nothing wrong with Near now he heads away from the other to go outside instead of following him since he isn't sure if being too persistent will push Near further away or not.
Nothing interesting happens until the new arrivals arrive.
It was two days since the commotion about it began.
The new arrivals are now in Rodger's office doing the usual needed procedures of things like finding a room, getting class schedule and such.
Tomorrow is the big test that even the new comers are going to take to see rank.
Mello doesn't even catch a glimpse of them even when he finds out that they are done in Rodgers office now settling into a room they share with each other. He ignores it all and heads to study in the library for the test coming up tomorrow. He heads to bed to get some sleep when it starts to get late to make sure he won't be too tired tomorrow.
…..
The day of the test has arrived.
The group all are put in the common room that is now filled with desks with nametags for everyone.
Mello glances around himself heading to his desk since the order is always put alphabetically. He gets to his seat not spotting the new comers.
Not long after he sat down Rodger gets a hold of a microphone.
"Alright everyone." Rodger says. "Now that everyone is here we will be starting the tests. We will alert you when the hour to write this test is coming to a close. We will only give you an extra twenty minutes if needed. Keep your eyes on your own paper." He pauses. "Begin!"
The orphans open their tests and begin the test.
Mello mentally assures himself to stay calm and that he is going to be fine as he works on his test.
Once done Mello does a double check.
"The hour is over!" Rodger says on the microphone and Mello realizes how fast time really went. "All done may leave."
Mello finishes looking at his test then closes it. He gets up to leave and sees Near is already leaving out the door probably done the moment the announcement came on if not sooner. He also heads out but doesn't follow Near instead he heads to his own room for a chocolate break.
…
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
…..
That evening the results are posted as a ton of the adults took time to mark the tests done that morning.
Mello walks along the hall munching on a chocolate bar. He pauses as he is about to get the chocolate bar high enough to bite off another piece.
There is an usual commotion around the results.
Mello, curious, heads over and makes his way through the crowd. He finds Near also at the front of the crowd.
Near is looking up at the test results.
Mello also looks up only to freeze almost dropping his chocolate bar.
The ranks have changed….. The two newcomers have completely changed everything…..
Alpha is in first place with Backup behind him then comes Near with Mello coming after him along with Matt behind Mello.
It is pure shock.
Near quickly leaves the area without looking at anyone.
Mello leaves as well wondering if this is some kind of cruel joke or a bad dream. He heads to his room slamming the door then paces as he rants.
Little did he know there was another being pacing upset but for a completely different reason.
Finally when Mello calms down it is already dark outside.
He plops down onto his bed with a sigh. "What the Hell is going on?" He flops backwards onto his bed only to close his eyes for what he believed to be a moment but he is taken away by the darkness.
"Why continue running? You can't just run forever!"
"What are you really running from?"
"Where do you plan to go and how do you even plan on getting there?"
All in the while a crown is falling down slightly spiraling down as it falls then at the end of it all the crown hits the ground breaking a piece off to make it not fully round.
Mello wakes with a start as the sun is about to shine it's harsh beams of light on his eyes. He gets up wondering what the hell that was. He gets up having a feeling that this was not just an ordinary dream. He leaves his room for breakfast but pauses when he can hear mumbling come from another room.
Near who is in his own room muttering to himself things that ties with what Mello heard in the darkness.
He is about to go inside Near's room but stops as Near stops then there is soft sounds of him approaching. He grumbles as he walks away as he sees that his dream was just his subconscious mind making words to the muffled words he might have been so barely able to hear that he didn't pick it up awake or something. "Maybe he's just trying to figure out how his mind could have failed him." He goes and has breakfast then gets ready for the day.
During classes…
Near never showed up.
So about lunch Mello is getting too curious for his own good.
"Hasn't Near been acting weird lately?" Matt asks his friend.
Mello raises an eyebrow at the red head.
"I mean it's like he's avoiding someone or some people ever since those results were posted?" Matt goes into more detail.
"Yes. I have some place I have to go." Mello rushes off with that while Matt stares after him not sure if he should have told Mello about Near's strange behaviour.
The door to Near's room is opened and Mello walks in.
He looks around but there is no Near. He begins to look around. "There must be something to give us answers." He says to himself. "Well let's take a look around then." He begins his search checking things like drawers or under the bed.
So far he has only found books that are mostly in the bookshelf, toys, puzzles and some books that seem to be on Near's studying desk.
He moves on to the closet and he shifts a box he will check later only for something to fall down onto his head before falling to the ground. He quickly lowers his hands and spins around as the object rolls along the ground only to settle on the ground. He stares at it in surprise. "What would Near be using this for or even have it in the first place?" He wonders going over to it to kneel down picking it up.