Chapter Text
November 29th 2003
"Do you think she'd react if we told her about this?"
Matt was on top of the blue comforter on Mello's bed. His head was hanging off the side as his goggles slowly slid off his forehead, the strings touching the ground. He squinted and continued to poke and prod at the buttons on his MP3 player as if trying to figure out how to fix it. Eventually, music blared and filled the room, earning a glare from Mello who was crouched on the ground in a sea of papers. Matt huffed and scrunched his freckled nose as he plugged his earphones into the MP3 player, not wanting to disturb Mello as he organised the messed-up documents on the ground.
"She won't know anything regardless. Not to mention, the information the house has is vague. Even I'm starting to doubt myself. And you know I hardly do that," Mello answered, quickly switching the papers on the ground, using his foot to kick the empty folders out of the way. Matt was confused by the whole ordeal. He knew Mello wanted to look through Arielle's files again, but this time he had taken two extra ones with him.
"Yet you still insist there's a reason she's here. What if they just felt bad for her?" Matt muttered, turning his body over to look at Mello as he concentrated on sorting. Mello looked up at Matt and scoffed at his unproductive attitude, unplugging the earphones from his MP3 player. The chorus of 'Hot in Herre' by Nelly began to echo throughout the room. Mello raised an eyebrow.
"Really?" He asked, looking at Matt with an unimpressed expression.
"What? It's a good song!" Matt pouted and immediately rolled off Mello's bed, throwing a pillow at him, annoyed by Mello's hollow expression.
"I called you here to help me look through her file, not listen to corny music and sit on my bed." Mello snapped, whacking Matt with the same pillow in retaliation. "And besides, if Roger catches you listening to this kind of music, he'd throw that thing in the trash."
"Who cares what the old man thinks?!" Matt exclaimed mockingly, changing the song because he didn't want to hear Mello complain. The song landed on 'A thousand miles'.
"Now you're just embarrassing yourself."
"Well, my bad for having decent music taste," Matt sighed, finally sitting on the floor to inspect the scene for himself. His ungloved fingers traced the papers on the ground, pausing as he noticed two unfamiliar files. He hadn't picked them up two weeks ago; what was it doing here?
"What's this?"
"It's their old student profiles. Did everything just go through one ear and out the other?"
"Them? Who's—"
Matt had originally stared at the two files with disinterest. One of them had a blue tag, the other a red one. He picked up the file with the red tag and looked at the back. His jaw went slack in realisation, waving the file he was holding in front of Mello's face as if expecting him to explain.
"Wh— how on EARTH did you get these two?!" He exclaimed. Mello snatched the file out of Matt's hand and placed it on top of the neatly arranged stack of paper he had finally finished organising. He let out a soft huff and mumbled.
"After my talk with him six months ago, I snuck a peek inside Arielle's office and saw Mr Wammy lock the files in a cupboard. I've been waiting to take it since,"
"And you decided to take it six months later?"
"I finally have a reason to after all," Mello scoffed, packing the papers back into their respective files. There were two almost empty files and one full file. Mello handed Matt the file with the blue tag, shoving the plain yellow one and the red-tagged one into his bag.
"So you're saying those three are connected," Matt clarified, looking at Mello with a disbelieving expression.
"Those two. And if you were paying attention an hour ago, you'd know without asking."
Mello opened his bedroom door.
"I'm going to pay a visit to Beth, it'd be suspicious for me to leave the rooms for Arielle's office the second time in a row. In the meantime, they won't notice if that file is missing because of the lack of information on it," Mello stated, raising his finger at the file Matt was holding.
"Beth, huh? You told her about all this?" Matt snubbed.
"She's helping me in this investigation. Says she knows a thing or two about it," Mello replied.
"You're dense, Mels!"
"Don't be rude, that's my thing." He quickly slung the bag over his shoulder and looked around the darkened hallway, making his way towards door 15. He didn't even get the chance to knock on it once when someone had walked past him and stuck a key in the lock of door 10.
"I suggest whatever you've been doing for the past two weeks is worth the trouble." The voice whispered stoically. Mello turned his head to see Near, holding a stack of books that had pictures of model trains on it. Mello scoffed and turned his head back to the room in front of him.
"Whatever I'm doing, just know you're never going to be a part of it," He declared.
"How unfortunate..."
Watching them from a distance, Matt closed Mello's door slightly so any passerby wouldn't be able to notice the file that was in his hands. With careful fingers, he opened the blue-tagged file, staring at the front page. Written in bolded, red letters were the words that would send a shiver down any ordinary person's spine.
'Subject A of Wammy's: Deceased'
November 30th 2003
Today marked the final day of autumn, clouds filled the skies to the brim as the weather transitioned into winter. Winter had arrived sooner than I expected, Arielle often joked that it was a blessing in disguise; to keep everyone's spirits up. Despite the weather, the orphans here were permitted to play outside since it was nearing the end of the year. I sat by the steps at the front of the house, watching as some of the orphans kicked the same ball around over and over again. It was interesting to think you could give a group of people an object and they would make do with it so easily.
Towards my right, a group of younger kids were drawing on the steps with chalk. At first, they were drawing on the walls. However, due to Roger's picky complaints, they had run off and started drawing on the steps, under the guidance of an older kid.
My thoughts were interrupted by Roger, who had appeared behind me, and the other kids who were messing around with the chalk.
"Honestly, Linda! You're supposed to be setting an example for these kids, not teaching them to deface property!" Roger exclaimed, shooing the smaller kids away from the stairs. The older kid, Linda, shot him a defiant glare before hurrying into the house.
Roger certainly had a horrible reputation around here.
I was puzzled as to why he decided to address us directly. Roger was, and I quote, a hermit. A common joke shared by the orphans was that he practically lived in his office. However, this theory was debunked since there was no bed or bath in there. He cleared his throat and looked at the crowd of laughing children as they played like there was no tomorrow.
"May I have your attention, children?" He yelled. As usual, no one listened since, well, it was Roger.
"I said, May I have your attention, children?!" He yelled louder in exasperation. This was honestly getting embarrassing for him, but I had no intention to listen if no one else was. Call me a sheep, but I'd rather follow the crowd than Roger.
I stood up from the steps, not wanting to be associated with him somehow since he was standing right behind me. Making my way down the stairs, I was interrupted by a voice. The voice was smooth and polite, a stark contrast to Roger's. I looked up to see Arielle, clapping her hands as if to get the attention of the other kids. I stopped in my tracks and looked back, the chattering noises had stopped as they looked up at her.
"Everyone is to gather in the recreation room. An important guest is awaiting your arrival." She chirped.
Following behind the other students, I made my way back inside the house, thinking about Arielle's words. Guest? Who on earth would be important enough to be let into this institute? I paid attention to the murmurs of the children around me as they speculated who the guest might be.
"What if someone wants to adopt us?"
"Don't be silly. This is more of an institute than an orphanage."
"I'm betting the guest is another teacher..."
"It's L. "
That comment caused me to turn around. At the back of the group was Mello, unravelling his bar of chocolate and taking a bite from the corner. I quickly stopped so he could catch up, although he didn't make an effort to quicken his pace, keeping me waiting. I shifted in place, standing on my heel and then toes until he got to me. He ran his long fingers through his hair and walked past me after he caught up. I followed after, not wanting to be left behind.
"How do you know it's L?" I asked. He sniffed— most likely from the cold— and looked away.
"Matt was asked to help with the setup before we left to play outside. Roger said it was important, so it must be L," He explained.
"Doesn't Roger hate Matt? Why ask him for help?"
"Matt swears Roger is 'out to get him'." Mello sighed, using air quotes to show how stupid Matt's reasoning was. Although it wouldn't be the most far-fetched idea Matt came up with.
But why would L need a setup?
My question was answered almost immediately as Mello opened the door to the living room. I entered after him, watching as the children gathered around a blank monitor that was sitting on top of a desk. Roger sat on the only chair in the room, which was behind the monitor. Behind Roger, the walls were filled with papers. I squinted so I could read the contents. They were all files, hung at the back with unfamiliar names. Were they L's case files? If they were, I was certain the back of the wall wouldn't be enough to contain all the cases he had solved in his life.
On my right, Matt was hunched over, fixing the microphone by the monitor. The microphone gave off a little bit of feedback and I swore I saw Matt smirk as Roger glared at him because of his actions. As soon as Matt set it in the correct position, he leaned back and looked at Roger, folding his thin arms across his chest.
"Would you get off my back now?" Matt asked in annoyance.
"I'll think about it," Roger sneered.
Suddenly, I heard a whirring noise from the monitor, it turned on shortly after. The image shown wasn't a man or anything, just a monogram that flashed brightly on the screen. I found a spot behind the rest of the students and sat down on the wooden floor. Matt was still next to Roger, although he was now peering at the screen with newfound interest. Mello had found a spot in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall and taking a bite of his chocolate to conceal his disinterest.
Near had come in shortly after, sitting at the very back of the room. He unzipped his bag and tilted it upside down, dumping three Rubik's cubes and one all-white puzzle. The puzzle pieces scattered over the ground, he leaned over and started to fix it, ignoring the monitor.
"Testing testing..." The voice from the monitor, or rather L, said. It didn't sound distorted, the voice was real. Whoever was behind the screen couldn't cover his weary demeanour.
Roger cleared his throat.
"Mr Wammy has been so kind to allow us to listen to L speak today. We only have an hour as he is a busy man, so do your best to make the most of it and..."
He looked directly at Matt.
"Try not to ask stupid questions."
L's speech consisted of his early life, cases, and habits. I had learnt a lot about him. How his favourite food was strawberry shortcake, how his favourite sport was tennis, and even how he claimed that his awful sitting habits were what made his deduction skills so great. Listening to his speech made my mind wander. The truth was obvious. One day, one of us would be behind that monitor.
"...which is why I have very bad handwriting."
Laughter rang in the air, causing me to pay attention again. The laughter was not uncommon, we were already in high spirits before the talk.
"Any other questions?" L asked.
A smaller girl shot her hand up, her eyes wide and eager as she looked at the monitor. I hadn't recognised her before, she must've been the new student that Near was talking about. I turned my head to look back at Near. He had already moved on from his puzzle after solving it for the fourth time and was fiddling with his second Rubik's cube. He didn't look up once.
"Oh oh! Can you tell me something that you're not good at... or maybe something you're scared of?"
"Something I'm scared of?"
"What? Yeah right, L's not scared of anything..." A kid interrupted.
The room quickly fell into silence, interrupted by the feedback of the mic. Matt quickly shifted it back into place.
"Well I suppose... monsters," L answered. The room erupted into laughter again, passing his words off as a joke. I watched as the smaller girl sat up and looked at the monitor eagerly.
"Me too! I am too!"
"Dummy, L's not the same as you," Another kid spat. I turned my head to see Teo, rolling his eyes at the younger girl. I almost felt bad for her, she was only new after all.
"There are many types of monsters that scare me: Monsters who cause trouble without showing themselves, monsters who abduct children, monsters who devour dreams, monsters who suck blood... and then..." I held my breath.
"Monsters who tell nothing but lies."
I stared at the monitor with wide eyes. Was he telling the truth? Was L afraid of monsters?
"Lying monsters are a real nuisance: They are much more cunning than others."
L hesitated slightly as if contemplating whether to continue.
"They pose as humans even though they have no understanding of the human heart," Matt exhaled, leaning his head against the wall.
"They eat even though they've never experienced hunger," Mello looked out the window, taking the final bite of his chocolate.
"They study even though they have no interest in academics," Near hesitated with the final turn of the Rubik's cube.
"They seek friendship even though they do not know how to love." I gulped, suddenly feeling lightheaded.
L took a deep breath.
"If I were to encounter such monsters, I would likely be eaten by them... because in truth, I am that monster."
Without warning, the monitor had shut off, leaving the room in complete and utter silence.
"Pipsqueak. Stop daydreaming,"
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I realised the room was cleared out. Only Mello, Matt, and Near remained. Matt was busy packing the microphones into a small box while Mello was pinching my ear to get me to pay attention. I winced and glanced up at him, my eyebrows creased slightly as I felt my ear throb in pain.
"Ouch!" I yelped.
He let out a scoff and placed his hands back in the pockets of his grey pants.
"You've been staring at that monitor for ten minutes. Everyone went back outside,"
I frowned and stood up, looking out the window Mello had gestured to. I could see the children all outside, playing like before. Roger and Arielle were also outside. As usual, Roger was yelling at the other students to behave. I squinted so I could see who exactly he was yelling at.
It was Teo, so I decided not to judge Roger this time.
To my left, I could hear a bit of one-sided bickering. I turned my head to see Matt poking at Near's head with a deep frown on his face. Near was plugging a keyboard onto the monitor, looking up at Matt with an equally annoyed expression.
"Who said you could randomly start touching the monitor?! If Roger thinks I did that, I'd be in pointless trouble y'know?!"
"I already told you, he told me I could use it after the meeting."
Mello grabbed Matt by the back of his brown and black striped sweater, causing Matt to fall backward and hit the ground with a 'thunk'. Matt looked up at Mello with an angry pout, his freckled cheeks turning red with anger.
"Hey! What was that for?!"
"Leave him. If Roger said he could use it, he probably meant it. You know how that old geezer is with Near,"
Matt stood up and stuck his tongue out at Near. I could tell Near was doing everything in his power not to make a face back at him. Watching Mello and Matt walk away, I decided to do the same. I was about to follow after them when I heard a voice behind me.
"Y/n, I'd appreciate it if you'd stay," He said, his voice quieter than before. I looked back and stopped in my tracks, watching as the other two boys disappeared. I walked back to Near.
"Do you need anything?"
"Yes, I'd like it if you'd assist me with placing the newcomers in a new institute, like I asked a few weeks ago,"
I looked at him in realisation.
"R-right! I definitely didn't forget..." I lied.
"We have seven newcomers to place. I'm sure you'll be of good use," He reassured as he started up the monitor. I hovered over his shoulder, watching as his nimble fingers glided over the keyboard, searching up orphanages in Winchester. It was quite uncommon to see a student using the monitor, Roger was extremely particular about electronics, we would need a valid reason and his permission to even touch it. For some reason, the only person that I have ever seen using the monitor was Near. Maybe he and Roger were like two peas in a pod.
Near sat on the singular chair in the recreation room, his knee to his chest, his right hand twirling his white hair while his left hand manoeuvred the mouse. His grey eyes were focused on the monitor, he seemed really intent on giving those kids a place.
"How exactly were you persuaded into helping them?" I asked, not bothering to mask my obvious curiosity.
"I'd get an extra 2 marks on my final score,"
"Don't you already get perfect grades?" I asked, perplexed by his words.
"Don't get me wrong, I hardly miscalculate anything," Near said, clicking on a website with a list of orphanages. "But in the event I do make a blunder, no one will realise."
I frowned. I hadn't realised he was so driven to keep his position.
"Now more than ever..." He continued, looking up towards his left as if trying to recall something. "After L's speech, he has become a worthy goal."
Worthy goal? Did he only decide he wanted to succeed L now?!
Near dug through the pockets of his pyjama pants and pulled out a list, checking the ages of the newcomers. He turned his head back to the monitor and clicked on a website, showing a list of orphanages in Winchester. Although, Wammy's wasn't listed down for obvious reasons.
"Isn't it sad that we're looking for orphanages to place them in?" I mumbled.
"It's not sad, we're giving them a home," Near answered calmly.
"Why can't they just stay here?"
"Wammy's is an institute, not an orphanage. They won't get adopted here."
He was right. No one here would have the opportunity of getting adopted. Everyone here was on their own. I couldn't help but wonder what it was like to live a normal life. I lived a normal life before I got here, right? I wanted to remember, remember past the lake. Remember what my life was like before. Near began writing down the orphanages, drawing lines to match each name with a different orphanage.
"Why can't we put them all in the same one?"
"If an orphanage runs out of funding, some children will be sent somewhere else. It would be a nuisance to deal with that, even if I'm not dealing with it personally."
"I guess you're right on that part..."
Looking at Near as he worked, I suddenly felt useless. He said he wanted help with searching for orphanages, however he seemed to be doing the work himself. I looked around the room and noticed there were a few chairs stacked in the corner. I pulled one out and sat next to him, reading the list on the sheet of paper that was next to him. On the sheet were both each kid's first and last name. They probably didn't get an alias because they weren't enrolled here.
"It feels so wrong looking at their real names," I chuckled, tapping the pencil on the paper. Near's fingers shifted, turning the monitor so I could see it. On the screen was a well-kept orphanage. There were two adults and three children, all smiling. The first adult was holding a baby, the second was holding a kid's hand. The third child, however, was on the floor, holding a fistful of crayons.
"I wonder what their stories are," I whispered, staring at the image. My attention shifted to the documents on the wall that were still left up since L's 'visit'. I wondered what each story was behind those documents. If everyone had something to tell, something to share, yet no one to listen. Near turned his head towards me and sighed, scrolling down.
"You shouldn't be so fixated on everyone. Think only about yourself," He said sharply, his gaze unwavering. "After all, if you're kicked out, I wouldn't want to be the one looking for an orphanage for you,"
I let out a soft exhale at his reprimanding words. I placed the paper down on the table and watched as Near ticked off one of the names.
"This orphanage is in good condition," He stated, trying to direct the conversation away from what it was before. I couldn't help but appreciate his attempts to include me in his work, even if I wasn't doing anything.
"If you'd like, I could leave you to it. We only have one monitor and I don't want to be a liability," I said, trying not to sound so down. He did ask me to join him after all.
"I'm perfectly fine with you staying here,"
"Really? Even if I'm not doing anything?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.
"You're keeping me company. Is that not something?"
My frown had slowly turned into a grin. I nodded, watching his attention divert back to the monitor. He mumbled something under his breath, yet I couldn't quite catch what it was. But it didn't matter. I was happy he was content with my presence. I didn't understand Near. Nothing about him looked like he was making an effort to make me feel better. Yet his words managed to, regardless of intention.
"Shall we continue?"
“Mhm!” I exclaimed, with much needed enthusiasm.
December 4th 2003
The start of winter had already tricked my mind into thinking that it was much colder than last month. I had put on a black sweater over my shirt, and a scarf over that. Not to mention my head was covered with an orange beanie I had found at the bottom of my sock drawer. Rubbing my arms, I wondered if the thermostat was broken, or if it was somehow at the lowest setting. I shivered as I walked through the halls shortly before lunch break ended since I wanted to get to class early.
I stopped in my tracks when I heard voices. Two voices. Ducking behind a wall, I poked my head out to see who was also in the hallway. One of the figures pulled his grey hood off his head and leaned back on the wall. I could recognise him as Mello almost immediately because of his gruff attitude, and that scintillating figure with familiar blonde curls next to him must've been Beth.
Today, Beth looked more stylish than usual. She wore a fur, purple sweater with pink gloves and earmuffs. Surprisingly, she wore a skirt, and even though she only had navy stockings underneath, she still looked like she was perfectly fine in the cold. I couldn't help but frown as I looked at my outfit. I looked boring compared to her. Then again, I don't think I would have the money to get an outfit like that, let alone have the strength to wear voguish stockings on a cold day. How could someone be so intelligent and beautiful at the same time?
"I thought you usually spend time with Val on Monday mornings, why is today so different?" Mello questioned. Val, huh? I recognised that name— Valentina. She was L's fourth successor. I never saw her around unless it was with Beth.
"Something came up," Beth said quickly, looking away from Mello while she fixed her gorgeous blonde curls into pigtails. Even I could tell that her words were some made-up excuse, but based on my limited knowledge of Mello, he wouldn't bother pressing on the subject unless he was interested.
"Hm," He hummed. Good to know he wasn't interested.
"What's on your mind?" She asked, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt. Mello flinched a bit, but he didn't pry her away.
"Did you find anything?" He interrogated.
Find what?
"Why don't we talk about that later?" She frowned.
What did 'that' mean???
Mello sighed and pushed himself off the wall, walking with her down the hallway. Without thinking, I leaped from my hiding spot and continued to follow them. They were silent when they walked, I couldn't tell if it was comfortable or just plain awkward. I hoped it was neither. One right and a left later, they suddenly stopped. My breath hitched and I hid behind a wall again, not wanting to be caught.
"Come on, why don't you skip with me?" Beth asked, leaning closer toward Mello. I bit the scarf that was around my neck as I watched her.
"Don't ask idiotic questions. I need to take Near's spot at all costs," He replied curtly. I felt a sense of satisfaction overcome me. Seems like Beth underestimated his competitive nature.
"You're so monotonous, you know that?"
"If monotonous means I can become L, then so be it,"
"Come on, Mels !"
I felt my shoulders tense as Beth used the nickname Matt always used for Mello. Even though it wasn't my place to be annoyed by it, I couldn't help but feel more vexed towards her.
"Yeah... she's a skank for stealing my nickname, isn't she?"
I turned my head and was met with Matt, his face right in front of mine. I was about to yell because of how shocked I was by his sudden presence, but he placed his gloved hand over my mouth and snickered.
"Relax! Stay quiet or they'll know you've been following them," Matt shushed, placing his other hand on the wall and leaning his weight on it. I looked back at Mello and Beth, noticing how she was leaning closer to Mello as they continued to converse with each other. I turned back to see his face, watching his eyes stare at me through his faded amber goggles.
"You noticed how mushy they've become, huh?"
I scoffed and pried his hand away from my mouth. Even though he was my friend, I found his attitude a little over the top at times.
"Why are you spying on them?!" I exclaimed softly.
"Why are you spying on them?" He retorted.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead in exasperation. I enjoyed Matt's company, but he always managed to appear at the wrong place at the wrong time. This was no exception. Matt snickered and looked back at the two, his expression hardening slightly. He turned back to me and his face changed back into that smiley, like he wasn't just eyeing Beth seconds before.
"I wonder how we're always left alone together, M'lady. It's fate, wouldn't you say?" He said, wiggling his eyebrows almost comically.
"Don't you usually skip classes? Why are you here?" I asked, trying to divert the subject away from Mello and Beth.
"I saw you following those two, so naturally I'd do the same," Matt sniffed, rubbing his nose. Great, and the topic went full circle in just a matter of seconds.
"So... you jealous of Beth or what?" He asked, leaning far too close for comfort. I blushed at the sudden proximity, but I quickly snapped out of it as soon as I comprehended his question.
"W-what?! No way!" I exclaimed.
"Why not? She's pretty, smart and she gets along with Mello," Matt pointed out, looking back at her and frowning again. I raised an eyebrow before poking at his chest teasingly.
"Are you projecting?" I asked.
He sighed and folded his arms, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
"I don't enjoy the fact that she has to wiggle her way into his life. She's always been giving me dirty looks whenever she hangs out with Mels," He said, yet he still turned his head to grin at me. "She's a real pain when she likes someone."
"She likes Mello?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
I couldn't help but nod. Since I saw her two weeks ago, I could tell she liked him. She didn't even bother making an effort to hide it. Yet, why was she pushing Matt away from him?
"Why—"
"She thinks I'm a pain in the ass because I took her spot when I first got here," Matt explained as if he knew what I was going to ask.
"She used to be third? Then why isn't she mad that Val's fourth and she's fifth now?"
"Who knows," Matt shrugged. He pushed himself off the wall and looked at the ceiling. I stared at the ground as I thought about what Matt had said. My heart raced as I thought of two weeks ago, guilt building up in my chest. Was that dirty look she gave me meant for Matt? And I gave her one back by instinct? Goddammit.
"Is your next class important?"
I jerked out of my thoughts and blinked. Instantly, I took out my fingers to count my classes.
"I uh... I have chemistry, history, and criminal psychology?"
"Okay... so important or not?"
"Not partic—"
Matt didn't hesitate to cut me off by grabbing my left wrist and yanking me down the hallway. His pace was quick and he had a bit of joyful bounce in his step. I followed after, trying to match his speed. The floors were slippery, and running made the air around me a bit cooler. I placed my right hand on my head, holding my beanie down so it wouldn't fly off somehow. He had taken a few lefts and a right, dragging me towards the back exit of the house. He looked back at me and smirked, followed by a snicker.
"Based on your shock, you've never been outside the gates without supervision, I take it?"
"OUTSIDE?!"
Matt opened the doors and continued to run. He let go of my hand and gestured for me to climb up the ladder of the fire escape on the side of the building. I followed behind him, staring straight ahead as I climbed, since I didn't want to look down. We reached the rooftop and he helped me up, slowly walking down the slant of the roof. I stopped in my tracks to look at the view.
Snow had engulfed the ground, and even the top of the roof was covered. The skies were cloudy, but not too cloudy that it had turned grey. Outside was bright, the sun was positioned a little after its apex. I watched as Matt carefully inched his way towards the top of the gates, jumping over it, the snow cushioning his fall. I looked down at him in disbelief, realising he was now on the outside of the fence.
"How are we going to get back?!" I exclaimed, refusing to go down.
"There's a tree back there we can climb to get back to the fire escape!" He yelled back. I looked at the ground of Wammy's, then the ground of the outside where Matt was currently standing. Taking a deep breath, I jumped and landed next to him, slipping slightly. He laughed and balled up some snow into a snowball to throw at me. I was about to throw one back, but I noticed he was digging in the pile of snow, uncovering a sled. My eyes widened as he dusted it off.
"Hop on," He gestured as he placed the sled upright. I quickly listened, getting on it and holding onto the side to balance myself. He grunted as he pushed the sled towards the edge of the hill, running down to gain momentum.
"Where exactly are we going?!" I asked, still dazed that we had just escaped Wammy's so easily.
"There's a small array of stores down the hill. It's where Mr Wammy gets things for the house!" He exclaimed, continuing to push me down the hill. Soon, he jumped on and we were both speeding down as fast as we could, adrenaline coursed through my veins as the cold winds bit at my skin, threatening to blow my beanie away. Matt seemed to notice so he kept a hand on my head, keeping the beanie in place.
"I usually get games from my DS down at the bookstore, but that's our little secret." He winked.
"I-I won't tell anyone! But why take me to a bookstore?"
"You're into that sort of thing, right?"
I felt my neck and ears turn warm when he said that, grateful that it was being covered by my scarf and beanie.
Matt chuckled and rested his head on my shoulder. I looked back and noticed how the snowflakes had blended into his freckles. His hands shifted onto the side of the sled and mine did as well, flinching every so often when our hands would bump into each other.
The sled gradually slowed to a stop and he got off quickly, so I followed suit. He picked it up and placed it by the gate entrance of the little shopping district down the hill. Matt strolled in without a care in the world and I followed after, finally feeling a pang of anxiety now that the rush was over.
I shook myself out of any worrying thoughts I had in my head and followed Matt towards a store. The sign at the front was covered in snow, so I couldn't see what it was called. However, it had a large book at the front so I could only assume it was the bookstore. Matt shook the snow off his body before opening the door for me.
"After you, M'lady,"
I curtsied, playing along with his little act. When I entered the store, the smell of books immediately hit my senses. I didn't bother waiting for him and I darted straight into the fiction section. I couldn't help but gasp at the sight. The books here weren't old, but relatively new. Books that weren't on shelves at Wammy's. I ran my fingers down the spine of each book as if trying to memorise all the titles.
"How did you discover this place?" I asked, looking at Matt who had caught up to me.
"I'll tell you that another time," He snickered, placing a hand on the shelf and leaning towards me. "Just enjoy."
The bookstore was calming, there was no one inside except for the cashier behind the counter. I assumed everyone was at home to get away from the cold. I watched as Matt walked away and browsed through different games on the shelf next to mine. His nose crinkled every time he picked up a game, as if contemplating whether to get it or not.
Matt and I stayed in the bookstore for a while. I sat on a sofa at the back corner of the bookstore, reading one of the books I had picked up from the shelf— A Series of Unfortunate Events. I was engrossed in it, wanting to know more with every turn of the page. Lemony Snicket's writing was extraordinary. It felt like I was reading something dated back from the 1800s, yet it twisted into something modern. Matt was on the couch next to mine, his eyes glued onto the screen in front of him. As soon as he got here, he had been playing games nonstop. Eventually, he sighed and leaned back on the sofa, giving me a wide frown.
"You've been reading nonstop! Come play something with me!" He whined, like a little kid.
"I said I'd play once I finish this chapter..." I mumbled, turning the page of my book.
"What's so good about books anyway? You and Mels are the same..." He scoffed, standing up and stretching his arms before digging through the box for another game. At the same time, I glanced up at the clock, reading the time.
3:55. I felt my heart drop. I sat up and looked at Matt with obvious panic, standing up to put my book back on the shelf. Classes at Wammy's were already over. That meant...
"I-It's 3:55! We lost track of time!"
He mumbled a curse under his breath and placed the game down, turning the TV in the store off. He waved at the person behind the counter before dragging me out of the store with him. I picked up the pace, running faster as he pulled onto my arm as hard as he could. I stumbled as he let go of me to pick up the sled and hurried up the hill. I couldn't afford to run out of breath at a time like this. Classes were over and now both Matt and I were late for my session. If Roger found us, it'd be hell. No, there was one thing I thought of that could be worse than Roger finding out.
Reaching the top of the hill, Matt dumped the sled behind one of the trees and climbed it. I was following his every move, not bothering to question his actions. From the top of the tree, we returned to the roof and down the fire escape. My heart was pounding. Near the back and the front entrance were kids, already outside playing. We were stuck at the ladder. I looked around for a possible exit to this problem. There it was, an open window. Without thinking, I pulled Matt towards the open window and we fell inside.
I groaned as I opened my eyes, trying to take in my surroundings. We landed in someone's room. I heard a shuffle in front of us and I looked up to see the discerning aquamarine eyes of the person standing over Matt and me.
"Y/n, what the fuck?!"