Is It A Crazy House or an Orphanage?

“Hey what do you think of Mello?” Coke asks, running a brush through her long golden hair.

I pause slightly, mid-way through putting on a pajama shirt. This sinking feeling fills my stomach. I know what she means when she says that, and it’s not what most people think. She’s not asking for my personal feelings towards Mello, she’s asking whether or not he’d be a good boyfriend for her. Actually, it’s almost more like she’s saying she’s into him and that I should back the hell off, only in the nicest way possible.

“He’s cool, I guess.” That answer is fool proof, it means that he isn’t totally gross, but that I’m interested in him. And I’m not interested in him, so why do I have this weird feeling, it’s almost like… like I’m jealous. No way! Jealous over Mello? As if! He’s such an ass, I’d never go for a guy like him… would I? No, never. I have got to stop thinking about that!

Coke interrupts my inner turmoil with another question. “How about Matt, you think he’s cute, right?”

“Yeah, kinda.” It’s not a lie, he is pretty attractive, I’m just not really interested in him.

“You two should hang out more often,” She smiles. “You might get lucky!”

At that my face turns bright red. I reach over and flip the light off, crawling under the covers, and muttering a quick, “Goodnight” to Coke.

But now I can’t sleep because that strange feeling is still lurking in my stomach. I’m not really falling for Mello, am I?

It feels like I’ve only just fallen asleep when-

“Hell! Hell wake up! Guess what!”

I groan something incoherent and roll over in the opposite direction.

“Come on, stupid! You have to see this.”

“What?” I snap, sitting up. “What on earth could possibly be so important that you must disrupt my beauty sleep?!”

“It snowed last night.”

“It- what?”

“Snowed, last night,” She repeats, her smile still just as big. “Look outside.”

And suddenly I don’t seem as tired as I make my way over to the window. Outside everything is blanketed in a crystal white layer of snow. The sun just peaking over the horizon, casting bright sparkles across it. It’s absolutely beautiful.

“Well I’ll be damned.”

“Isn’t it pretty?”

“Won’t be that way for long,” Mello sighs. The two of us girls whip around to find him leaning in the doorway. He takes a step forward as he explains, “The kids will go out to recess and wreak havoc.”

“Way to be a killjoy,” Matt smirks, giving Mello a sock in the arm as he joins us by the window. He has a serious case of bedhead that almost makes him look like a ginger version of L. And I think, even though we’ve been here for a few months now, that this is the first time I’ve ever seen him without goggles. He has really pretty blue-grey eyes. “We should ask Watari if we can go into town. We could get some coffee and shop and stuff. Girls like that, right?”

Coke and I both smile. “Yeah, of course.”

“Gross, coffee,” Mello says, scrunching up his nose.

“Starbucks sells hot chocolate too, don’t worry.”

That gets all of us laughing, even Mello lets slip a smile.

“Okay,” Matt says once the giggles have died down. “We’ll get ready and meet up in the lobby in an hour or so?”

“Sounds good.”

As soon as the boys are gone Coke says, “It’ll be like a double date almost. Gives you plenty of opportunity to put the moves on Matt.”

“Moves? What moves?”

She just rolls her eyes and continues picking out her outfit for the day.

An hour and a half later the four of us are packed into the lobby. Matt’s in his usual get up of rubber boots, striped shirt, and skinny jeans, complete with his infamous chopped ugg boot jacket. Mello on the other hand has donned on a leather bomber jacket, black skinny jeans, and some faux leather boots. It’s much different compared to his usually loose wardrobe. Coke’s got on a cute smoky grey pea coat, black rip off ugg boots, skinny jeans, and a cute navy blue hat. She’s also done her hair up all pretty with just a slight curl to it. While I of course look dumpy as all hell in an oversized sweater, skinny jeans that are a size too big, old ratty converse, and my dorky glasses.

“So shall we go then?” Matt suggests, once I’ve had adequate time to compare how good everyone else looks to how crappy I look.

Outside it’s even more beautiful. Snow is still falling, and it’s making that eerie silence filled only by the gentle pitter of falling flakes and out feet crunching through. It’s gorgeous, only so cold. I can’t stand cold at all. We’ve only made it about half a mile, and I’m already shivering like hell. Pun somewhat intended.

“Hey, you okay?” Matt asks, eyeing my lips which are slowly turning blue.

“P-p-peachy,” I lie, flashing him a big smile.

“Do you want my vest?” He offers.

“No r-really, I’m f-f-fine. I’m r-really n-not even that c-cold,” I stutter, my lie isn’t very convincing.

Before Matt even has time to answer, Mello’s already whipped his coat off and tossed it around my shoulders.

“Th-thanks,” I say, unable to hide my shock.

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” He sighs, annoyance ringing clear.

I slip my arms through the sleeves. It’s nice and warm, and smells like chocolate.

Shit, that feeling’s back.