Summary: Near is a lonely child, with a sixth sense to bind connections. On coincidence, he happens to go to school across thee street from a poorly kept community garden. He visits this garden so those inside can teach him something; about himself... about his life.

Disclaimer: I do not own Matt, Mello, Near, the cats or the community garden.

Warning: Really? Do you really think any harm is being done here? Oh… the angst I suppose.

Wow... nothing to go off about, Chiyo? Well, one thing: this is officially edited.

THREE CATS

~x~

One black, one white, and one with brown fur with little white, black stripes.

Three very familiar cats; all abandoned too. There were other felines that roamed the little area, he knew, but magically he was faced with those specific three each time he looked at the lot.

He didn't know where they came from, or where they went, but he knew they were the form of a strange reflection of his life ... or, what was to be his life.

They put on new shows each time he "snuck" into the gates in the morning before school, and after the hours of dread. And right about now, before the gates opened, or anyone was waiting outside the warmth confining doors, he heard strange mewls coming from behind.

The seemingly abandoned garden they sang from was filled with dead and half living plant life. Unnecessary things were littered the fenced area, as if making an effort to destroy all beauty that was once. Even so, the small garden still had its charm. Birds always seemed happy and chirpy around the place - at times, some too happy for Near's blank mood. The little garden had a small bunch of daisies, violets and marigolds growing across each other – miraculously surviving the seemingly abandoned area. Trees, soon to be one with the Earth again, effortlessly were hanging out on the fences; their limbs all sprawled out and entwined as some plants grew in random, ridiculous places.

Many of the garden's individual flower squares weren't connecting, as if something forced them apart and left them to settle while they lifelessly mixed with age old gravel, dirt, barren soil and fallen tree stems. To the side of a small wall of pine bushes was a stone walk with a broken wood-like shine; its edges colored green with loss of moisture, towering over the stone path like a safe walk through a jungle. The little path crudely ended before a rotting wooden platform that held another pile of plants and junk that more or likely towered the other wall of the fence beyond. Near could have even said a Japanese house could perfectly replace this dirt piles' structure.

To its left was a small church with leaves growing from its sides while the right, which he strolled down from, was an open parking lot. Near walked further down the fence to round up at the leafy wall and face a locked gate adjacent to the building; it being an entrance for the patch. He took out a key from his bag, unlocked the gate and entered through the small opening. As he turned the key a small notice echoed in his mind: it took a while before he got a key from the owners. All from the help of dear connections …

Near began to warp him self into deeper thought as he realized that, each time he came to observe ... "his cat" ended up alone and emotionally bruised while the other two would just go off with each other. That was enough to make Near want to cry; which he'd rather fall off the face of the Earth than do.

The little squeak and creak of the gate snapped Near out of his daze, making him stand up and gaze into the not so far away green life home. His feet moved, motions slow and unconsciously deliberate, as his mind and body seemed to sympathetically interact with the struggling life around him. Somehow, it was as if he was trying to understand why his fellow acquaintances dwelled within the lot. And for some reason, Near didn't feel much of a strong connection to the cats when he was outside the opposing fences.

Most of the lot wasn't piling with junk, more like sprinkled with it and piled with dead fallen tree branches, soil and gravel so he couldn't necessarily camouflage for daily passers since you could look from outside the fence and gaze in.

And ... people already thought he was strange enough, right? Why worry about people staring at you, sitting - standing - in a dirty area with stark white clothing when you're albino with large weird dark eyes?

It all seems ... "legit," no?

Meow! Purr...

'...?'

Near never associated with the white cat but it always seemed to stare at him as if it was trying to say something. But that was just a cat… being a cat. Yet, even so - his body turned, responding somehow - was the cat calling out to him?

Near didn't see the cats out right now, or his surroundings, as for his vision clearing, but didn't he hear meowing before? And in all logic, how did he end up so far from the gate? He looked down at his left hand, soft from touching what was left to be alive and his right, grasping the silver key. He had been too preoccupied with his thoughts to have actually saw the cats and actually look at what he was search for.

Meow...

He had blindly passed them.

He headed towards the gate, poking his head around the pine bushes to find two small figures on the mellowing cream colored timber stage down the stone path.

It was the brown and white cat. "Matt" cat and "Near" cat … Nose budding? Bathing each other ...?

No … they were making those little meowing purrs so it wasn't growls of dominance, they sounded … gentle. Near could not help but think that "Matt" cat was comforting his cat. That ... or trying to make some type of peace with him.

The actual first thing, of what they may have been doing, that popped into Nears mind had brought up a little pink shade upon his cheeks, despite his seriousness. I should probably leave, was an option that came up, but he didn't. He shifted out of his "hiding position" and stood straight as he kept observing. It didn't help with the black "Mello" cat staring at them. This was new to Near considering the fact that he didn't know much about cats and was just getting to know them. There was definitely the flick of the tongue, but that was far behind his mind.

Another lesson to be taught today … no matter how irrelevant it seemed.

Near's heated cheeks died down, gazing at the two "associating." Through what seemed slow and dragged out, Near then broke out of his trance once he saw "Matt" cat leave; "Mello" cat was far in the back already. He choose not to look at the cat slowly turn and go to the back and instead stared at the white cat that did the same.

When Near met it's light eyes he noticed something.

It was all alone, fluffed tail wrapped around itself and looking strong.

Independence, dignity, bravery? These were one of the visible signs in "Near" cats' state.

Their stare off was soon concluded as the white cat slowly rounded and walked up its dirt, randomly placed twig, pile from behind. Near briefly looked at the black and brown cats that were together under a fallen plank, supported by a long forgotten locked portable toilet in the far back. The white cat was gone when he looked down the path and soon was he - but not the thin sadness they both seemed to be unwillingly sharing.

When he looked at his watch, time had passed and the door was already open. He locked the gate, before gazing at the key for quite some time, and waited for passing cars before heading into the schools gates. Breakfast was almost over so he sought out a spot to make an easy waiting area before they were told to go up.

'Hey, Near!' The little albino didn't look back or respond as he shifted his book bag and walked deeper into the school.

'Near? What's up?' Near stopped by some lockers, already have left his with books in his hands, and Matt stood right next to him, concerned.

'Matt, I don't think we should be friends anymore ... if that is what we are...'

'What? Of course we're friends! Near moved to the edge of the lockers, knowing Matt was right behind him. The halls were empty was empty, the kids being down in the cafeteria, and easy access for a getaway. Matt fearing Near was leaving grabbed him. Near sighed and turned around, shifting his books.

'I think it's for the best.' He heard shuffling of feet and waited a moment before looking around the locker, at the person who had walked by: his English teacher, Mr. Rede. Near decided to ask to stay with him until classes started.

'What's going to be "better," Near? Stop joking! I thought you didn't care about what others said to you!' Matt seemed to have hit a major nerve because seemed to have darkened over.

'I do not, Matt, but do you? Do you really not, because all this time, I was truly under the impression that you did. But I'm sure you've found a way to suppress the pain, though, am I right?' Near looked Matt square into the eyes ... in a way. He hated that his goggles were on: he couldn't see his mixed up emotions.

'I don't care about what others say …'

A visible frown blossomed across Near's face yet he didn't want to be mad, in fact, he would have much preferred not having to go through this as painfully a he was making it. 'You seem to care about what I am say now - a lot.'

'That's because I should care. You come out of nowhere saying you don't want to be friends anymore and I should go on and be cool about it? Near why are acting like such a jerk? What did I do to you?' Matt's voice was flaring with anger now, an emotion Near did not want to remember as a last memory from his first and last "friend."

'You say you are not ... so let's go back: what about others ... What if you get hurt? Am I hurting you? Admirably, you, Matt, are one of the most emotionally strong people I have ever met, but, I think otherwise. It's all artificial; a big sham. You always have something to indulge in after the pain's set in, no?' Near winced, though, he was sure Matt could not see it.

'I-'

'You'll probably drown your in your games or run off to Mello in the end, right? I mean, after this.' Matt looked hurt and shocked. Near broke contact when he finished, 'It's probably what you'll do after this.' Near began to leave until he felt Matt grab him.

Near bit his lip. This was it and Near made it official when he jerked Matt's hand away.

'I'll see you around.' Near went up stairs ignoring everyone and everything for the rest of his day. At the end of school he walked down the hall and out towards the garden until, suddenly, he remembered the fact that it may have been a peace offering "Matt" cat was trying to give. Near perked and looked up at the school surprised to see Matt gazing down at him. Suddenly the boy vanished and Nears's eyes widened.

He saw the cat, looking at him, expecting something. Near looked at a flash of stripes and began to run, the cats gaze never wavering. It may have been luck when the bus drove off, Matt panting in defeat as Near desperately tried to calm down. Though, he knew he could not avoid the small beings nor his "friend" that will be back to haunt him because in truth: connections never die.

A/N: True story. Well the cats and them in the lot.

Real Story: Early to school I and some other buddies heard meowing from the garden. We went to see what was happening and… yeah.

More personal advice: I felt so bad for Near when I thought: wouldn't his heart broken he is if he were friends with Matt who was friends with Mello? It's not even fiction, I'm sure many other people go through this and I am soooo sorry.

Live on, there's more of life that you haven't found. More friends waiting to be met. And possible a true friend (pft, someone I hope to meet too.)

Anyways! Review, fav and DON'T ALERT. This was a freebie one-shot that came along when I was looking for a distraction from writing chapter four of SMHCL.

*giggle* More laziness. Oh, they're in middle school T.T so Near sure does have a long life ahead of him…

And in my vision, no Near did not become a lonely cat person. T.T He probably just took them in.

Reikan Out!

Question: Who was the real hurt one in the end? It's like, pretty obvious but I like explanations so you can waste you're time if you want to.