Christmas 2002

There was laughter in the common room. It was all over a song on the Christmas CD that had swearwords in it. Mello had heard the commotion, so had run in to see; Matt had had no option but to follow him, because Ann was in the reception area and she might try to hug him. It was Salvo, Jonny, Mairoo and Mello by the finish, dancing around the stereo, screaming out the words at the top of their voices. There was nothing that Ann or any of the adults could do. It was a Christmas song! It was on the CD! And they sang, "You\'re a bum, you\'re a punk, you\'re an old slut on junk." Then a couple of bars later, "You scumbug, you maggot, you cheap, lousy faggot, merry Christmas, your arse, I pray God it\'s our last." It quickly became their favourite Christmas song ever.



Matt sat down on a chair, playing his new game, though his gaze occasionally rose to watch the four of them stomping about and to smile. Mello tried to get him to dance and sing too, rushing over to bounce in front of him, singing, "I kept them with me, babe, I put them with my own; can\'t make it all alone, I\'ve built my... Matt! Dance!" Mello grabbed his arm and Matt glared at him. In the doorway, Ann briefly appeared, but she saw a scene that was nearly friendship in the room and hadn\'t heard the swearing, so she left. They put the song on repeat again. Mello went away and even put his arm around Salvo to sing, "It was Christmas Eve, in the drunktank." Again.



Matt watched as, across the room, Fenian rose from the group he was with - mostly girls and little kids - and dashed out of the door. There was something about it that made Matt frown and stand. He signalled \'be right back\' at Mello and slipped out into the corridor. He caught a flash of auburn hair disappearing into a classroom, not up the stairs as Matt had suspected. He crept closer and listened at the door. There were tears within, then a clatter as a chair was kicked over. Matt smirked. Fenian was being a Hillyer. Whatever had set him off, it had to be related to the song. The Irish boy had been becoming quietly more furious every time it was repeated. Matt supposed that he ought to tell someone, but it was too much fun to listen.



Inside, the soft heaving sounds sank into sniffs. There was a flapping rustle and, through the window in the door, Matt witnessed papers fluttering up into the air and down all over the floor. Then Fenian spoke fiercely, "They might as go chasing after moonbeams or light a penny candle from a star." Matt memorised the strange phrase. It might mean something when he and Mello analysed it later. He said something else as well, but Matt missed it because, at that moment, there came a roar from Mello in the common room.



Matt ran. He reached the door at a slide and swung inside. Mello had Salvo on his back. He was astride him with his hands around the older boy\'s neck. Salvo was trying to fight him off, but Mello was screaming into his face, "You were looking at me!" Around them, Jonny and Mairoo shrank away, while everyone else just watched from safely across the room. Matt stood over them, making no effort to pull Mello off, even when Salvo started making choking noises. Mello continued yelling. "You sang, \'cheap, lousy faggot\' and looked at me!"



Salvo got a punch in. It connected with Mello\'s small back and infuriated him. A fist left the African boy\'s neck and flew down against his jaw instead. Matt fell back, standing in the doorway, watching for adults coming. Salvo managed to roll, taking Mello with him, but the blond boy wasn\'t trapped. He sprang back, leaping to his feet to deliver a ferocious kick to Salvo\'s kidneys. Hollow called across, sounding bored, "That\'s enough, Mello."



Mello flicked her the birdie and tried to grab Salvo\'s head enough to smash it into the carpet. He moved though, curling away and striking backwards to nearly hit Mello in the ribs. Nathalie cried out, "Please stop fighting! It\'s Christmas!" The sentiment was echoed by Linda and Chrissie, but neither boy was listening. Matt saw Roger coming and kicked twice on the doorframe. Mello immediately leapt backwards, smirking and staring at the boy at his feet. Salvo\'s knees came up and his arms wrapped around them, foetal shaped. The Pogues \'Fairytale from New York\' carried on playing on repeat.



Roger burst in, but there was nothing to see and nothing to stop. He gave Mello a withering look, but didn\'t say a word. He simply bent down to help Salvo to his feet, while Mello swaggered with triumph out of reach. Roger shook his head. "I do wish you children would play nicely. It is Christmas Day."



Mello continued grinning, as he skirted them and brushed past Matt in the doorway. Matt followed but instead of heading for the stairs, he pulled Mello in the opposite direction, down the corridor by the classrooms. As they passed a certain room, Matt sang out for the first time, "\'And the boys in the NYPD choir were singing \'Galway Bay\' and the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day.\'" He just winked as Mello stared at him in surprise, then slapped the blond\'s arm and took them at a run to the stairs upstairs.



As soon as they reached their room, Mello\'s arms were outflung in the air, "We own this House!" He fell back onto his bed and grinned at the ceiling.



"Yeah." Matt agreed and played his game.