5Matt & Jane
There's always this funny tension whenever I'm around him with his friends, as though I'm bracing myself for him to kick me out because they'd be watching sexual relations on iPods or be getting into trouble because they raided the girls change rooms. Nope, he'd keep me around for a while and then kick me out. Only 'cause he doesn't want to scar me for life with what they're doing.
See how nice he is in his own twisted way?
That morning, I had dismissed the action as nothing and joined my friends again, confused on why there was a weight on my chest. Hayley, my beautiful blonde friend and Leo, my rather dim witted yet charming guy friend, gave me suggestive looks and Jerry, a tall brunet friend waggled his thick eyebrows at me, jerking his chin in Matt's direction; they all earned themselves a lovely bird from my right hand. They had this sick idea that Matt and I would end up together and live happily ever after in a freaking white castle in the middle of fairy land. Like hell that'll happen. Firstly, even if I liked him that way, nothing would happen. Secondly, he doesn't like me that way. And lastly, where the hell was he gonna get a white castle and a horse?
"You love it, Jane." Hayley said, giving me hug from behind.
"Rape!" I yelled, laughing when she began to tickle my sides.
Jerry and Leo joined in and we faintly heard a guy scream out, "Orgy!"
Turns out, that was Matt. I mock-glared at him and flipped him off. He feigned horror and pain, clutching his chest like I'd just stabbed him. I pulled on a sympathetic face for him and he brightened up before leaving me alone again with my horny friends. Yes, they are horny. Probably because Hayley is dating Leo and Jerry is with Mia who is a damned popular girl. I have nothing against her, at least recently, but it's also the people she hangs out with... Jerry would shoot me daggers whenever I mentioned something about her and her friends. It wasn't like I was out to kill her... yet.
It's true I envied her. She had it all really. Tall, slim and gorgeous with thick strawberry blonde hair which curled to the small of her back, sun kissed skin, bright blue eyes, sharp facial features and freaking long legs.
I was her complete opposite.
I'd dyed my hair red a couple days ago and now I had long tresses of scarlet red layered hair. I was kind of round-ish, not fat, and just not skinny, a button nose, big brown eyes, and I hardly reached past Leo's chest and he was six feet tall. I'm a real charmer, eh?
In the afternoons, Matt and I would walk home together because we happened to live next door to each other. Our mums were best friends and it was only this year when they finally fulfilled their teenage dream life by living next door to each other. We both had pretty nice houses and our mums were lovely people. No wonder they got on so well. And Dad was well... Dad. I never saw him much and Matt would sometimes wait with me until he got home, usually drunk and ready to hobble back upstairs into the bedroom and collapse.
This one particular afternoon, everything just got weird.
Hayley was with me when I got the phone call. I pulled out my phone to the familiar tune of an all time favourite rock band and saw the caller ID was private. I answered, rather uncertain to what I was going to get. It was Mum.
"Jane! Honey, where are you?" She sounded out of breath yet so gleeful.
"I'm at school... What's wrong?" I frowned, confused.
"Okay, just making sure. Take your time coming home tonight, okay? Love you." And with that, she hung up.
Soon after that odd phone call, I'd noticed something. Matt's friends were actually acknowledging me. They'd give me stares from a distance then chatter amongst themselves and give me a small wave. I would wave back, a tiny smile on my face, completely and utterly shocked. They'd never taken into full account I was good friends with Matt. I doubt they ever noticed me at all until today.
When I arrived to the front of the school to wait for Matt, I saw Hayley and Leo practically eating each other up so I decided to do something naughty. I pounced onto Hayley's back and she screamed, thrashing around the hallway with Leo laughing his ass off at us. She finally calmed down eventually; now realising it had been me that had given her the scare.
Needless to say, I was going to have runner's legs after this. She chased me around the entire school with a baseball bat.
I walked home alone that afternoon.
Matt hadn't shown up and well, I was kinda down the whole way home. There was always this empty feeling in my chest whenever he wasn't there when he was meant to be. I'd never deciphered what that was before. And the acceleration of heart whenever I heard the mention of him was odd too. Hell, Matt played video games and had a stuffed toy collection. He wasn't exactly what you'd call 'hot stuff' but I was having thoughts.
Did I like him?
One part of my mind would shriek, "Yes!"
The other would mutter, "I don't give a damn. If you do, you do. End of story."
Then another thought arose.
Was I in love with him?
I wasn't even sure anymore. Mum told me that being in love is an experience that was mind blowing and insanely awesome. At least that was what it was like with her and Dad. I'm not sure about that anymore either.
I arrived home a little past three. I unlocked the door and greeted Mum with a hug. I was comforted by her plump physique and how soft she was. She hadn't lost the baby weight since she had me. That was eighteen years ago. Good job, Mum. She grinned at me widely, obviously hiding something. Mum wasn't someone smart or cunning enough to be inconspicuous. What was it with people today?
"How was your day, sweetie?"
"Good good. Do you know where Matt is? He didn't walk home with me today."
Mum composed a blank look. "I don't know, honey. Maybe you should ask Mary." Mary was Matt's mum.
I walked next door, knocked loudly and waited patiently for someone to open the door. He'd come with me to school this morning. Who disappears into thin air? Apparently him.
Where was he?
The door was yanked open and my question had been answered by heaven... or hell.
Right in freaking front of me.
He appeared amusing with his mussed brown hair and sleepy eyes. He was in his boxers and white singlet, rubbing his eyes and yawning in my face. Nice manners buddy. God, he even had funny breath. I couldn't call it morning breath could I? When his eyes opened entirely and he acknowledged it was me, he slightly gaped and tried to fix himself up, unsuccessfully.
"Man, you fail. Give up already. I've seen you naked." I teased.
He chuckled. "Only in photos, Jane; besides, I was like five. You just wish you'd see the real me now without any clothes, eh?"
I hid my growing flush very well. "Ha ha, no; where were you today?" I needed a new topic.
"I had to leave early. Wasn't feeling that well."
I pulled on a sympathetic face. "Aw, I'm sorry." It was then when I realised he hadn't invited me in. "Can I come in?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I blame the sickness." He stepped aside and I bounced in, skipping to the kitchen where Mary was busy making some concoction that smelt like soup. Mary was a lovely woman and was probably the kindest hearted person I knew. I understood where Matt got some of his rather mushy side from, not that he would let me rub it in that he was sensitive. Gotta keep that tough guy act up and all for his friends. Mary gave me a warm welcome and offered for me to join them for dinner. I was about to say I'd have to ask Mum but she cut me off.
"She already knows. She'll come over when it's time." She flashed me a wide smile and I smiled back, receiving an odd sensation in my stomach. Oh wait, that was me being nervous. Matt gave me a signal to follow him upstairs and I left Mary in her zone. I swear to God I saw her wink at me. I swear!
Matt's room is different to what you'd expect. It's plain and boring. Nothing stands out aside from the blue cover on his double bed. No posters to indicate who or what he liked, no collections of any sort aside from the dirty clothes pile in the basket by the door. I crinkled my nose and made a face as he collapsed back onto his bed and sighed, sniffling and rubbing his nose. He watched me with a piercing gaze hold up a stuffed crocodile with my left hand, raising an eyebrow. He gave me an embarrassed smile then flew into a coughing fit. I smacked him hard on the back, earning grunts and one small cry of annoyance. Yep, I hit hard and it wasn't my fault I had guns and he didn't.
"Oi! I so do have guns!" Matt protested, flexing his arms muscles. Oops, I guess I'd said that statement out loud.
I poked the big muscles on his arm. "Ha ha, that's not muscle. It's flab."
"It's not flab!"
"Yes it is!"
And that's when he began to tickle my ribs. I fell onto the bed and glared at him, for once not too focused on his facial features. I grabbed his head and messed up his hair, then tried to tickle him. It kind of failed. Because he managed to evade me and I ended up face planting into his chest. Just my luck, he began to cough again. I groaned and attempted to get off him but he held me down, my nose flattening and my eyes closing.
"Let me go!" I tried to say but it probably came out as gibberish.
"Aw, I love you."
I stiffened and I felt his own body tense beneath me. He released me and I sat up to look at him. A small flush had reached his cheeks and he was looking down at his laced fingers. I ignored the pounding in my chest and said, "What did you say?"
He stammered out, avoiding my gaze, "Well, um, l-like, u-um, I-I don't know."
"I know when you're nervous you talk like that." I pointed out.
He sighed, hiding his face in his pillow. I grabbed his shoulders and turned him round so we were face to face. Hell, our noses were touching. We were that close and I was pretty sure he could hear my wacky heart killing my rib cage and feel my clammy hands.
"I um," he tried to not look me in the eyes and I made no move to stop him, "I think I said I love you."
I did my best not to gape, stop functioning and probably fall over when he said that. And hey, it worked! I didn't do it. Too bad for my insides though. They could quite literally have transformed into mush. He was holding me close, eyes searching my face. To be honest, I had no idea what my expression was. All I can recall was that he'd reached forward and kissed me. On the lips. Completely.
Call me weird but now I can say I'm no longer a kiss virgin! And he tasted funny.
Eventually, I had to do something to mess a moment like this up.
I yanked myself away, had hold of the stuffed crocodile and was hitting him repeatedly with it. "Dear God, Matt," I hit him, "why," and again, "didn't you," and again, "tell me," and again, "before!" I hammered the crocodile at his chest as hard as I could. Matt clutched his chest and had a spasm of coughs. The short anger I'd experienced dissolved and I was rubbing his back, stroking his soft hair.
"You're so mean to me." He said quietly, playing with my fingers after the coughing had ceased. "I declare my love you and you attack me. What kinda reaction is that?" I heard the slight hurt in his words. Oh, boys. They will never understand the female species.
"You are the idiot here." I told him, grabbing his face and locking our lips together. Damn it, why was I addicted to him already? He was so soft and gentle in the kiss, moving a little so we were both lying on our sides, his arms around me. I faintly acknowledged the humming of his heart beat on my hand where it lay on his chest. "I love you too, you damn moron." I murmured then laughed when I realised what I'd just said. Dear God, how had I ended up here? Damn you, Matthew.
"I swear I'm on cloud nine." Matt muttered, fiddling with strands of my hair, a hand on my hip. I blushed at this note but dismissed it just as quickly as I'd noticed it.
"I think you're on your bed, Matt, not cloud nine."
"Oh shut up, Eva. You're mean." He pouted. "Mum told me you'd be mean to me if I told you I loved you."
"We've already established that I'm mean. Wait a second..." My eyes widened, "you told your mum?!"
"And yours." Smug bastard. I ought to kill him. But what good would come out of that?
"Besides, you're sick, you have no idea what you're saying."
"So you're saying my love for you is a lie?" He forced me to look him in the eye. "Well?"
I frowned. "No. I'm not saying that. Jeez, you're a year older than me but I know you. What you say is true, always has been."
Matt relaxed visibly, clinging closer to me. "You had me worried for a second there."
"I suppose you ought to get used to it." I smirked, ecstatic at the idea of us being together. Thank you, God. I thank you.
Oh, hell no.
Runny nose, sore throat, and itchy eyes – symptoms of a cold.
And guess who gave it to me?
Matt.
The little bastard. I should have thought twice about kissing the guy for more than ten minutes, especially since I knew he was sick.
I was lying in my comfy bed, sniffling, coughing my lungs out and crying, piling up the bin with tissues as my bedroom door slowly swept open. I glared at the amused yet guilty hazel eyes by the door.
"Good morning, my love." He said tenderly, seeking a way to wriggle out of my wrath.
Not this time, buddy.
"Mornin' to you too." I grumbled, crossing my arms around my sore chest.
"I'm sorry, Jane. I would have reminded you I was sick but I guess I kind of forgot." He sat down by my bed, smirking to himself. I struggled to get him off my bed with my feet which were lamely kicking in random directions. He leaned in close and kissed me softly, tasting like mint. He must have brushed his teeth, the good boy. I kissed him back and when I had to yank myself away to breathe, he only continued down my neck until I pushed him away.
"I don't wanna get you sick again, you retard." I said, snuggling up into my bed sheets.
"Okay then, I'll just leave."
"Yeah, you do that."
He feigned emotional pain and I flipped him off. He reached over to tickle me and I swatted his hands away, laughing. An itchy sensation gripped my throat so sooner rather than later, I was coughing and sneezing and covering my mouth with tissues. I gotta love life.
"See you later, Jane." Matt said from my door.
"I hate you." I growled.
"Love you too." He smirked at me, a smug, ignorant one.
And that was how he ended up with a broken nose, due to the stuffed bunny next to me, which I'd casually thrown at him as he'd been leaving the room.
Don't ask me how it happened. I will never know.
A/N:
This little number actually inspired Sam & Eva which is why it's a bit similar. (:
Let me know what you thought of it.
~ Fia.