Afterward

There was a knock on the door. Marty and Danny, the awkward and lean, but still strangely beautiful, thirteen year old twins shot a look over. I closed the book I was reading and went over to answer it.

Matt was standing at the door. He was leaning against the door-frame, his blond locks tangled and blue eyes pained. His face was twisted into a wince that seemed like he was suffering from a physical wound.

"Can I stay here for a bit?" He asked.

"Um, I'm waiting for Blitz, but of course you can." I said to him, then said loudly to the brothers, "Matt's going to stay for a while!"

Marty raised his eyebrows, but he and Danny continued to play on the Xbox. They used to complain about how scary Matt was when they were younger, but eventually just accepted that he was going to be a part of their life. Matt and I have been friends since the sixth grade.

Matt stumbled in and I guided him out to the backyard. He then plopped into one of the chairs outside, dropping his head into his hands, and heaved a sigh that seemed to expel all the air out of him.

I settled in the seat in front of him.

"You know, I still can't tell your step-brother's apart." Matt mumbled.

"You eventually learn. Though Marty only has one dimple while Danny has two." I managed out a laugh.

Matt was silent for a while, still resting his head in his hands. Wind passed through the trees, rustling through the little leaves they had left. A couple golden-red ones fluttered down into the lawn.

"Are you okay?"

"No." Matt grumbled, finally looking up. His shadows under his eyes looked a lot darker than normal. "Did Ray tell you...?"

"About Char? Yeah."

"I'm sorry I didn't inform you about it." Matt averted his gaze. Regret crossed his face for a moment, distorting it into a faint grimace. "I should've a while ago."

"It's alright. I don't know what I could've done though."

Matt wrung his hands. His deep blue eyes met mine briefly. Then he looked away.

"Katie, I know you don't know really why I hate Char." He said softly. "If Ray hadn't told you why, all I can assume you know that he did something to me that really shattered my heart. I don't really want to get into it."

I swallowed. "Did it have something to do with J---?"

Matt suddenly clenched his hands, tightened his jaw, and his pupils dilated.

"Matt...?" Fear started to rise.

He sat frozen for seconds, but then eventually settled.

"It's okay. I'm fine. I've got it under control." Matt forced out. "That's really... really weird..."

I went over to Matt and gave him a hug. He wrapped his strong arms around me and squeezed, a little harder than comfortable, but that calmed him down for good.

We released and I moved back to the chair, shivering a bit. Matt was back to being Matt.

"That's the first time in a long time my monster decided to show up." He frowned.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." I was a little terrified though.

Matt shook his arms and bounced his knees, as if they fell asleep and he was trying to wake them up. "But you're right though, Katie, it does have something to do with her." He rolled his wrists. "And I think it's my heartbreak and anger that's stirring up my monster. I've been pretty angry and heartbroken lately."

Matt never really got over J---. I didn't know the specifics of their relationship, but I knew he really loved her, and she had a boyfriend.

"Char once dated her, right?" I asked him.

"Once. I'm glad she dumped that shithead." Matt stopped moving and looked over, then grimaced. "Sorry for swearing."

"It's fine..."

"Basically she dumped him when she left. Then he committed suicide, yada yada. Then she came back, well, Ray and I found her and she came back, and-and then she left again. For good. Which is why... why she isn't here now." Matt's voice cracked. "Okay, look, I... I don't want to talk about it any more..."

I felt my heart twist, and scooted over near him. Matt slid and arm around me and buried his head in my shoulder. He was trembling.

"Katie, I really love her..." He sounded like he was going to cry. "But then Char had to go fuck with her head and screw everything up. He's a fucking... demon. I don't know. He goes and invades people's minds and he screws them up and he's a fucking pervert. J---is the sweetest girl in the world. And now she's all messed up because of him."

I didn't have a clue of what to say. Char could invade minds? Well, Matt had a monster in him and Ray could control technology. Why was this surprising?

"I'm hurting so bad and I can't move on from her and I can't forgive him. I don't even know what to do, Katie."

Matt, I don't even know how to help you...