Fix Me

Matt Webb always considered himself an average guy. He loved to sleep, he went to school and got fairly good grades, and he played the odd sport and loved music. He was modest, kind, and respectable. He didn’t try to be something he wasn’t. He was just himself, Matt, and there was really nothing else to it.
One thing about him, though, Matt rarely got mad. This meant he rarely disliked someone to the point of hatred. He would especially never feel this way towards any of his friends, or so he thought.
Matt wasn’t sure exactly what it was that made him so angry around Josh lately. He supposed it could be a combination of things, from Josh punching him, to constantly having to see Josh pine for Kali but never do anything about it. There was also the fact that Josh was visibly changing and was no longer the person he once was. Whatever it was out of all those things, it just lit a fire inside Matt whenever he saw Josh and he couldn’t control it. He just wanted to smack some sense back into the kid.
Matt felt bad for treating Josh the way he had been sometimes, but he’d get over it. While Josh had been Matt’s closest friend once upon a time, things had changed; Josh had changed. Sure, Matt shouldn’t have crossed the line with Kali but it wasn’t entirely his fault. How was he to know Josh was going to snap like that? After all, Josh had never actually voiced his feelings for Kali to anyone; it’d just been something Matt had always assumed.
Regardless, Josh was on Matt’s mind as he parked his old truck in the student parking lot and gathered his things. He didn’t mean to slam his door so hard when he got out. He was feeling a bit edgy by that time.
It appeared that he was the only one around at the time, so he slung his bag over his shoulder and began walking towards the school doors. Suddenly he heard voices and looked to his right casually. He’d been expecting teachers, or maybe a couple jocks, but what he saw was neither of those things and it made him stop and stare.
Standing hidden, or what they thought was hidden, behind an old shed was Josh and Xavier Rowan. What would Josh be doing hanging out with Xavier Rowan? Matt asked himself. He knew Xavier was a huge drug addict and a terrible influence. He seemed like a nice guy, but that was how he lured people in and pretty soon they were hooked. It was just how he made his money.
Matt walked a little closer and stealthily hid behind a school wall. He still couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he could see them better. With a shock, he saw Josh holding a cigarette to his lips. Since when did Josh smoke? He asked himself the question already knowing the answer. Xavier. So that’s what’s happened to Ramsay. It all made sense. Josh’s unexplained absences, his mood swings, his appearance; everything clicked.
Matt squinted his eyes to see them a bit better. Xavier was trying to secretly pass Josh a bag of something. After Josh grabbed it, Matt saw him thrust several bills into Xavier’s awaiting hand. A drug deal?! Now Matt knew he couldn’t be wrong.
Before he could be seen or he saw anything else he didn’t want to see, Matt ran into the school.
I need to find Kali…

“What do you mean you’re ‘just friends’?” Chelsea whined. “How can you be just friends with a guy as gorgeous as him?”
Kali was seated at one of the long tables with Alice and Chelsea at her sides. They’d been bugging her to fess up about Matt, and all she’d told them was she had fun at the dance and they were just friends. This proved to be a concept that was impossible to comprehend for the both of them.
“The same way I can be ‘just friends’ with…other guys, I guess.” Kali shrugged. She had one guy in particular on her mind, but her mouth refused to voice his name. Instead, she looked down and picked at her untouched cafeteria food.
“Oh, you mean Josh?” Alice said in a flowing whisper. “I think you’re hiding something. I don’t think you’re ‘just friends’ with either of them. Hello, threesome! It’s a Kali sandwich!”
Kali blushed and punched Alice’s arm. “I don’t think so!”
“I’m just kidding, Kal. We all know you’re a sacred V. I’m only saying you’re pretty desirable.” Alice chuckled and winked at her friend.
“Yeah…hardly,” Kali sighed. “Every guy that seems to want me is never a guy I want to like. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Well you have to know what you want in a guy,” Chelsea observed, “so what is it you like?”
“Hm,” Kali chewed her lip as she thought of desirable male qualities. “I guess I like a guy who’s funny and spontaneous, with little to no fear, sweet, honest, true to his heart…and a talented musician wouldn’t be too shabby, either.”
Chelsea and Alice shared a knowing glance. Kali caught her exchange and scrunched up her eyebrows.
“What’s that look?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Chelsea covered up, “those traits just remind us of a certain someone.”
“Who?” Kali inquired curiously. “Are you telling me you know someone like that and you haven’t set up a date for me?”
“Um,” Alice stuttered, “maybe. We don’t know if you’d be totally interested, though.”
“Yeah,” Chelsea nodded quickly. “But back to qualities. How big would you prefer his…anatomy?”
Alice laughed, nearly spitting out her lasagne. They knew how to make Kali feel awkward.
“Can we stop talking about penises, please?” she begged.
Just then a voice spoke up from in front of the girls. “Um…sorry to, uh, interrupt your discussion…” It was Matt. He was scratching the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable.
Kali blushed a deep pink and hid her head in her hands. Oh my god. You have got to be kidding me. Chelsea and Alice burst into giggles as they eyed Matt.
Finally Kali looked up into those innocent brown eyes. “I’m really sorry,” she apologized. “This is awkward…what’s up?”
“Can I talk to you alone for a sec?” he asked quietly.
“Sure.” Kali shoved her tray of cold food away and sat up.
Before she could leave, Chelsea grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to whisper in her ear, “Ask him how big he is. If you won’t take him, I will!”
“You’re such a pig.” Kali laughed and shook her head as she walked away form them.
Immediately after she was gone, Alice and Chelsea began to plan a date.
“I’m really sorry, Matt,” Kali said as she walked with him, “my friends are really inappropriate.”
“No, it’s fine. Sexual talk just…happens sometimes.” Matt shrugged, leaning up against a far wall.
“‘Sexual talk?’ You’re a real proper kid, aren’t you?” Kali giggled.
“Ah…ha, ha, yeah,” Matt laughed awkwardly. “Um, I need to talk to you about something.”
Kali nodded and smiled. “Sure, anything.”
“It’s about Josh,” As soon as Matt said those words, Kai’s smile disappeared and a haunted look swallowed up her eyes. She was still in pain over everything that had happened with Josh, that much was clear. Suddenly Matt felt horrible. I can’t do this to her.
“Oh…” she whispered, “what about him?”
Matt hesitated for a long time. Her eyes looked so sad and she seemed so fragile. He couldn’t tell her.
“He…uh, um, never mind, actually,” He laughed. “Just forget it, it’s really not that big of a deal at all.”
“Are you sure? You looked pretty freaked out before.” Kali gave him a weird look.
“Yeah, positive. I just got worked up over nothing. It’s okay. Sorry to worry you.” He smiled at her as sincerely as he could.
“Oh, okay.” Kali nodded; sort of glad to be off the topic even if she was sure there was something Matt was hiding from her. She was also sure she didn’t want to know what it was, anyway.
“Listen, do you need a ride to work after school? I can give you one.” he offered.
“Um, that’d be great, thanks. I’ll meet you at the doors after school.”
With that, the two said their goodbyes and dispersed. They both did their best to forget what had just happened.

Josh sauntered over to his locker after an especially difficult Physics class and fiddled the lock. He was exhausted and tired after his consecutive nights with no sleep. School was pushing him hard, but he knew he had to take it. He couldn’t drop out of school, despite how much he’d like to.
When he pulled open his locker, a pale pink piece of paper floated down to his feet. It’d been placed in the crack of his locker door and he hadn’t noticed it. He looked side to side to see if anyone was watching him suspiciously before bending down to retrieve it.
If this were folded any more it’d be origami, Josh thought as he pulled open the paper. In big, looping letters it read:
Josh, meet me at The Boathouse restaurant Friday night @ 8 pm sharp. It’s open mic night, so bring your best and look nice. See you there! Xoxo.
Josh stared at the paper in his hands for a long time, reading it over and over again. Clearly someone had made a mistake. They wanted a different Josh, like he scrawny kid in grade 9. Who in this school would ask Josh Ramsay out on a mystery blind date? He’d been sure all the girls hated him, honestly.
He carefully folded the interesting paper back up and slid it into his pocket. The curiosity was almost too much to handle.