Turn The Other Way

“What the fuck dude?!” I heard Brian say after I locked the door to Laura and Derek’s bathroom.

“Get the fuck out,” Matt seethed.

“Fuck no! I have a right to be here!” Eli countered.

“The hell you do!” Jimmy added.

“If you don’t get our right fucking now, I’m going to kick you in your nuts so fucking hard that they’ll be in your intestines for a month,” Brian threatened.

“Shut up,” Eli said softly.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Brian says slowly, lethally.

I heard Eli yelping, the door being opened, a thump, and then the door slamming.

“I’ll go see if she’s okay,” Michelle said.

“I got it,” Matt replied.

I heard his footsteps come up the stairs, then his knock on the door. “Lynn?” he asked.

I unlocked the door, but then went back to sitting on the ground.

“You okay?” he asked as he came in, relocking the door behind him.

I shook my head no, the hysterics coming.

“Matt, he fucking took me to McDonalds and we fucking played in the fucking play place! I never thought he’d do something like this.”

Matt smiled. “We did that before.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. When we were seventeen, both plastered, we went to McDonalds and played in that thing. I got stuck in the tubes and you had to pull me out,” he said with a light laugh. I couldn’t help but smile.

“I don’t remember that.”

“Cause you were hammered!” he said laughing. “I think you out drunk me that night.”

“But seriously,” I said. “He had no right to fucking do that, Matt!” Matt went to give me a hug but I pushed him away. I didn’t want it right now. “He hurt me so fucking bad. In front of my fucking family, nonetheless! I mean… he insults you and me! I feel so used right now,” I cry.

“I’m sorry baby,” Matt said and embraces me. This time I let him, collapsing against his chest. I cry into his shoulder, leaving his grey shirt tearstained and damp.

“Matt, I fucking hate him! He’s so fucking annoying!” I sob.

“I know, baby, “ Matt coos, kissing the top of my head while rubbing my back. Matt then goes to say something else but keeps it to himself.

“What?” I ask, looking up at him.

He sighs and I pull from him so I can see his face. He continues to keep hold of my waist.

“Did you really mean what you said about me?” he finally asks.

“Yeah,” was my simple reply. Matt nods and kisses my forehead.

“Do you still hate me?”

“No,” I say, shaking my head to add emphasis. “I’m over it.”

Matt nods. “Do you want me to beat the shit out of him for you?”

“Please?” I beg. Matt smiles, kissing my cheek and get up and out of the bathroom. I silently follow him, wanting to see this match.

I ignore the stares of everyone as Matt and I walk down the stairs. It’s almost like Brian, Zacky, jimmy and Jonny know what’s going to happen. They walk toward Matt, following him out the door.

“Lynn, please stay in here,” Mom says. I nod, watching the guys go outside in search of Eli.

The screen door shuts behind them and I go to look out of it, hearing everything.

“I thought I told you to fucking leave!” Brian exclaimed.

“You told me to fucking get out, not leave!” Eli shoots back.

“You’re a fucking bitch, you know that?” Matt asked. “How can anyone fucking talk that way to a girl, Lynn at that?” Matt punched Eli down to the ground, the guys proclaiming this Matt’s fight. “She deserves better fucking pricks than you anyway!” Matt kicked Eli in the side, making his body crumple together. “She was just trying to be nice to you and you treat her as an easy fucking lay?!” Matt shouts, kicking him in the ribs again. “Fuck no! She fucking finds you annoying, you know that?!” Matt climbed on top of Eli and punched his jaw. “I wish I fucking had her back, dude! Do you realize how happy she fucking made me?! If only I made her as happy as she made me, dude! I fucking messed things up with her but never did I once try to disgrace her like this!” Matt finally spit in his eye, getting up.

“Done?” Jimmy asked.

“For now,” Matt replied, shaking his hand out. The other four started kicking him at once. Hearing Eli’s cries of pain, I smirked. The bastard is getting what he deserved.

Mom came from behind me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and pulling me away. I sat on the couch next Val, who warmly hugged me.

“Did you hear him?” I asked her.

Val snorted a laugh. “How couldn’t I? He was yelling it so loud I think the world heard him.” I smiled. “You know he’d find a way to tell the whole world he loved you if you asked him to.”

“She still loves him,” Derek said with a smirk.

“Oh yeah?” Gena asked, poking me in the side.

I smiled, stilling a laugh, and then nodded. “I think so.”

“There is no ‘I think so,’ about it,” Michelle said. “You either do or you don’t.”

“Fine!” I said. “I give up! I do!”

“Déjà vu,” Michelle said.

“Again?” Gena whined.

Michelle laughed and nodded. “Yes.”

“What this time?” Val asked.

“This is how we found out the first time Lynn loved Matt,” she explained.

Val sent her a look to her sister. I knew where this was going, but before I said anything, Matt and the guys came in. I looked to him, smiling my thanks.

“Everyone! Out!” Michelle barked. Yep. She’s doing it again. “Let Lynn and Matt talk!”

“Just have them fucking go somewhere else!” Jimmy said, still pissed off.

“Ugh. Fine.” Michelle grabbed my hand, pulling me up with her, and then grabbed Matt’s hand. We were both pulled over to my apartment. Before Michelle left, she said, “Lynn loves you!” The door shut, leaving me there, not yet turning to Matt.

“This setting is familiar,” he said. I could mentally see the smirk in his voice. “So, you love me, huh?”