Matt successfully parks right outside of Target. "Let's go!" I holler to him as I jump out of the passengers seat. We enter the store and I head straight to the Ulta section of the store. Matt grabs a shopping cart, since he assumes we will need one. Matt meets me in the e.l.f section and I already have a handful of items. "Why do you need all that makeup" he says, "you're naturally beautiful." I stood there as I felt my face go red. I snap myself out of it and turn back around to grab another shade of the e.l.f lip oil. "I like to do makeup. I find it.. therapeutic." I say. As I turn around to place my items in the cart, I see Matt looking at a familiar face. It's Amelia Baker. Nick always talks about how her and Matt used to be best friends before they moved to LA. But why is she here? Did she move here just so she could see Matt again? As soon as I escape my thoughts I see Matt walking over to her. They stood there talking for only five minutes, but I couldn't help but feel jealous. I told myself I had to snap out of it. They were high school best friends, so they had to of been just catching up.
We shop around for another hour or two around the shopping center the Target is in. As Matt loads up the car, I put back in my address and start playing the album Think Later by Tate McRae. It's a quick but quiet ride home, which is odd. Usually we're making fun of Chris and Chloé, or of each other. Chris and Chloé have been talking for a few months. He was Chloé's first friend here in LA. I find it funny, because I'm mutual friends with the triplets and family friends with Chloé. But, that's besides the point. Matt is the quiet type, but today he was almost too quiet.
We unload the car and bring up all the bags to my apartment. Nick and Chris are watching the ocean waves on the balcony with Lulu. Matt and I carry everything to my room as Chris and Nick walk back inside. Nick gives us the warmest welcome of "guys get over here! We never filmed our Wednesday vlog!" Matt sighs and turns to me, "how much do you want to bet it's a baking challenge." He places his phone on the marble island counter top and walks over to Chris. He left is phone open so I wanted to turn it off for him so it didn't lose too much battery. As I go up to his phone, I couldn't help but notice frequent back and forth texts to... Amelia Baker. They must have exchanged numbers when they saw each-other at Target. I feel a lump in my throat as I turn off his phone and walk over to where they are filming.
Nick: Welcome back to another Wednesday vlog. Today we're doing the blind deaf mute baking challenge with a special guest. Come here Tate!
Me/Tate: Hey guys! You might know me from TikTok-
I get cut off as Matt places his arm on my shoulder. I'm 5'4, so even though he's only a few inches taller than me, he always likes to remind me I'm shorter than him.
Chris: I call deaf!
Matt: No I call deaf. I never get a say in what I am in these videos.
Nick: Why don't we let T decide who is who? After all she's are special guest.
Me/Tate: I don't really care what I am. Let's spin a wheel on our phones or something so it's more fair.
We spin the wheel. Nick is mute, Chris is blind and mute, Matt is blind, and I'm deaf. Matt comes up to me after we all spin the wheel. He's begging to switch with me. I couldn't resist and agreed. I put on the blindfold with the help of Chris, and we start making the brownies.
After we made the brownies, I couldn't get my mind off of the texts I saw on Matt's phone. My apartment has direct, twenty four hour access to the beach. We were on the couch watching a movie. Nick was taking a nap and Chris was on his phone, probably texting Chloé. Matt was in a deep focus on the movie. I thought it was the perfect time to go for a swim, since we were nearing sunset. I get changed into my favorite bikini and pack a small tote bag of a towel, a speaker, claw clip. Matt notices I'm in my bathing suit and asks where I was going. "Where do you think I'm going, Canes?" I say. "I mean I'm down with that," he says back. "Give me five minutes." Perfect. I wanted to clear my mind from Matt for a few seconds, and now he's running to his room to get ready to go with me.
I shuffle my beach playlist from this past summer. It's currently the beginning November, and I've noticed the sunsets are amazing at this time of year. I place down my tote bag as Matt says, "I'll race you!" I stand there for one second and then decide to chase after him. We both dive under the same wave. The water is perfect. It's quite as close to crystal clear as you will get from Los Angeles beaches. In that moment, my mind was clear from any doubt I've ever had. "Let's take pictures! I brought my waterproof phone case." I say to Matt. We take the best sunset pictures ever, and soon enough the only light in the sky is the city lights. We head back home to see Nick and Chris both asleep on the couch. We turn and look at each other, giggling. We head off each to our rooms to shower, as we say goodnight.
