How We Became Us

Chapter 2

Matt wakes to what feels like an earthquake, groaning and blindly reaching for his pillow. He knows exactly who is causing the earthquake but is too tired to get up, so he purposely doesn't set his alarm. Once his hands are on the pillow, he blindly swings it in the air, and then a thud, a laugh, a groan, and a body weight.

"Dude, that was me," Connor voice grumbles, and suddenly, there's giggling in Matt's ear and hair on his face.

"I ducked; I don't know what you were doing," Heather said, moving her face away from Matt's neck.

"Why are you shaking the bed, Heath?" Matt asked, still half asleep and wanting to turn around, but he couldn't since an entire human body sprawled on top of him.

"Come on, your parents are gone; let's drop the mask," she said excitedly and sat to straddle Matt's thighs. Matt felt the bed dip and knew Connor was kneeling beside him.

"It's noon, by the way," Connor points out, and Matt shoots up, nearly bumping heads with Heather.

"Shit," Matt said when he turned to look at the clock on his bedside table.

"Now, let's go; maybe we'll go to eat at that diner on the other side of town," Heather suggests. Matt and Connor look at each other and then turn, knowing glances at Heather. "Up and ready in ten," she said, jumping off the bed and running out of the room. Matt sighs, drops back on his bed, and hears shuffling. Then Connor is lying beside him.

"Heather dragged you out of bed as well?" Matt asked, and from the deep sigh, he knew she did.

"She'll drag us by the ankles if we don't get up," Connor pointed out, and Matt groaned but rolled out of bed. He sluggishly moves to his bathroom to go about his morning routine.

After much complaining from Heather, they arrive at the diner in Heather's car twenty minutes later. They settle into a booth in the far corner, practically hidden away from the rest of the restaurant, with Connor and Matt on one side and Heathre across from them.

"So, what's the deal with Eleanor?" Heather asked, shifting her attention from the counter to Matt, who grimaced. "Break up didn't go well?"

"Oh, with her, it was okay," Matt said, causing Connor to frown. "Her parents threw a fit because Ellie accidentally yelled it with her bedroom door open. Then her parents got mad at... well, I don't know who they were mad at, but going on about the future and how it was ruined. Ellie did, however, help me escape."

"Shit," Connor said, trying to suppress a laugh. "At least she was okay with it."

"Hey, we both got into a relationship for the benefit of our parents," Matt said with a shrug. "Plus, I have a sinking suspicion she was using me as a cover-up from her real relationship."

"Who?" Heather asked, eager for a piece of gossip, but Matt shrugged. Eleanor had explained to him the day after they broke up why she wasn't affected and had come out to him in the process. As much as he loves and trusts his friends, this isn't his secret to tell, so he wouldn't break Ellie's trust like that, even though she didn't explicitly say that he couldn't tell anyone.

"But my mom is already setting me up with someone else," Matt said with an annoyed eye roll.

"I'm pretty sure if both our parents weren't homophobic, they would've put us together," Connor said, and Matt nodded. If the Casey and Rhodes families blended into one family, everyone would have more power and money.

"I'm pretty sure they are waiting for Matt to be legal before they put him and Claire together," Heather said. Both Matt and Connor wore twin expressions of disgust, and Heather laughed.