Teenage Prodigies {Gustholomule}

Chapter 2

Matt's P.O.V.

It has been a day since the incident with Bria. Steve has been staying with me at the house. I told him that he didn't have to, but Steve being Steve, he insisted. He already signed me up for Hexside, and I'm starting tomorrow. Honestly getting pretty excited about it! You dont have to wear uniforms there, so that's pretty cool I guess.

My leg is healing well, the stitches will be removed in 2 weeks, but in the meantime I just need to not do too much physical activity. There's not much to do around here. My parents never bought me a phone, and I've read all the books in the house at least twice.

"I'm home!" I hear Steve say from downstairs. I get up off my bed and walk slowly towards the the door.

"Coming!" I call out to Steve. I eventually make my way to the kitchen, where I see Steve unpacking bag of groceries into the fridge.
"Oh Steve- you didn't have to.." I say as I look into one of the bags.

"No I actually did Matt. You need to be eating better, the doctors said you where malnourished and underweight."

He's not wrong, I'm 5'4 at 95 pounds or something at this point. I sigh, nodding at Steve before helping him unpack the bags.

"In a few days I'm going to have to go back to campus, so you will be on your own again." Steve says and a frown forms on his face.

"It's okay, I can handle myself." I reply, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Okay, but I atleast want to have your phone number, so we can stay in contact and you can call me if you ever need help with anything."

"Oh uh.. I don't have a phone."

"What do you mean you don't have a phone? What kind of 15 year old doesn't have a cellphone?"

"Me, I guess. Mom and dad said they were to expensive." I stare at my feet for a moment before resuming putting away the food.

"That's messed up, they got me a phone as soon at I got into 9th grade." Steve looked pissed off, clearly they had not grown up with the same luxuries.

"Yeah well, after you moved out they kinda just stopped caring about me. You were always the favorite."

"That's actually messed up.. wait.. I moved out 4 years ago.. your saying that they stopped caring about you at 11?-" Steve's eyes widened as he realized just how badly his parents treated Matt. He looked over too his brother who was still putting away groceries with a neutral expression on the face.

"Well, They started going out more and more, but for the first years they still made sure that the fridge was stocked and stuff. But by the time I made it to 9th grade, they decided to stop doing that. They saw St. Epiderm, which was a private boarding school, and sent me off to live there."

Steve gasped, looking at me wide eyed.

"I loved it there, I finally had friends, a sense of community, actual meals since mom and dad never taught me how to cook, stuff like that. But they decided that for 11th grade that it was too expensive. They sent me to Glandus, and stopped coming home almost entirely."

"Do I need to call CPS or something- this is not normal.." Steve asked, not taking his eyes off me.

"NO. I mean, no. Please don't.. Anyway, But when they do come home they are always drunk and just ignore my efforts to ask for food or just help in general. Sometimes they would throw stuff at me or kick me out because they were so intoxicated that they couldn't recognize me. And that all just leads up to now I guess." I finally finished putting away the groceries and closed the door to the fridge as I said the last line. I turned to Steve, who was staring at me, staring to get teary eyed.

He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my body.
"I'm so sorry Matt... I don't have enough money to pay for St Epiderm tuition or to rent you a apartment of your own.. but I will buy you a phone so that you can call me whenever mom and dad come home."

I hug Steve back.
"Thank you."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Steve got me a iPhone 11, I'm extremely grateful but its really confusing. Steve set up all the basic apps, set up a phone number, and got me data. He also downloaded this app called spotify, and got me premium for it. I haven't checked it out yet but he said that I would like it. Anyways, Steve also got me a set of wireless headphones that he showed me how to set up.

"Dinners ready!" Steve calls from downstairs. A smile crawls across my face,
"I'm coming!" I holler back at him, jumping off my bed and running down the stairs, ignoring the pain in my leg.

I sit down at the table across from Steve where a plate of food was sitting.
"Thank you!" I saw cheerfully as I pick up my fork.
"Your welc-" Steve looks up at me to see half of my food gone already. "Wow..." Steve says with a laugh before beginning to eat his food again.

I finish my food and look over at Steve, who was still eating. I grab the water beside my plate and chug it.
"May I be excused?" I ask. Steve nods without looking up off his plate. I get up from the table and grab my dishes.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I am sitting on my bed. listening to this artist 'Cavetown' on spotify. (He definitely would I don't want to hear it) I hear Steve open the door, and I take off my headphones.

"Matty you need to start going to bed now, Hexside starts a hour earlier than Glandus."

"Seriously? It starts at 8:30?"

"That's pretty typical for a highschool, but yes, it does."

"Fineeeuh."

"By the way, I'm driving you tomorrow morning, but after that your bus comes at 8. So, get used to waking up earlier." He finished his sentence and walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

I get up off my bed and head towards my closet, I grab a pair of black shorts and a yellow t-shirt and get changed into them. Yawning, I walk towards my door and head down the hall to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror I notice that most of the cuts on my face are healing and the bruises are fading. I smile at myself in the mirror, before remembering the massive scar below my right eye. Bria had thrown a rock at my face, barely missing my eye. That was like what, 3 months ago now?

I leave the bathroom and walk back to my room. I turn off the light and throw myself onto the bed.