LES || matt sturniolo

𝟎𝟏𝟔. the silent treatment

CHAPTER 016 -
╰┈➤ ' the silent treatment ' ೃ⁀➷ 
「 real life 」

─ real life ☼

VIVIENNE SIGHS AS SHE RESTS her elbows on the table. she's earlier than usual, only so she could avoid running into kai. she hasn't spoken to him, well since he had kissed her a few weeks back and she was planning to ignore him ever since.

she must've zoned out for awhile because now matt was besides her, he rudely had his back facing her. "matt? are you okay?" she asks.

however, matt remained unresponsive, refusing to acknowledge her presence or offer any indication of his well-being. frustrated by his behavior, vivienne couldn't help but roll her eyes. "a nod would be appreciated," she muttered under her breath.

as matt shifted in his chair, vivienne anticipated a response, but none came. instead, he cast a nonchalant glance in her direction, leaving her feeling increasingly puzzled and a little irritated.

she looked at him incredulously, unable to believe what was happening. despite her attempts to reconcile, the two had not spoken for weeks, and vivienne couldn't understand why. not long ago, matt had been pleading for another chance, but now he had inexplicably cut her off, even changing her imessage name to a simple dot. she nudged him, hoping to break through the silence, wondering if he was just teasing her. "am i being given the silent treatment?"

he applies gentle force to push her away, but his words are sharp as he says, "that's exactly what I'm doing." his furrowed eyebrows and intense gaze are directed at her, conveying a sense of seriousness and determination.

as she turned to face him, she was caught off guard by his sudden movement, causing her mouth to fall open in surprise. their eyes locked in a tense standoff, but what struck her the most were matt's eyes. despite the annoyance evident in the rest of his expression, his gaze held a gentle, softened look that seemed out of place yet spoke volumes.

"i..." he swallows hard and quickly bites his lip to stop himself from saying anything else. he looks away and returns to his original tone, "i don't want to talk to you."

vivienne's words are taken from her mouth, and the only thing she can do is stare at him. those seven words keep repeating in her head as she physically can't even understand what she had done to him. "you're joking," she says, studying his face, but it remains the same - no hint of a smile, not even the faintest crack.

"please don't talk to me anymore, vivienne," he said, his voice tinged with frustration and hurt. as the words hung in the air, she felt a lump form in her throat, choking back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. this was the second time he had pushed her away without any explanation, and it stung deeply.

she struggled to find the right words to express the hurt and confusion racing through her mind. before she could respond, a sudden loud bang interrupted them as the teacher slammed a paper down on the table, effectively stopping any further conversation.

vivienne remained in the emptying classroom, her eyes fixed on matt's retreating figure. she could sense his urgency to leave, and her frustration boiled over. she reached out and caught his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. emotions surged within her, and she couldn't contain her anger and hurt as she confronted him, "what the fuck is going on with you?"

matt let out a frustrated groan, "didn't i just tell you to leave me alone less than an hour ago?"

"what did i do?" she softly asks with a quiver in her voice, her eyes searching for any sign of an answer.

he rolls his eyes and responds, "you know exactly what you did."

trying to walk away, he is followed by her persistent questioning, "no, i really don't know! what did i do?"

"i just don't want to talk to you. your brother is right about me," he sighs, "i'm a horrible person, and you shouldn't want to be around me either."

"matt, i don't understand. since when have you been concerned about what my brother thinks?" she raised her voice again, but not loud enough for anyone else to notice.

"since now. just leave me alone," matt responded curtly.

"matt!" a joyful voice echoes through the halls, causing matt to turn around in surprise. madeline suddenly rushes into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. a sly, mischievous expression crosses her face as she glances over at vivienne. her fingers gently intertwine in matt's hair as she caresses the strands. with her other hand, she playfully waves at vivienne mouthing "bye-bye."

vivienne's expression twisted in disgust as she turned away from madeline without saying a word. she felt that madeline was not worth her time and stormed off, her throat tightening with emotions she struggled to contain.

"viv!" hope hurried to catch up with her. "what just happened back there?"

"nothing," vivienne lied, "just a misunderstanding. why is madeline all over matt more than usual?"

hope hesitated before responding, "you don't know?"

"know what?" vivienne demanded, her curiosity struck.

vivienne stood still, her mind racing as she processed the revelation. "they're actually dating," hope explained.

she let out a laugh, recalling the time she had witnessed them both kiss a few weeks ago. however, she had never anticipated that it would end in a relationship. suddenly, everything clicked in her mind. matt's repeated assurances that he didn't like madeline were nothing but lies.

as hope noticed the uneasiness on her face, she started to voice her concern, "are you okay? you look like you're gonna—"

interrupting her, vivienne quickly interjected, "i'm fine, just don't say it," she warned, her stomach churning with a mix of disbelief and unease. "i just feel ill. i think i'll ask rio to come and get me."

"are you sure—" hope started to ask.

"yes," she affirmed.

evie speaks
well..
had to mention rio at the end kinda forgot he existed for a min