STRUGGLE

CHAPTER FOUR: LIES LIES AND MORE LIES

It was five in the afternoon and Matt still hadn't come home. Miranda is starting to Panic. This morning Matt bad been in a strange mood and told her that he was going to hang out with Josh and would be home by three. When he hadnt come home at four Miranda had called Josh to see what was wrong. Josh had told her that he left at two thirty and when she asked where he went Josh tol her he had said he was going home. Well now it was an hour after her phone call and Matt still wasnt home.

"Many baby stop worrying, he's fine. I'm sure he just got a flat tire or something and thats whats taking him so long." Paige says from her spot, sitting on the kitchen counter, watching her girlfriend pace back and forth.

"If thats the case then why wont he answer his phone?" Miranda asks her stopping to look at her.

"Its probably on silent and he cant hear it." Paige replys snapping her gum. Miranda give her a look and Paige puts her hands up in surrender.

Suddenly the front door opens and slames shut. Miranda and Paige hurry to the front room to see who it is. When they get there they see Matt sitting against the door.

"Finally! Where have you been?" Miranda asks relief flooding her face.

"At um... at um a bar, why you so verryed" Matt says slurring his words a bit.

"Oh My God you're drunk! Matt did you drive home Drunk?" Miranda asks that momentary releif turning to Concern.

"No, No I called a cab, I may be drunk but Im not stupid. I know better then driving drunk." Matt says a little to devensivly.

"He's telling the truth Mandy, His car isnt in the Driveway." Paige says looking out the window.

"Ok Help me get him in the living room." Miranda says helping Matt to his feet. She grabs his hand and gasps, his knuckles were purple and bruised. She touches them and Matt pulls his hand away.

"Ouch that hurt!" he snaps

"What did you do to your hand?" She asks grabbing his hand again. He rips it out of her grip and starts walking toward the stairs.

"Nothing, I did nothing. I didnt even notice it till um now." He mumbles heading up the stairs, wobbling the whole way up. Paige and Miranda looka t each other and run over to help him.

" You're lying, you know exactly what happened. Tell me please." Miranda begs as Matt falls onto his bed, finally losing his balance.

" It's nothign, forget about it." he says sleeply.

"Matt...." she says in the voice she uses when she is about to lose her temper.

"Fine Fine, Josh and I had to teach some kid a lesson and my knuckles this morning got brused in the proccess." Matt slurs. Miranda nad Paige look at eachother, eyes wide.

" Nick Rogers?" They ask at once slightly yelling. Matt covers his ears and winces.

"Ease up on the Volume will ya?" he says.

"Matt please tell me you did not beat up Nick?" Miranda syas sitting down next to him.

" I would but then I would be lying and then you'd scream again." Matt mumbles

"You IDIOT! Why the Hell did you do that?" Miranda screams Finally losing her temper.

"Hey I said no screaming." Matt yells.

"How can I not scream?" She snaps

"He hurrt you and I gave him the punishment." Matt says quietly suddenly reminding Miranda of a helpless little kid. Miranda stops herself from screaming more. She couldnt be mad at Matt, Just last night she had wanted to do the very same thing. She gives him one more look and stalks off to her room. Paige waits until Miranda's door slams before turning to confront Matt

"Ok, I know the difference between someone being drunk and someone being high and pretending to be drunk to hide the fact that they are high." She says looking at Matt. He looks up at her and sighs.

" How's you know." He asks, all pretense of drunkeness falls away.

" Being around Nick taught me how to see the difference." she says crossing her arms

"Please don't tell Miranda, if she finds out she will be Pissed." Matt begs. Paige sits down on the bed and matt moves over to give her room.

"Matt you have to stop this, I wont tell her. You have to tell her before she hears it from someone else." she says gently.

" I'll stop, I've been doing good, havent touched it in almost a month.. until now." he whispers not looking her in the eye. Paige sighs at the obvious lie and gets up. She goes over to the other side of the bed and opens the drawer in the bed side table. She pulls out a needle, a blackend spoon and a baggie of white powder, lifting it up so Matt could see. Getting up he goes over and Rips the paraphillia out of her hands and chucks it into the waist basket. "Happy now miss Always in other peoples bussiness? Now get out of my room, Miranda is probably wondering where you are." Matt yells. Paige leaves and winces as the door slams shut behind her. Shaking her head she heads down the hall to Miranda's room.

Miranda turns around to see Paige come in and quietly shut the door. She had stayed in Matt's room a little longer after Miranda had left which confuses her. Paige and Matt have never gotten along, even when the girls had first met in second grade. RIght from the start Matt had said Paige was annoying and Paige had said that Matt was a 'Big Meany', which at the time was the meanest insult Paige could think of considering she was seven at the time.

"What took you so long?" Miranda asks.

"Nothing jsut telling Matt how stupid he is for beating up Nick then getting wasted afterwards." Paige replies smoothly. Miranda scutches over so Paige could sit down on her bed. Moving closer Miranda snakes her hands around Paige's waist and pulls her closer. Paige snuggles in and leans agaisnt her girlfriend, feeling her heartbeat. Miranda places a gentle kiss on her neck making her giggle. Sighing she unwilingly lets go and stand up, holding out her hand to help Paige up.

"Come on I got to go make dinner." the two go downstairs and Miranda starts cooking the steaks left in the fridge for the three of them.