Coffee Shop Soundtrack (Marianas Trench)

Chapter Two

He quietly pushed the key into the lock and turned it. Pushing the door forward, he gently dropped his bag to the floor, placed his coffee on the side and shut the door behind him. He tiptoed into the bedroom and, as quietly as he could, he pulled a fresh shirt from the drawer. You see, Matt’s boyfriend, Tyler, was asleep. He usually didn’t wake up until about eleven, and even then he’d complain he had a hangover from the night before and he’d get mad at Matt. So the quieter Matt could keep it, the better. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case.

“Hmph... Matt? Is that you?” Tyler mumbled, rolling over and stretching.

“Uh, yeah, Ty, it’s me.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at school?”

Matt slipped the old shirt off, being sure to face the wall. “Some guy spilt coffee on me so I have to change my shirt.”

“You’re gonna be late.”

“I’ll run.”

Tyler tapped the bedside light on and winced at the light. As his boyfriend’s eyes readjusted, Matt pulled the shirt over his head and grabbed the jacket from the floor. He couldn’t let Tyler see the bruises and scars. But he’d forgotten the ones on his forearms.

“What’s that bruise from?” Tyler asked, his voice making Matt apprehensive. Matt looked at his forearm, panicked.

“I- I don’t know how it got there.” Matt lied shakily, pulling the sweater on.

“Come here.” Matt reluctantly complied, sitting next to where Tyler sat up in the bed, the grey sheets gathered around his waist. Tyler slept shirtless, exposing all of his many tattoos. Matt could remember squeezing the boy’s hand as they sat in the tattoo parlour, back in the day when he’d wanted to get his first sleeve done.

“Take that sweater off.” Tyler commanded. And when Matt didn’t conform, Tyler got mad. “I said, take the fucking sweater off!”

With that, he ripped the sweater from Matt’s body, leaving it in pieces on the floor. He then grabbed Matt’s wrist and yanked the boy’s arm closer to him. Matt hissed in pain, for Tyler was gripping his wrist so hard he thought it would surely snap.

“You fucking klutz. You’re so stupid.” Tyler slapped Matt clean across the face. “Such an idiot.”

“I-I-I’m...” Matt stuttered. Tyler just laughed.

“You’re pathetic. Just get to that stupid class already and get out of my sight. You’re a disgrace.”

“I-I know.”

“And that’s a lousy excuse. Think of something better next time, dumbass.”

Matt nodded, determined not to cry in front of Tyler again, and rushed out of the room. He grabbed his bag from the hall and ran out of the door. In his haste, he realised he’d forgotten his coffee. And, even worse, a jacket.

He was halfway to the school, when he neared his best friend Mike’s place. He pulled his phone out and began texting.

To Mike:

Mike, are you home?

He got a reply in an instant.

To Matt:

Yep. Why?

Matt headed to the door of the apartment building.

To Mike:

I’m outside. Can I come in?

Matt knew Mike had received his text, for the door buzzed open. Matt made his way up to the second floor, on which he found Mike’s door open. He knocked twice before letting himself in.

The place was clean and well kept, much like Matt’s own. Matt did all the cleaning at home, Tyler never bothered to. At that moment, Mike walked from the bedroom, still in his pyjamas. Alright for some, he had already graduated college and he was now working in an electronic store down the road. Today was evidently a day off.

“Matt! What’s up?” Mike greeted, smiling widely as usual.

“Hi, Mike. I have to go to class in 10 minutes, but I was wondering if you had a jacket I could borrow?”

“Sure, but it’ll have to be a sweater. Where’s yours?” The older man called as he went to go fetch a jacket from his wardrobe. Matt didn’t want to intrude, so he stood in the hall and waited for Mike to return.

“Uh, Tyler accidentally ripped mine before I left, and I didn’t want to go back, so...”

“Mhm. Is that why your cheek is so red?” Instinctively Matt raised a hand to cover his face.

“Shit, is it noticeable?”

“To me, yes.” Mike sighed as he tossed the sweater to his friend. “You can’t let this keep happening, Matt.”

“If I say anything, he’ll only get worse.”

“What was he mad about?”

“He saw the bruises on my arms. And he called me a klutz, and told me I was stupid. Like usual. Nothing to worry about.”

“But you’re not a klutz, he put those bruises there.” Mike pointed out as Matt pulled the sweater over his head, glaring down at the Christmassy pattern now emblazed across his chest.

“Yep, he knows that. He’s not stupid.”

“But –”

“Mike, please, I have to get to class. I’ll explain it later, okay?”

Mike sighed. “Fine. What are you doing after class?”

“Going home.”

“No you’re not. You can come round here.” Mike smiled. “Ah, wait, does Tyler expect you home?”

“Yeah, and I have some coursework to do... Don’t worry about it. Thank you for the sweater, Mike. I appreciate it.”

“It’s the least I could do, bud. Now get to class.”