Nightshade

Chapter Two:

I open up the door, and the old musty smell of a deer blind came rushing in. "Sit on the couch, I'm going to get some Band-Aids and stuff." I said, as I walked to one of the kitchen cabinets to get everything. As he sat there on the couch he began to shiver, and that's when I came back over.

"Here." I handed him a blanket as he took his soaked jacket off. I quickly poured some disinfectant, and dipped in a cotton ball.

"What's your name?" I said casually. I started to dab some of the scratches on his face, and he twitched as I did so.

"It's Matthew." He mumbled angrily under his breath, as the disinfectant probably continued to sting each time I dabbed with the cotton swab.

"Are you new, or have we just never come across each other before?" I said.

"Well I've lived here awhile... with my aunt."

I quietly continued to treat the scratches, although I really wanted to ask where his parents were, seeming as he doesn't live with them. But it wouldn't be my place to ask.

As I finished with the dabbing, I thought of how blue the iris his eyes seemed, because it reminded me of the certain blue of a butterfly I'd once saw in the nearby woods. It was a dark but rich royal hue. I thought of the faint picture in my head...

The dripping residue of rain came off the tips of his dark brown hair down to his cheeks, so it almost looked like he was crying as he looked around the room.

I got up and stood beside him as he observed the area of the living room, as if he actually found it interesting. "I have to ask, why did you go after him?" I kept my voice at a low volume to keep things seeming calm.

"I heard about what happened last year, about your dad." He carefully replied, pointing at an old family photo, resting on the small nightstand in the corner of the room.

I quickly rushed to the photo and set it face down without saying anything else. I then gave my usual response.

"Thanks, but..." I exhaled. "I don't need any pity." I said shortly under my breath. I knew then that I hadn't made any new sort of friend, but only another offer to casually decline.

"Sorry," he came over, "I didn't mean anything by it."

"No," I said, trying to stop his stumbling apology. "It's fine."

I went over to the fridge and checked for beverages, trying to let the moment pass. I knew that I shouldn't feel sorry for myself, so instantly, I let it go. All of the anger and sadness that kept digging its way out to the surface was something I had to bury.

I grabbed two cokes and tossed one to Matthew. "Take a seat." I sat in the armchair, while he sat back down on the couch. "Where do you live? The other side of town, I'm guessing?" I asked.

"No, uh, just on the other side of the neighborhood. Closer to the trees."

"The trailer?" I bluntly asked, still eager to mention his parents, though still keeping it under locks, that small bit of curiosity.

It seemed like the time went by too fast, and at the end of the day when Matthew left, I kept wondering about who this guy was, and why we met.

When the morning rose up to an afternoon, the last bell rang once more after class. Four days have passed since I've met Matthew, though we haven't directly spoken since then. We acknowledge each other though, as we pass in the hallway, as we glance at each other from across the cafeteria. It's like unspoken communication, and while this happens, I think to myself, "I know that guy". Though I don't believe that I really know him indefinitely, but now I just suddenly notice when he's around.