Illinois [#wattys2016 Writer's Debut]

Chapter Fourteen

"Matt! Bring it over here!" Will yelled through the trees.

Matt hitched all the logs he had enthusiastically gathered and walked over to Will's voice.

To where he was stood other their other friends ; Jacob, Ethan, Luca, and Ian.

Matt and Will were so happy being able to make friends since they moved a lot. Matt didn't seem to make it as a big deal but relationships are very important to Will.

Their friends were all busy with their part of building their 'headquarters'.

Matt settled the logs down gently, making sure not to break or snap his hours of hard work and Will examined them. He grabbed a pair from the bunch and walked over to his 'craft table' which was just a mere stump.

Matt decided to work himself so he got a spare hammer, a couple of logs and climbed up the tree house stairs. He started hammering the logs together to build the supposed wall to the tree house.

He was driven by his goal of having a tree house made by him and his friends.

It would be like their secret hide out and secrets there would stay there. They would invite other kids but only let those who passed the initiation entered. He got this all planned out.

That is until he hit his index finger rather than his nail.

He jolted up causing the wood he had built up to topple over and fall. The floor to where the first few logs were stacked was also broken as they snapped in half to fall down.

"Watch out!" He screamed to his friends below him as they ran to a safe distance from the disaster.

When the noise quieted down and the racket as cooled, Matt was already down from the tree house, guilt obvious in his eyes.

His friends looked at their work crumpled beneath half of the tree house that broke down and Matt can see the fire burning clearly within them.

"Guys, I'm so so-"

"What do you think you're doing?! You've been no help whatsoever!" Yelled Luca.

"We knew your brother was better than you but do you need to prove so?" Ethan said calmly yet sharply that it pierced Matt's pride.

Will was always the better twin. He's always the one to get more appreciation and compliments which Matt has always envied.

Because he's just his shadow.

No one really needs to state the fact out loud because Matt has been jealous ever since they were out of their mother's womb.

It hurts Matt more that he can't throw his anger at Will's imperfections because he didn't seem to have any.

Will was always kind and generous to him. It's like he pitied him and Matt doesn't like to be pitied.

Although that was the case, their brotherhood, loyalty and faith grew strong and they seem to have a feeling is the other one needs help. They were inseparable.

Matt tried looking at it on the bright side. Will was the better twin but they were the best twins in town. At least he can be part of that.

"Aww, wouldn't you look at that! Matt, don't tell me that you're about to cry!" Teased Jason as he looked through Matt's glossy eyes lined with the tears he's about to spew up.

"Although I love to kick Matt in the dirt, it's not going to help us fix his disastrous effort," muttered Ian.

Matt looked at Will who has his gazed fixed on him.