Beneath the Bridge

°1-Vital°

Nearly a ten mile drive and I got back to the place the others deem solitude. Sometimes it's like hell though with all the screams that resonate within these walls, the girls' souls constantly tortured here. It was a house, none the less. Lawn needed to be mowed, the dark blue chipped paint needed a fresh coat, the windows needed to be wiped, and the roof needed re-tiling.

The inside contradicted all of this. Matt wasn't too keen on messiness within his 'fortress'. Always wiping something down or organizing the cupboards, whatever. He kept a promise to the guys that their rooms were just their's though and he wouldn't step foot in them. Kinda respectful. But at the same time, I don't know why anyone would want to go in them anyways. Always so much racket.

Crickets drowned out the sound of cars, lights flashed here and there through the curtains. I sighed, put the car in park and relaxed back in my seat.

"..." Staring around, I poked at the window buttons.

Snatching the keys out, I left the car, grabbing the lock of hair and shoving it into my back pocket. My bag was next, weighed down with textbooks, I swung it over my shoulder and jogged up the steps.

I could already here the loud voices from the outside.

My tattered shoes slowed me down, the left laces snagging on broken wood from the fourth step.

"The hell? Really..." Exhaling shortly, I walked inside, the screen door banging closed, causing eyes to dart at me.

"Wazzup, Paisly?" Krissa smiled and popped up from the couch, slinging her arm over me but made sure her beer didn't spill. I shuffled a bit forward to close the main door before the dog got out.

"Sorry. My classes ran late, I needed the library for some notes." I exchanged a smile back to her and she nodded, clearly intoxicated. Krissa was Joey's girlfriend. Which he paid no mind as I took my shoes off. His eyes were glued back on the television. A sports game or something.

She took her place beside him, almost missing her spot, nearly falling a top his lap.

"Watch it, Kris..." He shooed her away to the side.

Without untying them, I pushed my shoes off one at a time with the front of my other foot. I coughed, covertly checking my pocket again to make sure no hair was seen.

"Where's Matt?" I asked loud enough to catch Joey's attention once more.

"Basement."

I tossed my bag near the door and gave Monte, the dog, a few pets on his head.

"Why is he down there?"

"Why don't you go ask him that?" He retorted, wrapping his arm around Krissa, who somehow got ahold of a small tobacco pipe.

As I huffed and left the room, my ears picked up on their short conversation.

"Wanna hit?" Krissa slurred her words.

"Don't ask dumb shit." Said Joey, taking one anyways. He was such a dick sometimes. Especially to her.

Through the kitchen, I saw the basement door cracked open a and nudged it slightly further.

"Matt?" I called down.

Not even ten seconds later, his head popped into view at the bottom of the steps.

"Hey Paisly. You've been gone for awhile." His white teeth showed a little as a smile lit up his face, which was covered in what looks like dust. And his deep brown eyes had bags underneath, I noticed once fully down the stairs.

"Yeah...sorry I've been gone for a couple days." My hand rested on the railing while he wiped off his forehead on a rag. Combing my hair back and tying it up, I glanced around.

"What are you doing down here?" My voice came out softer, noticing his exaggerated sigh to my apology.

"Trying to fix the truck's engine. There were weird noises and leaking while Reese drove it."

"Oh..." I replied.

I wasn't car savvy nor did I even keep my car running smoothly. So there's no way I could help even if I wanted to try and kiss up for my absence.

"Now my question." His voice was low.

The sound of a wrench smacked firmly against the table he worked at. His brows furrowed, a forced, muffled cough cleared his throat. Matt was scary sometimes, when something might not go his way or someone "betrays" him, as he calls it.

Even complete accidents throw him off his kindness facade.

I took a few steps back and he leaned on the tool table.

"You never called when you were gone. What were you doing?" He tilts his head slightly back and to the side, eyes rolling, "and don't try that school bullshit on me. I'm not stupid, Paisly."

I gulped, palm flat against my back pocket, the other one on the stair railing.

"I...just needed some air."

"Terrible lying, Pay."

My feet were locked, I couldn't move.

"Did you finally decide to tell on us?" His words spliced the air in the suddenly cold surroundings.

"No." I tried to stand my ground but it was crumbling quickly, "I wouldn't do that."

Matt walked closer to me, away from his duty with the engine, hand sliding behind him while dragging the wrench he had slammed down with it. Now I couldn't breathe either. His eyes showed no mercy, even among us.

He snatched up my hand from the railing, I attempted to move back. A frustrated grit of his teeth sounded and I was pulled from the steps, Matt's hot breath to close to my face.

"I want to believe you, Paisly." The wrench made me shiver, my pinky meeting in between freezing metal. I stifled a whimper. "Tell me where you've been."

I couldn't look at him, only focusing on the feeling of vomit wanting to float up into my throat.

I expected this outcome but didn't want to think about it. I couldn't just avoid him.

"I-" I started when Matt suddenly squeezed the wrench, clutching my finger tight, an audible crack echoing.

"OW!-" I flinched back and his grip on my wrist tightened, he wasn't going to let me leave the basement until he got an answer.

"Talk louder!" He was scaring me, unnecessarily making demands.

"I got a boyfriend!" It was on the spot, the only thing I could come up with an the moment of pain.

Blinking a few times, his grip loosened on both my wrist and the wrench. My pinky was visibly dark with purplish red groove indents from the tool. I snatched back my hand, cradling my finger and breathing erratically.

Tossing the tool to the work table once more, Matt laughed, which wasn't pleasant to hear. My lips were chapped, stinging as my tongue tried to give them life again.

"What did I tell you, Paisly? No boyfriends. Your time here is still vital and I don't want you fucking this up."

Patting his hands together like he was trying to get rid of dust that was no longer there, he passed me, creaking his way up the stairs. All I could do was stand there until I knew he was no longer able to see me.

A shaky voice whispered and I recognized it to be my own.

"...'Vital', huh?..."

My non-damaged hand fumbled for the lock of hair in my pocket and I brought it in front of me. Staring down at the glossy dark strands, I gave it a squeeze, petting it with my thumb.

He pisses me off, always controlling others and feeding off their trepidation. Anyone is expendable to Matthew, even his closest friends or family.

Glancing up the stairs, I heard the TV click off.

"Paisly!~ Come up here!~~" Krissa cooed like a drunk.

Gently pushing the hair into my front pocket, I jogged up to see what she needed, covering my sleeve over my hurt pinky. I already didn't want to be here.