When Matt had a Dream

Chapter 2 - Causing His Own Problems

The house has a cozy, sit by the fire, cottage kind of feel. The inside of the house is nice, too nice for it to be Matt's. Everything is in its rightful place, the carpet is vacuumed, the kitchen is spotless, and the hardwood floors shine in the chandelier light. 

Matt's parents sit at the dinner table with another couple. They're the sophisticated type of people, upper middle class. His Dad, Randy, wears pressed jeans and a plain button up shirt. Heather, his mom, wears an evening dress. She's trying to match the class of their guests, Jon and Linda. You can tell they are part of the upper class because Randy and Heather are focused on their reactions to judge what to say and do. 

They sit next to dirty plates, Jon acknowledges them twice moving them barely an inch to clear space for his elbows. Heather jumps to collect the dishes taking them into the kitchen. A basket sits in the center of the table with one remaining dinner roll which Jon grabs tearing it in half. Randy serves Jon the last of the wine setting the empty bottle next to the two others. 

Randy delivers the punchline of his joke. "Then I said to the guy, it's tax deductible, not tax deferred!" They all laugh, Jon looks at Randy. "He really thought it was deferred? What a dumbass!" Randy smiles proudly able to make the room laugh, lingering onto the thought of the punchline tipping back the small sip of wine left in his glass. Jon shoves one half of the dinner roll into his mouth, yelling into the kitchen. "Heather, do you mind grabbing some more rolls?" Pointing at the other half of the roll, "These are amazing where did you get them?" Before shoveling the second half into his mouth. Heather brings a fresh new basket setting them in front of Jon, returning to her seat. Randy looks at Heather with a big smile pleased he can accompany such people as Jon and Linda. 

The door opens and slams aggressively behind Matt who's carrying the rest of the day with him. Almost immediately he hears people laughing from the kitchen. Standing there in the doorway he tilts his head back letting out a huge frustrated sigh looking up to the ceiling saying something under his breathe. 

He begins taking off his jacket and steps toward the closet. He stumbles, lunging forward. Matt holds his arms out barely catching himself before breaking the closet door down with his head. He stands frustrated and turns to see two pairs of classy looking shoes in the middle of the walkway. He violently kicks the shoes clearing the walkway and letting out a frustrated grunt like yell. "Who's shoes are these!"

Randy leans back hearing all the commotion, "Matt! Is that you? We were just talking about you! Come on over here, I want you to meet our friends!" Matt rolls his eyes standing there in the doorway. He closes his eyes and begins breathing deep trying to gather himself before heading to the kitchen. He throws his coat carelessly over the back of the couch as he walks in that direction. 

Matt enters the kitchen with a weak sarcastic grin. He approaches them as if they were kids and he's a counselor. He speaks with a slow pace and uses a head nod after completing each sentence. "How are you? I'm their infamous son, Matt," he reaches his hand out limp to greet them. Randy stands introducing Matt, " These are our friends, Jon and Linda." Jon makes a face when shaking Matt's greasy hand. Matt notices his face smiling proudly back at Jon, "What is it?" Jon says nothing, but takes out a handkerchief cleaning his hand staring at Matt judging him based on his appearance. It's awkward, Matt stares back at them both waiting for someone to say something. Linda clears her throat to disturb the silence. Matt claps his hands. "Yeah, okay, Well... This was fun! I'm just going to go down to..."

Randy turns to Matt. "So, Matt, how was your day?" Matt's slightly shocked his father asked "Umm... Do you really want to know?" He turns to Jon and Linda. Randy is slightly confused putting on a good father face with a strong undertone "Umm, Yeah I do, that's why I asked you, Matthew." Randy turns to Jon and Linda with a smile trying to save face. "Well, my day fucking sucked, how was yours?!" Heather gasps appalled, Linda spits out her wine. Randy jumps in "Matt!" Matt turns in a matter of fact type of way. "What?! It did fucking suck! I had to deal with my boss all day! Had some asshole trying to fight me over a damn red light, I'm broke as shit while working my ass off for minimum wage and then finally I get to come home hoping to just fucking relax and now I'm standing here looking stupid as hell in front of you fucking people!" Pointing to Jon and Linda as if they weren't there. Randy interjects. "Matthew!"

Matt turns to Jon and Linda sarcastically. "Look I'm sorry Linda and Jon, I'm sorry that I would like to enjoy my home in peace and not have to put on a fucking mask every time I see someone! Is that too much to ask for?! Because I don't think so! I think a man is entitled to the privacy of his own fucking home! Don't you?!" Now offended, Jon and Linda stand. Linda gathers her belongings quickly into her purse. Randy stands trying to take control over the room "All right! That's enough!"

Randy wipes his face clean turning to Jon and Linda. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked him to come in here, we were having a great time, he's troubled." Matt turns to his Dad now laughing. "Troubled? Oh here we fucking go again! Why is it that you think I'm troubled, Dad?" Randy turns to Matt. "Will you please just go to your room!" He shouts at Matt before turning back to his guests to kiss ass. Matt stands, bitter, but he's not moving "And I'm troubled, look at you wait on these people hand and foot like their fucking royalty." Randy, "Matthew, Shut up!" His parents lead Jon and Linda to the door, Randy shoots Matt a death stare.

At the door Jon helps Linda with her coat, before walking around to collect their shoes, Jon picks them up from where they were looking at Randy with a disappointed nod as he cleans off the dirt smudges. Randy steps forward, "We'll have to do this again sometime, when he's not home." Linda leans forward with a nod and a slight wink to Heather. "We'll meet at our place next time." 

Randy shoots a surprised celebratory look at Heather before confirming with Jon and Linda "You're place?!" Jon stands after finishing with his shoes to shake Randy's hand. Jon asks "It wasn't Matt who thought the pension was tax deferred, was it?" Randy is slightly confused. "What?" Jon insists "From you're joke. The guy who thought his pension was tax deferred not tax deductible, like a moron, that wasn't Matt was it?" Randy doesn't really know what to say. "Umm, no... it was just a joke, Jon." Jon laughs patting Randy on the shoulder as he walks out the door. "Good, cause I was gonna say..." They wave them out the door before closing it.  

The door slams, Matt lets out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank God!" Randy and Heather turn facing each other before turning to Matt. Randy's frustration builds to a yell, "Who the hell do you think you are?! Do you realize who those two were!" Matt walks over to the dinner table shoving a dinner roll in his mouth like an apple before walking down stairs. "Matt! We need to have a talk!"

A door slams shut downstairs. Randy runs up to the stairway yelling down. "Matt get your ass up here, right fucking now!" There's no response. "Matthew!" Nothing again. Randy, now infuriated runs downstairs.

He reaches the bottom of the steps. Randy walks to Matt's room turning the knob, it's locked. Randy uses his shoulder to try to open the door, nothing. He pounds his fist three times. "Matthew! Unlock this fucking door, Right now!"

Matt's inside his room, it's a complete mess. Clothes, dirty dishes and any random thing from a 90's childhood is scattered in various places across the room. Matt lays lifeless on his bare mattress with the sheet bunched up about halfway dangling to the ground. Matt retorts, "Go away!" Randy pounds as if he were going to break the door down. "You had no right to do that to those people!" 

Matt begins to sob silently to himself, tears fall down his cheeks. "I heard what he said! I'm not a moron!" The pounding from Randy stops. Matt, to himself, "I just haven't figured it out yet." Randy starts to pound at the door again. "Your rent has been overdue for the last two weeks, Matt! If you can't come up with the money by tomorrow morning, I want you out! You hear me?! Next week is the last week you'll ever live under my roof!" Randy leaves after making this last statement. Matt grabs his pillow covering his face from the light crying himself to sleep.