Lights, Cameras, Outsiders!

Chapter 45

LCO 45

"You nervous?" Matt said when the elevator stopped on the ninth floor. He squeezed my hand and led me out into the hallway.

"A little," I confessed.

"Okay, look, baby, you're gonna be fine. Just never leave my side and you'll be good."

"I know Matt but what if they hate me?"

"They won't hate you. Now come on."

"Matt, I'm serious. What if they do?" I said, reluctantly following him. He stopped at the door and sighed.

"If they hate you, then we're leaving. They're friendly people, Essie," He said. He grabbed my wrist and raised his eyebrows. He put two fingers underneath my jaw and looked at his watch.

"Your heart rate's up. You need to calm down. Do you wanna wait until your heart rates back to normal?"

"Sure," I said.

"Essie, I promise you, they're good people. I've lived with the for eighteen years, I would know."

"But what if they think we're too young to be living together?"

"Well, then that's their issue. We got our own places, jobs, dreams. We can do this," he said, taking my pulse again.

"Okay, it's still fast but not as fast. Come on, let's go in."

"Okay," I said. He knocked on the door and we heard commotion before the door was opened. A stout woman with dark curly hair and an apron on came out and threw her arms out.

"MATTHEW! OH!" She nearly jumped out of her skin and gave him a big hug and kissed his cheek.

"Oh my God, we haven't seen you in a little more than a year. How are you sweetheart?" She said.

"I'm good, I'm good. Ma, this is Essie, my girlfriend," he said. She smiled.

"Hi, Essie, I'm Mary Ellen," she said,

Holding out her hand.

"Hi," I shook it.

"Matt, we never thought we would see you again. Look at you. Your long hair, gone."

"Ma, Kevin told you I was coming for dinner tonight, right?"

"Yeah, he did, but I didn't think he was right. Come in. Your brothers will want to see you," she said,

Yanking him in. I grabbed Matt's hand and stood beside him as we walked in. The apartment was kind of set up like ours, instead of a window wall, they had a mirror wall. A living area was against that wall and the kitchen table was in front of the small kitchen area.

"This place hasn't changed a bit, eh?"

"No, it hasn't. What are you doing in New York?" She asked, going into the hallway.

"I'll explain that at dinner."

"PAUL! KATY! BRIAN! KEVIN! TIMOTHY! YOUR BROTHERS HOME!" She yelled and came back out. Multiple doors swung open and four boys and a girl popped out and went to hug Matt.

"Hey!"

"How you doin'?"

"Man, what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Matthew!"

"Hey, hey, look, this is my girl here, Essie," Matt pulled me closer.

"Odd name," one of the boys said.

"Look, this is older brother Paul," he pointed to the tallest.

"This is Kevin, he's seventeen. This is Katy, she's sixteen, this is Timmy, he's thirteen, and this is Brian. He's ten."