letters to the boy who never cared

f o u r {edited}

Soft fingers of light filtered through the curtains on Saturday morning. I smiled sleepily to myself, and touched my cheek gingerly, trying to grasp the feeling during those moments when his lips were there.

I stretched and crept downstairs, careful not to wake my mom. Quietly, I made myself toast and Nutella, and was eating it when my phone buzzed.

matt: alexa?

I grinned, pleasantly surprised. I hadn't expected Matt to actually text me.

me: ah, the klutz can keep a promise

matt: stop reminding me!! what r u doing today

me: sleeping.

matt: feel like doing something fun?

I was infinitely pleased. I thought Matt would want nothing to do with me, or be to shy to build a friendship. I texted him that I didn't see why not, and he gave me directions to his house.

My eyebrows rose in surprise as I pulled into Matt's driveway. The house was palatial, with tall hedges around it's white walls and pillars. "Jeez," I heard myself whisper. Littered around the driveway and lawn were toys in various shades of pink: pink bikes, pink helmets, and all types of Barbie memorabilia. I knocked on the pine double doors, and almost immediately, they were swung open.

The three girls at the door each looked about six years old. I didn't know Matt had sisters, I thought, but they were obviously related. The girls had the same chocolatey brown hair, thick and braided into pigtails, and eyes in varying shades of green.

There was no formality with these girls. They looked me up and down critically. "Who are you?" one of them asked. She planted her hands on her hips. I found myself being dragged to the couch as the other two grabbed my hands and pulled me through the door.

"Um, I'm-- what are you doing -- I'm Alexa." I tried to wiggle away as the girls started messing with my hair. "Matt? A little help?"

"Oh, God, guys, get off her! I told you not to answer the door to strangers... Alexa, I'm sorry about... them."

"Why is she here?" one demanded.

Mumbling so his sisters couldn't hear, Matt told me, "They're not used to much company." To them, he announced, "This is my friend, Alexa. Alexa, this is Mya, Katie and Ariana. The triplets."

They appraised me with doubt. "She is here to see you?" Ariana asked skeptically.

"You didn't tell me you had sisters!" I whispered.

Matt rolled his eyes. "I wasn't planning on it," he muttered, before herding me out the door. "Bye guys!" he called over his shoulder. He led me to his car as their shouts faded behind him.

"Well, Matt, aren't you just full of surprises! I met you bussing tables, but then... that." I waved my hand in the general direction of his house.

"Joey's a family friend, I'm always there to help out when they get shortstaffed," Matt explained, dismissively. "So," he began, stopping at a red light and steepling his fingers, sending a creepy grin my way. "I suppose you're wondering why I summoned you today..."

"Oh God," I half-mumbled.

"I'm just kidding. There's a new trampoline park near Cavalry street and I--"

"Hold on. A what park?"

An excited flush took over Matt's face under his freckles. "You've never been? Ah, you haven't lived!"

The name alone made the place sound like a blast, so I was fidgeting with excitement by the time Matt's car pulled up to the building.

The place was really just rectangular trampolines, lined up like a huge feild. Around the perimeter of the trampolines were more trampolines, positioned like slanted walls. I shimmied excitedly, and Matt patted my back condescendingly. "Simmer down, child," he told me, rolling his eyes. He bought me my rental helmet and shoes, which made me look so nerdy, I wanted to hide my face. But no one here besides me or Matt was over twelve, besides parents.

I was a lot less graceful than I thought I'd be. It was like walking in a bouncy castle, with everyone popcorning me when I tried to walk. Matt shook his head at me when my ankles gave out, walking steadily as if we were on solid ground.

"Alexa, you really suck at this," he told me honestly, helping me up and grimacing. "Sorry."

I glared at him but took his hand. I'd landed on my back (again) as I failed at landing a front flip (again). "Shut up."

By the second hour, Matt had me bouncing off the slanted walls and somewhat successfully doing front flips. My thighs burned. Who knew trampoline parks were such a work out?

Matt's energy was unbelievably boundless. I, on the other hand, flopped onto my stomach exhaustedly. "Mnnmhmn," I groaned, whining like a tired toddler. Matt shook his head-- he'd been doing that a lot lately-- and gave me a piggyback ride out to his car. I fell asleep in the passenger seat, and when I woke up we were at McDonald's. "Chicken nuggets," were my first words as my eyes opened. Matt didn't stop hysterically laughing until we were in line in the restaurant.

We sat at a booth to share a twenty-piece, in contented silence. "So--" he began.

I held my hand up to stop him. "Nuggets first."

Matt rolled his eyes. "I don't take orders from wierdos with chipmunk cheeks."

I finished chewing after choking on laughter. "Why didn't you tell me you had sisters, Matty-boy?"

Matt smiled and shrugged. "Never came up. Hard to forget, I know. Again, sorry about that," he said self I deprecatingly.

I shook my head. "Stop apologizing, for Christ's sake."

Matt chuckled again. "Well, maybe you could stop giving me reasons," he said, earning a stuck-out tongue from me.

"Oh yeah," he said, nodding. "Real mature." Matt reached over to flick me on the head. "So, tell me about yourself, Green."

I shrugged. "Not much to tell. My best friend is Netflix. I live with my mom. No hidden family," I said pointedly.

"Sorry, okay?"

 I grinned and stuffed another nugget in my mouth, savoring all the artificial obviously-not-chicken yumminess. "How about you Mr. Large House? What's your story?"

"I didn't exactly get a story from you, but whatever. Um, well, before I moved here, my mom and dad had started a big organic-foods business. You know, the hippy-dippy stuff is big out there with the hipsters and all."

I rose my eyebrow at him.

"I'm just kidding, stupid. But it's pretty big out there. So, we moved when the girls were born, and my parents run Carrigan foods remotely. So, yeah. That's it."

I nodded, taking it all in. "Cool, cool."

We were interrupted by a snobby blonde hostess. "Um, we have a loitering policy..." She trailed off, and I rolled my eyes. I didn't know McDonald's had policies, ever. But Matt and I left, and he drove me home.

I grinned back at Matt, waiting in his car, when I was at my front door. "Adios, Matty-boy. Thanks for a great day!"

Matt faux-saluted me. "Bye, Alexa. It's been real!"

I shook my head at his dorky goodbye and unlocked my door. I slammed the door behind me, utterly exhausted.