SETTLE DOWN, matty healy

Chapter 30: Inside Your Mind

Song Selection: Teacher's Pet by Melanie Martinez

Mopping about in the grand hall to grab a quick bite of breakfast before heading over to class, I lifted up a casual eye to see Ophelia tilted her head to me with concern. "Really Emma, it's not much longer we're gonna be here y'know. At least look a bit alive?"

"Now that'd be an utter lie, don't you think?" I mentioned to her, having a small chuckle escape her despite wanting to go against my lazy demeanor, "What the hell does it matter anyways, we're working on our final stories anyways for creative writing and not like much of history can be learnt in a month that can't be crammed into short term memory the day of the exam."

She rolled her eyes to me out of disapproval, suddenly turning wide-eyed when looking behind me to have me look to her concerned now. Reaching out a quick hand from the line of students grabbing their own things behind me, Charlie looked to Ophelia as if she had peaked her craze at this rate. "Charles explain to her in a posh stance on why it's important to look your best the final days of the school year."

Charlie looked to me expectantly as I only smiled to him, raising a brow at what he would answer to that. He only sighed, lifting up his empty tray. "C'mon, I just wanted to get some breakfast in peace without being mobbed y'know." He motioned to me sympathetically. "Have we not just accepted this anyways? Why force the change, this is her art."

"Thank you for choosing sides as always then, Charles. Now get your damn bagel already," I mentioned, shoving him off to have him shine a small smile to me as I did the same back.

Ophelia rolled her eyes at this as the two of us walked along to the lecture hall of the university. "Should've picked someone who doesn't fancy you, my mistake."

"If he fancied me Ophelia, I would just date him already. The two of us are friends and it's better for me to only have a friend these days anyways," I mentioned her l, tugging at the ends of my small sweater. "Besides, I'm too lazy for a relationship." She laughed along with the relatable comment to have us link arms with one another whilst attempting to get our usual seats in the large lecture hall.

Taking out my laptop and pulling up my composition of drafts already made, the sound of Ophelia exhaling a deep sigh of content had me turn over to her confused. "Oh come now Juliet, you can't fall for someone this late coming in?"

"Would've fallen in love sooner had he been here at the beginning- I think he must be a professor of sorts they've brought in for help on the publications." My heart faltered for a moment over this and I took down my laptop to see the array of new professors surrounding Mr. Uriel, having me grow more frustrated over the total audacity. Seeing him fix his glasses rested at the bridge of his nose, I sat there still fuming to see he was eyeing around the crowd of students being seated despite the conversation seeming to occur in front of him. "You alright?"

Quite frankly my dear, I'm far from alright.

I nodded, showing her a fake smile to go along with it. "Yea of course I am, sorry. Just a bit cranky this morning." The Hall being filled to the brim at the 8:30 starting time had the group of professors now chuckling amongst one another while our head discussed the free time today that was designed for us to make use of professionals to help with the editing processes before turning in our potential works.

Zoning out from the names of professors, I only now saw the look of pride Mr. Uriel had for himself. "And the gentleman on the far right looking like a rat at this hour is Mr. Healy. He was one of my peers during the beginning of his graduate studies and is hoping to have a position like mine in the near future if he proves himself." Seeing the small laugh escape Matty before me, I sighed under my breath for a moment in thought to see his eyes scanning for the crowd.

Bold of you to assume he's looking for you eh, Carson?

Being too caught in the moment to notice, many had begun to form groups amongst themselves to have Charles and Ophelia look to me expectantly. "More than likely have to edit out the melodrama I assume," Charlie joked to have me only try to laugh in amusement, having him look to me concerned. My gaze lifted up ahead of me to see the dispersion being made by the professors now, Matty now looking to me in a daze to have me panged immediately with guilt.

"Sorry, I'll be right back," I told the two of them, lifting myself out of my seat to leave the hall quickly. Leaning against the walls beside the doorway for a moment, I pushed back my hair to clear my sudden, childish embarrassment over a man I had no reason to fuss over about anymore.

The door opened behind me and I turned back to see Charles looking past my way, tilting a head to me sympathetically when finding me. "Something's up and you're shit and hiding it. Does everyone just go along with it?"

I couldn't help to laugh at the comment, shaking my head to him. "It's just me, I'm not doing too well. I needed to get a breath in." He nodded and I smiled up to him, taking up his hand on mine. "Do me a favour and stop being cliché by chasing after me okay?"

"When you admit to me your love for the clichés. I'm always gonna chase after you," He told me and clasped my hand in mine to open up the door for me, "Now come on, I'm gonna need your opinion on my work anyways." I smiled and nodded simply, heading inside with his hand at the small of my back to see Matty helping a group of students not too far from me. Barely lifting a gaze to the door opening, his eyes seemingly looking past me and to Charles instead, the look of distaste enough for me to now what he must think.

And here I am, having another thought of pure vain that this man even is doing this all because of me. God, nothing has changed.

***

The day seemed to be cut short this time, Ophelia and I decided on a break from our usual midnight rendezvous with a date she had with a girl in the the floor below us. Tucking myself away from the crowd to grab a quick snack at the coffee shop down the street, the elevator doors going down opened to a pair of eyes locked into a book in his hand.

Now this- this is a damn cliché.

Matty looked up to me, closing his book to have a better look of me before him. "Emma-"

"Mr. Healy," I responded casually, stepping in to see he was heading down to the ground floor as well. Leaning against the walls of the elevator, on the opposite side of him, the tension already seemed to be apparent with the two of us taking part in what felt like the longest elevator ride. "Surprised to see you here."

"I was in town visiting family and they had asked me to come before. That's all," He explained to me and I nodded, grabbing the phone in my pocket to distract myself from him. He sighed under his breath and I looked up to see his hair was down enough for him to push it back in a way that always seemed to drive me crazy before.

And it still seemed to do so now.

"I can assume you're grabbing a coffee then-" I raised a brow to him as he smirked over to me. "It's about 7 o'clock, I could only assume." I couldn't help to laugh at this, seeing him ease up at my sudden change of demeanor. "It's good to see you, y'know."

"You can't say that, Matty."

"It doesn't have to be that way, I'm only being nice- You can't blame me for still knowing a few things."

I shut myself slowly for a moment, noticing his pack of book already in hand and only assumed the two of us planned for similar events tonight. "Do you wanna grab a cup with me then?" He looked to me expectantly as I blushed slightly at him. "As old friends of course."

He chuckled under his breath at this with a small shrug of the shoulders. "Of course? It's with the best company after all." I nodded, the elevator door opening suddenly to have the two of us exchange a glance. Matty extended a hand out to hold open the doors for me. "You go first then, love."

Watch me, take a good thing and fuck it all up in one night.