An Artist Colors

Chapter 9

"Did it have to be you to comfort me?" Collin questions feeling worse. His heart just seemed to shatter more and more by the minute if that was even possible. He was in pain but he knew that he was never going to be okay with himself until he told Matthew the truth about his strange love for him.

"Who is the piece about?" Matthew asks with curiosity. Collin doesn't say a word, he just looks at Matthew's eyes in a way Matthew has never seen anyone look at him before. Almost the same way Collin had looked at him in the art room but stronger, with pain yet, was it love? Instead of answering with words he turns the page of music to reveal the name of the piece, Matthew, all of the pain was because of him.

"Do I really make you that sad?" Matthew looks at Collin with tears falling down his face after hearing the saddest song he has ever heard. "Why? Why do I cause you this much sadness?" Collin looked up at Matthew. No words came to mind, only the love that was now left behind. Left behind along with his broken heart, if only he knew he wished them apart. Matthew wipes Collin's tears "I'm sorry" was all he could get out. He didn't know what else to say, why should he be sorry for something he doesn't even know what it is.

"You should be" Collin whispers softly as another tear streams down his face. Matthew was confused, what had he done to make him feel this way. "You should be sorry because I am mad with you. Mad that you have to be so perfect."

"I'm sorry but I'm not perfect, actually far from it. Just because I beat you at something that doesn't mean I am perfect, I mean you are better than me at other things" Matthew says trying to comfort him but how could he if he didn't even know what was the problem.

"That's not what I mean. You see, it's just that you might not be perfect but you are perfect to me." Collin pauses, waiting for that hit, either emotional or physical but Matthew does nothing. He sits in silence so Collin continues.
Looking at his hands he says "The truth is..... The truth is..." but he hesitates, scared, filled with fear consuming him. But then it stops, he thinks it was going to happen sooner or later so I might as well tell him now. Why does it even matter but oh well, it's better said now then never.

So finally he gathers up all the courage, all the possible bravery he could have at the moment and looks at Matthew's green eyes and says "The truth is that I am in love with you." Matthew's eyes widen with shock. Collin then felt insecure, thinking that he knew he didn't feel the same way. Collin runs out of the music room with tears streaming down his face.

Matthew finally gets out of shock and tries to run after him but it's too late, he was already gone out of sight. Matthew didn't know what to think, he always thought he would never fall in love but was this the day he would finally realize that maybe, just maybe he was. He started to drive towards Charlie's house but receives a call from Charlie's mom. He pulls over, taking his phone and as he is about to say hello he hears her crying.

"Mrs. Woods? Is something wrong?" his voice was shaky, scared of what she was going to say.
She hesitated, making Matthew's stomach sink, "Come to the hospital. It's Charlie." and with that Matthew hung up and headed towards the hospital. Charlie had warned him that she wasn't feeling well, even told him which hospital they would go to but he never thought he would have to go so soon. He was afraid of the possibility that it could be the last day he was going to see his best friend.

Time passed, it was dark already and Matthew was worried about Collin because he was nowhere in sight. It had been four long hours of no news, why was it taking so long? Why was Collin not here? Fear and worry just seemed to pile up bit by bit as the minutes passed by. He couldn't take the anticipation much longer and decided to call Collin. He didn't pick up, only making that bad feeling inside of him worse.