Mirage (ON HOLD for revision)

Chapter 4: The Day After

The next morning, he waited outside Matt’s house hid behind the post, remembering that they have their first class together. It was never a mystery to Cedric why Matt saved him when he did, knowing that near everyone except for the infants and the toddlers whispered indiscernible truths and lies about him behind his back. On the contrary, Matt has always been invisible, almost as if speaking his name behind his back would warrant divine punishment.

“Who broke you, Matt?” Cedric asked aloud as he stepped away from the post and stood staring at the formidable Vizcarra house, searching for monsters between and behind pulled curtains.

“You’re scaring the neighbors,” Matt said dispassionately, almost like his usual self, when he finally came out.

Cedric’s twisted humor even thought it was amusing how Matt seemed to have selected his clothes more carefully, his sweater’s cuffs looking suspiciously tight.

“Who? Me? But they love me!” Cedric replied enthusiastically, watching Matt’s every move. “Why’d you leave poor me behind all of a sudden yesterday? Didn’t you even feel sorry for my poor self?” Cedric asked.

It wasn’t difficult to come up with the decision to preserve the peace between them. Cedric could tell Matt would vanish if he dares to ask why the latter tried to kill himself. And he definitely wouldn’t be returning after three holy days.

“You looked like you could handle it,” Matt replied.

Strangely enough, Cedric felt as if he could see Matt clearly now, the god he always looked up to behind a haze of clouds.

“Yeah, I handled it really well. We’ve become really close pals, that guard and I after you pulled that stunt and abandoned me,” Cedric spat back and stifled a fake sob, “and I thought we were friends.”

“You’ll live.”

“Of course, I’ll live! That’s not the point! We’re talking about my feelings here!”

“What is it then?”

“You really don’t watch TV at all, don’t you?” Cedric asked with an unbecoming pout. “We’re on the news!”

Cedric rummaged through his bag and held a torn newspaper clipping to Matt’s face.

The clipping was legitimate. Cedric went out of his way to steal it from the store near their house. He wasn’t dutifully keeping up with the nation’s state either. Seeing it on his way to Matt’s house was fate.

“‘Good Samaritan prevents suicide attempt’?”

“Yeah, they even got our faces from the CCTV footage,” Cedric replied proudly, staring at the blurred photo in the article. “We’re celebrity!”

He may be broken, but Matt is still my god, Cedric thought as he watched Matt’s forehead crease with worry.

“I’ll find your monster,” Cedric muttered as he stared at Matt’s preoccupied face. “And I’ll kill him.”

When Matt looked up, Cedric was already wearing his usual idiotic smile.

“This isn’t funny,” Matt said gravely.

“Yeah, but worst case scenario, I’d overshadow you,” Cedric replied, “I’ll protect your invisible man life style, my friend.”

“You’re strangely extra creepy today,” Matt said matter-of-factly.

“Must be because this is my second life,” Cedric replied.

But ever since he showed the clipping to Matt, Matt has been obviously bothered by it.