reading between the lines

15

Matty's POV

I sit in the toilet cubicle for a good 10 minutes just thinking, my eyes open and fixated on the door allowing tears to fall silently down my cheeks. I went to find Alfie and Amy but they wouldn't talk to me, they said I was deluded if I thought they'd want to hang out with me, and then Amy dumped me. I need to know why they're angry with me so I can put it right but I have no idea and it's killing me inside. I sit in silence, completely alone, until I hear the door creak open, I breath in, hoping that whoever it is will use the bathroom then leave again, but they don't.

"Matty" the voice says "I need to tell you something" it's Ryan, AJ's best mate, what could he possibly want.

"What is it Ryan" I sigh, staying in my cubicle so he doesn't see my tears.

"I know why your friends have fallen out with you, it's all AJ's fault, he lied and told them your bullying me. It had nothing to do with me I swear, I first found out about it this morning when he showed me some fake texts that he'd sent around school. I begged him to stop cos it isn't fair but he wouldn't listen. I'm sorry" Ryan said, not taking a single breath.

I wipe my cheeks and unlock the cubicle door "fake texts? What do the fake texts say?" I'm not angry at Ryan, I'm thankful if anything, but there's a sense of anger in my voice that I just can't help.

"They erm... They were texts between me and you and I err, I'll just show you" he stuttered as he got his old battered phone out his pocket and showed me a picture on his phone. AJ is smarter than he looks if he's managed to put this together. I give Ryan his phone back and look at him

"why are you telling me this Ryan, you're meant to be AJ's best mate."

"Not by choice" he stumbles in the last word and looks at me in complete shock "I've said too much, I have to go, bye Matty, please don't tell AJ about this little meet up. Please" the desperation in his voice made me feel sorry for him as he ran off, but I was confused and curious both at the same time, what does 'not by choice mean' ?

I look at myself in the mirror and make sure my tears have gone before heading back to music and sitting down in my seat, engrossed in deep thought. So much so intact that I don't hear Louis talking to me until he slaps me across the cheek.
"Erm owch" I say, so over dramatically that I make myself smile "what did you do that for"
"You were in your own little world" he replies as if that's actually a fair excuse for slapping me so hard.
"I was just thinking, something your not familiar with" I say with a cheeky grin.
"Alright small-fry" he says smiling as he walks back over to his computer.
I don't really know why I'm okay with Louis calling me small-fry but I am, I've never had a nickname before and I suppose there are worse things he could call me.
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At the end of the day Louis offers me a lift home but I decline, I need some fresh air to clear my mind and I sorta wanna go check in on the treehouse. I walk my usual route home, cutting through the forest and climbing up to the treehouse where I just sit in silence and admire the world around me. This part of the town makes me calmer than anywhere else and I absolutely love it.

Rustles suddenly surround me as AJ and Ryan appear from the bushes but I don't think they see me so I stay quiet and lay low. AJ has a look of utter disgust on his face and I know this can't be good for Ryan.

"Why the fuck did you tell him Ryan! I'm trying to hurt him and get into his head, I can't do that if you and him are rendezvousing!!" AJ yelled, punching Ryan in the eye on the last word. "You disgust me Ryan" he hissed before giving Ryan an almighty shove and walking off. Once AJ was a safe distance away I jumped down from the tree house and crouched down next to Ryan
"You good bro?" I question "that was a really hard punch"
"Yeh, I'm ok" he replies as I hold my hand out and help him up, his elbow is bleeding and his eye is already starting to bruise.
"Come with me Ryan, I'll take you back to mine and get you some ice, please. I feel like we need to talk anyways" I ask and Ryan nods.

"So you clearly don't want to be mates with AJ and he treats you horribly so why are you mates with him" I ask to make conversation while we walk.

"He's knows my biggest secret" Ryan says honestly "and if it got out everyone in school would treat me differently and I don't want that"

"That's fair enough" I say, even tho it's far from fair "you know, when he pisses you off or something, my door is always open, come round whenever"

"Thanks" he replies with a little smile "Matty you're dead nice, why does AJ hate you?"

"Hell do I know" I say as I open the front door and lead Ryan into the living room where the lads are all sat. I get him a glass of lemonade, a wipe and plaster for his elbow, and some ice for his eye.

"Thanks Matty" he said and he sorted his elbow out before placing the ice against his eye and taking a drink of his lemonade. There's something about Ryan that intrigues me, when you look into his eyes they look broken and scared and even I know that just an could make him feel like that. There's another part of his life that just isn't right and I want to work out what it is so I can help him. Helping him will distract me from my own issues anyway so it's a win win situation in my eyes. I know he doesn't have a lot of money because his phone is old and battered and his clothes are worn out and discoloured. His hair is always greasy and his shoes are at the point where they're falling to pieces. If he's really struggling I could lend him some money, the only issue with that is I don't want to stick my foot in too far and offend him. I like the relationship we're starting to have, he could grow to be one of my best mates, but he will never replace Alfie. No one will ever replace Alfie.

Just as I'm starting to enter a world of my own Ryan's phone rings, bringing me back to reality. I thinks it's his sister and by the sounds of it she doesn't have her house key so is locked out. "Hey Ryan if she wants to come round here for a bit she can" I offer, I wanna meet his sister, see if she gives anything away about their life.

"Thanks" he says gratefully with a smile and tells his sister the address then hangs up. He looks over at Louis quite anxiously.

"What's up Ryan" Louis asks

"Well it's just that my sister really really likes one direction, and erm, mainly you. So I apologize in advance, I'll keep her under control. Or at least try to" he's says nervously.
Observational note: Ryan waffles when he's nervous or anxious.

"Oh it's fine, how old is she" Louis says smiling, he's used to fangirls being crazy about him, I mean personally I don't understand it but that could just be cos I'm a 15 year old straight lad.

"8" Ryan says casually.

I cough on the lemonade I just drank "8?" I say in complete shock "she's 8 and she has a house key?"

"Yeh, my dad works a lot so sometimes she has to let herself in" he says casually as if it's completely normal. I stay silent, it's not my place to say anything yet, but I will say something, just not right now.