overwhelming [m.h]

[ 18 ]

Once Louis had been dropped off at school, we made our way to George's, where we waited for him outside, as he got ready for the day. Matty and I just sat there, in a comfortable silence, I played with his hands.

"Do you think babies can see ghosts?" I asked Matty, as I fiddled with his fingers, imitating the keys of a piano. He looked at me with an estranged look.

"Don't think so, what type of superpowers could babies have that you lose once you've grown up?" The question ran through my mind, and I quickly found an answer.

"Well, they're, like, pure. Y'know? So maybe they're more susceptible to like, ghost stuff." I explained, only to gain a look of confusion and laughter from him. On my peripheral, I noticed George walking down the path from the entrance of his house to where the car was. The path was surrounded by small plants, despite the growing cold.

"Am I late? Or are the two of you just stupid?" He asked, almost as if he was trying to catch his breath from running around while getting ready. Matty smiled, and I proceeded to sit straight. I turned around to look at George as Matty turned on the car.

"We had to drop off Matty's brother at school, so we just came directly from over there." I explained, and as soon as the car began to move, I sat correctly once again, and we made our way to school, only being able to listen to one song, as the travel time significantly shortened.

Matty parked in the school's parking lot, and we quickly got off. I noticed how there weren't a lot of cars around by the time we got there, and after taking a look at my clock, I realized we were much earlier than our usual arrival time. We walked into the big, empty building, and walked through the corridors until we arrived at our usual destination. The music room. Apparently, at this time a day, there was choir practice, which meant we couldn't use the room. However, I decided to take the guys to my usual hiding spot outside.

"It's freezing though, can't we find an empty classroom and just sit there until the professors arrive?" George complained, he clearly wasn't fond of the cold, which I understood, however, I really wanted to show them that specific spot. George refused to go outside, which meant we ended up just chilling in a classroom, just as George had proposed previously.

We passed time between small conversations and inappropriate drawings in the blackboard, and soon enough people began to make their ways through the previously empty halls. Matty and I walked towards my classroom, and there, we parted ways. Just like that, the rest of the day went by, with small giggles, and big laughs in the music room, and Annalise joining us for the first time for lunch.

I was digging into the popcorn Sam had bought for me before break, when I suddenly got an alarming text message from my mom.

Mom 12.30 PM

We're going to go see your father this weekend.

I felt my tummy turn, as I realized the endless possibilities of outcomes that could come from this weekend, and I could feel the colour disappear from my face. Matty turned to me, noticing my distressed state and held my hand, discreetly. Without having to say anything, I showed him the text message.

Matty wrapped his arms around me, while I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. And throughout the rest of the day, Matty tried to cheer me up between breaks, and the couple of minutes between classes, yet at that moment, everything seemed... numb. I couldn't feel happy, nor sad. I just felt nothing.

As soon as the end of the day arrived, Matty drove me home, dropping off George first. Once we were before my own house, I realized how much I despised the idea of fronting my problems at that moment, so instead of getting off, I sat in the car, saying nothing.

"Want to go for a drive?" Matty asked, while realizing my, still, anxious. I nodded, and without further ado, he drove away from the small, brick house. I opened the window, despite the cold air of the autumn, and I allowed the air to hit every single one of my eyelashes, with a teardrop rolling down my cheek. I felt Matty's hand on my thigh, reminding me that I was not alone, yet I couldn't help but to wish I was invisible in that moment.

The drive eventually turned from the familiar small streets of Wilmslow to a more rural panorama, and although the sun remained hidden, somehow the worries of this young woman began to diminish, as I was able to fully bask on the beauty of the countryside.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked Matty, after the couple of minutes of silence that had drowned both of our words. I looked at him, a small smile lighting up the car.

"Manchester, just for a while." I nodded, and continued to look out the window. The smell of old trees mixed with damp grass infiltrated my nostrils, and the familiar sounds of the city suddenly began to appear from a distance. We walked through the streets of Manchester, feeling welcomed. We visited a few shoppes, and a few other cafés just to spend time. Eventually, we arrived at this small market, the street was lit up by some pretty industrial lights. We walked amongst a few of the stands, until we found an old man selling some worn out books, and Matty insisted we saw what was there.

I stood, analyzing some of the books, when I suddenly felt an embrace around me, and the familiar of cigarettes and cologne wrapped me. Matty took the small poetry book I had been holding, and went through some of the pages of the book, only to be greeted at the end by some notes by the original owner. At the bottom, as if it was a letter to whomever would read, in delicate black ink read "1st June, The 1975". I felt his smile against my head as he kissed it, and paid the old man for the poetry book.

On the drive back to Wilmslow, things seemed to have simmered down, and the silence was comforting, however, Matty decided there was one more thing we had to get done before we arrived at my house. He drove off to a small park that was near where the school was.

"Well, it's not a proper date, given the circumstances, but it's better than nothing." He said as he stepped out of the car; I followed closely as I saw him open up the trunk of his car and take out a guitar case. We sat next to a tree, and he opened up the case, to reveal a beautiful black guitar, one that I had clearly not noticed the days the guys practiced at Matty's.

He began playing the notes of a song I didn't recognize at all, at least some of the others I barely recognized by sound, or knew by name. But this one I knew nothing about. Matty began singing, lyrics that spoke directly to me.

"Don't... you.. see.. me. I.. I think I'm falling... I'm falling for you." I felt a knot form on my throat as he continued to sing, this time putting more attention to the delicacy of the wording, trying to figure out his thoughts. "I'll take it one day at a time. Soon you will be mine, oh, but I want you now." I smiled at this, remembering my several requests to take things slowly, yet at this point it seemed like pace didn't matter as long as we were together. The song came to a close, and Matty moved his guitar to his side, and he laid on the ground, soon joined by me. I held his hand and we looked at each other.

"So, what do you think? Do you think George will like it?" He said, making me laugh, and pushing his arm, only for him to pull me closer in a warm embrace, as if autumn had suddenly turned into summer, and the breeze was rather refreshing.

"I think he will love it." I said smiling at his silly joke. I kissed first his forehead, then his nose, and finally his lips. "This was a lovely, not-proper date. Thank you." I kissed him once again, and found comfort in his chest. We admired the starry sky for as long as the cold allowed us.