Black and Blue

Chapter 3

Rolland just finished his dinner and headed back to his room. Another usual dinner with his brother while his mom ate before them.

He sat on his bed and took out his phone just to check his Instagram feed. Just then he remembered about Matthew, he told him to call him up.

Rolland quickly called Matthew but even after ringing several times, he didn't pick up. Then when Rolland was about to give up, his phone rang and it was Matthew.
He quickly picked it up.

"Hey!", Rolland started.

" Hey! Um sorry for not picking up, I fell asleep soon today, hehe."

"Oh did I disturb you? Um you can sleep again, we can talk later."

"Nope it's fine. Um should we meet up somewhere tomorrow?"

"Yeah, when?"

"Um, after college, I'm free for like two hours before shift. So can we meet at like two?"

"Alright. Where?"

"Meet me at the bridge, from there we can decide where to hangout."

Rolland giggled. "Yeah sounds good. So um see ya tomorrow. Now sleep."

Matthew yawned and said, "goodnight".

Rolland cut the call and kept his phone aside, falling asleep after sometime.

Rolland rushed to the bridge the next day as it was already two fifteen and he was late. By the time he reached, Matthew was already standing at their usual spot, fiddling with his phone.

"Hey there! Sorry I'm late.",Rolland called out to Matthew.

" Hey man, so um park or cafe?"

"Park sounds better."

Both of them went to a park nearby and sat down side by side on the grass, while they ate ice creams.

"Nice view huh", Matthew commented on the view that they were seeing. Sun almost about to set, and a wide sea that looked small from the park and birds flying and young kids playing Frisbee.

" It's like a date we're on.", again Matthew said but immediately covered his mouth with his hand, "hey sorry I didn't mean it that way."

Rolland laughed and with a last bite finished his ice cream.
"Here , you got cream in here, wait let me clean it.", Rolland said as he rubbed off some cream from Matthew's face.

" Thanks", Matthew said in the sweetest way possible, "I just wish all my so called friends we're  like you, true to me and seeing me as their friend and a normal guy instead of a spoilt playboy."

"Umhum." Rolland muttered, " You don't need many people in your life if you have just one good person who is worth anyone else."

"Umm... ", Matthew sighed, " No you're right. I can't expect everyone to be true to me."

Soon it was time for Matthew's shift and they both  left the park and bid their goodbyes before going their own ways.

"Matthew, he's cute isn't he?", Rolland muttered to himself and found himself blushing at the thought of it. He was grinning like a fool when he came out of those thoughts.

" Wait, no! I'm not..... I never had a crush on anyone but I'm... I'm straight so yeah.", Rolland punched himself in his mind. 

Looks like it's time for Rolland to figure out some things in his life. Being attracted to someone for the first time ain't an easy job.
Wait, is he attracted? God knows.

Rolland hurries home and starts doing his school work, though all he has in his mind is Matthew's seductive smile and his dark brown eyes.
 

He went to eat his dinner and was greeted by his brother who had noodles all over his hair. "I'm Medusa!!! ", Noah, his brother shouted. Kids!

Just then Rolland's mom came and sighed looking at Noah. " Clean yourself and eat.", she told Noah in a stern voice.
Then she looked at Rolland and said in the same tone, " Help out your brother, at least you'll be of some use!"

Rude much? Well Rolland is used to it. From the childhood bullies to his mom, everyone talks to him in that way only.

Rolland just nodded slightly and went to help Noah clean himself. "Hey, know what? My friends will be coming to our tomorrow. Why don't you ever have your friends come over here? ", Noah asked Rolland.

Rolland just shrugged and said to himself, " I'll need friends for that.", and sighed.

He was done cleaning Noah and had completed his dinner and went back to his room and decided to go through his Instagram feed before sleeping.

Just when he opened his phone, he was shocked as it was full of notifications. He clicked on one of them and saw that he was tagged in a post with his photo which was edited.

It was a photo of him crying on the bridge, the day he attempted to jump, and a photo of some random couple in his class, with a caption that read, "when you love her but she doesn't know you exist."

Rolland was shocked AF after seeing it and had to write a long explanation to the girl whose photo was there that it was a misunderstanding and he didn't like her.

Almost the whole school texted him, trying to console him and some making fun of him. Tears fell from his eyes as he didn't know what to do about it. How was he supposed to convince the whole school that it's just a lie.

He was sobbing when a scary thought came to his mind. Who clicked the picture, and did they see him attempt suicide? Who could have done it.

And then another dreadful thought came to his mind..... What if its..... Matthew?