Matthias

Chapter 2

**Devin's POV**

"Hey, Matt? Have you noticed anything....off...about Regan?" I asked Matt walking down the hall of our school towards the cafeteria. He looked at her quizzically, but nothing seemed to register. "Dude, she's huge!" I said for lack of a better word.

He looked at her, then looked back at me. "She's pregnant." He reasoned naively.

"But, not that pregnant! She shouldn't even be showing yet!" He didn't seem to understand what I was trying to tell him. "Just talk to her about it, okay, man?"

He looked confused. "Talk to her about what?!"

"Matt, a girl with one baby shouldn't be showing that much right now." I explained as we paid for our lunches.

"Are you saying...?" He let the sentence hang, as if scared to finish it.

I nodded, "That's exactly what I'm saying."

He seemed to be panicking a little. As we sat down at our usual table in the lunchroom he asked frantically, "What if you're right?! What am I gonna do?"

"Same thing you were gonna do before." I shrugged. Wasn't it obvious? It's not like he could change his mind just because of the baby might not be one baby.

"You think she knows?"

I looked at him as if he'd lost his head. My blank stare broke into a grin, "Matt, for her to not know, she would have to be dimmer than you!"

He laughed, but his expression soon changed to a somber one and he put down the sandwich he was about to eat. "I wonder why she didn't tell me."

"Probably afraid you'll change your mind. You have to remember, the only reason she didn't get an abortion was because you agreed to take full custody of the kid. You think she'd have gone through all that shit with her parents if she thought you wouldn't keep your word? I don't think so."

"That's true," He said.

"So, you have changed your mind?" I asked, a little shocked.

"NO! No, I meant its true she wouldn't have kept the baby. I'm still keeping it. Or, them? It's my responsibility and I'm stepping up to it whether she does or not." He said rather aggressively.

"Chill! I didn't think you would do it. That's why I asked. Just talk to her after school," I said and took the fist bite of my lunch as the bell rang. Ten minutes till class. Lunch always flies by, especially when something was on your mind.

Matt ate his lunch in silence. When the class bell rang we started toward our fifth period science class. "Dev?"

"Yeah?" I turned my head to look at him. I loved having excuses to look at him. I couldn't get enough of him, ever. The way his black hair swept over his shining grey eyes was just hypnotizing! Focus, Devin! I scolded at myself as he tried to continue.

"Will you come with me to talk to Regan?" He asked.

As we found our seats in the back of the class, I put my hand on his shoulder in assurance, "I told you, man, I'm with you through this."

**Matt's POV**

Devin and I met up after our last period class. I texted Regan to make sure she'd be at home. On the way to her neighborhood we listened to an assortment of Skillet and Staind while talking about all the homework we would never get done. I'm pretty sure he was trying to take my mind off of the upcoming confrontation, and he was doing a pretty good job until we came up to Regan's house.

We got out and walked toward the front door. Devin patted my back quickly in comfort as we waited for someone to answer the door.

When someone finally did, it was Regan's father. He didn't seem happy to see me. It was an understatement to say that he didn't like me. It was understandable, though, so I tried not to appear disrespectful. "Hello, Mr. DeVille." I say sheepishly. "Is Regan here? I would really like to talk to her."

Howard DeVille stepped by to let us in, but glared at me as he passed. "Regan! Your man whore is here to see you!" He shouted, never taking his eyes away from me as I flinched at his words.

"Howard, that's uncalled for!" I heard Mrs. DeVille yell from the kitchen area.

Regan could be seen slowly making her way downstairs, chuckling to herself. Mr. DeVille walked in the direction where his wife's voice had come from. Regan sat down on the love seat and looked at us. "Devin." She greeted and he gave a small wave. "Matthias, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well," I tried to start but really don't know how.

Silence filled the room.

"Is there something you haven't told him?" Devin asked and I flashed him a grateful smile.

Regan looked guilty. "Um. Well, I've been wanting to tell you but..." I looked at Devin to see he was frowning at her. He didn't seem happy with her secret. "It's not just a baby, Matthias. It's... It's three." She finished sadly.

I sat there without saying anything. How am I supposed to take care of three babies by myself? There is no way I can do this. I already knew about the troubles I would be having with one child, how could I possibly handle three?

"You're still going to take them, aren't you?" Regan asked frantically.

I looked over at Devin to see him looking at me with a mixture of reassurance and something else I couldn't put my finger on. He nodded at me as if to say, it's okay. Did he think I was going back out on what I'd told him at lunch today. I looked back at Regan. Apparently, my silence had made her antsy, as she looked very nervous right about now.

I looked her in the eyes and nodded. "Yes, Regan, I am. Somebody's gotta step up and take responsibility for their poor choices." I say pointedly and then stood to leave without looking back.

When I got into Devin's car, I slammed the door and turned the key over in the ignition. Dev soon opened the door on the driver's side and got in. We drove toward my house and didn't say a word until we pulled into the driveway.

"How the hell am I suppose to take care of three kids?" I asked flatly. I was still in shock over this bombshell.

"I don't know." Devin said. I looked at him and for the first time since we found out about Regan's pregnancy, he looked scared.

"I can't raise triplets on my own!" I nearly screamed.

Devin didn't even flinch at my voice, even though I knew I just let myself take this out on him. I opened my mouth to apologize, but he cut me off. "Matt, how many times do I have to tell you, you're not alone? As long as I'm, you'll never be alone. I'm with you every single step. Even if that means ditching college and helping you support your three kids!"

I just stared at him. What had I ever done to deserve a friend like the one I have now? "I can't let you do that." I reasoned.

"I'm not giving you a choice in the matter." In his eyes I saw the same unnamed emotion from earlier. In an instant it was gone and in it's place was a playful grin. "Now, go do your homework, so I can get your answers tomorrow!" He punched my arm playfully as he unlocked the doors.

I got out and dug out my house key. Before closing the door I ducked down and looked at my best friend. "Thanks, Dev. For everything." I said and before he could say something stupid about how he hasn't done anything, I closed the door and walked to the front porch of the foster house I call home.