andromeda // matty healy au

Just Kiss Her

I wasn't able to get much sleep that evening. I just couldn't keep my mind still. My brain kept wandering back to my encounter with the boys. Did they recognize me? I got the feeling the George was close to figuring out who I was, but he didn't say anything. It got me nervous to think that they could have found me out. I've kept Andy a secret from my personal life for so long, I would hate to have my neighbour find out about her by accident. Not even Frances knows about my double life; she would probably support my decision to dance, but it would feel like I would be telling my mum. It was best to keep Andy hidden.

At the café, I was barely able to keep my eyes open while Frances and I got ready for the day. Even though it was a Saturday and it would be busier than normal, Frances said if I called someone else in earlier, I could go home and get some rest. I was thankful that she pulled through for me.

I ended up going home shortly after noon. Ruby was able to get in earlier and cover my shift. For the first time in a year of her working at the Cosmic Café, she willingly came in to help out. I was shocked, but pleased that she chose today to be a better coworker.

Trudging up to my flat, I realized that these stairs would not be growing on me anytime soon. I didn't realize how exhausting it would be to climb up and down three flights of stairs multiple times a day. Guess I should have taken that into account.

I barely had enough energy to lock my door, shuffle off my work shoes and flop onto my mattress. Just as I closed my eyes, waiting for a quick decent into sleep, there was a knock at my door. I jolted up, and stomped to my front door once again. I angrily turned the handle, ready to bite the head off whoever had just interrupted my sleep.

Matty stood outside my flat. His hair looked flat and greasy, and he sported a pair of dark sunglasses. I couldn't tell if he was trying his hardest to look like a bad boy from the 50s or he was just extremely hungover.

"What, Matty?" I asked, fully intending to close the door on him, but he pushed past me without saying a word. Keeping his head low, his sneakers tapped across my floor as he walked over to my couch, and promptly fell onto it.

"Matty, what do you want? I'm a bit ill," I lied. I had to get him out of my house, but it seemed like he wasn't about to move anytime soon.

"Me too," he said, facedown into a pillow. "I came in to invite you out with me and the guys tonight, but I might be too out of it to go out."

I immediately perked up, and nonchalantly asked, "Oh, going out twice in one weekend? Quite the group of party animals. Where did you guys go last night?" I did my best to throw him off Andy's track.

"I forget," he said simply. I hoped he wouldn't go out to Venus' again. Maybe if he had forgotten, it would be a good sign that he wouldn't be able to go there again. Perhaps he wasn't telling me where they went because he didn't want to tell me that they went out to see some dancers.

Whatever angle he was playing from, he was indeed very hungover.

"Matty, I was just about to make myself some tea. Would you care for a cuppa?" I asked as quietly as I could.

"Yes, please," his face still pressed into the couch cushion. I waited for the water to boil and placed a tea bag in my teapot.

"Where did you go last night?" Matty startled me. I spun around and saw that he was now seated upright, his sunglasses placed onto the coffee table in front of him. I was taken back by his statement and struggled to form a coherent thought that I could shove into a sentence. "You had a gym bag with you, and you jogged up the street. I saw you from my living room window."

"I just went out for a jog, you know how it is. I took a water bottle and some library books I had been meaning to return." Lying through my teeth was a new skill, clearly. This answer seemed to please him, as he nodded when I dropped off his cup of tea. I sat next to him as we enjoyed our Orange Pekoe.

I had placed my mug on my coffee table next to Matty's sunglasses and after a few minutes passed, he did the same.

"How's your band coming along?" I asked, cutting through the silence.

"Good," he shrugged. "We just need a venue. We've got some really good stuff, but we need a place that will actually let us play."

"What about the restaurant? Surely they must want to have live entertainment." I suggested.

"No, the vibe's wouldn't really match." He sighed. "Plus I already asked my boss, and after he listened to us play, he said no." He was visibly frustrated and dropped his head down low.

"Oh," I pursed my lips, not quite knowing what to add to that. Offering a small smile, I said, "Well, I'm you guys will find a good fit for your music." I placed a hand on his knee, in an attempt to get him to look at me.

He shook his hair out of his face and looked me dead in the eyes. I thought he would dismiss what I had said with a scoff, but he saw that I was sincere, and softened. He laid his arm across the back of the sofa, to drop his face near mine.

"You're right, we just might, Celeste. We just might." He didn't move his face away, his brown eyes piercing my skull. I felt like his nose was about to touch mine, because I could already feel his breath falling over my lips.

I scanned his visage, stopping at his bushy eyebrows, his stubble and then his smirk. His cheeky smile gave my stomach a flip-flop feeling. I gulped as it felt like he had gotten closer than before. Was he about to plant one on me? I closed my eyes, bracing myself for impact.

"See you later. Feel better and thanks for the tea." He diverged from his trajectory and whispered into my ear. He kept his voice husky and low; it gave me goosebumps. I could hear the smirk still upon his lips as I felt him get up to leave.

My eyes jolted open, and I was left stranded in my living room, lips outstretched. I heard the door open behind me, but I was paralyzed once again. Just like last night, I was left feeling like I didn't know what to do with myself.

Matty had left me feeling like I was tied up in knots. I had felt ripped off and it was unfair. I wanted to kiss him, and I thought he was interested in me. It hurt a bit to think that he just wanted to toy around with me.

I had a bit of time before I had to run out for the show. I decided to squeeze in a quick nap before I would get my stuff together. Anyway, I needed to lie down because my head was still in a tizzy from Matty leaving me behind.

Whatever, Andy echoed in my head, keep your mind on your performance tonight. If you earn lots of tips, you can buy yourself a new cashmere scarf to mop up the tears Matty might cause.

I hated to admit it, but she was right.