Fatal: Part 1 (The First Snow)

Chapter 8 (Trigger Warning)

"Um..." Matthew starts, "I just...I need to...Get something." He says before disappearing.

A minute later, he returns with a blank expression on his face.

"You ready to go?" Sophie asks.

Matthew nods.

They all walk outside and get into the car. Phil gets into the driver's seat, Sophie in the front passenger seat, and McKayla and Matthew in the back.

"Maybe we try and make some friends today, Matt." Phil says.

"Did you ever stop to consider that may be no one there at that school is worth making any friends with?" Matthew asks. He then puts his headphones in.

McKayla was concerned. Something about Matthew over the last couple of days was...off. She didn't like it; and it gave her a very bad feeling...

x

"Bye kids. We love you." Sophie says.

"Love you too." McKayla and Matthew say in unison as they get out of the car.

Phil and Sophie then drive away.

Matthew didn't look good. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"You okay?" McKayla asks.

Matthew snaps out of whatever little world he was previously in and nods.

"Fine. Just nervous for a test I have today." He says, "C'mon."

They walk into the school and Matthew walks McKayla to her locker. He always did this, afraid that someone would push or heckle her if he weren't there to protect her.

Once they get there, McKayla does her combination and opens her locker and begins getting her things. Matthew just stares at her.

McKayla an eyebrow, "I'm good from here, Matty."

Matthew blinks, "Oh. Yeah. Right. Okay." He says. He then wraps his arms around his little sister and kisses her forehead, "I love you, Kay."

"Oh." McKayla grunts before hugging him back, "I love you too, Matt...Are you sure you're okay?"

Matthew takes a deep breath, then breask the embrace, "I'm fine." He says, "Please be careful today."

Something about the way he said that wasn't right...

"I will." McKayla syas.

Matthew stares at her a second longer, then turns and walks away. McKayla watches him until he disappears into the crowd of students that walked along the cream colored tile floors and blue lockers.

McKayla sighs, then makes sure she has all of her things for class. Once she does, she shuts her locker and heads to her first class.

McKayla had learned to always look down at the floors as she walked. It made her less noticeable; and as terrible as it sounds, McKayla and Matthew had both learned early on that it was much safer for them to go unnoticed.

Sometimes though, someone notices.

McKayla suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder and it them pushes her into the lockers, causing her to drop all of her things. McKayla looks up and sees a group of guys approaching her.

"Aww, what? You gonna cry?" One of them asks.

"And look at those clothes, that shirt. You some kinda goth freak like your brother?"

"Yeah, you a fag too? You a dyke?"

"Shut up! I've never done anything to you! And neither has my brother!" McKayla exclaims.