Waking Up

Discovering the Town

Chapter Two

After everything was settled, Matt and I walked around town. We passed by a DX, a shoe store, and some other places I didn't bother to remember.

"Do you like the house?" Matt asked, without looking directly at me. I nodded. At that, he smiled. I guess since I was finally happy with life after being sad for so long.

It felt good to be happy about something. I wanted to celebrate. "We should go get some ice cream," I suggested. Matt chuckled.

"Oh yea?" he responded, a smile spreading across his face. I replied back with a 'yea.'

Matt scooped me up in his arms and carried me down the road. "I see a Dairy Queen up ahead," he said, pointing somewhere I couldn't see. We both started getting real giddy. He let me down and we jumped our way there, like kangaroos. "We're ridiculous," I laughed as I held the door open for Matt.

"That's why everyone loves us!" he said through laughter. We had a grand old time. He finally felt like my brother again, not just some stranger.

We arrived back at the house around seven. "Alright, Ray, time to get showered and go to bed," Matt instructed. "We're getting up early tomorrow to explore more, alright?" I responded with a curt nod.

The hot water beaded down my neck and down my spine. I rinsed out the shampoo and washed my body. Before, I had been sweaty and gross, but now I felt much better. I was soon done, and wrapped the towel around my body.

Stepping out of the shower, I was careful not to drip water all over the tile floor. I dried off and slipped on some yoga pants, and an old t~shirt.

I walked out of the bathroom and headed to my bedroom, my hair partially dry. Pulling back the covers, I got ready for bed. Matt stood in the doorway. "Goodnight, I love you. Sweet dreams," he said in a way that let me know I was not alone, that I had someone by my side. I smiled.

"Love you too, see you in the morning!" I replied and climbed into bed. The cool texture of the pillow greeted my warm and tired face.

The next morning, the scent of pancakes wafted into my room. I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and opened the door. Matt smiled.

"Good morning, bedhead!" he laughed. I frowned.

"I didn't brush my hair yet, don't make fun of me!" I defended and hurried into the bathroom. I ran the black brush through my slightly knotted hair. I set the brush back down on the counter and went into the kitchen. "Those pancakes smell good!" I said, intrigued by their scent. I opened the refrigerator door, pulled out a gallon of milk, and poured myself a glass. Closely, I watched Matt flip the pancakes. It seemed like he was doing it effortlessly; it seemed so easy.

"You mind watching from a little further away?" he joked. I shook my head, grinning. Instead of hovering over his shoulder, I sat myself down at the kitchen table.

As I waited for Matt to finish the pancakes, I drank the glass of milk. I made sure I was patient and did my best to not complain.

"Alright!" said Matt after a few minutes. "They're done!" he announced, placing the plate in front of me. I gave him a thanks and dug in. The fluffy pancakes melted on my tongue. I felt like a pig, but I honestly didn't care. I was incredibly hungry, so there I was, scarfing down pancakes. With this thought, I started slowing down.

When I was done, I placed my plate in the sink and gave Matt a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," I said and hugged him extremely tight.

"Kid, you need to loosen your grip," he wheezed, trying to pull away. I chuckled and let go. I headed off to my bedroom to get dressed.

I slipped on my plain blue shirt, jeans, and converse. I studied myself in the mirror. 'Do I look ok?' I asked in my head. Surprisingly, I didn't look like a tomboy. Although I was dressed like one, my features helped me along.

Matt and I walked along the sidewalk, no destination in particular. We walked for a while, looking at the other houses. "Maybe there are some kids your age," said Matt. I rolled my eyes.

"I ain't a kid no more," I said. "I'm 14 years old, I'll be driving in two years." Matt cracked up at how cocky I was being. I folded my arms across my chest. "It ain't funny," I stated with a frown.

"Sure it isnt," said Matt between laughs. I couldn't help but laugh along.