That 000000 & ffffff || Matty Healy

Girl, I'm Not Your Savior

I blink, shaking my head and putting my seatbelt on, fiddling with the stereo until I'm at Jamie's playlist that I'm so used to. "You're awfully punchy right now," I mumble, pulling the car in reverse and navigating my way out the car park and into the almost desolate street.

He ignores me, turning up the volume a bit, "what's a king bed without a queen – I love this song!" he continues to hum along to the one Justin Bieber song Jamie has.

I'm only a block away from my destination when the third One Direction song comes on when I get the sudden realization, "Oh god, am I kidnapping you?"

"Hardly," he snorts, tapping his finger to the beat, "I'm older than you, incase you forgot."

I know he's trying to be facetious but he doesn't understand how panicked I am, god, why did I let him in the car in the first place. "Matty!"

I whine out his names and he looks at me exasperated, "Marcy," he mocks. "Hmm, our names kind of rhyme, yeah?"

"No." I pull over and park into one of the available slots before yanking my seatbelt off and climbing over to the back seat, faced down as I try to find my phone I had thrown somewhere here.

"You know, your skirt is an inch away from sliding up your bum." He pauses for a moment, "Nice underwear." I finally find my phone and sit up too fast that I get a head rush.

"Shut up. Just shut up." I hand him my phone, heart racing as if I'd done an hour long work out rather than a thirty second phone search.

He takes it from me with a raised eyebrow, "What do you expect me to do with this?"

"Call someone," I say incensed, "tell them you're all right and I've not taken you for ransom or something."

He looks alarmingly amused, "What am I, five, no one gives a shit as long as I'm back before the concert – which, by the way, is tomorrow night anyway." He looks at me, I'm wide eyed and flustered before he stares down at the phone, unlocks it, and dials a number before pressing it to his ears. He gives me a look that asks me if I'm satisfied as he speaks, "Yes, hello, I'm just calling to tell you that I'm alive, in case you were wondering...I'm eating lunch...yes, I'm with Marcy, where'd you get Stacy from?...when did you become my dad, I'm older than you asshole...yes, fine...alright...bathrooms aren't classy, why would you even suggest that?...okay, bye, love you too."

He hands me my phone back and I tilt my head, mouth ready to ask him, but I think better of it and I rather not know what the person on the other end had said about bathrooms. I turn the car off and open the door, meeting Matty on the other end.

"So are you taking me on a date then?" he asks.

I frown, "I only have fifteen dollars in my pocket. We can go Dutch, but I'd hardly call this a date."

"Oh?" he holds the door open for me and tell him a quick thank you, he continues, uninterrupted, "I see how it is."

"Do you, now?" I lead him to a booth and take a seat opposite him, "Please explain it to me because I have no idea how it is – I don't even know what I'm doing anymore."

"Well," he says, grabbing a menu, "You're about to place your order, is what you're doing." And sure enough my Lilac haired friend flounces over, notepad in hands and smile on her face.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Matthew Healy and Marcy – huh, wait, what is your last name?"

"Devine."

"Really? Ingenious gift of God here," she nods to Matty, "and divine war?" Matty raises an eyebrow and she blushes, for the first time since I've met her, "sorry, sociology course; learning about names and such."

"I don't even believe in God," Matty mumbled.

"I do," I pitch in, "Also, I'd like a burger and an orange soda, thanks."

She jots it down, "fries are on me – though I suppose I should be giving free fries to Anna since I doused hers in soda."

"I thought you bought her some more fries the last time," I pointed out.

A smirk pulls at her lips, "I might have nicked them off of Ted's table's order. Whoops." She turns to Matty before I can ask who Ted is, but as it turns out, I actually really don't care. "And what do you like?"

"Girls who are taken, apparently." He eyes me before actually ordering something. Louise turns to me, her face asking me if I haven't broken up with Brian yet. My face is answering with a look of guilt. She clucks her tongue in disapproval before heading towards the kitchen.

I glare at Matty, "You need to make up your mind, do you want me or not?"

"Want you?" he scoffs, "of course I do – hell I could have had you five different times just today – but it won't go anywhere, would it, Marcy?"

I look away, petulant to glance at his eyes, "how would you know if you wont even try," I mutter.

He mutters something before sighing and reaching over to pull my face to him, my eyes reluctantly meeting his, "Look, I'm sorry, but, girl I'm not your savior or whatever it is you're trying to make me. I think...I think you were bound to break up with Alex –"

"Brian."

" – anyway, you just needed a bit of a push, but it came at a bit of an odd way and yes, you cheated on him, but at least –"

"Shut up, you're talking shit." He opens his mouth and closes it, then opens it again and this time, it's him who resembles a fish. I see his point on how it's rather endearing.

Louise comes back with plates of food and our drinks, "Are any of you free tomorrow?"

"Concert," Matty says the same time I say, "Yes."

"Um, well, there's this party just off campus tomorrow night," she scribbles the address down on her notepad and rips it off, placing it on the table, "Bring your friends as well, it'll be fun, I promise!" she scurries off before I get an input.

I look at Matty who looks as if he's considering attending by the way he's rereading the address over and over. He looks over at me suddenly, snatches a fry from my plate and dips it into his soda before placing it in his mouth. He makes a face but swallows anyway, "ugh, this is disgusting, how did you manage to eat that?"

I shrug, "Spitters are quitters." He laughs at that, genuine and a little dorky. I smile and take a sip of my drink, wishing I could bottle this moment — his crinkled eyes and hefty laughter, the lightness of everything, the no care in the world at this time, the savory food and the trickle of jokes – I wish I can bottle it up before it turns to shit again.

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sorry, i think this was a bit of a filler chapter... but i hope it was alright..? :)