More Than I Should

Chapter 1 - part 2

-Matt-

I'm not losing her. I refuse to. I don't care if I have to force her. I need her.

"Matty, get up! Mom made pancakes!" Connie shouted as I heard her stomp down the stairs to the kitchen.

A unattractive groan left my lips as I pulled the warm white covers off me. I rub my eyes and put my now beaten up glasses on as I walk into my bathroom. Holy shit. My eyes are puffy. Really puffy. No point in trying to hide this from anyone. I shower and hope that the puffiness dies down. Getting dressed, I head downstairs.

"Matty, are you walking me to the library after- Oh my gosh your eyes!" Connie screeches.

"Honey, are you alright? Did you eat something bad? Was it the muffins I made yesterday?" Mom rushed to me and held my face in her hands, searching for anything else. "Oh dear, Matty! Your glasses! We're going to have to order new ones," she exclaimed.

This is very normal, because the last time I cried was when my dog died when I was 10. So none of them have ever seen me cried since then.

"I'm okay guys, calm down. I just-," I racked my brain for an excuse for puffy eyes. Why didn't I think of this earlier? "cried a little when I scrapped my knee yesterday," I pulled up my jeans to show the large bandaid.

A gasp came from my Mom when she looked down at my knee, "Honey, are you injured anywhere else?"

"Mom, leave him alone! He's 16. He can take care of himself," Connie rolled her eyes and continued to eat her maple syrup drenched pancakes. Haha, she's just jealous because Mom never babies her like this.

"Oh hush it, you. So did you make it on the track team?" she questioned Connie as she readied her lunch.

"Yeah. I'm really excited because Bradley agreed to come and support me on my meets!" she practically jumped up and down in her chair.

I smiled at her until she said Bradley. "Woah, wait, Bradley? As in Bradley Coupp? As in Luce's Bradley? Bradley, Bradley?" my voice rising. I didn't... I knew that Connie had a crush on him since as long as I could remember, but I didn't realise that they actually talked to each other. He's a freshman and she's still in 8th grade. Oh god. I don't like the way this sounded. I'm going to be having a long talk with Bradley.

"Yeah, Lucy's cousin. Bradley. You know, the one that goes to your school? You know, your high school? Horizon High School?" she bobbed her head with each word.

I waved my hand at her dismissively, "Okay, I get it. Since when did you start talking to him? I thought you were over him." I said in disgust. I know Bradley's a really good kid, but I'm just afraid that Connie's going to get heartbroken again, with all her raging hormones and uncontrollable feelings.

"I am," she simply stated, "we're just friends. All he's doing is supporting me. I'm okay," she assured me.

"Okay," I replied with a tone that said 'if you say so'. "Well, I'm going to school now. Bye mom," I kissed her on the cheek, "bye Conn," I ruffled her brown hair, grabbed my keys and ran out the house.

"Matty, you barely ate your pancakes," Mom shouted as I ran out the door.

"I'll be fine Mom," I yelled back as I got into my used, beaten up red 1992 Nissan Sentra that my parents bought from a car junk lot. All we did was fix the break, put 2 new tires on, and it was running just fine. Minus the terribly loud noise it makes when I put the key in the ignition.

Backing out of the drive way, I drive 2 houses down the street and stop at Luce's house. Yup, we live 2 houses down from each other. I usually drive her and Bradley to school everyday.