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ALL I DO. { irl }
"it's a whole lot less crowded out here." niola says as she draws in a refreshing breath of outdoor air. she and matt sit side-by-side on the concrete surrounding the pool.
matt pulls his thighs to his chest, draping his arms over his knees. niola sits criss-cross beside him.
niola watches as people jump in the pool, splashing each other playfully. she smiles when someone laughs; her eyes widen when someone gasps; her eyes follow whichever person she's looking at during the moment.
while she watches them, matt watches her. he loves how easily her mood changes depending on how those around her feel.
it saddens matt to know that her sharp gaze and even sharper mind cover up how gentle she truly is inside.
"can i ask you a question?" matt asks suddenly, making niola perk up in interest. she nods, urging him to ask his question. "what do you think of me? truly."
this seems like a straightforward answer. she either enjoys his company or loathes it. but niola and matt's relationship is actually extremely complicated.
the thing is, niola is known for being the smartest student in her grade — and possibly even the whole school. this reputation can become a burden after a while of trying to withhold it. this can sometimes be tiresome and a bit annoying seeing as everyone expects her actions to resemble her academic performances.
for years, niola took her frustrations out on the only boy who it seemed reasonable for hee to do so. matt was the only one who could possibly prove to be of some competition to her. this is seen as reasonable because if she were to argue with anyone other than him, she would be deemed rude and stuck-up. but niola's rivalry with matt made sense to those around them. of course she would be hostile toward him of all people.
niola expected this distasteful relationship between them to last their entire high school career. she thought she would be arguing with matt for her entire life.
but that's clearly not the case.
after he agreed to being her fake boyfriend, niola's opinion of him changed. he suddenly wasn't just the obnoxious boy in her english class. he was an actual person who she's gotten to know. this random boy in her class that she always argued with? he's no longer just a face. matt is a boy who prioritizes his family and friends over everything else. he would give up literally anything for his brothers' happiness.
he has parents who love him, friends that laugh with him, teachers who tutor him, and a wonderful life overall.
