More Than This

8 - Matt

Song of the chapter - All Apologies by Nirvana

Making Amber laugh was the best feeling. We hadn't had a light moment for months, always fighting about something. Well, me always fighting, Amber would just take it. She never yelled at me or called me out. Part of me liked that, because she wasn't trying to control me. But I guess I was trying to control her.

Not this time. I was just trying to get her to open up to me again. I had spent the break thinking of ways to get her to let that damned guard down. She was so hesitant now, it made me nervous.

Nah, not nervous. I didn't get nervous. I guess it was more like edgy. I was having a hard time being patient with her, but I was doing it. As long as I saw progress I could keep going.

When she laughed at my fucked up story about Pete's last party fail, I knew I had made a crack in her walls. It was something, at least. I wanted to keep it going. I would have if I hadn't gotten that text from Pete to meet him in the hall before school started.

So I said, "Gotta go, see ya in first period," and waved as I left her standing in the quad. Leaving her wanting more, I hoped.

I caught up with Pete just to find out there was nothing going on.

"The fuck, man? I was busy and you yanked me here for nothing?"

Pete looked at me like I was stupid, "What's more important than your bros? Cause I know you don't have any hoes around here now!" He laughed and shoulder bumped Jeff.

"Right, all the hoes have moved on to you!" Jeff laughed and ruffled Pete's hair. Since when did Pete get all the girls? I had been MIA too long I guess.

"Whatever. Gotta get to class." I shrugged them off and turned to head towards English.

"Damn, he's more whipped now than he was when Amber was willing to be seen with him."

I turned back around menacingly to see Pete's fucking smirk. "The fuck you say?" I took a step closer to him. I knew I could knock that fucker out cold, like Scar had done to me. That would never be repeated.

"You heard me," Pete said under his breath, looking like he had more he wanted to say.

"Whoa, guys." Jeff stepped between us. "Dial down the testosterone. It isn't even eight-thirty. Too early for a suspension."

I took a step back, he was right. Pete had been a complete dick for a while now, but I didn't need a fight on my perfect record. Well, almost perfect. There was that one time in seventh grade...

"Fine." Pete interrupted my thoughts with his reply. Then he just turned to go back down the hallway.

Fuck, this was gonna be a long-ass day.

I got to class a minute after the bell, but my charm had already won over the teacher so my attendance record wasn't hurt by it. The guy that walked in after me didn't have the same luck. I decided to stay sitting in the back, as I had since Amber and I broke up, rather than get too close too fast. I figured giving her space was a good call on my part.

When I had left Amber earlier, she was smiling and laughing. But now, even from the back of the class, I could see that she had a different expression. She looked sad, almost depressed. Damn, what could have happened in ten minutes to do that to her?

Looks like an opportunity to make everything all better for her. And the timing couldn't have been better. I had just put her in a great mood, keeping things light. Now I could slide in and be her knight in shining armor, or something like that.