Chapter Text
It was an awfully sunny afternoon. Not allowing himself the pleasure of being cooped up in the indoor lunchroom, Matt lounged less-than-eagerly outside.
He was actively ignoring the girl next to him. Not… entirely on purpose. He’s a total jerk, but Gus is making him less of a total jerk every trip they take to the graveyard to clean it up.
The boy was gnawing on his lunch as the girl he had taken to last grom— with, what current events occurred, was quite awhile ago— He had forgotten her name.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the queen cyclops and her lackeys strutting towards them to make conversation with the grom girl. As Boscha approached, Matt made an effort in rolling his eyes obviously.
“Oh great, And I was just having a peaceful lunch.” Matt whined, shoving the rest of what he was eating into his mouth and chewing as fast as he could. Boscha scoffed and looked at him, nearly disgusted.
To say blood between them was hot would be an understatement. It was boiling. Boiling over actually. Apparently arguing for months on end during the apocalypse doesn’t fix itself over time.
Boscha made an effort to cross her arms dramatically. “And I was having a great lunch not having to look at your ugly face.” She snapped back.
Matt went to retort, only to have to chew the rest of his food before he could respond. She got to it first.
“Titan, you pig. Back off my friends, Matt. I thought you’d get the memo that none of us needed you during the apocalypse.” The pink haired girls three eyes narrowed.
He swallowed dryly and nervous, finding it hard to gain a backbone due to how similar her and Bria were. Same insults, same sort of silent and by-standing friends.
Matt would like to think she and Bria are both wrong - but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a inconsiderate douche most of the time. “Well… uh…”
Scoffing, he gets up and walks past her angrily. “Whatever! Don’t get all angry at me for seeing through your stupid rules, You can leader yourself as much as you want, but you were Kikimora’s pawn the whole time.”
The boy said, tone slightly quickened as he made his narrow escape back inside of the school.
Behind him, he could nearly feel the amount of hate directed towards him as three eyes glared daggers at his back.
And finally, the school day was nearly over. His last hour was with none other than Augustus, who happy-go-lucky-ness did nothing the aid the ailment that was his friendship with Boscha.
“Matty,” He began to scold. “Illusion magic isn’t like construction. You can’t force it out—“ To prove a point to his seat-partner, he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“— you have to let your self breath. You’re stiffer today.” Gus noticed, and the boy tilted his head. “…Is everything alright?”
The illusionist had always been the more careful of the two, despite his often carefree nature. And Matt had an issue. A big issue.
Matt’s ear twitched, slightly flushed. “Ugh, c’mon man, we’re in class.” He thinks to himself, maybe, if Gus were to care about him less, he wouldn’t have this problem.
“I’m fine. It’s just Boscha.”
The darker boy’s cheeks puffed. “What’s her problem? Hasn’t she tortured people enough?” Augustus sighed.
“She’s at least trying. I think. I just don’t want you to have issues with her… I remember when Amity had her friend breakup with her.”
Melodramatically, he shivered. “Eesh. Everyone was upset. Even Willow.”
The pair jumped as the bell finally screamed, and the students fled from the classrooms to rush home. Matt yawned. “Alllright, I’m not that much her enemy, but thanks for worrying, twerp.” He half-shoved Gus’ hand off his shoulder.
“Ah- Okay! Bye Matt.”
Hiking his bag up from the ground, the construction-illusionist walked out, thick eyebrows furrowing. He had no idea how to stop this stupid blushing.
Gus was just a FRIEND, and his first FRIEND to actually be kind to him. Augustus was the one who taught him over the years that Bria was a terrible person and a worse friend.
So why does he like Gus so much?
Distracted by his thoughts, he grunted as he walked into a conveniently opened locker door. “Ow! Hey, what gives—?” He demanded, glaring at owner of the locker. To his dismay… three eyes looked back.
“Way to go! You’re not satisfied with taking Amity, you need to destroy my locker too!”
Boscha exclaimed, slamming the locker. She didn’t seem too happy- in fact, she looked ten times more bothered than she was at lunch.
Faintly, Matt noticed her friends weren’t around, and his aimless wandering while thinking about Gus had emptied the hallways. Most people had gone home.
“Amity? What’s she got to do with this?” He argued blandly. “I didn’t even know you two when you were friends!”
The girls anger flared. “That’s why you’re the worst! You didn’t know anything about what me and Amity had going, and you just had to loop her into your conniving bullshit.”
She stepped forward aggressively. Matt resisted his urge to step back.
We’re playing by Glandus rules, Matty!
“I didn’t loop her in with anything! It was a conjoined plan! If I was Amity, I’d be glad someone as aggressive as you isn’t my friend anymor—!”
He was well aware the mistake he made when a pale fist made contact with his eye.
“Gh—“ By force of impact, Matt staggered backwards before grabbed and slammed back into the locker he knocked into just moments before. He winced, but the feeling was familiar.
Boscha looked nearly fuming with anger. “You don’t know anything about me and her! Shut up!” She looked like she was about to cry, but her stone cold exterior mostly covered that. “I was an amazing friend! I did everything right! I loved Amity!”
As soon as Matt tried to speak again, she slammed him up against the locker again. He huffed in effort, shoulder heaving. “You—you’re proving my point.” He said, trying to keep his tone even, only coming off as passive aggressive and nasty.
Boscha’s leg came up to knee him in the stomach, hitting him again. “Shut up! Why can’t you just shut up!”
She exclaimed, nearly hysterical, her grip on the other’s arm nearly deadly. Nothing Matt could do could deescalate her when she’s like this.
He’s never been strong. Bria can attest to that. Despite Gus’ encouragement, he hadn’t gotten too good at Illusions, even though he was 16. But he knew how to so some things, even if it was property-damaging.
Matt harnessed his knowledge on terraforming from all his years of Construction Track, and with one foot height than the other due to a small pillar that jutted out of the ground, Boscha tumbled over.
The cyclops landed butt-first on the hard floors of Hexide’s hallways, and a shout of profanity ushered the idea in that Matt should leave now.
Years of bullying at Glandus prepared him for fleeing— before he knew it, he was outside, gasping and leaning over to support his stomach. The boy hid around the corner in the grass, he plopped himself down unceremoniously and yelped.
Moments passed. He sat there breathlessly, a keen sense of déjà vu overcame him.
After a few minutes, he got up, limped slightly. Internally, he plans on how he’d avoid his brother when he got home when really, the only thing he was thinking about is how worried Gus will be when he shows up injured tomorrow.