Chapter Text
Quiet sighs and hollowed groans echoed throughout the classroom as the professor explained that a test was soon coming up. I calmly stifled through my notes I had previously written the night before. I should be okay for this test, since from my knowledge it was believed that we were just to write an essay on the basics of human communication.
Though, to be honest, I wasn't all that great at communication. It wasn't that I was necessarily bad at it, it was just that I didn't really have much of anyone to communicate to. Aside from my brother Alfred and my father that is. Our mother passed away from cancer when we were 14. I've had friends, but none of them really lasted long. Occasionally I talked to fellow classmates though.
"That is why I believe you all have the capacity to pass this exam swimmingly! Now, humans hold communication in its highest regard. It is through communication that we can pass down stories and histories through generations!" The professor paused to clear her throat, then continued. "Speaking of which, have you all heard of The Kimberly Story?"
As soon as those words left her lips, the whole class erupted in unison of "oh no's" and "not this again". That story freaked everybody out, and it originated in a completely different state.
"And that is exactly why communication is important! I hope you study well. Class dismissed." Everybody breathed a sigh of relief and picked up their bags ready to leave. Since I was a local (so to speak), I could just take a bus home. Many other students had to stay in dorms, so I left in the opposite direction.
I left the crowded building, and headed for the bus stop closest to the street on Elliott Avenue. Clouds hung over the area as though they wanted to let everyone know how lonely they were. The recent rain of a couple of hours ago was still lingering, threatening to pour once again. I took out my cell phone and checked for any recent messages. Just a couple of emails from promotions and Facebook. I didn't really expect anyone to call or message me, yet I always checked it every day at the bus stop.
Within about 15 minutes, the bus pulled up and I stepped inside. It smelled of stagnant air, city created through exhaust and excess gasoline. I sat towards the middle, on the left side. Near me was an older man with a briefcase, and on my other side a woman with a small child. I leaned back until I could glance out the window. The bus began accelerating, showing the rush of the buildings passing by.
I inhaled deeply as the speeding buildings brushed past, my head starting to get a little nauseous. I lifted my head, and scrounged around in my backpack for my headphones, a pair of purple 2XL's. They had the best sound for any headphones you could get for cheap. In my opinion, anyway. I placed them over my ears and connected the cord to my phone, cycling through the music. I stopped on a French song, "Tous les mêmes". It means '[They are] all the same'.
It's sung by a Belgian singer who goes by "Stomae", and is supposedly one of the most popular songs in both Belgium and France. I like the song and its message quite a bit. Because of my father, he taught me French since he was born and raised in France. I've been there a couple times on vacation as well, but I haven't gone at all lately. My father is there now, working on building his famous "Bonnefoy la Grande" restaurant. He offered me a job there, but I wanted to work my way there without it just being handed to me. Well...he isn't really my dad, but he was the closest thing I had to one.
As if I hadn't noticed the time slip by, I was already in my home city, Everett. I pulled my headphones around my neck and hopped off the bus, waving to the driver as he sped off. Luckily, I didn't have to walk far to get to my apartment I had with Alfred.
I stepped inside, only to be greeted with loud rock music and an obnoxious singing Alfred. I turned off my music and looked around the sorry excuse for a living room with an agitated expression. The whole place was an utter and complete mess.
"Bro! You're home!" Alfred hopped off the couch and turned off the stereo blaring the music. "Guess what happened to me today? I was at work as usual but it was hella hot so I was wearing a white tank top and I hear these girls compliment me on my muscles and just-" He pulled up his sleeve and flexed his left arm. "I didn't even notice how much they've grown!" I groaned as I took of my headphones and my backpack and put them on the couch.
"Al, what about Arthur? Since when are you concerned about what girls think of you?" I casually mentioned as I flopped myself on the couch. Alfred instantly shrink and also set himself on the couch next to me.
"W-Well, it's not like I haven't forgotten! I just like getting compliments. Is that so bad?" I just shrugged in response and laid my head on the couch cushion. "And anyway, what about you?"
"What about me?" I questioned while staring at the ceiling, pretending to see pictures in the ceiling popcorn.
"I don't see you embarking on a journey of self discovery and escapades of love!" I shrugged again.
"I don't really need to? My love is my passion for cooking." Alfred tried to stifle a giggle outburst.
"You sound like Francis." I gave a nonchalant smile.
"Watch out Al, I'll turn into your worst nightmare. I'll start hounding you about your love quest to woo the great 'Arthur Kirkland' and how he'll gracefully fall into your muscular arms."
"Please don't do that." I laughed, which Alfred joined in soon after. "Seriously though, don't you ever think about finding someone? Or are you aromantic?" I thought about it for a moment. I never did really like anyone when I was growing up. I guess I never really gave it much thought.
"Maybe if someone cool and famous ran into my life." I joked.
"Ah yes. Like Kristen Stewart or Chris Evans."
"Ha! You're only saying Chris Evans because he plays your all-time superhero. Don't you mean if Chris Evans fell into your life?"
"Point taken. Still though! You gotta find someone eventually."
"Yeah, maybe. The guy that plays Lysandre from Rest Stop would work." I half-joked that time.
"What, Gilbert Beilschmidt? Isn't he like a rising actor or something like that?" I sat up and started towards the kitchen to grab a soda. "Yeah I guess he's pretty cool. So you have a thing for him, ay?"
"Not really." I mused, grabbing a Pepsi out of the fridge. "I guess it's because he looks so unique? He's got stone white hair and REALLY red eyes. Completely albino. Never seen anyone like that before."
"Fat chance for you getting to meet him though. Awww, Mattie's first crush and it's on a celebrity he can't even get close to!" I nearly spit out my soda at his comment.
"It's not a crush, Jesus Al. All I said was that he looked unique. Didn't you think that Arthur looked unique too?"
"Matt I fell in love with him."
"Um..."
"Okay, I get it. Not a crush. But I bet if you met him you'd melt into your ruby red slippers."
"Ha ha." I monotone laughed as I took a gulp of my soda. “You already got the wind knocked outta ya when a house named ‘Arthur’ came down from the heavens and landed on your face.” Alfred rolled his eyes with a smile.
”Yeah whatever. You win this time Matt.” I grinned as he said that, and took another drink of my Pepsi.
”Oh! Before I forget, I have exams next week. So try not to keep your music too loud for a bit.”
”Yeah yeah, sure dude. But I did invite Lovino over next Tuesday to hang. I’ll try and not let it interrupt your studying, though.” Alfred kicked back and put his feet crossed over the coffee table. “We’re gonna play Borderlands 2 since we kick ass together. We’re starting over so I’m picking Axton again and he’s going to be Gaige since we bought her DLC.”
”Glad he’s not picking my place as Maya.” I said, also propping up my feet on the table.
”Nah, he could never take your place as Maya. Ah, but when we played the first game he played as Lilith.” I whipped my head to look at Alfred.
”I always play the sirens! He didn’t play on my account did he?” Alfred shook his head.
”Nah”, he said, snickering to himself. ”However, I think he got to a higher level than you. 46, I think.”
”Man I need to play again. Augh, exams suck.”
”Amen, brotha!”
”You don’t even go to college, how would you know?” Alfred just gave me a questioning look as if I’d been raised in a barn and not together with him and our mother.
”It’s not like high school happened or anything. I mean college is probably tougher, but still.” I sighed, nearly remembering about that part of my life all over again. It’s not like it was unpleasant or anything, but Al and I get mistaken for twins quite a lot, though we were born within about a year of each other. People would always mix the two of us up, as if we were doing it on purpose. I didn’t really mind so much, but I always wondered how you could mix up someone as obnoxious as him with me.
”Yeah, I always forget that high school happened.” Even though I made myself comfortable, I realized that I should probably go study for next week. “Hey Al, I’m going to go to my room to study. After exams are done you should invite Lovino again and then all three of us can play.” Alfred shot me a thumbs up and a hearty grin.
”No prob dude, I gotta catch up on Bob’s Burgers anyway.” I nodded, got off the couch, grabbed my soda and backpack, and headed for my bedroom, hearing the sound of the TV turning on. Tonight was not going to be fun.
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My alarm woke me up at 6:30 AM, as classes started at 8 AM today. They were the last classes of the week, so thankfully I had Friday-Sunday off until exams on Monday. I begrudgingly dragged myself out of bed and got dressed; a red and blue plaid collared shirt, faded blue skinny jeans, and my red converse. It was a little plain, but I didn’t care all too much since it was the last day of school before exams.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder, and grabbed my wallet so I could get coffee at Starbucks this morning. Back when I lived in Canada, I used to go to Tim Hortons all the time. But here in America, there is no Tim Hortons. It made me a little sad.
Exiting my room quietly, I made sure not to wake up Alfred since he was still asleep. He gets so cranky if he’s woken up any earlier than he wants to by himself. Soundlessly, I slipped through the front door and made my way to the nearest Starbucks, which wasn’t very far. In Seattle, there is literally one around every corner, including the original. Which I’ve been to, by the way.
Approaching the building, I was happy to say that there wasn’t a long line at all. I ordered something a little different; a toffee nut mocha frappachino. The girl who sits next to me in our math class recommended it to me. She had long, silky brown hair and big, bright brown eyes. Really nice girl, I believe her name was Mei.
The cashier, Eric, judging by the nametag, rung me up and I waited for the frappe to be made. After about 4 minutes, my coffee was made and I thanked the person who made it, though I didn’t get a look at their nametag. I took a small sip and sure enough, it was delicious. I really hated Starbucks.
I made my way out to go to wait at the bus stop, but right when I took a step outside, a whirling blur slammed right into me, sending me straight to the ground.
”Merde!” I cursed in French. Ow that really hurt, what the hell?
”Aw shit man I’m really sorry about that.” My coffee was splattered all over me, the assailant, and the ground. That was $5 coffee…
”It’s okay, I didn’t really need that coffee for a stressful week a anyway.” The assailant held out his hand to me, which I decided to take after a few seconds.
”I really am sorry. I was just trying to lose a stalker. They’re literally everywhere.”
”A….stalker?” I asked, looking at the assailant who had his face covered with a hoodie.
”Yeah. Umm…Please don’t freak out, okay?” I was about to ask him why I would be freaked out, when he moved down his hood a tad. My eyes instantly widened with disbelief.
”Y-You’r-“
”I know. Seriously, don’t freak out.”
”Gilbert Beilschmidt…”
”Nice to meet you. And you are?” Gilbert inquired while I stared at the ground whilst still covered in a big coffee mess.
”Matthew. Matthew Williams.”
”Glad to see you’ve heard of the awesome me, Matthew Williams. And uh, sorry about spilling your coffee everywhere. I’ll buy you a new one. Though about your clothes, sorry about that too.” I couldn’t look at him in the eyes. I didn’t know what it was, but every time I tried to look at him my eyes would just falter back down to ground. It was strangely annoying.
”No, that’s fine. Honestly, I didn’t even want to go to school today. Too much stress.”
”School? How old are you Matthew?” Gilbert asked.
”I’m 19, almost 20. I go to college at the Art Institute of Seattle.”
”Ah, that makes sense. For some reason whenever someone mentions school, I always think of highschool. That was a dark time indeed.” He mentioned that so casually, but it was severl moments before he started speaking again. “Anyway, you wanna ditch school to hang out with a celebrity? I can get you a change of clothes instead of a new coffee if you want.” I probably just imagined it, but I could have swore he wiggled those stupid eyebrows of his.
”U-Um…Sure, I guess.”
”Alright! You’re gonna have the greatest time ever just you wait!”
I still couldn’t look at him straight in the eyes.