Untypically in Love: Quick Exits - Poor Intros

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Read the full story, chapter by chapter here.

Some names and events have been changed to protect the identity of certain individuals.

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Chapter Fourteen
Quick Exits - Poor Intros

I was in a full panic the whole plane ride home. The fact that I drank a glass of tomato juice followed by a can of ginger ale didn't help my nervous stomach. But it wasn't the plane ride I was nervous about. I was worried about going home, seeing Matt and finding out if anything had changed between us.

I exited the plane, throwing my backpack over my shoulder as I scanned the airport for my aunt Paula, who was picking me up. The flight attendants were helping my Grandmother with her wheelchair when I spotted Kristine across the aisle. And standing next to her was my tall dark haired gorgeous boy.

Only he wasn't so dark haired this time.

In a spontaneous moment, Matt had bleached his head. An act he would repeat about once every three years or so, usually just to bother me and stink up our house with the smell of ammonia.

I didn't care though. He was still my Matt.

I dropped my bags and rushed into him, nearly knocking him over as I leaped into his open arms, releasing a breath I'd been holding all summer long.

"I can't believe you're here." I sighed.

"Me?" He laughed. "You're the one that left." He grinned and kissed me.

That kiss.

Dreaming of that exact kiss was what kept me going the whole summer. That very moment. And it didn't disappoint.

Matt carried our bags back to the car, and I took a nap on the ride home, leaning against his shoulder in the back seat. When we got home, Matt was able to hang out for a few hours. Hours that were spent talking about what happened during our separation.

I told him that I had gone to Church once with my older sister, and I met with missionaries.

He told me that when he went to Church, Josh wouldn't speak to him.

Not much had changed since I left.

School was starting soon, and just as Matt left, Megaera arrived to dye our hair as previously planned in defiance of the schools new uniform policy. Khaki, hunter green or navy blue. But the color of our hair was up to us. While Megaera went with a deep purple, I went with almost cherry red.

On the first day of school, Matt and I walked hand in hand, looking over our new schedules. Not a single class together. Our first period would be spent in the counselors office to remedy this great injustice. I would end up sacrificing a humanities class with Megaera to switch into Matt's fourth period, and he would move over to my geometry class. He also made a very daring move of commitment - by joining my second period dance class.

I felt a little guilty. After all, I wasn't sacrificing much to be with him at this point.

"Ah, you must be Jessica." My new humanities teacher said when I walked into the room.

"Jia." I corrected him.

"Well, Jia," He said. "Why don't you take a seat."

I turned, eager to find my place beside Matt. Of course that's when I saw them. Two rows away from where Matt was sitting were not one, but two of my ex's. My eyes widened and nostrils flared as I looked and saw JC, the gorilla of a boyfriend I had shortly before Josh. The one who'd lose his temper, black out and accidentally knock his fists into me anytime I got too close. And sitting near him was Stew. The cheater who had dated my younger sister after I broke up with him.

I turned and nearly glared at Matt, as though he knew this information. But I couldn't be mad. I would use it to my advantage. The boys who broke my heart (not that they had it to begin with) would see how happy I was with my new - and much more attractive - boyfriend.

Matt would enjoy the class too. He spent countless hours ridiculing Stew, who was sixteen years old at the time, for dating fourteen year olds. As for JC it seemed monkey references were all that was needed to keep him crying. Matt was a master at making my ex's feel like dirt.

Every now and then I'd avoid the bus by walking home. Some days were harder to be around Josh than others. One such day our eyes met as I stepped on the bus. I sighed, that familiar guilt rising in my throat as he turned away from my gaze. Two steps backwards and I was off the bus. 

"You getting on?" The driver asked.

"Gonna walk home, I think." I said and turned away, putting my sneakers into the sand of the New Mexican mesa and headed home.

As I passed several familiar streets I realised that Matt's house was nearby. He'd be home by now for certain, and stopping by to see him face to face would be much better than calling him an hour later after getting home. So I made several detours and found myself standing in his driveway with a grin.

His parents large van wasn't there, but I didn't think anything of it. My aunt and uncle were almost never home as both of them worked. I naturally assumed Matt's parents had a similar arrangement. 

"Hey sexy," I grinned as he opened the door.

"What're you doing here?" He smiled and leaned outside to kiss me.

"Walked home. Thought I'd drop in and see if you wanted to go hang out."

"Well, I'm watching some kids that my Mom babysits. But I can probably get out later on." 

"Alright," I sighed. "I guess call me then?"

Just then, a massively large red-coated boxer puppy pushed his way between Matt's legs to look at me.

"Get back Chewie," Matt said.

"Oh my gosh! He's adorable!" I screamed, reaching out to pet him. At home we only had four yapping little Shi-Tzus that my aunt used for breeding. I'd always wanted a big dog.

"Well," Matt paused. "Come on in." He said hesitantly. "You can play with him for a minute. Besides, there's a CD I bought you over the summer that I keep forgetting to bring to school."

I stepped into the small house and smiled at the small boy who was playing on the carpet in front of a tv. The boxer pup greeted me personally, shoving a wet muzzle into my hand. I knelt down and ran my hand over the top of his cone shaped head with a grin as he snorted into my palm.

A dog next door barked, and suddenly the boxer darted away from me, nearly tripping on his own feet before he bolted out a dog door in the back of the house. I stood up and looked around. It was very homey and lived in. My house was stark white, clean and almost always smelled like candles burning or bleach. But this was different. People actually appeared to live here. There were pictures of Matt and his older brother on the wall. In the hallway leading to the living room there was a large framed family tree, and beside it was a picture of a large white building with a gold statue at the top. It reminded me of the building we used to go to in Salt Lake to see the Christmas lights downtown.

"Pretty," I commented as I looked at it. 

I stepped over the playing child and followed in the direction Matt went. "So what CD is this?" I asked him as I popped my head into the room he stepped in, looking around. "You have a water bed?" I laughed a little, having previously occupied one myself a few years earlier. "Never thought of you as the water bed type." I smirked and walked into the room, taking a seat without really thinking.

Matt was digging through CDs and tapes quickly, looking out the door every few seconds. I stood up and walked to the closet where I began looking around, trying to pick which of his shirts I would steal next.

"Here," He said with a smirk. "This isn't the CD I got you, but you need to be educated." He informed me as I heard my very first Metallica song. "It reminds me of you," He grinned.

So close no matter how far

Couldn't be much more from the heart

Forever trusting who we are

And nothing else matters

"Pretty," I smiled. "This is our song." I decided right then.

Outside I could hear a car door slam shut.

"Oh crap," Matt bolted upright and rushed down the hallway. My eyes followed him, confused. "My parents are home." He said, panic in his voice.

"And?" I asked.

"I'm not supposed to have girls in the house." He admitted.

"What?" My mouth fell open. I didn't understand. Were his parents really just like Josh's? "Well what'll happen if they find me here?" I asked and Matt's response was silent, but it looked pained.

"Just . . ." He looked around. "Hide." He insisted before leaving the room.

I squirmed and began moving around the room quickly, looking for something, anything to hide myself in, under or behind. I dove in the space between the water bed and the wall, and covered myself with a blanket. Outside I could hear Matt talking to his parents, though I couldn't make out the words.

"I'm gonna just be in my room," Matt called as he opened the door, and then shut it behind him. "Jia?"

"Over here," I whispered, heart in my throat as I sat up. "What the hell?" I asked him. "Are they gonna leave?"

"No," He sighed. "They're just outside."

"I'm getting out of here." I stood up and moved toward the window. "I'll hop the fence and then come around to the front door like I just got here or something." I said. This would totally work.

Just then the door opened. My body froze, one leg halfway out Matt's bedroom window, my cherry red hair hanging in my face. I took in a quick breath and held it. Matt fell on his bed, throwing his face into his hands in exasperated defeat.

Staring me in the face as I was sneaking out of her fifteen year old sons bedroom window, was my future mother-in-law. A mixture of fury and disappointment painted her features. 

"Steven," She called for Matt's father. "We have a problem."

 (MIL . . .not nearly as angry, disappointed and frightening here)

Chapter Fifteen>>>