(REVISING) LET THE SUN IN | matt sturniolo.

[ CHAPTER NINE, sting ]

$TING
the neighbourhood

if i had done something, a little bit differently
we would've moved in a better
direction than this, baby

AFTER ARLO HAD left Lou's Coffee and Longue, telling Lou she was going to head to the bookstore across the street and come back later in the night, Lou attempted to get back to work. He owned the place after all, he wanted to set a good example.

But as he made his way to the register and heard the door bell chime just moments after Arlo left, he knew he wasn't going back to work anytime soon.

At the doorway, shivering and out of breath, stood none other than Matthew Sturniolo.

Lou sighed to himself, warming up another cup of cocoa, adding a hint of caramel to it knowing that's how the boy has always loved his cocoa. He waved the boy over to the table he was just previously sat with Arlo, Matt now sitting where the girl once was.

"Do I need to ask why you're here or are you just going to tell me?"

Matt sighed, "I made a mistake."

"Clearly."

Matt glared softly at the old man. "Well who pissed in your coffee?"

Lou laughed lightly. "You. You damn teenagers. You cant communicate with one another so you decide to go to me, tell me the things you should be saying to each other."

"What? Arlo's here?" Matt questioned, looking around erratically to find the girl somewhere in the shop.

"No, you idiot. She left before you came in."

"Oh." Matt deflated, sitting back more comfortably in his chair.

Lou tsked at the dramatic boy. "Don't look so disappointed, I thought you came to see me?"

"I did." Matt nodded, sitting up in his chair. "I fucked up bad, Lou."

"Watch your mouth in my shop," the man scolded. "What did you do?"

"I caved. I caved so bad- god, why did you give me those flowers?" Matt bounced his leg as he sputtered out his thoughts to the old man. "Now I'm feelings things I don't wanna feel and it's her fault."

"How is it her fault?" He laughed.

Matt groaned, sinking further into his chair. "She's making me feel..." he shuddered

"She's making you feel what?"

"She just makes me feel. That's it, and I would rather not so if she could stop that'd be great." Matt breathed out and his ran a hand through his hair, being his cocoa up to his lips and taking a long sip.

Lou chuckled deeply at the boys nerves. "Why do you want those feelings to stop?"

Matt gaped at the man across from him. "Lou- what? Why do I want it to stop? Have you not been listening to me for the past four years? She doesn't feel the same way- it's pointless to chase after her when there's no end goal except my own pain."