the way i love you [matt sturniolo]

0. BEFORE AND AFTER.

     𓆩♡𓆪 BEFORE

Matt and Chris sit leg-crossed on the floor, so do the 12 kids in that circle.

"Okay, whoever spins the bottle, goes in the closet with the person it lands on." Riley clasps her hands together with a smile. "I'll start."

Matt feels his anxiety creep up his stomach as the bottle slowly points at him. No. Not him. Chris.

His brother smiles and Riley blushes.

"Set the timer." She says, standing up. "Someone else can go, there's another room in there." Riley points to a door as Chris grabs her hand and leads her in a room.

"I'll go." Some brunette girl says, bored. Matt hears a door close behind him.

He doesn't pay attention to the game until theres a hand in front of his face. Matt slowly looks up and finds Salem staring down.

"Come on." There's not really an emotion behind her voice.

So he stands up, hands sweating and follows her to a barely lit room. The door sounds too loud as she closes it.

"Are you going to Somerville High School, next year?" She asks him.

They've been on the same class for almost three years and Matt is almost sure this is the first time they've spoken. Her voice is nice.

"Yeah. You?" Salem walks closer to him and he sits on the bed, terrified.

"Yeah. Most of our class is going to Lincoln, did you know?" Salem tilts her head.

"I don't really get along with most kids in our class." He confesses in a soft, low voice. "Chris is the one everyone likes."

"Not you?" The brunette sits beside him.

He's a fourteen year-old with anxiety. And when a pretty girl gets close, it doesn't help his case. So when Salem rests her hand on top of his, a breath gets stuck on his throat.

"Not me." He says with difficulty.

"Is this your first kiss?" He shakes his head. No, his first kiss happened when he was twelve, outside of school with a pretty blonde girl and a crowd of sixth-graders around them. "Mine is." She whispers. "If you want."

Of course he wants to. Salem Stevens is so pretty, Matt is sure she belongs in the modeling world.

He just leans in instead, not thinking about it. Their lips connect for about two seconds before she breaks it off. She touches her lips and smiles.

It's fast and innocent. But Salem giggles nonetheless.

     𓆩♡𓆪 NOW

Chris walks beside Salem after Calculus ended. He's talking her ear off about some big dream of making videos or something. She's not really listening.

"Are we going to McDonald's on our way home?" Nick pops out of somewhere. Startling the girl.

"Fuck yeah." Chris says with a big smile. "I forgot my wallet, though. I'll have to ask Matt if I can borrow some money."

"He's going with Audrey. They have a date." Salem reminds them.

"Oh, that's right." Nick frowns. "How are we getting home, then?"

"On foot." She answers, already knowing what Nick's reaction will be.

He groans and is about to say something when a blonde girl coming out of a classroom spots them and runs towards the trio.

"I think he's going to say the 'L' word today." Audrey says.

Salem pushes down the sinking feeling and forces an excited look on her.

"Oh my God!"

"Fuck, I'm so nervous. Should I say it back?" The girl bites her nails.

"If you feel it, yes." Salem shrugs.

Nick and Chris shared a look behind the two girls.

"Okay, I'll go now! I'll facetime you later!" Audrey kisses her cheek and waves the boys goodbye, disappearing just as quick as she came.

"You're acting strange." Nick points out.

Of course she is, for some reason she's being haunted by the memory of her first kiss. Which happens to be her best friend's boyfriend.

"I'm tired." Is all she says instead.

It's all she can do. Lie. Lie to herself and everyone else because the truth is so bad. Scary, would be a good word too, to define what she's feeling.

For some reason, the universe is laughing in her face. Because she can't stop thinking about Matt Sturniolo.