Sturniolo triplets - Oh To Be Loud (Matt-centric story about mental health)

The New Normal

Trigger Warnings: Swearing, Emotional Hurt, Mental Health Decline, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Referenced Drinking

As Matt changed, his mental health got worse and their routine changed

The Story:

Home, Saturday, 6pm

With Nick and Chris

It's been almost three months since the argument that lead to Matt shutting down on them and they haven't spoken more than two sentences to each other during that time. Nick and Chris tried talking with Matt again the same evening, then the next day and the one after that, but received nothing more than a passive grunt or nod in response. They stopped trying after that. 

Naturally they were very worried, but after lengthy discussions with each other, their friends and their parents, they decided the best course of action for now was to give him some space, but remain close enough to make sure he's safe. They checked on him multiple times throughout the day, just to see what he's doing and that he's eating and drinking enough. Matt still did all of his assigned chores and kept his room clean enough, so there were no issues there.

They also took an hour each day to just talk to him about random things, accepting he won't reply, but wanting to keep him in the loop about what they were up to, so he wouldn't feel left out or forgotten. They always ended by saying they loved and missed him, reassuring him that they will still, that they will always be here to listen when he was ready.

They didn't post a video that first week, missing the deadline for the first time, as they were too preoccupied with everything going on at home. They also didn't want to film without Matt, they were sure he wasn't serious or that he'll change his mind at the last minute. But by the second week, they knew they couldn't put it off forever, it was still their actual job and they'd have to face their new reality sooner or later. 

So they made their first video as a duo, apologising for the delay, explaining (a heavily censored version of) their situation and asked their viewer for understanding and their continued support, then went on trying to get into their normal vibe when filming. That video was their shortest one ever, since they were forced to stop filming early when both of them (not so) randomly started crying. 

They decided to keep Friday videos the same, just them two talking in the car, which was now always parked at home, each in their assigned seat, the driver's seat empty and waiting for its rightful occupant to return. As for Wednesdays, they started going out and filming different challenges and activities with various friends or other youtubers. It was far from ideal, but it would work for now, it was only temporary after all.

The biggest change, the one that was even harder to get used to, was Matt starting to go out almost (if not every) night. He'd leave shortly before the sun started to set and came back in the early hours of the morning. They could guess what he was doing, but agreed that as long as he wasn't getting worse, physically or mentally, they wouldn't intervene. 

Nick and Chris shared an unspoken agreement that at least one of them would stay up until Matt came home, just to be safe. The first time they saw him preparing to leave, they freaked out and tried to stop him, or convince him to at least take one of them with him, but he assured them he'd always planned to keep his promise of not disappearing again, and then turned on location sharing on his phone, so they could always find him if they felt necessary. 

So they knew where he was at all times, he always went to the same place anyway, and while they didn't like it or feel comfortable about it, they held themselves back. They always asked him if he was alright and what he was up to when he got back, and he'd ignore them. It was a fair compromise as far as Matt was concerned. So now this was their new normal.