You (Matty Healy)

// CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN //

(A/N: Don't forget to vote and comment!)

"Matty!" I shouted after him, watching him being practically dragged by the stage hand. The announcer was already calling out their names, and the chants were getting louder. He gave me another sympathetic look, before shrugging and making his entrance to the stage. I sighed, barely audible to myself over the cheers of the crowd as I positioned myself at the side of the stage.

At least I had a good view?

The boys introduced themselves and launched into their first song - Chocolate. After finishing that and a few other songs, I'd almost forgotten that Matty had something to tell me. They were doing great; George was pulling his many variety of strange faces as he drummed, Adam and Ross were smashing it on their guitar and bass, and Matty was dancing and swaying to the beat. They honestly looked like they were having the time of their lives. Although the venue was still relatively small, it was crammed full of people and they'd even managed to get themselves performing alongside other various well-known acts within the space of a couple of weeks. The boys had talent and ambition, and just from watching them on stage for a couple of minutes it was clear to anyone.

I smiled to myself, leaning my shoulder against the wall as Matty grasped hold of the microphone, looping his index finger over the top and attempted to quieten down the crowd.

"So this next song, is something I wrote for someone special to me. The first time she heard it she ran out the backdoor," Matty smiled into the microphone, before glancing over to me at the side. I couldn't help but grin at the memory, along with the image of George holding a single yorkshire pudding to his bruised cheek.

"Hopefully this time she doesn't run out on me again, seeing as she is still yet to listen all the way through. I also want to say," he continued, his voice suddenly serious as his eyes found mine, "that when we break this news that everyone's excited for, she needs to stay around. I need her around."

Those damn butterflies that I thought I'd gotten used to swirled themselves around my insides as I couldn't help but smile as they began to play the familiar beat, although that last sentence was still ringing clear in my head.

"A soft sound.
To the way that she wears her hair down,
Covering up her face."

My smile turned to a grin as I automatically swept my mass of curls behind my ear. I actually listened to the whole song this time, tapping my foot along and relating each lyric to a moment me and Matty had shared together. I'd completely overreacted last time, it was so clear to me now. It was only clear though due to my new found confidence that seemed to emerge whenever I was around him. He made me feel like an actual person, rather than a wallflower trying to blend in to the background. The way he looked at me made me feel attractive, and not like I wanted to shy away and cry in my mirror like I was so used to doing. I liked him for making me like myself a little more.

"Anyway, this big news." a voice had interrupted my thoughts, to realise Adam was talking into his mic. A few crazy girls began cheering and wolf whistling, and I couldn't help but smirk as I watched my friend enjoy the limelight of female attention.

"WE GOT SIGNED BABY!" Ross, Adam, George and Matty cheered, raising their arms in the air in celebration. Through the screams and applause I found myself cupping my mouth in shock and happiness, excited that my close friends and developing love interest had finally received the recognition they deserved. I clapped from the side, catching Matty's eye as he lowered his hands and ran them through his hair. A glint in them showed something to be wrong, and I couldn't figure out what until I instantly remembered the 'something' Matty had to tell me.

"We're also going on tour-" Ross announced.

Oh no.

"Worldwide-" George interrupted.

Oh no.

"For a whole year..." Matty said, looking over to me, excitement lacking from his voice as he broke it to his fans. And to me.

Shock had completely engulfed me in hearing this fantastic yet sorrowful news. I could barely even find the words to describe how I felt in this exact moment, but the tears beginning to prickle in my eyes spoke for me. Matty still had his eyes on me, pain evident through them as the claps and cheers surrounded him. The room was so noisy, yet the silence between the both of us spoke louder than anything. I nodded to him, flashing a smile as if to signify it was okay, and turned on my heel towards their dressing room, wiping the tears before they fell.

"Your Matty's girl right? Congratulations, you must be so happy for him!" A random girl with a backstage pass dangling from her neck stepped in my way before I could yank open the curtain. Her flawless white smile and delicate figure seemed to taunt me as I managed to yelp out a reply before finding solace in the dressing room, plonking myself on the sofa just as the first tear fell.

~~~

Barrages of congratulatory texts and facebook notifications had made sitting in silence impossible. I didn't even realise who half of these people were, just that they knew me as "the girl that hangs around with Matty" and "wanted to give their best wishes" as they "knew they would make it" blah fucking blah.

If I was confused before I was more so now. Me and Matty have a good thing going, it wasn't perfect but I was happy. I am happy. I didn't know where I stood with him half the time but he made the days go past a little faster and made them 10x more enjoyable. I mean look at me, the History and Creative Writing student on happy pills with a cheating best friend and a creepy room mate.

"I should just write a book about my own life," I sighed to myself in thought, rolling over on to my back to stare at my bedroom ceiling. "Title it 'The room mate, the druggie and the confused student on depressants.' A life as fucked as mine must sell a shit load."

A knock on my door broke my from my imaginary role as a top selling author/biographer, and a sheepish looking Callum walked in with two cups of tea and a packet of malted milk biscuits clamped under his arm.

"You gonna stop moping and talk about it?" He asked, handing me the mug with a small smirk plastered on his face. I tried to fight off his attempt at making me smile but it was no use as I smiled weakly and nabbed the biscuits from him.

"There's nothing to talk about, he's leaving. That's that." I sighed, dunking a biscuit into my warm concoction of milk, water, tea leaves and sugar before letting it melt on my tongue.

"That's not that at all. That's a different that if anything."

"...What?"

"Avery," Callum said, taking hold of each of my shoulders. "You are a lot smarter and a hell of a lot more determined than this piece of shit sitting on this bed right now."

"Hey th-"

"AND," he interrupted me, silencing me with his raised index finger, "the Avery I love so very dearly wouldn't be sat wallowing in her own misery, but would be marching her pretty little bum over to his house and trying to figure out how you can salvage this relationship."

"Well we're not actually in a re-"

"You know what I mean, don't interrupt it's rude." He winked at me, before taking a biscuit from the packet. "You know what you need to do, so what are you sitting around for?"