opia; matty healy.

20%

We'd forgotten to pull the blinds down the night before, so in the morning the sun shone into the room extra bright. I lie awake for a while, being the first one up out of the both of us. I try not to move too much in an effort to keep Matty awake, but after 15 minutes I get impatient and lean over him to grab my phone that somehow made its way to his bedside table last night.

He stirs as I reach for it, so I quickly return to my position with my phone now in my hand. I take this opportunity to sit up as he groans a little and leaves his eyes shut.

"Hey," I quietly say, smiling a little at Matty's tired state.

He opens his eyes briefly, looking up at me and sitting up slowly. I hadn't noticed before we'd fallen asleep that he must have slept without his shirt on. I beg my cheeks not to flush pink at the realisation that I also slept without pants. I swear to never get drunk again, no matter how much I know this promise will break with the next party I'm invited to.

"Hey," his voice is hoarse from sleeping but he doesn't mind, "I'm going to grab us some water. Pain killers?"

"No," I shake my head, not really feeling any aftermath from the drinking, "I'm feeling okay."

"Are you sure?" He raises his brow questionably but I nod again, before he leaves the room with the door closing softly behind him.

My phone screen lights up with one new text, it's from Charlie and it reads: I'd love to, today? I rack my brain for any context but I can't seem to find a reason he would text this after I could've sworn we left the conversation right before we got to the party. When I gather the courage to open our messages, I feel an immense weight of anxiety and stupidity wash over me. At some point during the night I'd asked Charlie out, on a date. I try not to scream at myself for being drunk and stupid, but he agreed, I think. He said yes... He said yes? There's a bit of hope in me thinks that perhaps, maybe Charlie returns the feelings for me.

I spend the entire time that Matty's getting us water trying to work out how I should respond. I go over a thousand different responses, at least. I've never been on a date with a boy; I've never had an opportunity like this. At first I want to tell Matty, because he's a boy, he'll know what another guy wants to hear, right? But then I decide not to, because Matty is quite overprotective, and it may not end well – and he looked so sleepy but so happy when he woke up today, I don't want that to go away.

To: Charlie

Today sounds great, what's the go?

"Fuck it," I tell myself quietly and hit send. Whatever goes wrong from here goes wrong.

I put my phone back on the bedside table, leaning my back against the wall until Matty comes back with two glasses of water and hands one carefully to me. I drink almost all of it in one go and Matty laughs a little.

"How are you not hungover? You started throwing up," Matty pouts, "Even I didn't- and trust me, I usually do."

I shrug, because honestly I'm not sure, "I don't know Matthew, maybe I'm special."

"You're definitely special, alright," he remarks and I shove his shoulder, causing him to spill the water on his chest, "Isabel!"

I laugh at his reaction, grabbing the sheets and throwing them over his chest, "you were asking for it!"

He dabs at where the water spilled, not caring if his sheets get wet, but he does continue to pout.

"I'm sorry," I draw out, still smiling, "Really, I am."