SETTLE DOWN, matty healy

Chapter 25: The City

Song Selection: Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie

I bit the ends of my nails, a habit I had grown out of until I had to pick out my best pieces of work for the study abroad application. Scanning through both pieces in my laptop as well as those scattered throughout my numerous amount of journals, the change in pressure over this was growing too much for me to even want to admit to.

What if I put all this effort in? What if it would be for nothing?

Sighing deeply out of my thoughts and shutting my laptop in frustration, my alarm now started to ring persistently on my bedside. Shutting it off and seeing that it has yet to be 8 am, I decided to save the mental break for later on in the day.

Plus, it's a Monday. I've got 'till this Sunday to pick everything out.

The caffeine now poured through my system as I walked through the school gates, barely managing on what few minutes of sleep I'd had. Ryder and Anna noticed this immediately as I walked in to meet them at our usual area, looking to me concerned. "You alright there, Em?" Ryder asked immediately, her and Anna exchanging a look of concern between one another in front of me.

I brushed it off and continued sipping strongly. "This application is going to kill me before I even find out I got in."

"Well! At least it shows you care," Anna told me jokingly and I couldn't help to laugh at this and nodded, "But please babe, drink some water and get some rest." I agreed with her as the three of us continued our own conversations, never occurring to me to check my phone for my fellow poet let alone tell him of my stress over all of this.

Oh shit, Matty.

Saved by the bell, everyone began rushing to their morning classes as I wondered why I hadn't thought to tell Matty about any of this. It wasn't until after school as I went back to his class cautiously to find him in the midst of packing up his things. Surprised to see me, he still grinned widely regardless. "Well since you're here, I can tell you properly that we've got plans for tomorrow night."

I chuckled at this. "And what is it this time, Healy? Another dinner date at your place or are you going to actually let me sit you down to watch Funny Face?"

"We have plenty of time to rent an Audrey Hepburn film, but I got you tickets to see Death Cab for Cutie at the Fonda since you told me you wanted tickets and-"

I immediately hugged him for this, having him laugh at my sudden enthusiasm to hug me back. "Oh it's going to be great!" Letting go of him I looked to him cautiously for the sudden surprise. "Why are you being so nice? We never go out like this why take the risk now?"

He smiled softly, tucking my hair back for a moment. "One) because you're worth the risk and it's a concert in another city that I'm sure no one here will be at as they already played a venue near here and two)-" Matty raised a brow to me knowingly. "Because Eastwood informed me that she had taken up my contact for a student to get into a travel abroad program and by student, I mean you."

I looked to him surprised for a moment. "You gave her the contacts?"

"Considering I'm going for my PhD in literature which seems to be a long ways away from getting now, I do know more people in the study with more recent contacts," He explained to me and held my hands for a moment, "You deserve every opportunity, Emma. And I wanna do my part in helping you do the things you find yourself the happiest with."

I grinned to him, cupping his cheek in the palm of my hand for a moment as he leaned into my grasp. "You've really got a hold on me there Shakespeare."

He laughed and sighed in content for a moment. "Never doubt it, Emerson."

***

Taking a leap of faith from our usual encounters, Matty drove through the Los Angeles city streets in the cover of night to find ourselves now in the midst of the line entering into the small concert venue. His arm laced around me tightly and I laughed under his embrace, the excitement now beginning to spill over me. "Merch Healy! Let's go!" I took his hand to immediately follow the crowd also making their way to the small booth.

Seeing the long line and the out slowly growing more and more full I frowned slightly at the sight. "I'll make my way through, you go," Matty urged me, nudging me with his shoulder.

"No, I can stay here it's-"

"Emma, go," He said with a light laugh and I smiled back, kissing him quickly and hanging him some money before I went on my way, "I can pay for your shirt?"

I shook my head, tilting my head to him. "Sorry there Healy, it's on me tonight. There's enough for the both of us." Rushing my way along to the middle of the floor with the stage not too far from me, I stood on the edge of my boots to eye my way through to go any closer towards the stage. Sighing under my breath at my lack of height, I stood in place and waited for Matty whilst the sounds of classic Weezer songs circled around everyone's heads.

Suddenly being shoved in the midst of me distracting myself on my phone, I turned over in annoyance to see a taller man had cut in front of me and huffed under my breath. "Hey, you could've at least apologized you know," Matty came up suddenly, looking to him annoyed holding a pair of t-shirts readily in his hands.

The man looked down to him, seeing as Matty isn't exactly the tallest guy out there, and chuckled under his breath. "You've got some nerve."

"And you can shove it. Apologize."

He rolled his eyes to this, looking down to me sympathetically. "Sorry I bumped into your way, I didn't see you there." He then politely moved out of the way to allow for me to see again and I looked over to Matty, raising my brow to him.

Noticing him now smiling proudly, he lifted the shirts to me to put his on quickly before handing me mine. "Matching? We've come to this state of things."

"Just this once won't hurt," Matty mentioned and kissed the top of my head once the lights dimmed to welcome the smaller band out that would play before Death Cab came out well over two hours later. Having been to Warped Tour before, I knew my way around a concert well enough and was thankful this wasn't exactly the kind of music one would throw a mosh pit for.

Once Ben Gibbard, the lead singer of the band, began the introduction of a song that tug quite close to my heart, I softened myself in the midst of the melody for a moment. Matty seemed to notice this as well, tucking me under his arm so I could lie into the crook of his neck.

I do believe it's true
That there are roads left in both of our shoes
But if the silence takes you
Then I hope it takes me too
So brown eyes I'll hold you near
'Cause you're the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere

The acoustic version of the song ended, soon shifting gears to another as I looked on with a light laugh. I turned up to Matty quickly to see him surprised by my sudden look. "Thanks for this you know."

He nodded and tucked my hair behind my ear softly. "I'd follow you into the dark you know."

I couldn't help to laugh at the reference and nodded in understanding. "God I love you."

"I love you." He repeated back, our foreheads resting against one another once before exchanging a kiss and turning our attention back to the band.

A/N lol wow another cheesy chapter ayyeee content

~Jane Smith 💋