//FallingForYou - Matty Healy//

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖓𝖊

Harper's POV

year:1997 (Matty's age: 7)

I was lying in my princess bed with my £2,500 Tibetan Mastiff dog, Duke

"Harper, someones here for you!"

my mum shouts from the bottom of the stairs. i get up and run downstairs with Duke. Hopefully it was my aunt who was coming back from New York City with a princess doll castle for me.
I open the door to see a boy with curly brown short hair a couple inches shorter than me. He was wearing shorts that were ripped and a plain green t shirt that he never changed.

"oh, it's you." I sigh.
"what time you coming out?" he asks.
"Matthew what did I say, I'm not coming out to play in the mud with you," I tell him.

"will you come out to play later" he begs.
"I'll see" I sigh.

"okay then, bye..." he mumbles.
"bye" I say then slam the door.

"who was that" my mum asks.

"Matthew, the kid that lives a couple streets down from us and is as dirty as a rat" i say

"oh, that kid, I've seen him around"

I go into the living room with Duke and wait for my Aunt.

I stare at the grand fireplace thinking about Matthew , it wasn't the nicest thing to do but he never leaves me alone. I walk to the front door and put on my pink welly boots and a water proof jacket. "mum i'm going outside for a bit, I'll see aunt later" and I leave, running to catch up with Matthew. I see him and shout his name.

"what do you want?" he asks.
"I will come out and play" I smile

Matthew smiles showing his not so white, squint teeth.

"let's explore the forest" he says

I sigh "I guess,"

I walk ahead of him, "we can play Hide N Seek if you don't wonder off" Matthew asks.

"Matthew ,I'm 8 not 3, I play with big girl stuff now" I complain.

"if you say so, Mrs big pants" he laughs.

"stop being so childish"

"oh you can't say much!" Matthew hisses

I stay silent,

"I'm s-sorry" Matthew stutters

"it's okay, i guess, i better head home anyway," I say and make my way home, leaving Matthew alone.

Matty's POV

I really like Harper but she probably thinks I'm too poor. She had always been very wealthy. Ever since my mum moved away my dad has grown a slight alcohol addiction, I'd say it's gotten worse but not much I can do about it. I haven't really told Harper, she wouldn't care anyway. I told her my dad drinks alcohol a lot, and I just got an annoyed sigh from her.

Harper and I normally go out and play in the forest but lately she hasn't been wanting to join me. She probably finds me really annoying.

I take a slow walk home since I don't want to go home. It's not even as if my Dad goes to a pub to drink, he does it in the house, meaning I spend more time outside, getting away from him.

I sigh and open the door trying to be as quiet as possible so my Dad doesn't hear me, he'd normally shout on me to come through to get him more beer, and other things...but that stuff doesn't matter.

Our house wasn't big but luckily my dad doesn't move much, he normally is sitting on the couch getting drunk and shouting at the tv that doesn't even work properly.

I searched under my bed and found a piece of paper that was scrupled up into a ball, I folded it out and took a pen from my bedside table and began to write an apology to Harper for being rude in the forest and calling her names.

I could add a heart at the end but I'm not sure so I just sign my name and head outside again, this time taking my bike. My bike wasn't the newest but it could do its job and that's all that matters.

Harper makes fun of my bike but that's because she has the newest one, with a bell and a basket, my dads money got spent on stuff that wasn't for me, mostly alcohol.

I start to cycle to Harper's house, luckily it wasn't that far. We both live opposite ends of the forest that we hang out in.

I get to the house and knock on the large double door, her mother opens the door.

"Yes?" She asks.

"I'd like to see Harper...please" I gulp.

Harper's mother huffs then shouts on Harper to come downstairs.

Harper walks down the grand stairs with her dog that probably coats more than everything in my house.

"What do you want?" She sighs

"I'm sorry about earlier," I said and I handed her the pic of paper that had been scrunched up in my hand.

"Uh, thanks, I guess," she rolled her eyes and walked away opening the letter. Her mum shut the door on me.

I sighed and got back on my bike.

I cycle to the middle of the forest and collect sticks too make a little Hut for Harper. Maybe this will be a better apology than a little note.

I find a wide tree and use that as the back and start making the hut, hopefully she likes it or it doesn't fall down.

I place the last one and quickly cycle home to get snacks, juice, paper, pens, pillows and a blanket.

No clue how I'm going to be able to take it all, I guess I'll have to go back and forth.

After going back and forth a couple times I finally got everything and started arranging it. There wasn't much wind today so hopefully it'll stay standing. I write on a piece of paper "Matthew and Harper's Hut" in the best handwriting possible.

Writing wasn't my best skill as I stopped going to school last year, when my mum left. My dad can't be bothered to sign me up again.

The sun starts to set so I head home excited about tomorrow, to show Harper the hut I made for us.