You (Matty Healy)

// CHAPTER EIGHT //

"What is it with all of my teachers getting sick?" I grumbled to myself as I read the notice taped to my History classroom's door. No history for a week. I'd be happy about it if it weren't for the fact I actually enjoyed my History lessons. We were learning about the Nazi's and concentration camps and I found it really intruiging. How one person managed to make a whole religion living in Germany scapegoats for their problems, and how most were subjected to disgusting and humiliating ends for doing nothing other than existing. It was so wrong, and I guess it appealed to the humanitarian in me because I guess that was why I was so interested. 

I'd already had all my Writing classes for this week, and seeing as my History teacher was off with the flu my classes for the rest of the week were void. This would be great, if I had things to do. I considered phoning Doug for more shifts but I honestly just wanted to sleep. Emily still hadn't come home and it had been 3 days now. I'd asked around to see if anybody had seen her but no such luck, and the whole thing was stressing me out.  Nobody had seen Noah either, which was equally as strange. Emily wasn't the sort of person to skip out on lessons, and truthfully I'd of hoped we'd be able to make up and she'd accompany me to this party tonight. What George had said yesterday has been echoing in my mind and I can't shake the fact he's winding me up. Who even says stuff like that? You have a face straight out a magazine. My face? My face was round and I had one small dimple on the side of my face which only appeared when I smiled, and it wasn't visible for long due to my hand shooting up to guard my disgusting teeth. I definitely wasn't something out of a magazine, and the paranoia about it all being a joke had been following me all day.

I'd decided to phone my mum and invite her down for the day. I hadn't seen her since I'd left for uni, and I'd only spoken to her a few times. She said she'd meet me in Harrod's in the Disney Cafe. My mum was a sucker for Disney and anything magical, she had a heart of pure gold and honestly she was a little naive. I loved her with all my heart and she was my best friend in many ways, but even after my sperm donor of a father had treated her in a way I never wished upon anybody to experience she still saw the best in people. In some ways I was envious, how she could remain so positive and full of life. After a couple of hours my mum stepped through the door scanning the room, before her eyes settled on me sat at a table by myself reading a book. I'd looked up at the precise moment, and instantly waved her over as we both opened our arms for an embrace.

"Avery!" She sobbed into my shoulder before holding me at arms length and inspecting me. "You look so much older."

"It's barely been a week and a half mum." I mumbled, sitting back down. She sat opposite me and ordered a hot chocolate from a passing waiter. 

"I know I know, but you're so grown up. Home's not the same without you, Kurtis misses you a lot." My mum smiled, reaching over the table to hold my hand.

"You should have brought him along, I miss him too." I smiled, picturing my little brother's smiling face. He was a little shit but I loved him a lot, and I was missing him more than I thought I would. After catching up on family business and learning that next door's cat had died, we'd decided to exit the Harrod's superstore and visit the highstreet shops. As much as I'd love a 3 thousand pound dress, it simply wasn't on the cards. 

"So what is it you need a new outfit for? I thought you were quite happy dressing as a mourner?" Mum teased, racking through bright coloured dresses. I crinkled my nose in disgust before turning to face the dark section. Thankfully dressing dark was 'in' at the moment, so I had plenty to choose from.

"I just like dressing in dark colours, it's not as loud. I need something for a party tonight and I don't think it's going to be a tee-and-jeans affair." I said, pulling a dark blue velvet dress from behind a rack of coats. It had small glittery bits plastered up it that made it look like stars and the blue contrasted it beautifully. It was like a galaxy. I smiled and showed my mum, who nodded in approval. She pushed me lightly in the direction of the changing rooms. When I reappeared, my mum's face lit up. 

"Beautiful!" she gushed, twirling her finger in a circle as if to tell me to turn around. I obliged but I didn't feel comfortable. The dress was shorter than I expected, and the neckline plunged a little deeper than I'd originally thought. My cleavage was on show and the dress itself was a little tight on my boobs, which made it even more noticeable. My tits were basically on top of each other, competing for space.

"I don't know." I sighed, looking down. All I could see was boobs. Boobs boobs boobs.

"Avey, you look brilliant. I just wish you could see past the cloud of fog you have over your eyes which distorts everything you see. If you got it, flaunt it." My mum smiled, before pushing me back into the changing room. She gracefully offered to pay for it, and after walking out onto the cold streets of London my mum was ready to say her goodbyes.

"Remember to call me, I've missed hearing your voice. Even if it was to moan." My mum smiled as she pulled me into a hug. I nodded and pulled away, before hearing a familar voice in the distance.

"Avery!"

I turned around to see Matty with a group of people I'd never seen before, one of which was a platinum blonde girl with shoulder length hair and her whole body out on display. I cringed at the sight of her, wondering if she was as cold as I'd imagined her to be. A pang of jealousy struck through me before Matty thankfully waved them off, jogging over to us, running his fingers through his thick curls. He looked even more beautiful than before. He had a leather jacket on and a shirt with a skull on it.

"Oh, hey." I smiled awkwardly. He quickly pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around my back. I was completely frozen in shock, my arms were still at my sides before I registered what was happening. Matty pulled away and snaked his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him. I didn't object. Even though I felt uncomfortable, it was as if electricity stemmed from his fingertips digging into my shoulder, sending currents pulsing through my body.

"Who's this lovely lady?" He smiled, outstretching his free hand to my mum. She smiled and took it, shaking it before cramming her hand back into her coat pocket. 

"Debbie, Avery's mother." She smiled, before looking at me. "I'll see you soon Avery, have fun tonight."

"Oh trust me, I'll make sure of it Mrs. Collins." Matty smiled again. "I'll be walking her there and back so she'll be in good hands."

"You what?" I shrieked, trying to control myself.

"Well obviously, how else will you know where to go?" Matty laughed, removing his arm from my shoulder. I instantly felt its absence and I wanted nothing more than to grab his arm and put it back in its previous position. "Anyway I better get going. Perfection doesn't just happen to be walking the street, it takes time. I'll see you later Avery, and nice meeting you Mrs. C." He winked, before waving goodbye and running to catch up with his friends.

The thing was though, that perfection does. And I happened to be watching it run in the opposite direction to me.