Things Change, chapter 2
Chapter 2 - Matt
Matt hopped on his crappy second-hand bike, peddling out of the parking lot of the Wall Mart where he worked. The brisk September air whipped his long-ish brown hair around his face. His left arm still tingled from his newest tattoo he'd gotten that very morning. Stamped across his left bicep were the scripty lyrics, "Life is just a dream on the way to death" which he'd though up himself. Matt made his way down each street, waving to his fellow neighbors, and zoomed past the all-too-familiar neighborhood. Most people called it slums or "Dogtown", but Matt called it home.
Matt began to bike down Main Street, where the high school was. Groups of kids hung around on the sidewalks, some heading home from a long day of school. Matt had dropped out after sophomore year, when his dad died of overdose. There was no way Matt's mom could raise Matt and his five other siblings, so he dropped out and took up two jobs to help make ends meet. There was no future for him anyways - no way could they afford college. It wasn't like Matt was good at anything anyways, except music.
Matt spotted a group of popular girls outside the school gates he recognized. He would've been in their grade this year. 5 of the girls had formed a small circle, gossiping, while the 6th one stood nearby the group, observing her feet. The same 5 were dressed in the sluttiest outfits Matt had ever seen, while the 6th dawned a simple outfit of jeans and a T-shirt. Matt pulled over near the girls, pretending to stop for a smoke while eavesdropping.
"... So then, I was like, 'I said LOOK don't TOUCH you perv!' But we ended up doing it that night anyway, in his shit-ass car." Said one girl. The rest exploded with giggles. The 6th girl still didn't join in on the conversation, so Matt decided to make his move. Matt had been with plenty of girls before, none of which had wanted to be in a serious relationship.
Slyly, Matt pretended to drop his lighter near the group of 5 "whores of Detroit". "Sorry, ladies, I seem to have dropped my lighter," Matt gave them an eyebrow raise. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the outcast brunette watching with a smile on her face. The other 5 girls just glared at him, disgusted. "Girls, girls! I know I'm hot, but it's not polite to stare like that!" Matt grinned. A few girls blushed. One girl scoffed and replied, "Go back to Wal-Mart and find someone else to fuck."
"Oooh, harsh!" Still grinning, Matt backed away from the group until he was standing next to the 6th girl who, to his satisfaction, was laughing from his whole act.
"They your friends?" Matt asked, pulling out a cigarette.
She sighed. "Not really," Matt nodded and offered her a light, which she took. "I'm Rachel," She added, smiling.
Matt returned the smile. "Rachel. Sweet. I'm Matt. Matt Geller."
"How come I haven't seen you around before?" She asked.
"I'm a drop out," He replied, taking a drag on his cigarette. She nodded, and Matt noticed a flicker of surprise in her sky-blue eyes. "You live around here?" He asked.
"Yeah, I live here... on Main Street," She said. Oh shit, I'm screwed, Matt thought. Main Street was where the more... middle-class... people lived. And usually those people aren't very interested in people like Matt.
"What about you?" She asked. Matt sighed. Yep, his chances were ruined. "Bowler Ave." He said. And, much to Matt's surprise, her expression didn't change at all. "Cool," She responded. OK, so maybe he DID have a chance...
Matt noticed the other five girls shooting him and Rachel disgusted looks. Quickly, Matt yanked a Sharpie out of his backpack and wrote his phone number on the palm of his hand, going over the digits several times so it was good and inky.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Rachel." Matt said, shaking her hand. He was able to get a glimpse of her grin when she saw his number stamped on her hand before peddling away.
Matt hopped on his crappy second-hand bike, peddling out of the parking lot of the Wall Mart where he worked. The brisk September air whipped his long-ish brown hair around his face. His left arm still tingled from his newest tattoo he'd gotten that very morning. Stamped across his left bicep were the scripty lyrics, "Life is just a dream on the way to death" which he'd though up himself. Matt made his way down each street, waving to his fellow neighbors, and zoomed past the all-too-familiar neighborhood. Most people called it slums or "Dogtown", but Matt called it home.
Matt began to bike down Main Street, where the high school was. Groups of kids hung around on the sidewalks, some heading home from a long day of school. Matt had dropped out after sophomore year, when his dad died of overdose. There was no way Matt's mom could raise Matt and his five other siblings, so he dropped out and took up two jobs to help make ends meet. There was no future for him anyways - no way could they afford college. It wasn't like Matt was good at anything anyways, except music.
Matt spotted a group of popular girls outside the school gates he recognized. He would've been in their grade this year. 5 of the girls had formed a small circle, gossiping, while the 6th one stood nearby the group, observing her feet. The same 5 were dressed in the sluttiest outfits Matt had ever seen, while the 6th dawned a simple outfit of jeans and a T-shirt. Matt pulled over near the girls, pretending to stop for a smoke while eavesdropping.
"... So then, I was like, 'I said LOOK don't TOUCH you perv!' But we ended up doing it that night anyway, in his shit-ass car." Said one girl. The rest exploded with giggles. The 6th girl still didn't join in on the conversation, so Matt decided to make his move. Matt had been with plenty of girls before, none of which had wanted to be in a serious relationship.
Slyly, Matt pretended to drop his lighter near the group of 5 "whores of Detroit". "Sorry, ladies, I seem to have dropped my lighter," Matt gave them an eyebrow raise. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the outcast brunette watching with a smile on her face. The other 5 girls just glared at him, disgusted. "Girls, girls! I know I'm hot, but it's not polite to stare like that!" Matt grinned. A few girls blushed. One girl scoffed and replied, "Go back to Wal-Mart and find someone else to fuck."
"Oooh, harsh!" Still grinning, Matt backed away from the group until he was standing next to the 6th girl who, to his satisfaction, was laughing from his whole act.
"They your friends?" Matt asked, pulling out a cigarette.
She sighed. "Not really," Matt nodded and offered her a light, which she took. "I'm Rachel," She added, smiling.
Matt returned the smile. "Rachel. Sweet. I'm Matt. Matt Geller."
"How come I haven't seen you around before?" She asked.
"I'm a drop out," He replied, taking a drag on his cigarette. She nodded, and Matt noticed a flicker of surprise in her sky-blue eyes. "You live around here?" He asked.
"Yeah, I live here... on Main Street," She said. Oh shit, I'm screwed, Matt thought. Main Street was where the more... middle-class... people lived. And usually those people aren't very interested in people like Matt.
"What about you?" She asked. Matt sighed. Yep, his chances were ruined. "Bowler Ave." He said. And, much to Matt's surprise, her expression didn't change at all. "Cool," She responded. OK, so maybe he DID have a chance...
Matt noticed the other five girls shooting him and Rachel disgusted looks. Quickly, Matt yanked a Sharpie out of his backpack and wrote his phone number on the palm of his hand, going over the digits several times so it was good and inky.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Rachel." Matt said, shaking her hand. He was able to get a glimpse of her grin when she saw his number stamped on her hand before peddling away.
