Seeing Double - 2. Chapter 2

My alarm rang at seven causing me to curse colourfully. I smiled at the fact that I was no longer in Halls.
That smile was broken by the cheery voice of Samantha “Get up lazy, someone’s got to make sure these freshers know what they’re doing, even if it’s directions to the bar.”

“Sam, if there is one thing they will not need directions to it will be the bar!” I said playfully.

“Ok mister, if you can crack a wise antic then you can get out of bed.” She replied as she strode into my room.
I knew what she was going to do but I hoped for the life of me she wouldn’t.

“Sam no!” I cried, but too late, she had grabbed the covers and threw them off me and then proceeded to gaze in shock.
I was totally naked; earlier in the night I had kicked off the underwear I was wearing due to heat and there she was gawping!

“Um, would you mind? some of us would like to now stop this situation?” I said.

“Ah, um, you never said you started to go to bed naked!”

“It was warm!”

“Sleep on top of the duvet!”

“It wasn’t that warm!” I replied cheekily.

She scowled before turning away “Put something on for gawd’s sake, someone might talk!” She said with a smirk.
I laughed and she left me be.

Samantha, a friend I dearly hope to have for the rest of my life. At first I was boyfriend material to her until I said to her, after much deliberation, that I was gay. To her credit she took it all in her stride and still wanted to be my friend. We are very open to each other and we know that what we say is only us trying to help. The ‘incident’ just now proves how comfortable we are around each other. I’m glad for that kind of contact.
I will have to ask her about the guy I met yesterday. Matt, Matthew. He seemed as they say an enigma wrapped up in a riddle shrouded in mystery.

As I tried to wake up and get ready, I recalled what happened yesterday and I also tried to wonder why I felt so strongly towards him.

I was meeting and greeting the various new students to the University when my eyes rested on the battered car in the car park.
The parents got out first, followed by Matt. Immediately something was up, as soon as he got out the air changed, it became almost charged.
Then I could see him stumble and lean across the car, I frowned.

Moments later, the crowd, me included cried out as I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my head. My mood changed suddenly, before I was calm, smooth, but now, all my memories of my first walk through these doors flooded back, apprehension coursing through me. I felt a huge urge to just hide, to not let people see me. I didn’t normally think such things. Then, as soon as it had begun, it had stopped.

I could see Matt again. He looked like he muttered something, and a whisper entered my head and banished the thoughts that I had had in my head.

I greeted some more people whilst always keeping one eye on Matt. He and his parents walked through the door and I chuckled at their comment as I walked over to greet them. Another helper was about to walk over but I mouthed “Mine” to them and they shrugged and walked off.

I could see him in detail now, and looks wise he had dark hair that reached just past his ears. As we made eye contact I could see his brown eyes gaze up at me; he was blushing slightly although he was trying mighty hard not to show it. As I extended my hand he blanched and I was nervous all of a sudden. ‘Does he not like physical contact of any sort? Is it me?’ Countless other questions swirled in my mind until he smiled and grasped my hand, which sent a tingle running through my arm as he touched my hand; it felt like an Energy had just invigorated the nerves in my hand and travelled all up my arm.

I could feel a smile in my eyes as he quickly checked me out. I was rather flattered! I broke his evaluation when I welcomed him to the University.

A stumbled response was all I got and he thanked me and turned away.

I recall that his parents were wearing identical talismans, a blue stone set in some kind of white metal; they were glowing slightly when I saw them. A warning look from his parents set me on edge; ‘who was this person?’ As his mum led him away, his dad whispered to me “Dan, watch him for us. Befriend him, watch him at a distance anything you want, just report any strange happenings to the principal.” Before I could reply he turned and caught up with the other two.

None of this made the slightest bit of sense. Had I suddenly become his guardian angel? Does he self-harm? Whatever it was his parents were wary of him being alone. But I decided for now as well as my other duties I would try and help him out.

It was close to midday, almost lunchtime, and I hadn’t seen any sign of Matt all day and my morning had seen me all over campus. Surely I should have caught a glimpse by now... A knot formed in my stomach. Why did that happen? I was just helping him because his parents asked specifically right?
I still hadn’t fully figured what made me think about Matt so much.

I walked a small group of ogling girls over to the cafeteria, giving no signs I was interested at all in them; they got the message and walked off in search of more accessible prey.

And then I saw him, and my stomach eased somewhat.
Until he looked up at me from the conversation he was having with Gary, the badminton ace at our club; he looked so unsure of himself. His eyes betrayed fear to me and he constantly mumbled.

Gary, being Gary, took it all in his stride and gave him a leaflet and walked over to me, obviously noticing Matt gazing in my direction.
“All I can say is good luck mate if you want to get to know him.”

“What do you mean?” I said accusingly, Gary knew I was gay and was fine about it but never brought up anything about guys.

“No, not like that! Even befriending him will be difficult.”

“Why, Gary?” I asked again.

“Because that kid either can’t string a sentence together or he is as shy as kitten. When I just walked over to him it looked like he was going to bolt.”

Well that is another piece of the puzzle to try and find.

“Ok, thanks Gary. I see you got him to try out badminton though?”

“Yeah, apparently he really enjoys it. That was one of the few sentences that came out.”
I agreed to a badminton match in a couple of days time. Yes,I do badminton as well; isn’t that handy? Then he left, leaving me to try and strike up conversation with Matt.

“Hi Matt, do you remember me? It’s Dan.”

He looked up with a nervous expression on his face.

“Hey Daniel.”

Full name, something’s changed.

“You know you can call me Dan?” I asked gently.

He nodded as he had just stuffed a fork full of food into his mouth, then he swallowed. I had to ask a question quickly.

“So Matt, I see Gary talked to you, do you like badminton?”

“Yeah, played it for a few months each year at school in P.E, so I’m not great but I want to get better.”

Well this was a start.

“Well we can always help you improve if you’re willing.”

“That would be good, thanks.”

“No prob Matt.” I said, pleased that he had said more than just a few words.

“So, are there any other sports you enjoy?”

He looked at me, obviously formulating an answer which would suit.

“Well I don’t participate in football or rugby or anything like that...” I suppressed a thought of Matt in a rugby scrum with his glasses fighting for the ball.

“...but I do enjoy Karate.” This caught me unawares, as martial arts were something that would be down my list of activities for him to be participating in.

“I thought about trying a different martial art this time, maybe Jujitsu, seeing as I reached black belt in Karate.” And he’s a black belt; does he read minds or something equally extraordinary that will keep me guessing?

“Ah Matt, you beat me to the point of asking what belt you were.” I said lightly.

“You seemed shocked when I said I was a black belt.” Matt said, his eyes seeming to give off electricity; he seemed to notice as he bowed his head suddenly.

A few moments passed and his head was still bowed.

“You haven’t answered me Daniel.” He said his head in his hands.

“Um, well it’s a bit of a shock when people say you’re skilled at martial arts.” I replied quickly.

He nodded, and in the awkward silence that followed I could see the utensils in his hands shaking violently.
I was quite worried he was going into a fit.

“Matt, are you okay?” I asked cautiously.

He didn’t look up at me.

“Matt, the least you can do is look at me.” I said a little taken aback by how cold his response or non response was.

His head snapped up, his eyes meeting mine and I could see something in those eyes. In each pupil it looked like lightning writhed around, like there was a storm at the centre of each of his eyes.

“See? Not so hard is it?” Something in that sentence struck a nerve because his eyes became cold.

A feeling of dread settled into my stomach and before I could move a sudden jolt of electricity arched along my back, causing me to yelp in pain. But during that jolt of electricity, I caught glimpses of images in my mind.

A boy wracked with pain...

A voice crying out in agony for his parents...

The boy opening his eyes and Energy streaming out...

A world in flames...

Then, as quickly as they had started, they ended.
Matt looked at me with realisation and horror on his face. Never do I think that I will see someone so scared, so vulnerable ever again.

“Matt...” I said softly.
Without saying a single word he snatched up his bag and ran straight out of the doors, the abruptness of the event had left me bewildered.
I was stunned, both at what I had experienced and the fact that he had screamed at me in front of everyone. I could feel dozens of eyes staring at me, including those of the University Principal.

“Dan, I word if I may.”

I swallowed deeply and followed him out of the cafeteria and through seemingly endless corridors we passed until he showed me into a small lecture theatre.

“Dan, I want you to tell me, however absurd, what happened in that cafeteria.”

I paused for a while, my back aching from the attack that Matt had inflicted.
I took several deep breaths. Was this going to get Matt into trouble? Would he view me as a snitch?
One look at the Principal and I knew that no lie would get past him.
With a final deep breath I launched into the story of what had happened from yesterday. It took a short while and throughout the retelling Principal’s face remained impassive, which made me uneasy.

Was he expecting something like this from Matt? And why? So many questions again coursed through my mind.

“I will fabricate a lie to pass around the campus which will probably be more realistic than the truth.”

“Meanwhile, Dan, I need to ask a favour of you.”

“Um... yes of course, sir.” I managed.

“You must try and befriend Matt, do you hear me?”

“Yes sir.”

“He has struggled with... a lot in the last few months.”

“What has he...?”

“It’s up to him to tell you if he trusts you enough.”

“Sir, it will be nearly impossible...”

“Dan if I didn’t think you could win him round then I wouldn’t be asking you. Plus he seems to have liked you at first.”

I had a puzzled expression until I realised he meant the very first meeting so I nodded and then let my legs carry me away from the lecture theatre.
That conversation was incredibly weird; the Principal never denied or doubted that Matt had any sort of power.
But that was only in books, films and imaginations wasn’t it?

Again questions; what issues? Befriend him... how? After that incident who knows how long it will take till he wants to talk?
I got to my room and the clock read 1.00pm, but I wasn’t hungry in the slightest.
Instead, I turned my laptop on and whilst I waited I lay back on the bed, the same questions buzzing around my head; I had the beginnings of a headache setting in but the laptop was now ready and waiting.

I opened up the university e-mail and quickly replied to the emails that needed to be urgently attended to in my inbox. Then, with a flutter of anticipation, I clicked ‘new e-mail’ and I found Matt’s address and entered it.
I paused at the title and decided on ‘badminton’. Matt would hopefully think it was badminton times for practice. Sneaky I know, but I had feeling he would just bin the e-mail if I titled it anything else.

As I wrote I just prayed that; one he would read it. And two; he would think about it at least and hopefully act on it, although I wasn’t going to set any hope on anything just yet. I re-read it to make sure it didn’t read like a bag of crap and then I clicked ‘send’.

Immediately I felt like I shouldn’t have done it but it was too late.
I just hoped it would work.