One Moment - 12. Chapter 12

One Moment

Chapter 12

A couple of weeks went by with Matt writing in his Danny notebook every day between classes and chores and sessions with Dr. Marshall. Slowly he began to feel not quite so miserable though he still had the feeling he’d never be truly happy again. He just couldn’t comprehend that would be possible without Danny.

After the breakfast dishes were cleared on Friday morning, the last Friday in October, Mary, as she did every Friday morning stood at the head of the dining room table, the smile on her face even bigger than usual.

“I have news I’m sure you will all be happy with today.” She said stopping only long enough to make sure she had everyone’s attention. “There’ll be no classes today.” She had to stop again as the room filled with applause and cheering. “Those of you who were here last year at this time, which I believe is only you Brian,” she paused again to smile at Brian, “remember that we do a Halloween party every year for the younger kids in programs in other houses. The party is going to be Sunday, we have four other houses coming here this year, which means there’s going to be nearly fifty kids and about 20 staff members that we need to feed and entertain.”

“So as you can imagine there’s a lot to do. The menu needs to be planned, decorations designed, what we will need and people to decorate. We also need people to plan and organize the games.” She held up her hand as everyone started speaking at once naming what they wanted to do most.

“I know we aren’t all going to agree on who does what. So…” she pulled out a box with a whole in the top from behind her back. “There are different duties in here, I’m going to go around the table and everyone will pick one. There will be no trading, you get what you get, understood?” She watched as all twelve heads around the table bobbed up and down though not very enthusiastically.

Matt reached up as she made it to him with the box and pulled out a small slip of paper, actually a little bit excited about the prospect of the Halloween party. He hadn’t felt excited about anything the past few weeks, his loss still creating what felt like a great big whole in his heart. Though talk after talk with Dr. Marshall was starting to make him realize that he didn’t need to be miserable the rest of his life. He knew Danny wouldn’t have wanted him to be that way, finally, and he was going to do his best to carry on without him, despite the fact he knew it wouldn’t be easy.

He slowly opened up the paper to find the word food written on it; he sure as hell wasn’t much of a cook but still thought the task might be fun.

“Darnitt,” Andy said from the chair beside him once he’d opened his paper.

Matt, who’d actually grown to like the guy in his ever so subtle way of being nice to him over the past month, grinned in his direction. “What did you get?”

“Stinkin’ food, you?” Andy asked looking over at Matt who held his paper up for Andy to see. “You know how to cook?”

“No,” Matt laughed out shaking his head. “You?”

“Pfft! Yeah right, my mother doesn’t even know how to cook, we got special people for that. That means I probably don’t even have any natural talent genes in me either.”

Matt laughed again, having also discovered over the past month that Andy was pretty damn funny.

“Do you maybe have the genes?” Andy asked looking up at him.

“No, but I betcha I could drink really good.”

Andy looked at him a little shocked he’d come right out and said that, though he couldn’t help but laugh as he so rarely heard Matt say anything let alone something he’d meant to be funny. “You don’t know? I mean you never drank?”

Matt shook his head; he’d never wanted to try the stuff, even the few times he’d gotten the opportunity on the streets. He’d seen what the stuff had done to his mother and he wasn’t going to depend on something that came out of a bottle for his happiness in life.

“Okay now that you all have your assignments, you need a staff member to advise. Mark has volunteered to help those with decorations. John is available to help with games and entertainment and I will be helping those with food. So everyone go with their advisor and get started on planning, we have a lot of work to do and only two days to get it all done.”

Matt’s good mood was somewhat swayed when he discovered the third person that was helping them out with food was Brian, when he didn’t leave the table like everyone else to go off and work on their projects. Even though Andy had gotten nicer, his friend Brian was still a huge ass and often times Andy reverted back to assdom if Brian was around.

Mary sat down at the table with them after returning from the kitchen with a pile of cookbooks in her hand. “We aren’t having a big meal or anything, guys but we want lots of treats for the kids to snack on.” She pulled out a couple of books in particular. “These have treats just specifically for Halloween; I got them a couple of years ago there are a lot of cute ideas in there.”

Matt took one of the books and started leafing through it, having to agree there was a lot of cool looking stuff in it. “We can make anything?” He asked looking up at her.

“Pretty much, I’d say we need at least twenty different things, probably more. There are the basics, like chips and dip, a fruit platter, finger sandwiches, but you guys are mainly in charge of the treats. So you each need to pick out six or seven things to make out of these books. I’ll leave you to go through them.” She said before she handed them each a blank piece of paper. “Write down what you want here with the page number. When you’re done we’ll go through and make a shopping list from them.”

“We’re gonna get to go shopping?” Andy asked, looking up hopefully as he was dying to get out of the place even if it was just a trip to the stupid grocery store.

Mary shook her head. “No sorry, you just write up the lists and we’ll send one of the staff out to get the supplies.”

Andy nodded mumbling under his breath as he grabbed a cookbook while Mary walked out of the room. “We better at least get to sample the goods,” he said once she was out of earshot.

Matt chuckled but was quickly shut up by Brian.

“Who’d want to sample them anyway?” He directed the question at Andy but glared at Matt as he said it. “I’m not eating anything he’d cook.”

Andy looked up from his book over to Brian, then to Matt and back to Brian. “Leave him alone man, I bet he cooks better than either of us.”

“Yeah ‘cause he’s a fucking fairy.”

Matt’s eyes widened hoping that was just a name Brian had come up with and that he wasn’t basing it on anything he actually knew or had heard.

Andy’s eyes narrowed. “He is not! Don’t be sick.”

Brian looked from Matt to Andy his own eyes narrowing. “When in hell did you decide you liked charity cases?”

Matt watched as Andy glanced over at him looking uncomfortable about having to answer the question, he hoped Andy wouldn’t suddenly turn on him as a result of Brian’s attitude.

Andy looked back at Brian, “I just think he’s nice, he can’t help it if he’s poor. That’d be his parents fault not his.”

His mouth dropping open Matt looked at him in surprise, he’d never expressed to Andy that that was how he felt and was really amazed Andy had come up with that conclusion on his own.

Andy looked back over at him and chuckled. “What?” he asked seeing the shocked look on Matt’s face.

“I’m just happy you feel that way.” Matt said shrugging. “Thanks.”

Andy smiled at him, an actual genuine smile that Matt couldn’t help but return before he looked back down at his cookbook.

They sat for most of the day going over the cookbooks and writing down what they wanted to make. Then going over what ingredients they had and would need with Mary. They didn’t finish up until about an hour before dinner.

“Tomorrow you guys come right into the kitchen right after breakfast. We’ll get you started on your cooking, it will take most of the day, and you’ll still have your visits Andy and Brian.” Mary said looking at the two boys. “So you’ll have to work a little harder to get everything done in time.” She looked over at Matt and smiled. “I’m sure Matt can help out too so you guys don’t get too messed up by losing an hour.”

Matt smiled back at her willing to help out Andy but not very sure he’d help Brian, if the dick didn’t want to eat anything he made he was pretty sure he wouldn’t want any of his help either.

After dinner and his chore, which was now dishes, were done Matt hung up the dishcloth and left the kitchen glad he had at least a couple of hours to write before he actually had to go to sleep. As he walked down the hall he turned back hearing his name being called from the living room.

Curious, he walked back down the hall and into the entry way of the living room to see all the other boys sitting in there. Ryan, the one he still thought was very attractive, was looking back at him smiling. “You going to watch the movie?”

Though the invite was tempting, as he’d not actually been officially invited to join them before, he found himself shaking his head, his heart intent on doing some writing. “I’m working on something,” he said smiling at him, not wanting Ryan to think he didn’t appreciate the offer. “Thanks for asking though.” He had to smile as he walked back down the hall, he hadn’t really noticed any one thing that changed, but over the past month more and more of the boys were being nicer to him. He had to admit he liked that. He didn’t like being an outcast, he never had, it just always had happened to be his lot in life.

By 10 am the next morning Brian, Matt and Andy were all in the kitchen, each allotted a certain amount of counter space to work. Two of the regular cooks were in there ready to help them with anything they needed. They didn’t have to worry about making any lunch that day as this was one of the rare occasions the whole house got to order out for pizza.

Matt decided after looking at his list to start on the popcorn balls and turned to Helen, one of the cooks. “Where’s the popcorn popper?”

“Right under that counter.” She said pointing over to where Andy was working.

Matt walked over and got the popper then walked over to the counter where all the supplies were laid out. He grabbed a bag of un-popped kernels then returned to his workspace. Over the next twenty minutes he’d popped enough to fill a very large bowl then set to work mixing all the ingredients for the sauce, which he then poured over all the popcorn.

He was about halfway through making the mixture into balls when Dr. Marshall walked into the room to let Andy know his parents were there for a visit. Matt looked up just in time to see Andy’s bitch of a mother walking into the kitchen behind Dr. Marshall.

“What in hell is he still doing here?” She just shy of yelled as she pointed her finger at Matt.

Dr. Marshall turned around quickly, not having realized she’d followed him, she knew as well as him and every other parent that the parents weren’t allowed beyond the first hall. But as usual she didn’t think rules applied to her. He reached up to guide her back out of the kitchen but she quickly smacked his hand away.

“Don’t you touch me, I want an answer to my question!” she snarled looking away from the doctor and glaring back at Matt who was staring back at her, his hands now frozen around the popcorn ball he’d been working on.

“We’ve been over this before Mrs. Chase. Matt has just as much right to be here as Andy. I’m not going to make him leave no matter how many threats you throw at us.”

If he hadn’t been so scared at the woman’s outrage he would have laughed at the look of shock that had come onto her face, like she’d swallowed a big hunk of rotten fish or something.

“Well then obviously you don’t want my son here or our money.”

“Mother please!” Andy spoke up sounding just as angry as she was. “Would you stop bragging for five minutes about your friggin money and leave Matt alone?”

Andy’s mother’s face softened as her eyes turned and settled on her son. “How can you say that? You must know you are better than him? You shouldn’t have to be subjected to people like that.” Her face filled with distaste again as she glared back at Matt.

Andy looked at Matt apologetically, seeing he looked like a rabbit caught in a cage, he turned around to face his mother again and stepped in between Matt and his mother blocking them from each other’s sights.

“You’re going to have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming Mother. I have no intention of leaving here willingly until my time is up, I happen to like Matt, he’s far more of a human being than you’ll ever be so I’d appreciate it if you’d stop treating him like he’s less than you, because as far as I’m concerned he’s a whole lot better.”

Matt’s eyes widened as his heart beat in his chest, unable to believe what he was hearing yet happy as hell Andy was sticking up for him the way he was. He didn’t know if it had to do with just wanting to defy his mother or not, but to stand there and defend the likes of him like that, he had to at least mean it a little bit.

Seeing the interaction and thinking it was about time Andy and his mother had it out Dr. Marshall stood aside and let them go, he didn’t figure Matt needed to hear the insults she was spewing forth but figured he needed to hear Andy sticking up for him more. He could tell by the look on Matt’s face that he was pleased with what he was hearing and that’s all he needed to know to let Andy and his mom continue their conversation right there in the kitchen.

“How can you say that?” Mrs. Chase asked in disbelief as her eyes watered up.

“Because he’s nice Mother.” He said not affected by his mother’s tearful eyes. “He doesn’t judge other people and he isn’t mean to them just because he doesn’t think they’re good enough for him.” He held up his hand as she opened her mouth to say something else. “Just shut up, I’m talking now.”

“Are you going to let him talk to me like that?” She asked turning to Dr. Marshall.

Dr. Marshall nodded without hesitation. “I think it’s about time you heard what your son has to say. It may not all be pleasant but for once just listen to him.”

She looked even more peeved but turned back to Andy despite her obvious pissed off state.

More than a little shocked that Dr. Marshall was actually letting him speak his mind, it took a minute for Andy to start talking again. “Just because people grow up without having everything handed to them doesn’t mean they’re bad, if you think about it for half a sec, it makes them better people, that they gotta work for things, that they don’t have someone handing them everything they need to get through life, that they gotta do everything on their own. What’s so damn wonderful about lazing around doing nothing and not earning a thing on your own? Why are you so proud of that? So you had rich parents and you married into money. How does that make you special?”

“I don’t need to stand here and listen to this!” She snapped turning on her heel.

“That’s fine Mother.” Andy called out behind her. “But don’t bother coming back to visit until you can manage to apologize to Matt for being such a huge bitch.”

Dr. Marshall followed after her while Andy turned back and faced Matt who was staring at him wide eyed.

“You shouldn’t have done that Andy,” he said shaking his head.

“Yeah definitely,” Brian spoke up, “what in hell is wrong with you?”

Andy looked at Brian giving him a nasty look that told him to shut up then looked back at Matt. “Why not? It felt great,” he said grinning.

“Well now she’s gonna be mad at you. What if she makes you leave?” Matt answered.

“She can’t.” Dr. Marshall said walking back into the room. “She signed his admission papers. She’d have to go through so much to get him back out it would take as much time as it would for him to be released on his own anyway.” He put his hand up on Andy’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you son. You could have left the swear words out, but it’s high time you stuck up for someone else so I’m going to over look the cursing this one time.”

Andy snorted and turned so the man’s hand fell off his shoulder. “Whatever,” he grumbled under his breath, Dr. Marshall never having been his favorite person.

Not at all surprised at Andy’s dismissive attitude Dr. Marshall turned to Matt. “You okay?”

Matt immediately nodded, still very shocked and even quite happy about the whole situation.

“Well I guess you guys can get back to work. Doesn’t look like you’ll be having a visit today Andy.” Dr. Marshall said before he turned and walked out of the room.

Matt turned his attention back to his popcorn balls though he could see Brian looking from him to Andy with a look of complete bewilderment on his face. It didn’t take very long for Brian’s mouth to start going off.

“What the heck’s going on Andy?” He shot off.

Andy, who was working on cutting out cookies, turned and looked at him. “Nothing.”

“Why in hell you being so nice to him?” Brian asked, pointing his thumb out at Matt. “Did you forget we don’t like him?”

“Oh I’m sorry.” Andy shot back. “I didn’t realize we ran off the same mind.” He turned back to his work then turned back to face Brian. “He’s nice Brian, he’s not all weird, and I don’t see any reason to dislike him.”

Brian looked at him bewildered. “But…”

“But nothing, I like him, that’s that and if you don’t like it then you don’t have to continue to hang around me.”

Matt quickly looked back at his popcorn ball as Brian’s stormy eyes fell on him. The minutes ticked by and much to his relief the conversation seemed to be over.

He didn’t get a chance to catch Andy alone until later that night. “Why are you doing this?” He asked as soon as caught up with him.

“Doing what?”

“Well...” He paused coming up with a way to explain it. “Alienating everyone else just to say you like me.”

Andy sat down on the edge of the nearest bed and looked at Matt who sat down on the edge of his own bed. “Well I do like you Matt; even though we were all shits to you for the first month you were here you still aren’t all pissy with all of us. You seem,” he cocked his head to one side and thought for a moment. “Very strong, I don’t know if that’s the way to describe it, but there’s just something about you that’s different. That seems better than the rest of us. I can’t put my finger on it. And don’t get too full of yourself; I disagree with my mom on anything just for the sake of it,” he said grinning.

“You think she’ll actually apologize?” Matt asked, not really wanting her too as he didn’t care to ever see or speak to the woman again.

“Oh yeah she will. She’ll cool off and call up here and beg me to let her come back. I’ll tell her no, not until she apologizes, and she will because she won’t be able to stand not coming up here to see me.”

“I don’t care if she apologizes, you don’t have to make her do that.”

Andy looked back over at him, surprised he didn’t feel he needed an apology. “’Course you do. And she needs to learn to apologize for being a huge snobby bitch.”

“Some people just don’t change Andy.”

“She will or she won’t come up here again.” Andy said assuredly then smiled at him. “You wanna play a game?”

Not having been privy to being invited to play a game before, Matt smiled and nodded feeling truly honored. The only games he’d participated in at all since he’d been there was the stupid learning ones they had in class.

Matt was on edge all week expecting the call from Andy’s mom, Andy was so sure the woman was going to call and mentioned it so often Matt just couldn’t seem to get his mind off it.

By the next Saturday morning when she still hadn’t called Matt was actually feeling a little less stress as maybe, just maybe, Andy was wrong. He felt kind of bad about being so relieved as he knew it was basically his fault for them getting in such a big fight in the first place. Andy’s mom was a huge bitch but she seemed to really love her son. He’d spent his whole life craving a mom that loved him and didn’t really like being the cause of a rift between mother and son.

It wasn’t until both he and Andy were called in to Dr. Marshall’s office and Matt realized it was the about the same time Andy’s mom visited each week, that he realized that what he was going to get was going to be much worse than a phone call.

He walked with Andy nervously into Dr. Marshall’s office and just as he’d suspected the woman was in there, looking snotty as ever, sitting on one of the couches in the man’s office.

Matt let out a long deep breath, really upset as he hadn’t even wanted to deal with a phone call from her let alone have to see her face to face. He stood just inside the doorway, Andy by his side, not wanting to get any closer to the woman than he had to.

Dr. Marshall looked up at the boys and smiled. “Matt, Mrs. Chase has something she’d like to say to you.”

Even though he didn’t want to, Matt looked at the woman. He could tell by the look on her face she wouldn’t mean a word she was saying. She was only talking to the likes of him because she absolutely had to, but he didn’t care, he just wanted the whole situation over with.

She made her apology and, much to Andy’s dismay, he was ushered out of the room with his mother to go down to the visiting room. Matt turned to leave the office as well but Dr. Marshall’s voice stopped him.

“Hold on a second Matt.”

Matt turned and looked at the man, who smiled at him. He closed the door, always fearful that any of the other kids could hear any of the stuff he and the doctor talked about.

“I just wanted to apologize to you myself for all that. I know you probably didn’t care to have an apology from her, and would rather have never seen her again, am I right?”

Matt half grinned and nodded his head slightly.

“Well I’m proud that you went through with it anyway. It was important for Andy and the relationship he has with his mom. I really appreciate you going along with it so calmly.”

Matt only shrugged not sure of what to say, he had had no intentions of telling the bitch he didn’t care to hear her apology, he didn’t figure it was anything to be proud of, just figured it was something he was to chicken to do. He was never one to turn away a compliment when he got it though, they happened so rarely he accepted each and every one he got