Unknown Being

Matt had a smile on his face unlike any that Cat had ever seen. He seemed to be in Heaven That is, until he listened to his parents' voicemail. It was malicious. They told he was to come home and pack up all of his things and move out. They denounced him as their son and told him that they hoped he was happy with his "slut of a girlfriend." They said that they were tired of providing for an "ungrateful piece of trash."

"It's okay, Matt, you can live with us," Cat told him. "We'd gladly take you in."

"W-would you really," Matt asked, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Of course, dear," her mother said. "I've said this before - you're like a son to my husband and I. And Cat is just dying to have you around all the time." She winked at Matt through the rearview mirror and then laughed when Cat blushed furiously.

"Mom," the girl exclaimed vehemently, the color of her face contrasting perfectly with her blue and green hair.

"You know you would," her mom teased.

"You don't need to tell him that," Cat shot back. She lowered her volume and smiled softly at Matt. "I can tell he already knows that." She took Matt's hand and squeezed it gently. He smiled slightly, though he dreaded the thought of his parents' reaction when they got to the house. Cat noticed the shift in his expression to one of brooding. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just afraid of how my parents will react to my face," Matt answered quietly.

"Do you want me to go with you," Cat's mother asked.

"Please," Matt answered. "And it's best if you stay in the car, Cat."

"No," her mother said. "I know your parents, Matthew. They'll slip out of the house and try to do bad things to her. She'll help you pack, won't you, honey?"

"Anything for my best friend," Cat agreed.

"Then it's settled," Matt said. "And actually, we should walk from your house. They might try to sabotage your car or even destroy it."

"Good idea," the others agreed. Cat's mother drove to her house then they walked to what Matt was going to soon call his former home. The three of them went up to the porch.

Matt's parents were at the door, both of them beyond livid.

"You think you can just leave our house whenever you please, boy," his father roared.

"It's not like you want me," Matt snapped. "You're kicking me out anyways."

"And who's this? Kate and her mother? And what are they doing in our house?"

"It's Cat," the girl answered curtly. "And I'm helping Matt pack his belongings."

"Heh! Not like he has anywhere to go!"

Cat's mother opened her mouth but Matt said quickly, "I'll find somewhere and you don't have to worry about me anymore."

"Whatavhuh! Just go pa' and ge' ou' of mah house," Matt's mother slurred. He rolled his eyes as she was, once again, inebriated beyond belief.

The adolescents and the girl's mother went up to Matt's room, which had become disheveled from that morning. Quickly, Matt and his friend packed his largest suitcases with all the clothes, electronics, memories, and necessities they could. With two suitcases, Matt had packed every important item he had, only leaving worthless things that held no meaning to him. Cat's mother stood guard in case his parents came upstairs to harass him further. Matt grabbed his backpack, shoving into it the necessary folders and notebooks not already inside, as well as his laptop and pencil and pen cases. He nodded to them, nonverbally signaling that he was ready to leave so they heaved everything downstairs. Matt grabbed his guitar and all his sheet music, shoving the latter into the backpack. Then they set off for the front door.

"Well, you're rid of me," Matt said to his parents, restraining his anger. "I hope you're happy."

"Matter of fact, yes," his father snapped. "Shoo. Get out of here and never bother me or my wife again, boy. Good riddance." They went their separate ways, Matt's ex-parents slamming the door behind them.

"Well that was a send-off," Cat's mother said.

"Sure was," Matt said roughly, scowling. "At least I've got you."

"Mhm," Cat said. "It's gonna be okay, Matt. Everything's gonna be okay."

They arrived at Cat's, and now Matt's, house, where they explained to Cat's dad what happened.

"It'd be a pleasure to have you around, son," her father said, his moderate Texan accent coming through. "You've always been welcome here. And of course, you know where everything is, you've been here so many times. Make yourself at home, literally," he chuckled.

"Thank you," Matt said quietly. They unpacked Matt's stuff in Cat's bedroom as there was no guest room, not that either of them objected.They put his music items in the sound-isolated basement where Cat, too, had a guitar as well as a Baldwin upright piano. "Wow," he said to Cat. "Can you believe that?"

"What? Your parents kicking your out or you living with me?"

Matt smiled half-heartedly. "Both."

"Yes to the first and no to the second." Her heart beat wildly in her chest at the thought of her crush living in her house as part of her own family. "Now come on upstairs. It's been a long day. We should get some sleep."

Notes

Yay, Warped day is over and we can move on, after five chapters xD Matt and Cat now live in the same house as family, but will Cat's feelings become a problem? What do you think should happen? I'm open to either them being fine or causing issues/awkwardness xD