"Hey Mattie! What are you doing way over there? Don't you want to eat with me?" Alfred's call across the cafeteria abruptly stopped Mathew's conversation with his best friends Carlos and Gilbert in an instant. Gilbert rolled his red eyes, while Carlos sent a disgusted look the loud American's way but Mathew just sighed.

He was used to this by now. His brother really wasn't going to leave him alone for even a single lunch period, was he? They were both in grade twelve, but from the way Alfred, and his family did when they were home not that that happened often, treated him it was like Mathew couldn't take care of himself! They could both be responsible young adults, if Alfred could ever let Mathew even start to be one. It was like Alfred didn't trust Mathew or something to know how to live without his brother and make planned, well thought out decisions. Alfred was always there. He was always looking over Mathew's shoulder. He was always watching over him, like he was a little kid still.

Alfred should just forget what had happened back when Mathew was younger. Sure, he had been approached to be in children commercials and sure he was kidnapped, twice, but each time was only for a few days! That happened when he was four until he was six—it wasn't happening to him now, he was too old for children's commercials. Alfred really just needed to get over the idea that Mathew doesn't need to be saved anymore.

Mathew swiveled around to face Alfred as he came up to him, Alfred's eyes were twinkling brightly, that wasn't a good sign. When Alfred got to be like that it always meant that he was up to something, and normally that something spelt trouble for Mathew. "Come on dude, you're eating with me today" Or just annoyance.

'And forever more' Mathew thought sarcastically.

A flickering shadow passed through Alfred's eyes turning them several shades darker as he took in Gilbert's and Carlos' closeness to his brother.

'Alfred really was an open book about his feelings, if you only bothered to look close enough to see them.' But, that was just Mathew's opinion, maybe others saw it too—not that he would ever find that out if he couldn't make more than the two friends he already had though.

Alfred's face twitched looking at them, turning from a wide grin to something more of a sneer as he stated more than he asked, "It's alright with you if I take Mathew, right?"

"Yeah, sure, bye bye Birdie." Gilbert gave a little wave Mathew's way then tugged Carlos away.

'Wow. Jeez, thanks for ditching me you guys, love you too.'

The rest of Mathew's lunch period was spent being ignored by Alfred and his friends, the entire time. Yet despite how much Mathew was looking around to try and distract himself he always happened to miss seeing the gaze that was stuck to him, watching everything that he did until the bell rang and his usual boring lunch period was over.