Matt Rutherford was a pretty relaxed and well adjusted fellow. He set goals for himself and did everything in his power to achieve those goals without being annoying and getting in everyone's face about it. He was a first string player on the varsity football team (goal since pee – wee football) and kept a respectable grade point average (goal since his mom threatened to whip his butt for bad grades). He also tried to keep a level head and remain calm. But when he got that rejection letter from Ohio State, he snapped. It wasn't that Ohio State was his dream school; his dream was to get out of Ohio. Not that he hated the state or his small town; he just wanted a change of scenery, to experience something new. Ohio State was a safety net that was now broken and useless. He wasn't depressed, he was angry. How dare they have the audacity to reject him? He was so enraged he had to take a walk to clear his head and avoid punching a wall. It angers him to think of all those Saturdays he had wasted sitting through those boring SAT prep courses (with Rachel Berry being the narrator/assistant proctor/ annoying little voice that wouldn't shut up for 3 seconds) just to improve his scores. He had the grades, the athletic background, hell he even joined glee just so he could have another extracurricular to put on his resume. Did you think he would honestly join glee club for the love of singing and dancing? No thanks, that's more up Kurt Hummel's alley. He liked being on stage and performing, but he hated the people there. Mr. Schuster always smiled at him in a weird self important kind of way. He probably thought Matt was your stereotypical black thug who was going to change his ways through the power of show choir because a polite white man believed in him. Instances like that were a big reminder of where he stood as a black man in Lima Ohio. Another reminder was when Quinn would clutch her backpack tighter when he sat down next to her. Really? He had enough money to not half to steal from preggers thank you very much. He knew her family where fox news nuts but still. Finn asked him if he was related to President Obama, what the hell do you even say to a question like that? Tina, Artie, and Kurt were losers and he was just thankful that the music room had a thick door with a small window that shielded his shameful interaction with them. That sounds cruel, but so is high school. He never threw a slushie but he knew hanging out with the wrong people meant one would get thrown at you. Puck's life was going nowhere and he was going to peek in high school, Matt didn't want to be around someone like that. Especially since Puck would probably ask him for money down the road, cutting of ties now meant avoiding awkward situations later. Santana had two modes, bitchy and horney, and dating her for three months made him sick of her altogether (ok maybe not the horney part, but she was psycho). Mercedes wanted him to be the Jay-Z to her Beyonce, and that aint happening. Mike is cool. Brittany is….currently sitting on a park bench crying over a shoe box.
Matt didn't like getting involved; keeping people at arm's length meant he wouldn't have to do them any special favors. He minded his own business, took care of his own problems, and expected no less from others. But come on, seeing Brittany crying was the saddest sight he had seen in a while, and he heard Rachel sing when she lost her voice so that was saying something. After a little internal debate, he decided that since she was the mental equivalent of a 4 year old, leaving her crying on a bench would be like ignoring a crying lost child, so he walked over to her.
Hey Brittany what's up?
Hi Mike, I'm ok I'm just really upset.
Brittany it's me…Matt.
Oh ok, it's difficult for me to tell you guys apart sometimes.
He thought for a minute about how the key to ending bigotry and racism was to make everyone the same intelligence level as Brittany to create a truly color blind society. Then he thought about what it would be like if Brittany ruled the world, bigotry and racism it is.
What are you doing out here in the park all by yourself? What's in the box?
My dead bird. Poor Kitty…she never got to live a full life.
Your bird was named Kitty?
She never got a chance to learn to talk. I was gonna teach her English
Matt remembered peer revising Brittany's English papers, the bird probably should have been teaching her. But she was crying, and he already made contact so why not see it through to the end?
Is there anything I can do to help?
You could help me with her funeral.
Sure, I'd love to.
He didn't know what made him care so much, he never really cared for Brittany before, she was always calling Santana right when he was about to get some, and that really pissed him off. But seeing her genuinely hurt, not caring what people thought of her or pretending to be hurt just to get attention broke his heart. While he was digging a hole for the box with a shovel he found that must have been left by the park landscapers, he couldn't help but think about how genuine she was. There were never any ulterior motives with Brittany, what you saw is what you got. She didn't pretend to like you to your face…like he did…often.
I think that's deep enough.
Yeah I think you're right.
She places Kitty the bird in the shallow hole at Fabray Park and says her goodbyes.
Is there anything you would like to say Matt?
I never knew her Brittany.
Maybe you could sing some 2pac, Kitty loved 2pac.
Normally he would hate her for saying something like that, but hey, it was Brittany. For all she knew he was Vietnamese.
I don't know what 2pac song would be appropriate for this occasion Brit.
After thinking for a moment, Brittany began to rap
I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
is life worth living should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein' poor & even worse I'm black
my stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
pull the trigger kill a ni-
Ok! I think that's enough Brittany I feel Kitty would want you to stop now.
She nodded with resolve and helped him cover the shoebox casket with dirt.
So Matt, why were you walking by yourself.
I just needed some air.
There's no air in your house? Is your family ok?
No Brit, I mean that I just wanted to be alone for a minute to think.
I know exactly what you mean.
He had to physically cup his jaw to avoid laughing at her.
Why did you look so angry on your walk, do you have angry thoughts?
Yeah I was working through some anger; I just got a rejection letter from Ohio State.
He didn't know why he was telling her all this. He usually keeps things to himself. But Brittany was kind, loyal and beautiful, she would never tell anyone. Wait, did he just call her beautiful?
Really? I just got accepted there on a full scholarship for cheerleading.
Matt wanted to kill her and everything in a mile radius of her, but he would go to jail and his mom would kill him for being in jail so he immediately pushed those thoughts out of his mind. All he could say was…
Oh, that's cool I guess.
Yeah Coach Sue says that's what you get when you're a winner. She also says that since the football team never wins anything you guys have no shot at ever getting a scholarship to anywhere.
Was this true, was he really not going to get anywhere.
How many other schools did you apply to Matt?
Four.
Did you hear back from the other seven schools yet?
No…wait Brit you…nevermind.
You haven't heard from them all so you still got chances.
You really think so?
Of course I do.
She slid her hand into his.
You got it all Matt, you're super smart and you're athletic and you're really nice.
I don't think being nice is a part of the college admissions process.
Really? Because that's what my whole essay was about.
He paused for a minute, picturing Brittany writing the words "I am Nice" on a piece of paper, probably in red crayon.
Brittany.
Yeah.
I'm really happy for you, congratulations.
Thanks Matt!
For the first time in a long time, Matt was being genuine too.
