Ch1x13 has logged on.
"Thank god," Matthew breathed. His fingers sped over the keyboard in greeting.
T0PSP1 is typing…
T0PSP1: Hey! Wb
Ch1x13 is typing…
Ch1x13: Thx man. Ugh i hate life
T0PSP1 is typing…
T0PSP1: Whats wrong?
Ch1x13 is typing…
Ch1x13: Fired from part time job FML
Ch1x13: They said I was '2 bad tempered'
T0PSP1 is typing…
T0PSP1: That sux! Wat about that girl u liked?
Ch1x13 is typing…
Ch1x13: Bf. Np, tho. Shes a whore.
Ch1x13: Anyway wat about u? Any luck w/ ur boy toy?
T0PSP1 is typing…
T0PSP1: Hes not my boy toy!
T0PSP1: Anyway ive never tlked 2 him
T0PSP1: Prolly doesnt even kno my name.
Ch1x13 is typing…
Ch1x13: Dnt worry about it
Ch1x13: U'll be fine, ur a cute kid.
T0PSP1 is typing…
T0PSP1: how do u kno?
T0PSP1: gtg sry. Ttyl
Ch1x13 is typing…
Ch1x13: See ya later, Chickie!
T0PSP1 has logged off.
Matthew closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. The front door slammed downstairs, signaling the return of his boisterous twin. "3…2…1," he counted silently, relishing his last moments of peace. Right on cue a disheveled blond head peeked in the doorway, glasses slightly askew. The pout on his face indicated that something sure to be "positively horrible" had happened to him, and that Matthew was about to hear all about it. So he did not bother inquiring.
"Mattie," his brother whined. "Why is he so mean to me?"
The "he" in question was undoubtedly one Arthur Kirkland, a senior and Alfred's not-so-secret crush since freshman year. The only person still in the dark about his feelings was Alfred himself; even Arthur had at least some idea, although he had denial problems of his own. Oh, and their parents knew nothing, of course.
Matthew sighed in his seat and turned around.
"What did Arthur do this time, Al?"
His twin flopped down on one of the beds in the room they shared, childish hurt in his bright blue eyes.
"He ignored me! All I asked was if he wanted to walk home together, and he said no!"
Alfred hugged a pillow to his chest and stared over at Matthew pitifully, clearly seeking sympathy. Although the petty nature of his worry grated on the violet-eyed boy's nerves, that puppy dog face never failed.
"I'm sure he was just busy, Al. Maybe you should—"
His words were cut off as his twin enveloped him in an enthusiastic hug.
"Thanks, Mattie! You're the best! I'll go text him and ask!"
With that, he bounded out of the room.
"—wait and try again tomorrow," Matthew finished weakly. "Or not."
No matter. This gave him time to start on his homework before dinner. Not that it would make a difference, at any rate. Teachers never noticed him in class, whether he did the work or not. Another kid in his position would have rejoiced, but these things were so common that Matthew could not bother getting excited. Rather than go unnoticed, he wanted to just lead a normal high school life. No one saw him, save to mistake him for Alfred and yell at him for whatever reason. Even Alfred himself only paid attention to his brother if he needed something. All other times he practically blended into the wall.
His bitterness at this reality was what had turned him to the computer in the first place. His screen name, "T0PSP1," had been born from his seeming invisibility. He really would make a successful spy, as long as he could find someone who could see him long enough to give him a job. Ironically enough, it was that username that had won him his first, and closest, online friend. "Ch1x13," or Chi, had thought that it was cool. He had sent a message, and pretty soon the two of them chatted regularly. Matthew was anything but invisible with Chi, and having someone to talk to and get advice from was new for him. On IM he could be himself, without the fear that halfway through a sentence he would see those telltale wandering eyes and that obvious loss of interest that came with near-invisibility. The downside was that, in the end, it was only the internet. As soon as he shut off his computer, real life and all its complexities rushed back in.
His best friend was someone he would likely never meet; for all he knew, Chi was in reality some middle-aged pervert. He didn't think so, but one could never tell. And, in the nature of such things, their friendship lacked permanence. If something happened to Chi "irl," he would never know. The reverse was also true.
Beyond names and places, Chi knew his deepest worries, the best and worst sides of him. Chi gave him advice on his love life, or lack thereof, and he tried to give the occasional piece of advice back. Matthew himself had never dated. Unlike his brother, however, he had acknowledged and accepted his sexuality years before. Being alone all the time left plenty of room for self-reflection, so when he realized that his heartbeat sped up at the sight of a hot guy rather than a pretty girl, he knew what it meant.
It took him the better part of junior high school to fully accept himself, but by the time he reached high school, homosexuality was the least of his worries. It wasn't like he would ever find someone who could see him long enough to want to date him.
He did have a crush of his own, despite everything. Gilbert Beilschmidt, well known, or rather, notorious, for delinquency and a penchant for hitting on girls. His best friends were equally famous; together they formed what teachers referred to as the "Bad Touch Trio," or occasionally the "Bad Friends Trio." Gilbert was always having fun, with his trademark smirk and ever-present mirth in his crimson eyes. It was as if he always saw the joke, even when others felt only solemnity. There were stories of an unsmiling Gilbert, frightening rumors of blood and a cold, merciless gaze. Even the toughest of faculty and students were careful not to anger him.
As far as Matthew knew, those tales were only gossip. Regardless, Gilbert of the infectious laugh and wicked smile would never notice a nobody like Matthew Williams. Particularly a male nobody like him. Not that Gilbert was a homophobe; he was far from it, with friends like Francis (who would jump anything with a pulse) and Antonio (who everyone knew was in love with that Vargas kid). If anyone made a gay joke, even in passing, with the albino in earshot they would face his wrath, and most likely a black eye. However, "The Awesome Gil" himself was irrefutably heterosexual. All of his free time was spent flirting with (and getting rejected by) various girls, after all.
Matthew sighed again in his chair, twirling an errant curl around his finger. The fingers of his other hand twitched slightly; he wanted to turn his computer back on and see if Ch1x13 was still online. That would have defeated the entire purpose of logging off, however, so instead he pulled out his assignment folder. At this rate he would have enough time to finish half of his hopeless task before dinner and/or Alfred interrupted him.
Here we go! I hope to update this relatively regularly, given free time and/or laziness. Laziness is a big factor. Anyhow, reviews are appreciated and quite the motivation. I tolerate flames, but be careful with my ego. It bruises.
Disclaimer: I do not own Axis Powers Hetalia.
Gawd, I'm getting TONS of ideas just writing this. If I'm not careful, it'll morph into a bunch of other stories following this one, and suck away my practically nonexistent free time. Oh well; it's summer for now, so s'all good!
I really hope someone out there enjoys this XD