Hello all :) This is my first fanfiction. So Matilda will always be on my list of favorite childhood books and movies. It was sort of a spur of the moment idea for Matilda and Bruce to be together, but while watching the movie again one day, I thought: How cute would it be to have them grow up together to have feelings for each other? Now there is an age shift. Bruce is supposed to be older than Matilda, but in this fanfic, they are both 16. Also in this fanfic, I made Crunchem Hall a town and not just a school system- Miss Honey and Matilda move to the area just in case Miss Trunchbull were to return.
There will be chapters, and I also want you to let me know what I can improve on, and whether or not I should continue the story as a series, or leave it as a oneshot. Thanks, and enjoy! :)
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Ah, the first day of summer break. Crunchem Hall was beautiful all year round, but the sun shined just a bit brighter, and the flowers bloomed just a bit quicker this time of year. Matilda stepped outside of her house to take in the fresh summer air. It was quite hot, yes, but there was a breeze that seemed to be sent from heaven that washed around her. Matilda couldn't help but smile at this current moment. She may have looked a bit silly, but really, what was there to be sad or angry about? In that moment, a walk was on her mind. Matilda stuck only her head in the door and yelled somewhat loudly, "Miss Honey, I'm taking a walk!" She then heard her voice echo back in her house- "Okay, Matilda! That's fine!" Matilda shut the door behind her and continued to walk down her sidewalk. On her way to really nowhere at all, she collected all of her thoughts about the ended school year, her sophomore year. Of course, this meant she would soon be taking the SAT's, so Matilda also began to memorize problems from Geometry and facts from Biology, both were of course honors level. Deep inside her mind, however, she knew that she would be able to remember them as soon as the questions appeared in front of her, but Matilda did not want to seem arrogant or conceited.
Suddenly, as she was walking past someone else, their shoulders hit into each other. Matilda instantly clutched at hers and the person stopped and turned back. "Are you okay?" He asked. She looked up into the deepest green eyes she'd seen, and his dark hair slightly moving with the breeze. The other walker was none other than Bruce Bogtrotter, who she'd been friends with since Kindergarten. Bruce again broke the silence. "Hi, Matilda." She couldn't help but smile as he did, and finally replied, "Hi, Bruce. Sorry about that, I just had a lot on my mind." Bruce somewhat laughed and had an understanding face. "It's really no big deal. I realize that our junior year is very important, what with the big tests coming up and all." Matilda nodded, but he spoke again. "Hey, if it isn't too much to ask... can I walk with you?" She smiled again and accepted Bruce's request. And soon enough, they were walking on the sidewalk near Bruce's neighborhood, which is also where her best friend Lavender lived, side by side. Matilda asked with sincerity, "So, were you taking a walk, too?" Bruce nodded and said, "Yeah, I just wanted to enjoy the first day of summer break without doing any swimming or going on any vacations, you know?" Matilda sort of laughed before what she said. "So no chlorine or saltwater just yet. Gotcha." They both laughed at that. The two walked the neighborhoods and streets of Crunchem Hall, talking about their plans for this summer, laughing and enjoying each other's company. But later on in the walk, something caught Matilda's eye. On various occasions, she'd notice Bruce's hand move close to hers- and not in a swinging motion. More like an 'about-to-hold-hands' motion. Every time it would happen, it would confuse her. What was she to do? Take his hand? Ask him about it? Finally, she decided that she would pretend like she didn't see his hand. It seemed almost rude, but at the same time, Matilda didn't know what else to think.
After a few more blocks, they finally arrived at Matilda's house. "Well, I guess this is where I leave you. See you around, Matilda." Bruce said while smiling. Matilda said, "See you, Bruce. This was nice. Maybe we can do it again tomorrow?" "I agree. Meet me near my house. Oh, and tell Miss Honey I said hi!" Was his last words before leaving her sight. Matilda walked down her driveway and looked back at Bruce. For an odd reason, she suddenly felt a feeling of longing, as if she wanted him to come back. Matilda finally shook it off and opened the front door. "I'm home!" She called out as Miss Honey approached her near the foyer. "How was your walk?" Miss Honey asked, delighted to see her adopted daughter already enjoying her summer break. Matilda replied, "It was nice. Beautiful day to take a walk." But to Miss Honey, even her tone seemed to stick out, which was somewhat abnormal. "Matilda, you're blushing!" She said, to which Matilda replied, "Am I? Sorry..." They laughed, which brought a silence afterwards. Matilda wanted to tell Miss Honey about walking with Bruce, but Miss Honey would probably take it as a 'you like him' sort of thing, and not as two friends going for a walk. But the conclusion was made- Matilda was going to tell Miss Honey. After all, she'd been confiding in her since she was six. "Oh, so I ran into Bruce on my walk. Literally, my shoulder suffered a bit, but he apologized, and... we wound up walking together." Miss Honey smiled and said, "Well, that was nice of him. Is your shoulder fine now?" Matilda nodded while Miss Honey continued. "What did you two talk about?" Matilda explained to her about how Bruce wanted to start off his summer slowly, while Matilda talked to him about the upcoming year. "It all sounds lovely. Just so you know, I'll be making lunch soon." Miss Honey said, and walked back into the kitchen while Matilda walked to the living room near the staircase, where she was greeted by her latest book.
That night, she dreamt, and was it ever vivid. Matilda was at a dance, with her hair in curls, a sparkly ribbon atop her head, all while wearing a beautiful silver dress. She walked through the crowd as it parted like the Red Sea, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Matilda was then greeted by Bruce, who wore a sleek black suit. He held out his hand and said, "Care to dance?" She took Bruce's hand and they glided across the dance room floor. Matilda heard the whispers of the crowd- how 'perfect they are' and that 'they were the most notable couple at the dance.' This made both of them smile.
9:30 AM. Matilda woke up from what seemed like the middle of that dream. She walked to her mirror as she prepared for the day. Throughout putting on her outfit and even tying her ribbon in her hair, Matilda could not shake the dream she had. It clicked somewhere in her mind- Did she really have feelings for Bruce? She somewhat flirted with the idea, and thought back to any signs that Bruce may have liked her. No, not exactly; but as Matilda thought more, there were a lot of possible signs that she liked him. Even back to when she was the first one to cheer for Bruce as he ate the cake, that could have been a sign to some. But that didn't mean anything- she had faith in him. She knew he could make it. Matilda finally brushed it off and walked downstairs. As her and Miss Honey sat down for breakfast, Matilda decided to ask Miss Honey about her situation. "Miss Honey, I have a question. How would you know if you had feelings for someone? Say, a close friend?" Miss Honey glanced towards the window with a thoughtful look. "Hmm, it sounds like a tough spot. Well, Matilda, I've never dated, even spoke of a crush. Aunt Trunchbull never allowed even a glance towards other boys as we went somewhere. She just would never allow it. But I think I can give you this piece of advice: If someone thinks about that person a lot... imagines them as a couple frequently... it's possible that these are signs of a deeper emotion." She explained, then continued back to her breakfast. Matilda nodded and said, "Thanks." After they were done, Miss Honey looked up at her curiously. "Any particular reason as to why you want to know?" After a continued silence, Matilda put her plate in the sink, looked at Miss Honey and replied, "I think I might like Bruce." Miss Honey's eyebrows raised. "You mean... Bogtrotter?" Matilda nodded. A smile formed across Miss Honey's face and she said, "You know, I always thought you and Bruce had a specific rapport. Like when you two would always read Science books aloud together back in elementary school, I thought it was the sweetest thing." Matilda smiled and looked down at the floor. It was true- every morning before school started, Bruce picked up a Science book and they'd discover new things while their other friends listened in fascination.
After breakfast, Matilda headed outside for her second walk with Bruce. Telling Miss Honey about her feelings was like a weight being lifted off of her shoulders. But what next? She couldn't just come out and confess it out of nowhere. There needed to be a time and place.