The first thing I do the next morning is go check on Matthew to make sure he's Ok I had bandaged his wounds before I went to bed last night.

I go to his room, since he's been hangin' around there often and open his door. To my surprise, I see him still sleeping. Wait, he is sleeping, right? Yeah, I see him breathing. I go sit down next to him and wait until he wakes up.

A few hours later, at around one, he wakes up. He slowly sits up and jumps back when he sees me.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" he asks. I ignore his question, since my attention was caught by something else: a thin cut along his chest. He must have done it after I had left and had been too tired to take his shirt off, explaining the rip there. Even though I had left after he was asleep.

"Mattie, you cut yourself. How come?" I ask, pointing to the cut.

"I was too tired to take the bandages off my arms." he tells me, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Please stop cutting yourself."

"But I t helps make the loneliness go away." he murmurs.

"From now on when you're lonely, just come to me, alright?"

He slowly nods. I smile at him.

"Are you gonna tell anyone about this?" he asks after a minute of silence.

"Are you gonna continue to cut yourself?"

"I don't know."

"Then I probably will."

He grabs my wrist and pleas, "Please don't."

"Don't cut yourself anymore."

He shakes his head.

"Then I'm gonna have ta tell someone so we can get you some help."

"They won't notice me."

"I'll make them notice you Mattie."

"Really? You promise?" He looks up at me, doubt and sadness in his eyes.

"I swear."

He shakes his head. "They won't be able to help, even if they can see me."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. If you don't think they'll be able to help you, I will."

"You can't." I barely hear him.

I look at him and hold his gaze. The smile I usually have is gone, replaced by a completely serious look.

"Mattie, I will bring you out of this depression, I swear it on everything I believe in. You're gonna get through this."

He looks at me with doubt, and his look makes me feel so guilty. Then, I suddenly get an idea, my smile returning.

"Get dressed, I'm gonna take ya somewhere."

"Where?" He doesn't sound that interested.

"First, to get breakfast. Then, to one of your favorite places." I get a pair of jeans and a tee and put them in front of him. "Get dressed and come downstairs. If you ain't there in five minutes, I'm commin' back up to get you." I go downstairs and wait for him on the couch.

Luckily, he comes down in a few minutes. He still looks terrible, but he has clean clothes on.

"Well, come on." I get him in my Ford and drive to this diner.

While we drive, Mattie looks out the window. I try to find a station he'll like, but I can't. I hate to see him so depressed like this. Sad and lonely, I can deal with, but seriously depressed? I get to the diner as soon as I can.

We get inside and get a booth. I get some coffee. Mattie wouldn't talk, so I just ordered him some pancakes. When we get my coffee and his pancakes, I drown his in syrup (the real kind. His, not mine), just how he likes them.

I push the pancakes over to him with a smile. "Here."

He looks over at me, glances at the food, then stares blankly back out the window.

"Mattie, come on. Ya haven't eaten since Thursday." And it's true. He hadn't eaten a single bite of anything for two days, and it worries me.

He shakes his head.

"Mattie, eat. Please. Don't starve yourself. Please." He just blankly looks at me for a minute. I sigh. "We're not leaving 'til you eat that."

He slowly starts eating. He has the same expression, and I'm not sure if he even tastes it. He doesn't even acknowledge that it's the right syrup. So, I don't stop worrying.

When he eventually finished, and I paid (with a slightly bigger tip for dealing with a depressed teen), we left.

Once I started my Ford and we had been driving for a minute, I glance over at Mattie, looking depressed as ever.

"Hey Mattie, I know you love hockey, and I heard there was a game today, so I'm gonna take you to it. How's that sound?" I was gonna make it a surprise, but maybe knowing this would cheer him up.

He shakes his head.

"Y-you don't wanna go to a hockey game?" Now I was even more worried. Mattie doesn't wanna go see a hockey match? That's impossible.

He shakes his head yet again.

I clutch the wheel and drive back home. I can think of one last place to take Mattie.

A/N yeah, i suppose i could have stopped at the first chapter, but i couldn't. anyway, thanks for taking the time to actually read my story, it's appreciated