Inspired: I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift. Oh em gee, are we about to hit three hundred reviews? I think we are. That's insane! Thank you all so much for your support and kindness. I have said it before but I will say it again: It means the world to me. Truly.
I Knew You Were Trouble
He had known that he was trouble the moment he walked in but Matthew did not care.
His white hair was slicked back and his ears were pierced along the cartilage. He was wearing a battered leather jacket and combat boots and a dozen braided chains. How could he have been anything but trouble?
It did not matter, though. Gilbert had caught his attention and Matthew was smitten.
"You like him!"
Matthew looked up from his lunch and blinked. His brother was leaning back with a self satisfied smile on his face.
"… What?"
"The new kid. You like him."
Matthew rolled his eyes and flicked a piece of his sandwich at him. Alfred caught it and shoved it into his mouth with a chuckle.
"Alfred, I've never said more than two words to him."
"Doesn't matter," he shook his head. "You like him. You like Gilbert!"
"I do not!"
"You do! You like the bad boys! Mrrrow!"
Matthew almost launched himself over the table in an attempt to quiet his brother. His laughter was deafening and the surrounding students were beginning to stare.
Gilbert included.
"Shh!" He hissed and tried to bat his brother. Alfred avoided him with ease and continued to laugh. "Shut up!"
"You do! Oh man, wait until I tell Arthur!"
"If you say anything, I will… I will… Well, I'll do something really unpleasant, that's what!"
"And Francis! He'll love this!"
"Alfred!"
His brother beamed at him and motioned with his hand.
"Yes, yes. Fine. You're shy, I get it. But this is a momentous occasion!" Alfred pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Your first crush! My little brother is growing up so fast…"
"First of all, shut up. Dumbass. Second of all, I don't like Gilbert!"
"Well, that's a shame."
Matthew jumped in his seat and turned his head in increments to see Gilbert standing beside their table with his lunch tray. How long had he been standing there?
"Oh my…"
"I like you just fine." Gilbert sat down next to him and his chains rattled against the lacquered bench. Matthew felt his face heat up.
"That's not what I meant! I, erm, ah..."
Gilbert quirked an eyebrow and opened his cola. He did not seem offended so much as mildly amused. It suited his 'bad boy' image and Matthew could not help but find it attractive, even though it was neither the time nor place.
"What did you mean, then?"
"I, uhm…"
"Matthew has a crush on you!" Alfred blurted out. Matthew felt his blush spread to his ears as he stared at his brother in disbelief. He opened his mouth to deny it but the words died in his throat when he noticed that the whole cafeteria was watching them now.
Oh god. It was 'showing up at school in your underwear' times ten. He had never been this embarrassed before in his whole life.
"I… Hmm. I…"
Gilbert sipped his cola and studied him over the can. The only indication that he might have been surprised was the fact that his eyebrow had climbed a little further into his hairline.
Matthew thought that he would die of embarrassment. At least, he hoped so…
"That's cool," Gilbert said after a minute, shrugging his shoulders and turning back to his meal. The rest of the cafeteria turned around too, taking their cue from him.
"I… That's it?"
He shrugged again.
"You're cute. I could do worse."
"… What?"
Gilbert ran his fingers through his hair. The gesture was almost nervous and it was endearingly at odds with the rest of his demeanour.
"I'm asking you out, of course."
"… What?"
"I'm asking you out on a date. You know, two people going out and having a good time? A date?"
"You're asking me out... On a date…?" Matthew frowned in confusion and resisted the urge to pinch himself. "Uh, why?"
Alfred was watching their awkward conversation as if it were a particularly interesting tennis match and not his fault. His attention would snap towards whoever was speaking before bouncing back again. He was grinning like an idiot.
"You like me. I don't hate you. We should go out." He said it as if it were obvious and not at all out of left field.
"Oookay…"
"Great. I'll pick you up after school, then." Gilbert stood up with his tray and started to leave before pausing. He looked at Alfred, who nodded, before bending down and kissing Matthew.
On the lips.
In front of the entire high school.
"Oh!"
"I'll meet you at your locker at three, alright?" He smirked. "See you later, Matthew."
And with that, Gilbert stomped out of the cafeteria. The double doors slammed behind him, echoing.
Matthew looked at his brother with wide eyes. What the hell?
Alfred bit his lip to keep from laughing.
"… What just happened?"
"I think," he sniggered, "I think that you just found yourself a boyfriend."
"Uh, I… Huh."
"So how was it?"
"How was what?"
"The kiss, duh!" He waggled his eyebrows. "Did he slip you some tongue?"
"Alfred!" Matthew blushed and tried to smack him. "No! No, he did not."
"Damn," Alfred sounded genuinely disappointed, "and here I thought that he was a bad boy…"
But he was. He was a 'bad boy' and there was no denying it. Matthew had known that he was trouble the moment he had walked into their science classroom two weeks ago. How could he not be with a smile like that? With those clothes? That voice?
But it did not matter. He was smitten.
Author's Notes:
Ahaha… Yeah. This song has been in my head for days. Sometimes, I hate the radio. Oh well. I see Gilbert as being the quintessential 'bad boy', although I offered a subtle hint of his goofier tendencies. I see Matthew as being dreadfully awkward, like, all of the time. And I see Alfred as being that friend with the big mouth. You know the one I mean….
The twenty seventh will be the two year anniversary of my father's passing. I'm not sure what kind of mood I am going to be in. Hmmm… All I know is that I miss him terribly.
I want to work on some other pieces this week and then maybe I'll do another week of 'Inspired' pieces. All of my love, m'dears.