Go find Matt

Stepping out of the living room and into the hallway you immediately feel a slight breeze. A quick glance reveals the cause to be the open front door. "Matt must have gone out for a smoke." You think, as you creep slowly towards the door. You push the door further open, allowing the cool night air to flow over you. Stepping outside your eyes quickly adjust, it's fairly bright out due to a fat full moon hanging in the cloudless sky. You don't have to look far for Matt, a slight red glow on the porch step illuminating his hunched silhouette.

"Hey." You say, sitting on the step next to him.

"Hey." He replies, taking another drag of his cigarette.

There's an uneasiness between you that you've never felt before and, for the first time since you became friends with Matt, you don't know what to say. Conversations with him were normally so easy. Not now.

Taking a deep breath you decide that the easiest solution is to spill it all and move from there, you hope that the truth shall set you free.

"I would never make Nicole do anything like that. And I didn't **** Sarah to do anything either."

Matt takes another drag, the red glow briefly illuminating his stone set features.

"She has it out for me tonight because I shot her down earlier, that's why she's trying to pit me against you and Nicole. She wants to use {cam} and Miranda to get back at me."

Another drag.

"You and Nicole are two of my best friends, I would never do anything to hurt you."

Your voice quavers as you say this, a mix of sorrow and indignation that he could ever think you would.

"The truth is, I'm happy for you both. And I want you both to be happy."

When you finish your improvised speech your voice trails off, fading into the quiet of the night to mix with the grasshoppers and the hum of distant traffic. You await Matts response with bated breath, your heart pounding in your chest like a drum. For a long while neither of you say anything and you worry that you might have lost him.

Until Matt reaches a hand into his pocket, pulling out his cigarettes and offering one to you. Matt was never one to be emotional but even he can't hide the tremble in his outstretched hand as you gratefully take a cigarette of your own. "I knew you'd never do anything like that." He says, a poorly concealed tremor in his deep voice. When he reaches out to light your cigarette you have to hold his wrist to steady him.

Once you're lit you let him go and take a drag of your own cigarette. For a moment you feel comfortable, in familiar territory. This was common practice for you and Matt. You only smoked at times like this, in quiet moments away from parties with your best friend. For a while you pretend that this was just another weekend and drink in the sacred night with Matt. You almost wish it was just another weekend.

"So, why is Sarah so mad at you?" Matt asks, understandably confused. You take another drag and breathe a deep sigh, unsure how to begin. Hesitantly you recount what happened between you and Sarah during your last break, how she teased you, how she wanted you to fuck her, how she promised to make Miranda into Toms cocksleeve (Though you use different words). By the time you're finished explaining Matt has sparked up another cigarette.

"Fuck." He exhales, the lit smoke hanging from his lips. "Yeah". You respond simply, your own cigarette coming close to its smoldering end. "I didn't realize she had it in her." Matt says, shaking his head. "So you understand what's going on now?" You ask.
"Yeah yeah, totally. Don't worry man, I've got your back. Ill even explain it to Nicole too. I think you and Miranda make a cute couple anyway. With three against one Sarah won't stand a chance." When he says this he extends a fist for a fistbump, which you happily return. You hope he's right but Sarah has already proved conniving so far, and it's more like three against two anyway based on the way she uses Tom. A lumbering golem for her own ends.

Regardless you throw down the butt of your cigarette, stamping it into Sarahs gravel driveway. "Thanks for hearing me out Matt." You tell him as you stand. "But right now I've gotta go."

"No problem man." He says, taking another puff on his cigarette. "Godspeed." With that last word from Matt you head back inside, enjoying the pleasant warmth of Sarahs house, and the feeling of relief from having explained yourself to Matt. But there's still time in the break, and you still have people you need to speak to.