"Who is leaving you?" Ian asked again as Matt began to blush and quickly unwrapped himself from Ian's body.

A soft giggle took over Matt as he tried to calm himself. "The man who gave me my scars! He's finally going to die!" The small man was practically bouncing with excitement as he looked at his phone then back to Ian. "That evil man is dying! I'll finally be free!"

Ian looked at him in shock as Matt bounced around. He may have been an adult on the outside, but inside he was still a child."How could you say something like that?" He asked as he choked out. "Death is nothing to be happy about Matt. How could you be happy about somebody's death?" He asked with an abrasiveness that shocked Matt. "I would do anything to see my little brother again."

"This isn't about your brother!" Matt said, suddenly annoyed with Ian's lack of joy. "This is about the monster who tried to kill my mother and I! How could you try and compare the two? You loved your little brother didn't you?"

"You're in shock... That has to be it." Ian mumbled out, "There isn't any other way you would act like this."

"Oh is it?" Matt mocked, "I'm in shock? The man who ruined my life is finally going to get what he deserves, and you think I should be sad? That's crazy!"

"Death isn't a joke," Ian said with a pain that reverberated to Matt. "Death is permanent! No redo's or retakes, all it does is leave you empty inside! Nothing about death is a happy thing. You shouldn't be happy about this!"

Falling silent at the harsh words, Matt stood still, feeling suddenly ashamed of his actions. Then the deep hatred he had felt in his dream started bubbling up inside of him. Not even a second after he felt it, the cold anger took over, giving Matt a whole new feeling. Looking directly at Ian with the same angry glare as his father's, malice gushed out of him like a wave. "No, you know what Ian no!" He exclaimed as the whistling of the tree faded away. "I don't think you get how I was raised. I thought I could just forgive him for what he did to me, but I can't. I'm glad he is dying!"

"How could you say such hateful words?" Ian mumbled, "The death of any living being is sad, but the passing of a parent, no matter how trashy is not something to dance around for!"

A bitter chuckle escaped Matt's lips. "No? Dancing for the fact that I am now free of the poor excuse of a man would take a belt to me! He scarred me for life! So no, I don't feel guilty for his death at all! I don't see why you're mad!"

"Have you no sympathy!" Ian practically screamed out. "He has been spending his last few weeks trying to make it right between you two, but you are so stuck in your own past that you refuse to see him! Now that his life is coming to an end you're happy? That's just evil Matt! It's not like you at all!"

"You know what I think is funny." Matt asked with a cold, unyielding voice that sent shivers down his own spine. He began to laugh again, but this time it wasn't his normal laugh. There was no joy that came from that laughter. This laugh was one of pure hatred. "I think all of this is just fine. That man did more than take a belt to me. There's something else I neglected to mention since I was too ashamed to bring it up, but you seem to think that his death was a bad thing. So I guess I'll tell you his dirty little secret. That man is a pedophile!" Ian's face contorted in confusion as Matt continued. "That's right; he used to take me to the back room to teach me a lesson about how it felt to be fucked. He was so sure I was fucking my own mother that he shoved his dick into me!" He felt his fury swelter at the reveal of his darkest secret that only he and his father knew.

Looking down at the ground Ian closed his eyes, his hands shaking. Matt began his cynical laugh again as Ian looked back up to him; his eyes brimming with tears. "You know what Matt," He said in a voice that had fallen into a calm rage matching Matt's. "I know you had it rough growing up, but that doesn't give you the right to be an asshole about it now!"

Matt's fist came out of nowhere, and he struck Ian square across the jaw knocking Ian to the ground. "You have no right to tell me how to live my life!" He growled as he looked at Ian on the floor with disgust. "You have no idea what it's like. Being destroyed by the man who was supposed to raise you. Beating you, damaging you, raping you..." Matt fell silent when he noticed a few people had come out and watched the scene unfold. "Don't ever talk to me again Ian. I'm done with you!" He exclaimed before storming off towards his dorm.

---

"Is he out there still?" Matt asked in a weak voice looking towards Kevin.

Kevin looked out the peephole then looked back over to Matt nodding his head. "Yes Maddy, he's still there."

"I guess I need to go out the window today too then." Matt replied with a sigh.

Starting towards Matt with a sigh, Kevin spoke up, "Maddy, you can't keep avoiding him! You've been doing this for almost a week now! He just waits outside his dorm in his chair. Why can't you just go talk to him?" He fell silent as Matt whipped around and glared at him.

"Well I don't want to talk to him! He said I should feel bad about that man dying, and I feel no remorse for what I did. That man is leaving me alone and I feel, nothing but relief!" Matt growled as he began to pace. "Why can't he just go back inside and leave me alone?"

As Matt turned around to make another loop, Kevin launched himself forward and wrapped his arms around Matt holding him tightly as Matt tried to escape. "Maddy you don't have to explain yourself to me. I love you for who you are." He kissed Matt's head and then let go suddenly.

Matt stood there for a moment in silence as Kevin headed back to his chair before speaking up. "Am I a bad person?" Matt whimpered out quiet enough to surprise Kevin. "I don't feel guilty about his death, but I hurt Ian. That means I'm a bad person right?"

Pausing a few steps from his chair, Kevin mulled the idea over for a few seconds before starting back towards him. "Maddy, I think you are in turmoil. Because of this. You are unable to see things through your normal view of life. I don't know all of what happened between you and your dad, but what I do know is that this thing between you and your dad, then you and Ian subsequently is eating you alive. You've become angry, and short tempered. Just about everything sets you off!" Kevin trailed off again, taking a moment to think of what to say next. "Maddy?" He asked as Matt's shoulders began to shake. Getting no response, he took a step forward and put his hand on Matt's shoulder.

"Why can't things just stay the same?" Matt whimpered out surprising Kevin again. Matt stood there but in essence only. His body had begun to shake, and his hands were borderline flailing. Kevin wrapped himself around him and held him as he shook. Then Matt broke down, crumpling against Kevin, tears freely flowing down towards the carpet. His pain, anger, and rage breaking through. "Why does he have to come back like this and ruin my life again?" He whimpered out as he continued to sob.

"The world changes with or without us Maddy. We can either change with it, or be crushed underneath its weight." Kevin whispered softly into Matt's ear while holding his arms around him.

Matt lay against Kevin, silently pondering what he had said. "Have you ever thought about death?" Kevin squeezed him tighter as his tears continued to fall. "I don't mean for me, I mean have you ever thought about it for others. For other people it seems like it's a huge problem for them. For me it just means that I don't get to see them anymore, and that's not such a bad thing. I can always remember them, so I don't worry about it."

Kevin listened to the shallow breathing, and the silence in the air then spoke up. "What about me? What if I died, would you feel the same way?"

The silence was broken by a soft gasp as Matt's sobs doubled. "No Kevi, I would n-never stop crying if you died..." He pictured Kevin dead on the floor, and his heart broke. "Kevi, you can't die not ever!" He sobbed as he wrapped his arms around Kevin.

"I can't promise that Maddy." Kevin replied making Matt look up surprised. "My life is just as fragile as yours, or Keith's. I could die today, and you would be left all alone." Matt looked up at Kevin, his tears continuing to run. "I think that's why you are so mad at Ian. Death is rearing its head at you, and you don't know how to react. It's new to you, so much of the world is. And that's how you reacted."

Silence consumed Matt as he lay crumpled against Kevin. "You're saying I should apologize?" He whimpered out as he began to put some weight on his legs.

"I think you should do whatever you think is right." Kevin replied kissing the top of Matt's head again. "I think it's time you changed a little bit too. You can't be the same forever nobody can..."

Taking a step back, Matt looked at Kevin as he wiped his eyes. "Kevi, how come you are always so smart?"

Kevin smirked as he flashed a smile. "I'm not smart, I just learned a few of these lessons before you..."

"Well these lessons suck." Matt replied letting out a weak cough as he wiped his nose on his arm. "Kevi...?" He mumbled out, "I won't let you die. Not now, not ever..."

A small sigh escaped Kevin's lips. "Well you can do your best Maddy, but I don't think-"

"No," Matt interrupted, "I won't let it happen." He took an anxious step, then another heading towards the door. "I'm going to apologize to Ian..." Kevin nodded his head as Matt opened the door and started towards Ian. Deep breath Matt, you can do this...He thought to himself as he continued towards Ian. He was sitting in a small plastic chair reading Moby Dick. Taking a few deep breaths as he drew closer, Ian looked up from his book. "H-Hey Ian..." He mumbled as he froze mid-step.

"Hey Matt, it's good to see you. How are you doing?" Ian asked as he shut the book and stood up.

"I'm uh, I'm not doing okay." Matt replied with a small cough. "I feel bad about what happened the other day. I was mean, and hurt you... I'm sorry." He said quickly before turning around and starting towards his dorm quickly.

"Matt!" Ian called out after him making him stop. "I still have that present, if you want it..." Matt slowly turned around and looked at Ian, confusion swimming through him.

"What have I done to deserve a present from you?" Matt said to him in disbelief.

"Gift's don't need to be earned, they are given that's why it's called a gift..." Ian replied as he took a step towards him. "I can hold onto it for a while if you don't want it right now. I know we both said and did things we regret last time we spoke.

Taking a cautious step forward, Matt looked at Ian confused, "You mean you're not mad at me for punching you?"

"Not really," Ian replied shrugging his shoulders. "You are still as unpredictable as you were the first time I met you. But that's okay, I said I liked strange." Matt's face fell as he stood still. "Hey don't worry about it. How about you come see what the present is? Maybe that will make you feel better?"

Nodding his head, Matt slowly started towards Ian. "I'm sorry I was so mean to you..."

"Don't worry about it!" Ian replied, opening the door and starting inside. "You need to close your eyes and shut the door once you get in here though! It's still a surprise present.

Matt went to the doorway, then closed his eyes before taking a step inside. "Okay, I'm ready!" He said anxiously as he closed the door, keeping his eyes closed.

"Okay, keep your eyes shut!" Ian replied from somewhere in the room. "And open your hands so you can receive the gift!"

Extending his hands with an anxious shiver. Matt stood there, his eyes closed. Then he felt something touch his hands. It was soft, "Can I open my eyes now?" He asked as he tried to feel the object in his hands.

"Go ahead bud," Ian replied, Matt's eyes shot open and in his hand was a folded up cloth. "Unfold it!" He encouraged as Matt began to unfold the long colorful cloth. Homemade Monopoly money had been stitched in large flowing lines of color creating a beautiful mosaic pattern. As he unfolded it completely, his eyes began to water.

"You made me a robe?" Matt questioned with happiness as the intricate pattern weaved in and out of the cloth bills.

"There's more, look inside!" Ian exclaimed, "I think this has to be one of my finest works!" Matt looked inside and saw a thick black layer of cloth that was so thick he couldn't see through it. "It's a robe you can recline in, and use to cover yourself! I even put velcro patches so you could wear the robe around your legs like shorts and still be covered!"

A single tear went rolling down Matt's cheek before another followed in suit. "This is beautiful!" Matt mumbled, "You are so amazing!" He wrapped the robe around himself, the silky cloth cool against his arms. "Thank you..." He said before leaning forward and hugging him. "Thank you so much..."

"It's just a robe Matt," Ian said as felt as Matt began to cry. "You don't need to get all weepy about it."

"I'm sorry..." Matt mumbled squeezing Ian tight, "I'm sorry I hurt you. You are so awesome," The bedroom door swung open and Amanda came strutting out,

"Honey! You forgot coolest part!" Amanda exclaimed, revealing a large cape. "You forgot properties!" Matt gasped as Amanda drew closer. "Crafty boy Ian. He made a cape with properties! You have straps on shoulders for cape!"

"Really!" Matt exclaimed looking back over to Ian. "You really are the best!" He wrapped his arms around Ian again and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much! Kevi is going to love this!" Matt pulled away, looking up at Ian, his eyes wide. "Does this mean we are friends again?"

"Were we ever not friends?" Ian replied with a grin making Matt grin wider.

"Let's celebrate yes?" Amanda proposed as she strapped the pads on Matt's shoulders giving him a cape. "We go to your place, play monopoly with Kevin?"

"YES!" Matt cried out excited as he threw his fist into the air! "Dibs on being the top hat!" He cried out as he turned around and opened the door rushing off towards his dorm.

"KEVI!" Matt exclaimed as he ran towards the door. "KEVI!" Kevin opened the door looking out to him concerned. Only to notice the robe as Matt jumped forward, flinging himself at Kevin. Kevin caught Matt and began laughing as Matt began peppering him with kisses. "Look what Ian made me! Isn't it awesome! Him and Amanda are coming over to play monopoly with us!"

"It looks absolutely fantastic!" Kevin replied looking out the doorway towards the two as they walked towards the dorm. "You should go get the board, and I'll go get some snacks made up!"

"Oki!" Matt exclaimed, the second Kevin put him down he dashed for the game closet.

---------------------

Well there is that chapter. I am finally caught up to where I was before I went to college. XD Took me a few years, but I got there! :) Thank's for reading it everybody! :) I hope you enjoy it! :) 

-Asted!