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irl, messages

as matt is laying in bed, he hears everyone downstairs waking up and walking around.

he doesn't want to let kaia go this easily, there has to be something else he can do. sitting around in his room being depressed isn't gonna get her back, he has a sudden surge of energy to get out of bed.

he doesn't think it through, he just decides he's gonna drive over to her house and try his best to get her back.

he gets out of bed, quickly changes into different clothes because he's been laying in his party clothes all night, and he huries downstairs.

"matt? where are you going?" chris stops him at the front door.

"i'm going to her house, i can't let her go this easily." he answers, tying up his shoes.

"does she know you're going?" he asks.

"no, it doesn't matter. i have to try." he shakes his head, standing up and putting his hand on the door handle to leave.

"matt, that's not a good idea. i don't think you should just show up." chris warns him.

"what the fuck else am i supposed to do? do you have a better plan?" he asks with an angry tone in his voice.

"matt, calm dowm. i don't know what you should do, but this isn't it. we can  think of a better way for you to get her back, bro." chris puts a hand on matt's shoulder.

"i can't, i have to try while it's still fresh, she might change her mind." matt shakes his head, leaving out the front door.

"matt!" chris shouts in an attempt to stop him, but he already slammed the door.

matt quickly gets in his car, starts it, and leaves before anyone can try to stop him.

chris throws his hands up in defeat, walking back to the kitchen where nick, chloe, and nathan were all eating breakfast.

"what was that all about? is kaia still asleep upstairs?" chloe asks.

"nobody told you." chris realizes, covering his mouth and sitting down at the table.

"tell me what? i wasn't THAT drunk last night." chloe shrugs.

"kaia broke up with matt last night." chris says.

"WHAT??!!" chloe shouts, standing up from the table and running upstairs to chris' room to get her phone.

she paces around chris' room, repeatedly texting kaia as quickly as she can.

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chlorine 💕babe you broke up with matt??what happened kaiabitch you better tell me whats upare you okay??do you need me to come over?kaiaaaahow am i just now finding outyou two are in love you shouldnt have broken up with himbabe are you okayplease talk to me.kaia i'm here for you i'm your bestfriend you can't ignore me foreverread 8:33am

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"you okay?" chris asks chloe, entering his room to see her walking in circles nervously.

"no! she's reading my messages but she won't answer me. i really don't think she's okay." chloe answers anxiously, throwing her phone down on his bed.

"she will be okay, she's going to need you eventually. you're her bestfriend, you might be able to talk her out of this." he rubs chloe's back, sitting down on the bed with her.

"what even happened? why would they break up? i'm so confused right now. she loves him so much, she always tells me how in love she is." chloe puts her head in her hands, stressed out.

"it's okay, it's not your fault. matt didn't really tell us what happened, he was having a panic attack last night when we called the uber." chris tells her.

"but why? i don't get it." chloe shakes her head.

"this isn't something you should be stressing yourself out over, i'm sure they'll be okay. it's matt and kaia, they always find their way back to eachother." chris comforts her.

"i just don't understand why she would leave him out of nowhere. it just makes me think that people do that for no reason, you could even do it to me." chloe sits up, rubbing her eyes.

"i'm never gonna leave you chloe, i promise. matt is going to kaia's house right now to try and talk to her, i'm sure they'll be okay, so will we. i love you." chris says nervously.

chloe looks at him stunned, they had never said i love you before.

"you do?" she asks.

"of course i do, i've loved you since we met." chris nods.

"i love you, too." she smiles.

a huge smile plasters across chris' face, and he leans in to engulf chloe in a huge hug.

"please never leave me." chloe whispers against chris' chest as they hug.

"i won't." he shakes his head, leaning down to kiss her.

matt speeds over to kaia's house and luckily he doesn't get pulled over. he parks in her driveway and knocks on the front door, waiting for someone to answer.

about 30 seconds pass, and just as he's about to knock again, anne answers with willow in her arms.

"matty!" she jumps into matt's arms.

"is she here? please, anne. i need to talk to her." matt begs kaia's mom.

"i'm so sorry all of this is happening, matt. you don't deserve it. but she really doesn't want to see anyone right now." anne answers.

"matty, kai is so sad. can you go give her a hug?" willow asks innocently.

"willy, i can't. i can give you a hug, though." he squeezes her, she giggles in his arms.

"are you sure she won't talk to me? anne, i need to see her. i can't let her go like last time." matt pleads.

"i will go ask her, but she might say no." she agrees.

"okay, thank you so much." he nods.

"here, come inside, just stay down here with willow." anne opens the door fully to let matt inside.

he steps inside and sits on a chair by the front door.

"are you mad at my sister?" willow asks while sitting in his lap.

matt sniffles, trying not to cry again. he loves willow so much and if this is the last time he gets to see her, he'll be devastated.

"no, willy. i'm not mad at her. your sister and i aren't really talking right now, that's why i came here to see her." he answers.

"oh, well she was crying so much this morning. she even slept in mommy's bed last night. she kept me up all night, i heard her and i could barely sleep, mommy made me sleep on the couch down here." willow told him.

"i'm sorry that happened, hopefully she will come downstairs and i can talk to her." matt forces a smile.

anne walks upstairs after letting matt inside, and she knocks on kaia's bedroom door.

"yeah?" she sniffles.

she opens the door and kaia sits up, wiping her tears. anne sits on the corner of kaia's bed and looks at her.

"you can absolutely say no, but matt is downstairs and he wants to talk to you." she speaks softly.

"he's here?!" she shouts.

"yes, but i can tell him to leave if you want me to." she answers.

"i- i don't know. i don't think i can see him right now. if i see his face i won't be able to tell him no, i really think this is for the best." kaia answers.

"okay. so, do you want me to tell him to leave?" she asks.

"yeah, i guess so." she nods.

"okay, baby. you just stay up here. i'll come talk to you after he leaves." anne nods, standing up and leaving her room.

she closes the door and kaia scurries out of bed, looking out the window and seeing matt's car.

anne walks downstairs and sees matt talking to willow, holding back the tears in his eyes.

he sets her down and stands up when he sees her, waiting for an answer.

"she doesn't want to talk. i'm sorry, matt." anne says, shaking her head.

"oh. okay, that's- fine, i guess." he stutters, looking at the floor.

"you're absolutely sure she won't?" he asks one more time.

"no, i'm sorry." she gives matt a hug and he hugs her back, she can feel the grief in his hug.

"i'll go home, then." he sighs.

willow runs back to matt and jumps, he picks her up and gives her a big hug.

"why are you leaving?" she asks, pouting.

"i have to go home, my mom needs to see me." he lies, fighting tears.

"are you gonna come see me tomorrow?" willow asks, poking his horse necklace.

"no, school is tomorrow. i won't be able go visit you for a little while." matt shakes his head.

"really? i'm gonna miss you so much." willow frowns.

anne watches the two and covers her mouth, trying not to cry herself.

"i'm gonna miss you, willy. here, do you want my necklace?" he sets her down, kneeling and taking off his horse necklace.

"yes!" she smiles as he clips the necklace behind her neck, she lifts her hair so he can put it on.

"i love it!" she cheers, hugging matt again.

"if your sister is ever sad, i want you to give her the necklace, okay? can you do that for me?" he smiles at her.

"i will! i love you, matty!" she smiles, hugging him again.

"i love you, willy. i have to go now, okay?" he states.

"okay, i'll wear this necklace forever." she smiles.

"keep it safe for me, alright?" he asks, standing up.

"i will." she giggles, running off into the living room to play with her toys.

kaia is sitting at the top of the stairs, listening to their conversation as anne apologizes and matt opens the front door to leave.

after she hears him close the door, kaia runs downstairs with tears in her eyes and watches him through the front window.

she watches him open his car door and wipe away a tear, and she can't stop herself from opening the front door.

she swings it open and stands on the front porch, he looks up and sees her, stopping in his tracks.

tears fall from both their eyes, and neither of them can move as they stand there staring at eachother from a distance.

1730 words