murder mysteries make very good stories {matt}

[MATTHEW PETERSON]

“’Course I do,” Matt responded a bit snarkily, not at all in the mood to take Addison’s sass. That was a fun word, though, “sass”. Maybe he could it with her more often, and not just in his head…yes, he’d have to keep hanging out with her for that alone, wouldn’t he? It was the only way.

His jaw was set tight when she let out a cry of apparent glee, and he couldn’t help but glare. She had no right to go jumping up and down just because she’d been right and he’d been wrong. It was just…well, it was just plain rude. Never mind the fact that he would have done the exact same thing amped up by about ten degrees; that was completely different and completely acceptable. Stupid Addison. Stupid mystery. Stupid dance.

Unable to help himself, he crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his tongue out, if only slightly, feeling a rush of pride at this tiny form of rebellion. That’d show her. Linking arms with her was just…necessary deception. Yes. Make her think he wanted to spend time with her. It was the only way.

“I’m not mad!” he grumbled, refusing to look at her as they made their way around the gym. “It’s just stupid, that’s all. It’s a stupid game and I don’t know why you want me to play, because it’s dumb.” There. That was that. When she began to suggest they follow orders, however, Matt halted abruptly, unable to contain his outrage at such a question. Eyes wide, he spoke fast, as imploringly as he could, yet still managing to slip great amounts of indignance into each sentence. “Yeah, and then what’s next? If we listen to her, soon enough we’ll be listening to teachers and police men and all the other stupid people in the world, just because you can’t not listen and solve a mystery on your own!” there wasn’t rage in his speech; it was certainly more of a questioning, semi-pathetic stance on this whole situation. Matt wasn’t one for putting things into perspective.

“But if we don’t solve it, then we’ve got nothing to do. So. Fine. I don’t care. You’re just dumb, that’s all.” his voice was calm, and he’d hardly meant the words as an insult, but then, such was the case with most hurtful things he said.



ooc: So umm...I have no idea what happened to him here. hahaha. O.o oh well. Sorry he's being such a brat to Addie.

[wendy]

Oh, he seemed rather… what was the word? She didn’t want to say upset because that wasn’t it. He was giving her an attitude though and she didn’t particularly care for that. In fact, he was being a bit rude. Addison couldn’t say she didn’t expect it. She’d practically guilt-tripped him into going to this dance in the first place. It was almost understandable for him to be so irritable. Still, it wouldn’t kill him to at least pretend to be having a good time. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so excited over being right.

… Oh, who was she kidding? Just because he was being so bad-tempered didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy herself. She hadn’t been focusing so when Matthew came to a sudden stop, she almost tripped over her own feet. She wasn’t even wearing heels, for goodness sake. Addison looked at him, wondering what it was she’d said. Oh… right. Following directions. She shouldn’t known that would’ve go over well. If she could understand his mumbling, Addison could certainly understand him when he was speaking so quickly.

Addison shook her head and, letting go of his arm, stepped back. “Okay.” Addison sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was starting to get to her. “I don’t know what to tell you when it comes to listening to authority figures because I’ve never been able to convince you when it comes to that.” And if she couldn’t convince him on good days, there was no way she could now. Addison had half a mind to storm away, if only to just take a few deep breaths. “Thing is, this murder mystery thing kind of requires listening to, as you put it, ‘stupid people.’”

… Calling her dumb, was he? She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him for a solid minute. When she felt that her look of daggers had gone on long enough, Addison looked away. Fine. If he was going to act like this over the murder mystery, she didn’t want to solve it with him at all. Perhaps they’d come back to it. For now, she was done with the rhymes and riddles. “Why don’t we dance?” She asked, swallowing her frustration and getting the question out as quickly as possible. Surely, he wouldn’t want to do this either and then she’d be at a loss.

[MATTHEW PETERSON]

Matt crossed his arms the minute she took hers from him, still glaring at her with the grumpiest face he could muster throughout her little speech. “That’s probably ‘cause authority’s stupid,” he grumbled, utterly oblivious to just how peeved with him she was really getting. In Matt’s own mind, he never did wrong, not ever, and especially as far as Addison was concerned; she hardly ever really scolded him, so that had to be true, right?

“Yeah, well, I…” he trailed off, face scrunching as though he’d just caught a whiff of something particularly foul. Obviously, the stench was that of near-apology. It was a rancid odor, one he hated more than any other besides “adult,” and the mere thought of which made him almost physically ill. But he wouldn’t succumb to it. “Sorry” wasn’t a word Matt was familiar with any more than he was “mature” or “behave.” It simply wasn’t in his vocabulary. Not even while Addison was around. Still, she had to know the face, as it slacked and his lips turned slightly down at the corners in a manner somewhat resembling a recently-kicked puppy. He was quite pathetic, all things considered. There was no denying he hated seeing Addison mad, especially if it was at him, no matter how little his lips would actually form the words to admit it.

Uh-oh. Apparently his sort-of-sorry face hadn’t quite done its job, for Addison’s glare had hardly been stopped. He was in for it now, he could feel it. The worst possible punishment on the face of the whole world and quite possibly the entire universe: the silent treatment. Matt gulped, hating both himself and her already, and it had only gone on for two seconds. Silence was worse than stupidity.

Then, miracle of miracles, she opened her mouth! Matt didn’t even care what it was she’d asked—in fact, her words hardly registered—for hearing her speak was like…cotton candy on a bright summer day. Yes, that was it. He nodded, beaming wildly, so beyond pleased with this lack of punishment for his apparent previous crimes that he didn’t even know what he’d agreed to until the overjoyed “Sure!” leapt its way out his mouth and into the air between them. He tried to snatch it back by clamping his mouth shut, but that did nothing. He was trapped, now. Trapped on the dance floor in an itchy shirt and horrible pants and stupid shoes with Addison. Well, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He just…well, he didn’t like dancing. And he didn’t know how to dance either, not that he was ever going to admit that. Matt gulped, paling slightly as he shot a glance first to the other couples slow dancing and then back at Addison. There was no foreseeable way this could possibly turn into an adventure. Not even in his wildest dreams.