When Matthew next hears his name, he wants to hear it coming from under his pillow. He wants it to be quiet, somewhat muffled, and crackling. He wants it to sound like: [i]Matty?[/i] Exactly like that. Quiet, so only he can hear. [i]Matty, you there? Helloooooo.[/i] Like a howl. Matthew slides the walkie-talkie out from under the pillow. He pulls the sheets over his head. He does this carefully, trying not to aggravate his injured elbow. It hurts, but he knows it won’t leave a mark. It’s pitch black now, but it doesn’t matter. He’s already memorized every detail of the walkie-talkie’s surface, right down to the big orange button on the side, which he presses. “Ty,” he whispers into the darkness. “H-Hey. Loud and clear.” The walkie-talkie blooms with static. [i]No way. This thing actually works? That is so cool.[/i] What’s really cool is that, despite all the fuzz covering his voice, Tyler sounds the same as always. Relaxed. Careful. Strong. [i]What’s up, man?[/i] Matthew fakes a sigh, his thumb on the button. “Oh, nothing much. Just in bed. You?” [i]You’re in bed? It’s like 7:30, dude. What gives?[/i] Matthew thinks of what to say next. Does he say the truth, or is that embarrassing? Is every explanation embarrassing at this point? “My, uh… My dad made me.” He winces as the words spill into the receiver. [i]Man, that blows. Parents are the worst.[/i] “Yeah.” [i]Well, whatever. Fuck ‘em, y’know?[/i] Matthew’s heart jumps—as it always does when he hears someone swear. [i]By the way, are you still doing your pranks?[/i] Matthew grins. He nods to himself. “Yeah. I mean, yeah, I am.” [i]Oh, man. Details, Matty.[/i] “Okay, I, uh… I snuck into my dad’s room and hid all his belts.” No answer from Tyler. Matthew almost says his name, but he knows not to. The seconds pass slowly. And then: [i]Oh shit, sorry! I was laughing so hard I forgot to press the button. That’s so jokes.[/i] “It is?” [i]Yeah, dude! I’m just picturing your old man walking around his office with his pants around his ankles.[/i] Matthew’s father is a police officer, who rarely has desk duty. Matthew doesn’t correct his friend. [i]So what happened?[/i] “He hasn’t noticed yet.” [i]Aw, man. Well lemme know what he says. What else?[/i] “Well, kinda similar, but I… th-threw out all the soap in the—in the house.” [i]Oh, man! I wonder what your mom thinks![/i] "Yeah." Matthew wonders the same thing, sometimes. [i]Anything else?[/i] Matthew turns over. Without thinking, he uses his elbow for support, and the pain storms down his forearm. He groans, and he realizes he’s pressing the button. [i]You okay?[/i] “Huh? Oh, just, uh… my elbow, heh.” [i]Man, did you hurt yourself [/i]again? “Yeah, I kinda… fell up the stairs.” [i]You fell [/i]up[i] the stairs? How do you even do that?[/i] Matthew laughs. But he’s not pressing the button, so he holds it down and laughs again. It’s obviously fake. But Tyler laughs right back. [i]Man, you are so clumsy.[/i] “Yeah,” Matthew responds. "Clumsy me." Almost singing the words. “Hey, so… Saturday tomorrow.” [i]Hell yeah![/i] “So, What… are you up to, I guess?” [i]Nothing yet. Wanna hang out? [/i] “Yeah, um…” Matthew gulps. How to say this? He fidgets. How to word it so it’s not weird? “Do you wanna… get in a fight?” [i]Huh?[/i] “I, uh-um… I’ve been watching MMA… stuff. Looked fun.” [i]You want to fight me?[/i] “Yeah. Could be cool. I m-mean, I mean, haven’t you always wanted to punch me in the face?” There’s a pause full of static. [i]I dunno, man. Not really.[/i] There’s a pause full of silence. “You know what,” Matthew says, shaking his head against the sheets. “Forget it. It’s stupid.” [i]Heh, alright, weirdo.[/i] “Sorry.” [i]It’s okay. Hey, uh, good talk, but I gotta go.[/i] Matty clutches the walkie-talkie like it’s the back of Tyler’s shirt. “Wh-Where are you going?” [i]Mom’s callin’ me for dinner.[/i] The reality sets in. Matthew closes his eyes. He presses the button. “Yeah. S-Sure. See ya.” The reality is, the next time Matthew hears his name, he knows it’ll come from outside his bedroom door. He knows it’ll be loud, completely clear, and crackling with anger. He rubs his elbow again. It hurts, but he knows it won’t leave a mark. [i]Oh, and Matty?[/i] Matthew almost chokes. “Um… Yeah, Ty?” [i]This was fun. Wanna do it again tomorrow?[/i] Footsteps down the hall. Not long now. “Sure.” Smiling, Matthew lets go of the button just in time.