Third Person Limited: Matthew

“Did you like it?” Jenna asked hopefully.

Matthew didn’t look up from his coffee, didn’t want to make it too obvious with too much eye contact.

Thomas said, flatly, “Not at all.”

It took a moment, but then Matthew realized Jenna was talking about last night’s party and Thomas, who had no clue what she was talking about, was being a jerk. Time to be a hero.

Matthew pasted on his most innocent expression. “Really? I thought it was at least halfway decent.”

It didn’t work. “Halfway decent? That’s not really flattering,” Jenna said.

Matthew thought quickly. He had to distract her from blowing up at Thomas. Even though Thomas was his best friend and had it coming, Jenna didn’t need any more stress. “Were you asking for flattery? Because last night you insisted on a whole lot of honesty --” Thomas was buried behind the paper, so Matthew grinned at Jenna wickedly.

Horror stole across her face, and she darted a glance at Thomas. “I wasn’t talking about last night, and you know it!” She was trying not to giggle and covered it up by throwing at towel at Matthew. He smirked, pleased, when he caught it mid-air. Superjock like Thomas he may not have been, but he’d always had good reflexes.

Gina stumbled into the kitchen and broke up the fun. Gina hung over was a monster, really.

“Now, now, children,” Thomas said. Matthew saw Jenna flinch automatically, and his mood darkened. Jenna was only like that around her father - or when Thomas reminded her of him.

“Don’t even start with the children. Please. Not this morning. I never want to see another human being under the age of fourteen for the rest of my life.” Gina sounded well on her way to being a monster.

Why Thomas was in love with her, Matthew didn’t know, because he was insensitive. “Don’t you teach first grade?”

As much as Gina loved him right back, she would take his head off with the right provocation. It would be best to deflect attention. Matthew poker her. “A little hung over, are we?”

Her response was typical Gina-monster. “Not so hung over I can’t pound you into the ground.”

In the spirit of sibling love, Matthew decided he’d keep up the charade and play the over-confident class clown. He puffed out his chest. “I’d like to see that.”

Gina glared and closed her eyes.

She wasn’t taking the bait, and Matthew floundered for what to do next, but then Jenna smiled, genuinely cheered up, and said, “So would I.”

(429 words)