In the past two weeks, Mathew has been trying out various sports and activities, including soccer, basketball, football, and even hockey. Additionally, he has explored subjects like science, writing, programming, and a few others.
This was all in the pursuit of finding what he wanted to do with his life. And like his father said, he tried to find anything he had fun doing.
Unfortunately, nothing seemed to stick out to him.
Nothing but boxing, that is.
He wasn't sure if it was because he had been practicing this sport since he was ten or if it was because no other sport gave him the same thrill.
Mathew decided to test out if boxing was his future, so he spent several hours each day at Davis's boxing gym. Unsurprisingly, he felt his heart race with excitement with every jab, cross, hook, and uppercut he threw. Just like he always did.
But like all things one enjoys, it was a good idea to take a break every now and then.
"Let me get this right. Haley, your older sister, assaulted an officer while evading arrest?"
"That's right."
"That's metal," Mathew chuckled as he and Alex biked through the woods alongside a nearby highway. The sounds of speeding vehicles and car horns rumbling. "Luckily, that officer she landed on didn't get too hurt. Otherwise, Haley could have ended up a felon."
"Huh. You're right. My luck must have run out that month," Alex sighed as she looked around the area. "Oh! We're here!"
They both placed their bikes on the ground and leaned out from beside a bush. Haley was off on the other side of the street. She was dressed in an orange vest and helmet while she walked around picking up trash. Around her were other individuals stuck doing community service for whatever crimes they've committed.
"Remind me again why we're here," Mathew asked as Alex chuckled to herself while she watched Haley pick up trash.
"Ah, right. Well, Haley took a rather... embarrassing picture of me and posted it on facebook last summer. Today, I'm getting my revenge. She'll be all sweaty, dirty, and dressed like a criminal." Alex pulled out her phone and sneaked around the bush.
"Of course. Nothing like cold, sweet revenge against your siblings." Mathew muttered to himself as he followed behind Alex. His eyes focused on how her ponytail fluttered in the wind. A rather rare look for her.
In her excitement to get revenge, Alex was moving very close to the street. "Don't get too close to the road." He said, grabbing her arm.
"Ah, right," Alex nodded, finally noticing how close she almost got to the street. She allowed Mathew to pull her back a safe distance before snapping several pictures of Haley picking up trash. "Damn... She looks good in all of these."
"Let me see," Mathew leaned in close to her face and peered down at the photos she took.
Alex looked to her side and noticed how close he was to her face. Her cheeks flushed as Mathew scrolled through her shots. "You're right. The camera loves her."
"Right? Even the mugshots from her arrest were cute."
"I say we cut our losses and get moving. I doubt you'll get the picture you want." Mathew pulled Alex back behind the bush. "I got an idea. How about we bike around? See the sights."
Alex wanted to refuse. The desire to take the perfect embarrassing picture of Haley hung heavy within her. At the sight of Mathew's charming smile, she broke. "Okay."
Grabbing their bikes, Alex and Mathew pedaled through the dappled sunlight of the towering woods. As they emerged from the forest, the bustling city came into view. They navigated through the streets, weaving between parked cars and bustling pedestrians.
After half an hours ride, Mathew spotted a colorful ice cream stand decorated with bright flags fluttering in the gentle breeze. With a grin, he urged Alex to stop. They approached the stand, drawn in by the sweet aroma of waffle cones as they scanned the array of flavors.
After selecting their favorite scoops—Mathew chose rich chocolate while Alex picked fruity strawberry—they made their way to a nearby park.
There, they found a weathered wooden bench shaded by a sprawling oak tree. As they settled down, the sun filtering through the leaves above, they savored their ice cream, relishing the moment amidst the relaxing sounds of laughter and rustling leaves around them.
Isn't this like a date? Alex wondered with a soft smile as she licked her cold treat. Her brown eyes looked over at Mathew.
"Uh... is that a giant cat?"
Mathew squinted his eyes, trying to discern the unfolding scene in the park adjacent to the old, weathered baseball field. A cluster of work crew members, clad in bright vests and hard hats, moved purposefully around a magnificent oak tree, its gnarled branches stretching out like arms reaching for the sky. Two police officers in crisp uniforms stood watchfully near the tree, their expressions annoyed as they exchanged quiet words.
A growing crowd gathered nearby, a mix of curious onlookers and concerned residents, all drawn in by the mystery of the situation. At the center of it all was a large man dressed in an orange cat costume while a red-haired man sat up in the tree.
"Let's go check it out," Mathew turned to Alex and held out his hand to help her stand. Smiling, Alex nodded, and the two pushed their bikes toward the odd situation.
"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen! Oakwood rep's production of "Cats"! Make sure you catch it this week. Word on the street is the understudy steals the show!" The large cat-man, Cameron Tucker, said with his arms by his sides. Beside him stood his adoptive daughter, Lily.
Cameron then turned to the man in the tree. "Mitchell, I get two more shows! Kenny van Heffington's toenail is infected!"
"Just get up here, all right? The crew has to leave at dark, so you have until then." Mitchell Pritchett quickly said as he made his way down the tree. His expression was tired and annoyed.
"Easy peasy." Cameron moved closer to the tree and began to scale it. "Sweetie, tell Daddy what you thought of my performance."
"Transcendent!" Lily said with a slight kick.
"Oh, jeez." Mitchell groaned.
"Is this sap?" Cameron asked as he looked down at the back of his hand. Curiosity bubbled within him, causing him to give his hand a tentative lick. With his costume and mannerisms, Cameron indeed appeared like a large cat.
"Uncle Mitchell? Uncle Cam?" Alex said in confusion as she and Mathew reached the scene. "Lily? What's going on here?"
"Alex? What are you doing here?" Cameron turned to Alex before his eyes settled on Mathew, who waved. "And who's this?" He asked with a curious tone.
"This is my friend, Mathew. But that's not what we're talking about right now. Why are you dressed like a cat, and why is Uncle Mitchell in a tree?" Alex huffed as Mitchell crawled down the tree, Cameron replacing him.
"Daddy's trying to save Tree-ona!" Lily walked up to Alex with a tired look.
Mitchell nodded and began to explain how Cameron suddenly decided he was going to save the rat-infested tree from being cut down. Mathew and Alex quickly grew to understand the situation before looking around the tired and annoyed city work crew.
"Well, that's rather green of you two." Mathew turned to Mitchell and held out his hand. "Hi there, it's nice to meet you. I'm Mathew. Alex's friend and neighbor."
Mitchell blinked at Mathew before shaking his hand. "I'm Mitchell, Alex's uncle. The large cat up there is my partner, Cameron. And this here is our daughter, Lily. Lily, say hello."
"Hello." Lily waved.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over the park, Alex and Mathew decided to wait alongside Mitchell, Cameron, and Lily, patiently passing the time as they waited for the work crew to give up today's attempt to cut down the tree.
Throughout this time, Alex's uncles took the opportunity to engage Mathew in a series of curious inquiries. Their questions were pointed yet good-natured, each one aimed at uncovering the nature of Mathew's relationship with Alex.
They exchanged knowing glances, clearly intrigued by the connection between the two, and Mathew felt a mix of amusement as he navigated this friendly interrogation, eager to reveal just how much Alex meant to him.
So this is the famous Tucker-Prichet family. They're definitely fun to talk to. Mathew thought with a smile as he played with Lily to help ease her boredom from all the waiting. As night soon fell, the crew workers called it quits for the night and left the tree alone for the day.
"All right, guys, that's it. Pack it up! You win for today. See you on Monday." The lead crew chief said as he motioned for his crew to begin packing up all their gear.
"That's it?" Cameron asked with excitement.
Mitchell nodded with a broad smile as he held Lily. "That's it. So I'll go to city hall on Monday and see what I can do, but... you did it, Cam!"
"No, we did it. I had to run away, and you stepped in, and like an understudy, you gave a brilliant performance." Cameron smiled with pride at what he and Mitchell did.
"Yeah, but you're the star."
"Oh, well..."
"Can we stop doing this and go home?" Lily said with frustration. Clearly tired after spending all day saving Tree-ona and watching Cameron in a play.
"Yes, Lily, but I want you to remember this moment- the day your daddies made you proud-" Slipping forward, Cameron fell off the tree but was caught on a strong branch by the back of his costume. As he hung in the air, he flailed his limbs and released a panic scream. "Turn her away, Mitchell! Turn her away!"
"Well, that just happened," Mathew said as he and Alex watched Cameron flail around.
"That it did... let's never speak of this." Alex sighed as she covered her red face due to the secondhand embarrassment caused by her uncle. Mathew chuckled and gently bumped into her, causing her to giggle.
"Sure thing."