CanadaxReader - The other half of the cookie - p3

Flop.

Flop.

Flop.

Awakened by the regular soft thuds, you lifted your heavy eyelids that were still wet and a little bit swollen from crying. With a slight waggle of the legs, you found out that you were lifted. But you felt like you were lying down on a wool carpet. Then, you realized your cheeks were pressing again something soft. It was really soft, cotton-like, and it tickles you a little as it brushed your face. You tried to open your eyes wider, and found out it was the color of… maple cookies. It smelled like maple, too! How strange?

Out of curiosity, you brought your hand to tug it and were startled to hear a tiny squeak. Then a familiar quiet and calm voice followed.

"____, are you awake?"

At first you didn't know what was happening. You squeezed your eyes shut and finally recollected some of your pieces of memories about bumping into a blond boy with… interesting eyebrows, hiding from another blond boy who had a funny voice. And last but not least… about seeing Mattie.

You found out that Mattie was giving you a piggy back ride.

"M-Mattie?"

"Yes… You still remember me?"

"Uh huh…"

"You still want to pinky swear?"

"Nuh… uh…"

Before saying anything further, you fell asleep again and weren't able to tell him what you wanted to say.

'Because pinky swear won't work anymore. We need to…'

_________________

Matthew glanced at the clock and then back at the tiny figure breathing calmly in sleep. Her wet eyelashes glittered as she squeezed her eyes tighter in a dreamy smile. She looked so peaceful that Matthew couldn't help but let a smile spread across his pink cheeks where drops of sweat were dribbling.

He didn't know it was that hard to find the manager. And he had no idea that the manager could be such an irresponsible man.

After a short, slack announcement about the lost child that he lazily said in the microphone, he no longer paid any attention to the blonde boy nearly drowning in his own sweats carrying an injured little girl on his back. Luckily there was a tiny built-in clinic nearby.

So, there she lied, still sleeping. But Matthew still remembered their mini conversation. She gave a sound of disagreement when he asked her about the pinky swear. Was it because she was sleepy and did not really listen? Or was it… was it that she didn't want to be his friend anymore? May be last time she was just so angry about the mean kids that she just didn't know who she was talking to. May be she didn't really care about what she said.

What was he thinking, anyway? She was just a kindergarten child. But Matthew was so desperately seeking for a friend that he was genuinely very happy when he found one. Just one was enough. Because if so, at least things would have changed a bit.

Lost in his train of thoughts, Matthew almost literally jumped when he heard a small, gentle cry of relief from the door. A beautiful woman who looked familiar – though he didn't know why – stepped in with the sweetest smile ever. Her eyes were dry but red and puffy, showing that they had been swelling with tears not so long ago. She slowly bent down and gently gave Matthew a motherly hug.

"You are Matthew Williams, aren't you? I can't thank you enough for helping my little daughter. I was so worried…"

So that was why the woman looked so familiar. She was ____'s mother.

"I-It's no-"

"Don't say it's nothing, dear!", she pulled Matthew away, her hands still on his shoulders. "I have already called your mother. She said…"

"Wa-wait!", Matthew was absolutely puzzled. "How do you…?"

Her answer was the most surprising and amazing thing Matthew had ever heard since Alfred told him about his (imaginary) alien friend.

_________________

"Mommy!"

You woke up with a start, already sitting up the moment you opened your eyes. There was something really important that you really needed to do, that was why you woke up, but at the moment you just couldn't remember why. You clung onto Mommy's arm.

"Mommy you're here! I was so scared!"

She smiled and stroked your hair while giving you a soft scold.

"It's your fault that you were lost. You ran away as quickly as a squirrel! I couldn't follow you, and then I couldn't find you. If you were scared then I was ten times more scared than you, young lady!"

"I'm sorry…"

You giggled as Mommy rubbed her nose on yours. Oh, the big zoo… You weren't sure if you could be excited with a zoo again. You were so scared of it; may be not even bears could make you…

Wait! Bears! Why did it make you a bit nervous? Bears… reminded you of white bears… which reminded you of…

Oh no.

Mattie!

"Mommy, Mommy, I saw Mattie again today! I finally found him! I need to see him, I have to see him!!!", your eyes almost watered at the thought that you might never be able to see him again since he probably disappeared just like last time. "Where is Mattie?"

Mommy chuckled at your panic.

"Now, now, Sweetie, don't cry! He helped you and you haven't thanked him yet, so why would I let him go? Matthew is in the kitchen. I've baked a lot of maple cookies, too, and…"

Before Mommy could finish, you quickly kissed her cheek and flew out of your bed. Heading towards the kitchen, you found yourself murmuring while smiling: "I have the best Mommy ever!"


Mattie was sitting on a chair, playing with the hem of his red hoodie. His cheeks and ears were pink, and you noticed a funny strand of hair straying out from the rest of his maple-cookie-colored hair that hung in front of him. You couldn't stop your giggles as you watched the long strand dangling slightly as he turned his head at the window.

"Mattie! Mattie!"

A smile – full and radiant than ever – lit his flushed face. You practically bumped into his leg, running so fast towards him. He chuckled quietly before lifting you up lightly and put you on his lap. Immediately your hands rolled into tiny fists tugging onto the woolen hoodie as you hugged him tight.

"I missed you soooo much Mattie! And Kumajirou, too!"

"I miss you too… But I guess you made new friends, didn't you, ____?"

"No way!", you almost pouted, "They are still so mean! They can't be my friends!"

"But why don't you want to pinky swear with me then?"

There was some sadness in his voice that even you could feel. You turned around and gripped his shoulder to stand up to face him.

"Because it's bad luck!"

Mattie gave you a questioning, puzzled look. You sighed like Daddy when he had to explain something to you. With a teacher-like tone, you explained:

"Mattie, don't you know? Last time when we tried to pinky swear, my teacher came and call me. It is bad luck, and it won't work anymore!"

"Then what should we do now?"

"Don't worry Mattie!", you chuckled. Eyes twinkling with excitement, you held one finger in front of your lips. "Granny once told me the trick. But you must not tell anyone else about it, Mattie!"

"It's fine, this will always be a secret!" Your excitement must have spread. The mixed violet-blue colors in his eyes were bright as his cheeks went nearly as pink as yours.

"It is very easy, really!"

You bounced off his lap and picked up a crispy golden maple cookie from the big dish on the table. It smelled so yummy you just wanted to take a bite. But Mattie and the trick were more important. Handing to cookie to him, you giggled.

"Help me break this into half."

It was perfect. The two halves almost exactly the same size. You beamed at him while taking a half. You were never able to break a cookie that perfectly.

"Now, Mattie, you will say what you will say if you pinky swear. Ah, wait, I'll say it first so you know how to say it, 'kay?"

As Mattie nodded, you thought for a short while and inhaled.

"Mattie, I promise I will be Mattie's friend for… forever," you always liked that word more than 'a very long time', because it sounded better. And people use it more. "Uhm… Mattie, what would you want your friend to do?"

"Uh…", he was flustered again, but he quickly answered. "I want my friend to… to not forget me, and to not mistake me for my big brother. Tha-that is all."

"Alright! I promise I will be Mattie's friend forever, I will never forget him, and I will never mistake him for his big brother! Now, your turn!"

"Uh… I promise I will be ____'s friend… forever," his cheeks turned even pinker at the word, "and I will never join the mean kids to tease her…"

"…and you will never put sand in my shoes!"

You still couldn't forget that. It made Mattie laughed.

"Okay, and I will never put sand in ____'s shoes. What do we do now?"

"We have to… Wait! Wait! Mattie, I almost forgot!", you exclaimed. "We aren't friends…"

"Wh-What? What did you say?"

"I mean we are more than friends, Mattie!", you smiled brightly. "Hey, hey, this is better. We are best friends!"

"Right, best friends we are!", he couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh, and gave you another pretty, beaming smile. "I promise I will be your best friend…"

"…Forever!"

"I promise I will be your best friend forever, ____!"

"Me too!"

"Now what do we do?"

You playfully threw the half of the cookie in your mouth and finish it in a moment. Mommy's maple cookie was always the best! Mattie laughed heartily. He seemed very happy, and somehow you felt happy too.

"So I need to eat the other half of the cookie? And it will work?"

"It does even better than a pinky swear! At least, that's what Granny told me."

Right when Mattie finished his half, Mommy came in.

"Matt, dear, your mother's here to pick you up."

Your eyes widened, and you startled both Mattie and Mommy when you yelled while tugging Mattie's hoodie. Normally you would be a good girl, but at the moment fear was everything you felt and you couldn't control yourself.

"No! NO! Mattie, don't go! I know I can't find you again," tears began to form, but you tried hard and kept them inside, "Please don't go Mattie! You are my only friend! My best friend!"

Before Mommy could do anything, Mattie hugged you tightly, patted your back and stroked your hair. His thumb wiped away your stray tear and gently brushed your cheeks.

"Matt, didn't you tell her?"

"I-I was about to…", he turned back to the teary you. "Hey, ____, don't cry, don't cry! We will see each other a lot more. Your Mommy and mine are friends. I can come visit you on week-ends, and you can do the same too! And if you want to, I can come to your kindergarten when classes end, too!"

He lifted you up again, so that your face was resting on his shoulder while his blonde, cotton-like hair brushed your forehead, and murmured softly.

"You don't need to worry ____. You are my only friend too. You are my best friend, forever!"

Well, may be changing home wasn't so bad after all. Everything had changed, but that didn't have to mean that everything was bad.

Mattie certainly wasn't.