Chapter Text
“Are we there yet?” Mathias flopped across the backseat in total boredom, an arm slung across his forehead. You could only reread the Harry Potter books so many times in a week before you went bonkers.
“No, son. Now sit up straight, that seatbelt will do nothing in an accident if you're laying down like that,” his mom admonished.
Mathias whined and sat up. “I'm bored.”
“Have a nap, then. We're only two hours away.”
Two hours until he could get out of this muggy, sweaty car and fix his fucked-up hair. That ... actually wasn't so bad. Mathias crossed his arms and leaned his head back against his seat, closing his eyes. He didn't think he slept, but when his eyes opened, the moon was out and the car was stopped in a gravel driveway.
“Mathias,” his mother was turned around in the driver's seat, smirking at him expectantly.
He grinned and shouted, “Are we there yet, mom?!”
“Yes.” Debra high-fived her teenaged son and prayed that the move would be for the better.
“Mom, what did you even pack?” the teenager groaned, hefting a rubbermaid tub over the threshold of their new house. “'Cause if I open this thing and don't see at least twelve elephants, I'm gonna be surprised.”
“Just put it down over there.” Debra was busy trying to figure out where they'd packed the blankets. The moving vans containing their furniture wouldn't be coming until tomorrow.
“Can I go see my room now?”
“We should really get everything in the house before it starts to rain-” she turned around and saw her son giving her the biggest set of puppy dog eyes she'd seen since he had wanted to stop for ice cream the day before. “... Alright, try to be quick, though. It's downstairs, off the rec room.”
“Okay!” Mathias thundered down the stairs gleefully.
The rec room mostly finished, and honestly rather pleasant-looking, with patio doors that opened out onto the sloping green of the suburban backyard. However, the young man paid it no mind as he opened the door to what must surely be his room- nope, furnace room. The second door he opened hit the mark- an average-sized bedroom painted in a pale shade of blue with purple trim. Mathias paced around his new room excitedly, mentally placing his furniture in it. Should his bed go below the small window or across from it? Then his dresser could go-- no, that would cover up that electrical outlet that he'd need for his TV. Wait, maybe his TV could go in the rec room! It's not like anyone else was using the space- he could make a cool gaming den and invite friends over--
“Mathias? How's the room?” He heard his mother coming down the stairs.
“It's pretty sweet!” He called back, poking his head out of the bedroom doorway. “Mom, do you think I could put my Xbox and stuff in the rec room?”
“Hmm...” Debra stood in the centre of the rec room, spinning around slowly. “If you can figure out where the blankets disappeared to, I'll consider it.”
“Okay!” her son exclaimed, carting his lanky self back up the stairs in search of the duffel bag he knew he'd packed them in.
Mother and son were sitting on the polished hardwood of the living room, slurping from takeout containers as raindrops pattered against the picture window. After he'd had his fill of dinner, Mathias amused himself by picking the peas out of the chicken fried rice and using a spoon to catapult them across the room into a greasy cardboard box. His mother allowed it, and actually cheered when he finally managed to land one of his projectiles into the carton.
“So, the movers are definitely gonna have the stuff here by tomorrow?”
“If they do, they do,” Debra responded.
“Mom. Don't do that.”
“Do what?”
“Parent-speak. It's infuriating.” Mathias sighed.
“Hm,” his mother smirked, chewing a mouthful of egg roll. “That's a big word. Have you ever thought of applying to Harvard?”
Mathias crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out. “Shut up. I'm smart.”
“I know, that came from me.” Debra smiled, her face then turning serious. “You promise you'll do your best in school? I know the move is shaking things up a bit, and you're going to want to make new friends and go out, and- you can always come to me if you need help with anything-”
“Mom.” Mathias reached over and took his mother's hand. “I know. Everything's going to be great.”
Debra smiled at her son and sighed, releasing her nerves. “It will be.”
Mathias grinned back, glancing around the room. “I mean, once we get some actual furniture...”
He laughed gleefully as a pillow hit him in the face.
Everything was going to be great.