The First Chance
May 28, 1998

Matt stared up at his parents and could feel his anger boiling just beneath the surface. He hated the disappointed looks on his parents’ faces and didn’t know how to make them understand that this wasn’t his fault. His principal was an asshole that’d had it out for him since the first day of high school, and he had finally kicked Matt out of school. Kicked him out at the end of his junior year, so he couldn’t return his senior year and graduate.

“We’re going to give you a choice, sweetie,” his mom said with that same disappointed stare in her eyes. A choice? What kind of choice did he have now?

“A choice?” He could hear the anger in his voice and curled his fists under the tiny kitchen table.

“Yes. You can either go to Harvey Academy or go stay with my brother.” Harvey Academy, where all the bad kids got sent. The education system was a joke, and Matt knew he’d get into more fights there than he ever did at Huntington High. As for his mother’s brother…Crazy Uncle Rick…they wanted him to live with him?

“You want me to leave?”

“Of course we don’t! You can’t keep getting into trouble like this, Matt, and if sending you to Rick’s is what it takes then so be it,” his mother stated. Her words said one thing, but that look she had said something completely different. She was tired of putting up with him and wanted him gone.

“If you want me gone so bad, then I’ll just leave!” he yelled and stormed from the kitchen.

“Just let him go,” Matt heard his father whisper. So, his dad wanted him out too? Fine, he’d show them.

Matt was in his room, throwing some clothes into a bag, when a knock sounded on the door. The visitors were quickly sent away, and the Sanders’s household was silent for the rest of the day. The next morning, before either of his parents could wake up, Matt threw what few bags he had into the backseat of his car and sped off to his Uncle Rick’s house. He knew Uncle Rick was expecting him, because he’d heard his mother talking to him the night before. Uncle Rick’s kids were grown and moved off, but Uncle Rick still looked the same as he did twenty years ago.

An hour later, Matt was at his uncle’s house.

Two hours later, as he scrubbed the toilet in his bathroom with a toothbrush (thankfully not his own), Matt knew he’d made a big mistake. His Sanders pride didn’t allow him to return home with his tail tucked between his legs and an apology on his lips. He was going to stay here and see how long it took for his parents to call him and ask him to come back home.

Two weeks later, his parents finally called him. Matt was outside working in Uncle Rick’s garden, which was definitely bigger than the average backyard garden, when his Aunt Anna called him inside. Matt thought his parents were finally calling and telling him to come back home; the house must’ve felt empty without him there. Instead, his mother told him that his cousin Betty was living with them now. Matt was worried about his cousin, at first. His mother kept going on and on about how sweet she was, how helpful she was, how smart she was, how fucking perfect she was…Matt felt like he was going to puke if he heard her name one more time. Then his mother asked him how liked staying at his uncle’s and if he would mind if Betty moved into his room.

Matt hung up the phone and didn’t speak to either of his parents for a month.

By the time Christmas rolled around and his entire family got together, Matt had so much anger that he felt like he was going to explode. As soon as he saw Betty, who his parents still praised every time they talked to him, he targeted her as an outlet. Just the sight of her tie-dye tee shirt, paint splattered shorts, and crooked yellow beanie made him want to hit something. When she spoke to him, he couldn’t even remember what she had said, he drug her off to the bathroom. When those eyes had looked up at him with confusion, he’d went off.

Matt stepped out of the bathroom less than ten minutes later with his cousin crying silently into the sink. There was a spring in his step and a smile on his face. To him, everything he’d said had been justified. Betty came out a few minutes later, eyes a little red but with a smile plastered on her face. She kept her distance from her favorite cousin, her only cousin, and tried to keep the tears at bay. Matt sat next to his Granny Sanders and laughed at her every snide comment about the girl he’d grown to hate.

Matt went back to his Uncle Rick’s feeling lighter and more optimistic. He never spoke to his cousin again.

The Second Chance
May 28, 1998

Matt stared up at his parents and hoped that every ounce of anger in his being showed on his face. That fucking principal of his just had to go and ruin the beginning of his summer. While Matt had been celebrating the end of yet another school year (his junior year, in fact), his parents had been sitting in the principal’s office while Mr. Jacobs had explained that Matt was not allowed to return to Huntington High for his senior year. Seriously, why wait until now to throw him out?

“We’re going to give you a choice, sweetie,” his mother said quietly. His parents were standing side-by-side, and he was sitting at their small kitchen table.

“A choice?” What kind of choice was there? Were they going to let him drop out? No, his parents would never allow that.

“Yes. You can either go to Harvey Academy or you can go stay with my brother,” Kimberlyann Sanders stated. Her light blue eyes were set and determined, and Matt had to clench his jaws shut. They wanted to pack him off to Uncle Rick? Better known as Crazy Uncle Rick? He was alright, as far as uncles go, but he was also super strict and didn’t put up with any kind of bullshit. He was nowhere near as laidback as his sister, Matt’s mother.

“You want me to leave?” Matt asked through gritted teeth. Matt could feel a familiar burn seizing his muscles. He had an anger problem; anyone that had been around him for more than a day knew that he had anger problem. Right now he just wanted to jump up and scream. If they wanted him gone, then he’d take off.

“Of course we don’t! You can’t keep getting into trouble like this, Matt, and if sending you to Rick’s is what it takes then so be it.”

Matt nearly exploded. He could feel the angry words on the tip of his tongue. “If you want me gone so bad, then I’ll just leave!” is what he wanted to scream out. Something kept him locked in his chair. For the first time in a long time, Matt reigned in his temper and actually thought before speaking. He’d be miserable at Uncle Rick’s, and he knew it. As much as he wanted to hurt his parents for wanting to send him away, he knew he’d regret it after getting to his uncle’s house. He loved his uncle, but it’d be like living with a drill sergeant. Which his uncle had been at one point. Matt ground his teeth together and hid his clenched fists under the table.

“I’ll go to Harvey’s,” he ground out. His father nodded at him, and Matt could see the proud glint in his eye. Gary Sanders was always lecturing his son about holding in that infamous Sanders temper. Mom’s side of the family, the Jacksons, were much harder to anger, with the exception of Uncle Rick.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m so glad you said that,” his mother said and pulled him into a tight hug. Matt let his mother hold him and drop a kiss to the top of his head. He considered himself to be a badass, but he would never deny that he loved his Mama’s hugs. Just then, a loud knock sounded on the door. Kimberlyann released her son and looked down at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Company?” she asked. Matt heard his father chuckle quietly before leaving to get the door. Matt smiled sheepishly up at his mother, his earlier anger nearly forgotten. It was obvious that his parents didn’t want him to leave, but they needed him to understand that some things had to change.

“I forgot the guys were coming over, to celebrate the end of the school year,” Matt said with a shrug.

“Hey, Mrs. S!” Jimmy yelled as he walked into the kitchen. He wrapped his long arms around the much shorter woman and gave her a quick squeeze.

“Hello, Jimmy, dear,” she said and patted his cheek.

“Matt, guess what! Oh, hey, Mrs. S!” Zacky was the next one to hug the small Sanders woman, and she smiled at the small flush on his pale cheeks.

“What?”

“Jimmy got kicked out of school!” Zacky yelled and started laughing.

“Yeah, I’ll be spending my last year at Harvey’s Hellions,” Jimmy muttered. Harvey’s Hellions wasn’t the most creative name, or clever, but it was a name that had stuck. Matt looked over at his mother, who was shaking her head lightly at the nickname.

“At least I won’t be alone, right?” Zacky and Jimmy went completely still, and it was someone else that answered.

“Don’t tell me you got kicked out too!” Brian yelled as he walked in with Gary Sanders behind him.

“Yeah, found out today,” Matt mumbled. Brian had pushed past Zacky and Jimmy by now, and he looped an arm around Kimberlyann’s waist.

“Hello, Mrs. S, you are looking absolutely beautiful today,” Brian said with a giant smile.

“You’re too sweet, Brian Haner,” Matt’s mom said with a hint of a blush.

“I call ‘em like I see ‘em,” Brian replied with a wink. At that, Matt stood up and started tugging on Brian’s arm.

“Stop hitting on my mom and come on,” Matt said and opened the door in their kitchen that led to the garage. Brian blew a kiss over his shoulder, and Jimmy and Zacky were laughing as they followed an arguing Matt and Brian out to the Sanders’s garage. Matt pushed Brian, who was still laughing, onto the couch that was in there and walked over to his desk in the corner. Zacky and Jimmy sat down on either side of Brian, still talking.

“Where’s Justin?” Matt finally asked.

“Said he’d be over later,” Zacky said with a shrug. Matt rolled his eyes and turned back to the papers spread out over the desk. The guys had, loosely, formed a band. They still didn’t have a name, or any songs, but they thought of themselves as a band. For now, they were just having fun.

“Can we play now?” Jimmy asked. His knee was bobbing up and down, and he was looking at his drum set. Matt thought about their missing member and sighed.

“Yeah, might as well.”

June 3, 1998

Matt ran his hands over his hair and face, and he felt his jaw crack as he yawned. He walked through the living room, stubbed his toe on the couch, and cussed until he reached the kitchen doorway. He heard his parents talking quietly inside, and they were both oblivious to his presence as he stood in the doorway. His mother’s face was worried, and his father was rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“Mom? Dad? What’s wrong?” His mom’s watery blue eyes rose to his, and she moved to wrap her arms around her son’s body. Matt awkwardly wrapped his arms around his mother and stared down at the top of her head. He looked up at his father, who looked just as upset and worried.

“It’s Betty,” his mom mumbled out.

“Betty? Is she okay?” Matt asked in a rush. Betty…Matt’s only cousin on his father’s side. They were the same age, only a few months separating the two. Despite that though, they rarely got to see each other.

Henry Sanders, Gary’s younger brother, had gotten married to a southern belle at the age of eighteen and then disappeared down to Georgia. Granny Sanders had never forgiven Janice Collins for stealing her baby away, and she put most of the blame on Elizabeth Sanders. Janice was over a month pregnant when she got married to Henry. Six months after leaving California, Henry Sanders was dead. He had simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time, and a stray bullet had ended his life. Afterwards, Janice Sanders had completely shut down. She gave birth less than a month later, and she named her daughter Elizabeth Kadence Sanders. Elizabeth, for Henry’s mother. Kadence, for her own mother. Janice didn’t hate her daughter, but she didn’t love her either. She kept the baby only because she couldn’t bear the thought of destroying the last piece of Henry.

Janice used drugs and strange men to bury the ache of losing her Henry, and it was Betty that paid the ultimate price. Betty never knew where she was going to be living, or if she was even going to eat that day. There was only one thing that Betty had ever been certain of: As soon as summer vacation started, she was going to California to spend the summer with Granny Sanders. Granny Sanders didn’t like Betty, which was obvious, but she took her in anyway.

As a child, Matt loved summer vacation for many reasons. For one, he didn’t have to go to school. The main reason? He got to see his cousin Betty. The two were inseparable and joined at the hip. When Matt introduced Betty to his new friends at the tender age of five, he told all of them that Betty was the only girl that didn’t have cooties. After that, they were glued together. Betty was even allowed over when Matt had sleepovers with Brian, Zacky, and Jimmy. The summer that Matt turned thirteen was the last time he had seen his cousin. After that, Janice had stopped sending her over. Matt had only received two letters a year from his cousin, one for his birthday and one for Christmas. There were usually little cards tucked inside for the guys too.

The thought of something being wrong with Betty, of Betty being hurt, caused Matt to see red for a minute.

“Janice committed suicide, son. They’ve had Betty in a home facility for the past week,” his dad said.

“Home facility? Like an orphanage?” Matt asked. Gary nodded his head and rose from the table.

“I’m going to get her, Matt, and I’m going to bring her here. She should have been here from the start,” Gary mumbled and walked over to where Kimberlyann was still holding her son.

“Can I come with you?” Matt asked. He knew his father would be able to get Betty, but he’d be pretty clueless after that. Gary didn’t know how to handle a teenage girl. Matt didn’t either, but he knew Betty.

“I don’t know…”

“Let him go, Gary. I’m sure Betty will be happy to see him,” his mother said and finally stepped away from him.

“Go get dressed. We’ll need to leave soon, and pack a change of clothes,” Gary said. Matt nodded his head and ran off to get dressed.

Roughly Two Days Later

Matt was still a little stiff and sore, but his father was faring just fine. Gary Sanders had been a truck driver for a little over ten years, which was how he got his job repairing diesels. He’d had to fix his often enough to know what he was doing. Matt had stayed in the car while his father spoke to the cops, and then some kind of court people. Matt didn’t really care about all of the technical shit. All he cared about was the end result, which was getting Betty away from where she was and to their home.

“Wait here, I’ll be out in a minute,” Gary said and disappeared inside the old building. Matt had listened as his father said that he’d taken care of everything; he couldn’t remember ever feeling so relieved when he heard that Betty could come with them now. They were outside of the home facility now, where Betty had been living for the past week. The entire place looked depressing, and Matt kicked lightly at the ground. He was leaning against the front of the truck because he wanted to see his cousin as soon as she walked outside. After what felt like forever, Matt saw his cousin for the first time in four years.

From the looks of it, she hadn’t gotten any taller. She was only five-one, whereas Matt was right at six feet. She definitely wasn’t a stick anymore though. Her body had filled out, and she didn’t look anything like the girls from Huntington High. No, his cousin had some meat on her bones. She wasn’t fat, not by a long shot. Her dark brown hair was put up into a messy bun, and a black bandana was wrapped around her hair. Her light hazel eyes shone from under her black-rimmed glasses, and she was talking to his dad. Ripped jeans hugged her legs, and she was wearing a dark blue checkered shirt. Her feet were pushed into a pair of flip flops, and a black garbage bag dangled from her hand. Gary pointed forward, at Matt, and her head shifted to look at him. A look of joy came over her face, and the garbage bag slipped from her hand as she raced forward. Matt saw his dad pick up the bag right before her body slammed into his.

“I’m so glad you came!” Betty yelled and squeezed his middle. Matt tipped her face up and looked into the eyes that were a mirror of his own.

“Someone had to come rescue you,” he said and poked the end of her nose. Her eyes crossed, and she smiled up at him. Yeah, she’d be okay.

Twenty-Four Hours Later

Gary looked up into his rearview mirror and smiled at what he saw. Matt was leaning up against one window, with his mouth hanging open and quiet snores escaping every few breaths. Bare feet, with bright pink painted toenails, were resting in his lap. Matt was holding one foot, and the other was pushing lightly into his stomach. Betty was leaning up against the opposite window, one hand curled under her cheek and the other wrapped around the necklace he knew so well.

When a twelve, soon to be thirteen, year old Matt had walked up to him and said that he had enough money to buy the perfect present for his cousin, but he needed a little extra to make it super-perfect, Gary had just stared down at his son in surprise. Matt never bought presents unless forced to, so he didn’t know why Matt wanted to now. Matt had been helping out the neighbors with small chores for years, so Gary knew he had quite a sum saved up. Matt was allowed to use his earnings for the present, and Gary had accompanied him to the jewelry store downtown. After seeing what Matt wanted, he had to admit that his son really had picked the perfect present.

The silver chain was thin but sturdy, and the silver heart locket was big without being obnoxious. Matt paid for the locket all by himself, and Gary paid for the engravings. EKS and MCS on the back. When the jeweler heard the story of the present, he suggested an engraving for the front too. After some debate, familia aeternum was engraved on the front. Family Forever. Betty’s eyes had lit up when she received the present, and it was the last summer any of them had seen her. When Gary had asked Matt why he bought it, after Betty had left for the summer, his son had shrugged and said, “Just wanted her to smile.”

Now, his little niece was smiling in her sleep with her only possessions stuffed in a garbage bag in the back of his truck. Gary knew that she would be alright. Matt would take care of her, no matter what.

Twenty-Four Hours Later

Betty sighed as she slipped out of the truck and popped her back, and gritty hazel eyes took a look around. Everything was still the same as she remembered it, and it made her throat feel tight. No matter what kind of horrible things happened in her life, Uncle Gary’s house would always be the same. The same white paint and blue shutters; the same sturdy truck and shiny car. The garage door still had a small dent in it, and the basketball hoop still hung a little crookedly over the door. The car parked in the driveway was new, to the scenery, so it’s gotta be Matt’s. Uncle Gary is still quiet but has a calming presence, and she’d bet everything she owns that Auntie Kim still gives the best hugs.

“Betty, are you okay?” She looked up into the familiar hazel eyes common to all of the Sanders, so unlike her mother’s dark green eyes, and nodded.

“Right as rain, Unc,” she said with a bright smile. It’s not a complete lie. She’s not exactly okay, yet, but she’s feeling happier than she has in a long while. For a moment, she really thought she was going to be stuck in that detention center until she turned eighteen. There was so much confusion after what happened to her mother.

“Come on inside. Kim’s been worrying about you,” Uncle Gary said and strode up the driveway. Matt stepped up next to her with her garbage bag of belongings in his hand, and she felt herself relaxing a little more at the sight of his familiar dimples. An arm was slung over her shoulders, and she let Matt pull her into the house. Auntie Kim was on her as soon as she stepped in the door, and Betty heard herself laughing as her aunt’s arms crushed them together. Auntie Kim is about the same height as her, so it was nice to not have someone towering over her.

“Are you okay, honey? Are you hungry?” Auntie Kim asked in a rush.

“No, I’m fine,” she said just as quickly. Her stomach let out a quiet rumble, as if in protest, and Auntie Kim heard the growl. A soft gently touched against her cheek, and Betty almost cried at the simple gesture of comfort.

“Come on, I’ll fix something for you. Want anything special?”

“Just a sandwich is fine.” It was said with a wide smile, because Betty would be happy with anything. The fact that her aunt was making her something was enough to make her smile; Betty couldn’t even remember the last time someone had cooked for her.

“Nonsense. How does spaghetti sound?”

“Perfect.”

An hour later, the four of them were sitting around the kitchen table and rubbing their full bellies. Betty felt like she was full to bursting; she honestly can’t remember the last time she ate that much in one sitting. The spaghetti had been delicious, just like she knew it would be, and the garlic bread was toasted to perfection. Now that the dinner was over, they were sipping on homemade lemonade and just enjoying the silence. Well, Betty was enjoying the silence. She knew it was only a matter of time before the silence was broken, because they still have a few things to figure out.

“Betty, honey, I know we don’t have much, but we’ll figure something out,” Auntie Kim said.

“We can add another room to the back of the house,” Uncle Gary proposed. Oh yeah…the house only has two bedrooms. She’d shared Matt’s room when they were kids, but they’re not kids anymore.

“We can turn the garage into a bedroom,” Matt said and flicked his eyes over at her.

“What about your band?” Auntie Kim asked. He was in a band?

“You’re in a band?” Matt glanced over at her again and then turned his eyes on his mom.

“We can find somewhere else to practice,” he said.

“I’m not gonna kick you out of the garage, Matt. And you don’t have to build me a room, Uncle Gary. I can just sleep on the couch. All I need is somewhere to put my clothes.” She made sure to look each one of them in the eye as she spoke, because she doesn’t want them to doubt her words. She’s not about to come into their house and cause them problems. She can’t. She already owes them too much as it is.

“You can keep your stuff in my room. I’ve got plenty of closet space,” Matt said with a smile. Betty nodded at his words and slumped back against her chair. It won’t be perfect, but it’s still the best place she’s ever lived.

“We’re so happy you’re here, honey,” Auntie Kim said and grabbed her hand.

“And we’re gonna work everything out,” Uncle Gary added. She turned to look at Matt to see if he was going to say anything, and she was surprised to see his dimpled smile. That can’t mean anything good.

“Just wait until the guys find out you’re here.” Betty groaned and did her best to ignore her cousin’s laugh. She forgot all about the guys…

Notes

Okay, so, the first part is what originally happened. Matt got mad and went to his uncle's house, where he suffered through hard labor and teen angst. His parents only talked about his perfect cousin, which made him mad, and he made the decision to hate her for eternity. Bit much, huh?

The second chance: Matt keeps quiet and decides to stay home. By doing this, he's there for his cousin instead of shunning her. This one decision is going to change the course of his life, and the lives of everyone around him. How, you ask? Well, that's what the story is for! So I hope you enjoyed this chapter and you continue to read!

In the next chapter, we'll see what Gerard did wrong and how he fixes it.