just one more happy ending

 "Did it hurt?" Kevin wanted to know while Matty was changing into his flannels and old graphic tee.

 Matty only sighed thinking he shouldn't have mentioned the piggy-back ride to the sixth-grader, after all. Matty pulled on his old slippers as if now he could fall back on the couch and not even worry about a video game with him.

"Yes," He couldn't help but wince. It was a longer walk back to the school than he realized and that girl was lead. He didn't want to be mean about it. "It's just not something I do every day." Although, he'd lied to Val and said she was so light and it was not a problem.

"Did she break anything?" Kevin was ever so curious as he kept asking Matty more about her.

"No, she'll be fine." He knew the school nurse said she was overreacting and she would be back to normal by next week. Still, he wasn't counting on seeing her running again. Of course, at that moment he was on Val's side, taking up for her. Although, he didn't think he was rude to the nurse even if he thought the school nurse was being terrible to Val. 

He'd spent lunch with Val, too. She hadn't gone home. Instead, she limped the rest of the day. Matty helped her with lunch and her backpack. He even gave her another piggy-back ride home after school. Her mother thanked him. But really, he hadn't meant it as a plan or anything. He felt at fault somehow, or the idea that she hadn't completely given up. She might be a fighter after all.

His phone dinged a text. He went to check it. 

"Thanks again for today," Val texted. He hadn't even given her his phone number, but he guessed she and Rosie were close and Rosie gave her the number. He wouldn't make a big deal about it.

"No problem." Matty text first then exed it out. No one wanted to read a text like that. It felt negative. "I hope you can rest and you aren't in pain." Matty then wrote.

"I'll be at school tomorrow," she told him.

"Maybe you need a day off." Matty text back.

"Not a chance," Val said her mother wouldn't let her off that easy since she wasn't really sick.

"I'll help you again tomorrow." Matty found himself responding. It felt it was the least he could do.

Somehow Kevin looked over his shoulder at the text.

"My brother is finally in love," Kevin smirked and then tossed the controller to him. It was time for some gaming.