Living Next Door to the Dunphys (Modern Family)

"Don't tell me… you all saw the video, too?" Mathew sighed as his friends eyed him as if he was a zoo animal.

Before he could sit down, everyone began to ask him questions about his confrontation with the thief.

"Matt! What were you thinking? You could have been hurt!" These were questions Jess and Cece asked with worry.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Coach pumped his fist. "It was like a movie!"

"Matt, I gotta admit, you got some moves," Winston said with Schmidt nodding beside him.

"I mean, I could have done that, too," Nick said weakly while quickly looking over at Jess. "Still, what you did was pretty awesome."

Matt sighed tiredly as his friends continued to question him. Last night, the Dunphy siblings had run over to his home with questions of their own.

It was then that he realized that his confrontation with the thief had been recorded and shared on the news and internet.

Alex paced back and forth, her brow furrowed in anxiety as she chastised him for putting himself in such a perilous predicament. Her eyes alight with worry.

In stark contrast, Luke exuberantly rallied Mathew as if he were a heroic figure straight out of a comic book, filling the air with infectious enthusiasm and bravado.

Haley, the one most unfamiliar with Mathew, observed her siblings quietly as they badgered him with an endless amount of questions, but in the end, she had also asked him if he was all right.

Once the questioning was over, Mathew had assured the trio he was okay, and the group settled in for a movie marathon at Mathew's home, primarily due to Alex and Luke not wanting to leave Mathew alone.

Mathew had hoped that all this attention would go away the next day, but he was quickly disappointed when he saw all the stares he got from his fellow schoolmates when he stepped on campus.

"Mathew, right? Man, you were awesome!"

"Weren't you scared?"

"Is that where that crook cut you? That's hardcore."

…were just a few of the comments Mathew had gotten.

"Okay! Okay! I'm fine!" Mathew insisted to his friends. "Yes, I stopped a thief. Yes, I got a small cut. And no, I wasn't sent to the hospital, Nick. Can we all… eat our lunch?"

Jess squirmed in her chair; her brows knitted together in a tight frown as she glanced around the table, unease flickering in her eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, she and the others nodded in unison, setting aside their concerns for the moment, and gradually picked up their forks once more.

Mathew, sensing the shift in mood, offered a heartfelt thank you, his voice warm with gratitude. As the familiar banter resumed, the chatter about weekend plans and shared jokes began to fill the room, wrapping around them like a comforting blanket and momentarily easing their troubled minds.

As Mathew talked to Winston about his cat, Ferguson, Jess took a deep breath and abruptly rubbed Mathew's back.

"I'm happy you weren't hurt too badly," Jess muttered, her cheeks slightly pink. Mathew smiled awkwardly and grabbed her arm.

"Thanks, Jess."

Jess smiled warmly at him, her eyes twinkling with genuine delight as she scooted closer to Mathew. The conversation shifted back to their amusing debate about whether cats were capable of solving puzzles.

Nick looked back and forth between Mathew and Jess with a frown. A swell of jealousy grew in his chest.

••o••o••o••

Interesting. Mathew thought as he squinted his eyes while walking through the busy halls of Palisades High—his newest observation skill at work. Let's see, I think that's Kate Patton... Calloused fingers. Tight wrists. Stiff neck. She must play the strings. Probably the violin.

Looking away from the tired-looking Junior, Mathew smiled as he began to look around the hall discreetly. His newest skill hard at work at picking up all the minor details and ticks of his fellow students.

"If it isn't Mr. Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame."

Mathew furrowed his brow as he recognized Tyler's unmistakable voice cutting through the chatter of the hallway. He turned slowly, feeling a mix of irritation when he saw Tyler standing there with Greg and Andrew flanking him.

The three sophomores wore expressions that were a blend of annoyance and amusement, their laughter ringing out like a challenge. Despite him being their upperclassman, Mathew had always found that these three could be so brazen toward him, and today was no exception.

"So, what? You get a brief moment of fame, and you walk around with a big head?" Andrew asked while leaning on a wall of lockers. Greg stood silent, his eyes set into an angry look. "Too bad that guy didn't get to do worse than scratching your ugly mug."

"Oh great. The three stooges," Mathew sighed before turning to the three in exasperation. Around them stood a few curious students who backed away slowly. Not wanting to get involved. "Don't you three have anything better to do than to bother me? Like, I don't know, watching paint dry or learning how to tie your shoes?"

"I'd watch that mouth of yours, Johnson. She's not here to back you up today." Greg huffed while stepping up to Mathew, who looked confused.

"She? Who are you talking about? Is your brain getting enough oxygen, Gary?" Mathew said Greg's name incorrectly intentionally as he used his new skill to study the three before him.

"Playing dumb? Whatever. I'm just reminding you that it's not over between us." Greg growled while he walked past Mathew, bumping his shoulder. Tyler and Andrew grinned and followed behind Greg.

"Watch your back, Johnson," Greg growled.

Mathew stood in his spot with an annoyed but confused expression.

Ever since he intervened to protect Michael from the trio, Tyler, Andrew, and especially Greg had taken it upon themselves to try and make his life miserable.

Their occasional harassment came in many forms—sharp-tongued insults that echoed through the hallways. Taunts whispered just loud enough for him to hear and strategically placed bodies that blocked his path as he hurried to his next class.

It was as if they had declared a personal war against him, fueled by a simmering resentment ever since he had shoved Greg in the heat of the moment.

Although Mathew wasn't concerned about his own safety or their petty attempts to belittle him, something about Greg made him uneasy. The young sophomore appeared to harbor a deep-seated anger whenever he looked at Mathew.

"Bruised arms, eye bags, and chewed fingernails. Whatever Greg is up to in his personal life, he's not a very stable guy," Mathew said. "I need to stay on my toes around him, especially."

The school bell rang, prompting everyone to move on to their next class. As Mathew walked, he eagerly anticipated getting home to begin training.

His fists itched to hit something after a frustrating exchange he had just experienced. At the same time, he knew it was time to start his training for the upcoming junior boxing tournament.