Alfred slapped the newspaper on the kitchen table with a proud air about him. "Guess who made the front cover of the school paper?" He didn't give any time for an answer before he pointed to himself and yelled, "this guy!"

Their dad was leaning against the counter, watching as his papa was busying himself making an after school snack. "Of course you did, Alfred, you're always in the paper," he said, stepping over to read the headline aloud. "Jones brings team to victory."

"They wouldn't be able to win without you," Papa agreed, placing their snack on the table next to the paper. It was those cheesy pretzel bites, and Alfred spared no time digging into his share.

Matthew sat down and ate them more slowly, listening to his family talk about how amazing his brother was. He had to listen to this all day at school too. But he wasn't angry about this. He actually wished he was more like him. Maybe then he would get a little more attention. That's why he was surprised when his Papa smiled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"How is my little Mathieu?"

"Oh, um, good," he said.

"Good," he smiled and the warm hand left his shoulder. He was promptly sucked back into Alfred World and once again, Matthew was alone.

He got up, grabbed his backpack, and trudged to his room. He closed the door and laid on his bed, starting up his laptop. Homework could wait.

He opened up Netflix and stared at the screen as Supernatural streamed. He could kill for the kind of relationship Sam and Dean had. If only his brother wasn't so self absorbed.

He was startled toward the end of the episode, when everything was intense, when his phone chimed. He paused the episode and opened up his messages. It was an unknown number and the text startled him even more.

I just got your new number and it was un- awesome of you not to tell me!

Matthew had no idea who this was and he was sure it wasn't meant for him. So, out of kindness, he let the sender know he still had the wrong number.

I'm sorry but I think you have the wrong number.

Don't mess around with me Toni, I know this is you!

No, this is Matthew.

He got the feeling that this person was talking about his brother.

Seriously? Dammit Alfred gave me the wrong number!

I'm really sorry, that's my brother, maybe I could tell him what he did.

Wait you're his brother? Why don't I know you then?

I don't have a lot of friends.

I'll be your friend! :)

Matthew couldn't form a reply. Did this stranger who had the wrong number just volunteer to be his friend? Did those kind of things even happen?

I don't know who you are.

My bad, I'm the Awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt! But you can call me the Awesome for short

Oh, okay.

I'm kidding, call me Gilbert or whatever.

Okay, Gilbert.

I have to go but we can talk later. Bye!

Matthew felt a little spark of happiness flowing through him. A friend? Someone actually wanted to be his friend? He felt a small smile crack his lips. He knew the name but couldn't put a face to it... Beilschmidt. It sounded German but there were a couple German guys at school. He mused over who it could be and after a few minutes, doubt slipped in and a voice in the back of his head yelled at him.

Who was he to think that someone actually wanted to be his friend? The guy was just messing with him, he wasn't ever going to talk to him again. He was someone, while Matthew was no one. A no one that stayed quiet in class, got walked into in the halls. Always mistaken for his brother, or not noticed at all. His own family barely remembered he existed.

Matthew quickly shut the voice of denial up and watched the rest of Supernatural. He would see who was right tomorrow.

"There you are, you little fucker!" Matthew heard yelled loudly down the hall. Most people didn't notice, knowing it wasn't about them, and Matthew acted the same.

He stuffed a textbook in his locker, ready to get out of the hall before a fight broke out. A hand landed hard on his shoulder, spinning him around. He gasped and his heart leapt into his throat. Someone was mistaking him for Alfred again, he already knew it. How many bruises would he walk away with this time?

"You gave me the wrong number, dummkopf. And since when do you have a bruder?"

Matthew stared at him blankly. He was right, this guy thought he was his brother. But... what did he say? Something about a number? Was this the guy that texted him yesterday?

The guy peered at him closer with his crimson eyes. "Wait, you're not Alfred.. are you Matthew?"

Matthew nodded slightly. This was the first guy to ever figure it out. How did he do it? The guy, Gilbert, he recalled, smiled happily at him.

"Awesome! So you're my new friend!"

"Y-You still want t-to be m-my friend?" he stammered in disbelief.

"Of course!" Gilbert laughed and messed up his hair like he was a little kid, "you sound like you need some, I can barely hear you!"

Matthew stared at him, trying to catch up. What was happening? Seconds ago he was mistaken for his brother, but now Gilbert was acknowledging his existence. Was he dreaming?

"Cat got your tongue?" Gilbert asked after a moment of silence.

"N-No," he stammered quietly.

Gilbert laughed, "I'll see you later kid, I have places to be, people to see." He grinned and walked off down the hall.

Matthew closed his locker and walked the same way, to 1st hour. That was sure an eventful morning. But he was certain Gilbert would forget him by the end of the day.

He went to first hour and pulled out his homework once he sat down in the back. He had about 5 minutes to get it done. He'd been too distracted yesterday to do it.

The late bell chimed and the last person decided to make his way in during the bell. He looked up and saw it was Gilbert, looking smug.

Matthew never really noticed who was in his class, no one noticed him so why bother, but that was when he realized Gilbert did have this hour. And 6th hour too, he believed.

Gilbert sat down in his spot next to the window, on the other side of the room, without even glancing toward him. It had been less than 10 minutes and he was forgotten. Big surprise. He knew he shouldn't get his hopes up. How stupid of him. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

By lunch Matthew had moved on to other matters. The school lunch food. Terrible, but there really wasn't anything to do about it.

He walked outside with his tray and sat down at one of the few tables placed in the courtyard. It was getting chilly out, but he was wearing his big maple leaf hoodie, so no one was out there except him. He took this time to eat in blissful silence. Or at least, until someone actually noticed him.

"Matthew! What are you doing out here all alone!?" Gilbert yelled, walking over. He gasped and stared as Gilbert walked over. He actually noticed him? And during lunch, of all times.

"I-I like the quiet and the cold," he answered quietly as Gilbert sat across from him.

"You're weird. You know that? And you're a really hard person to find. I didn't think you'd be the one person to sit outside in this weather."

Matthew shook his head and looked at the table. "Y-You were l-looking for m-me?"

"Ja, I'm your friend! I told you I would be and I keep my promises," Gilbert smiled and ate some of his food. "Gott, this school has bad food. Don't you agree?"

Matthew nodded, sipping on his milk, which was really the only thing that tasted normal. He looked up and noticed Gilbert was already looking at him.

"Why don't you talk? Or even talk in a normal voice? Do you have some kind of disease?"

He was taken aback by Gilbert's rude questions, but he wasn't the type of person to get angry easily, so he let it go. "N-No, I d-don't have a d-disease. I-I just d-don't like t-to talk."

Gilbert placed his elbows on the table thoughtfully. "Maybe you do like to talk, but you don't have anyone to talk to. And maybe with how loud Alfred is, no one ever listened to you, so you don't talk so loud. And maybe you stutter because you don't talk to anyone and when you do, you get nervous and don't know what to say."

Matthew stared at Gilbert as he psycho- analyzed his life. He wasn't sure about his conclusions though. Was Alfred really the cause of his quietness and his nervous stutter? He couldn't be, this was just how things always were.

He shook his head, "Y-You're a r-really b-bad psychologist."

Gilbert laughed, "You're just in denial. I'm right and you know it." Matthew just shrugged. He didn't see any use in arguing with this guy. "By the way, you're welcome. My services are free for this one time only because I like you so much."

Matthew stared at him and said the most intelligent word he knew, "huh?"

Gilbert just smirked. "You're cute, kid," he said and sat up a little straighter, "I just came up with an awesome nickname for you!"

"W-What?" Matthew asked, hoping it wasn't something cruel.

"Birdie," Gilbert said proudly.

"B-Birdie?" Matthew repeated. He wasn't expecting that. How did he come up with that kind of name?

"Ja, Birdie! Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Y-Yeah... b-but why?"

He shrugged, "I just think it suits you."

"O-Oh, um, o-okay," Matthew agreed quietly and got up to throw his lunch away. He dumped his lunch in the metal trash bin and turned around to see Gilbert looking at him.

He stayed quiet and sat back down across from him. Not like he had anywhere else to go.

"So, kid, how's life?"

"Uh, g-good," he lied.

"Are you sure?" Gilbert asked, seeming to see right through his lie, "you don't seem very happy."

Matthew put on a small smile, "I-I'm f-fine."

"If you want to talk, you have my number," he said and got up, throwing his tray away.

"Bis dann," he smiled and walked back inside the building.

He sat there for a moment before pulling out his phone and muttering "bis dann.." as he attempted to spell what he assumed to be a German expression.

The end- of- lunch- get- your- ass- back- to- class bell rang and he sighed, looking up the results as he walked inside.

He couldn't find one exact translation for it but it meant something along the lines of "see you later". Gilbert actually planned on seeing him again? His hopes raised at the prospect of Gilbert becoming his friend.

He spent the next two hours thinking about what he could do with a friend. Then, when sixth hour rolled around, he walked down the hall and saw Gilbert flirting with a pretty girl. He had her trapped between his body and the lockers but she didn't seem to mind.

His hopes were crushed slightly. He could just be one of those players who acted nice for their own gain. But his instinct told him Gilbert was different. He had to be.

He walked into class and saw on the board that there was going to be new seats, so he stood in the front of the room with everyone waiting for the teacher to give new seats.

A few minutes later the bell rang, Gilbert slipped inside, and the teacher began pointing to desks and placing students. He waited until the very end, and when the teacher never called his name, he walked up to her.

"E- excuse m-me Mrs. H- Hérderváry," he said and waited to be noticed. "M-Mrs. H-Hérderváry..."

She looked at him in surprise like she'd never seen him before. "Yes?"

"Y-You, um, I-I wasn't placed in a s-seat..." he stammered and swallowed thickly. He couldn't hold anything against her, she was very nice. He just wasn't... noticeable.

She blinked and looked at the seating chart. "Oh, I'm sorry, you're in the back, next to Gilbert," she smiled.

He glanced over and Gilbert's head snapped up at the mention of his name. He looked right at Matthew as he walked over and grinned, patting the empty chair next to him. He slipped into his seat and rummaged through his backpack for his homework.

"Birdie, how nice of you to join me."

"Uh huh," he muttered and pulled out a folder. He opened it and scrawled his name across the top of an assignment.

"You won't get lonely with the awesome me around," he grinned and Matthew sighed. This was going to be a long hour.

As soon as he arrived home, he went to his room. He wasn't hungry for any of Francis' snacks. He wasn't in the mood for Alfred World. All he wanted was to feel better. During class he started to feel sick. His stomach was killing him but naturally no one would come to pick him up. Gilbert only served to made his stomach ache worse, talking his ear off all hour.

He groaned and went to the bathroom. He took some Pepto Bismal. Maybe he had food poisoning. That would be just great.

Once he got back to his room, his phone was lighting up with a new message.

He opened the message and saw it was Gilbert. What did that idiot want now?

Birdie you just missed this awesome fight on the corner!

Oh wow. Did I?

He couldn't help from being sarcastic. His stomach was putting him in an even worse mood.

It was these guys Toni and Lovino. Do you know them? They're awesome.

I don't know them. Sounds like it was exciting.

It was! It wasn't much of a fight but it ended in some making out.

You know I'm not gay. That doesn't exactly interest me.

He felt like he was being too mean but didn't care.

Never said you were. I think you're in denial.

I can't be in denial if I'm not gay..

Don't worry, you'll come out of the closet sometime.

Matthew sighed in frustration and didn't text back. Who was Gilbert to tell him his sexuality. And why did he care? Last time he checked, he was into girls... not that girls noticed him, but still.

Birdie?
Gonna ignore me?
Ha, okay, see you at school!

Matthew ignored him. This guy was annoying. Almost like his brother. If his brother was German. He shuddered in horror at the thought and decided he'd had enough of being social today. He pulled a blanket over himself and closed his eyes for a nap.

Hi I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I'm not exactly sure how long this fic will be yet, but I do have a lot more written. If you actually do want to read more, expect an update within a week, because I'm lazy. Anyways, please review! Thanks!