HE HAD ALWAYS HAD his good memory. When he was younger, Chase couldn't help but boast about it, but as he got older, those words tasted bitter on his tongue, stinging on the open wounds his memory created all over his body. The first time he had met Mateo they had been children, the last time he had seen him he had been smiling. He was going to take care of Gabriela, he was going to conquer the world. Chase never doubted any of it, even though he chuckled at the thought of anyone taking care of Gabriela.
The girl was all sharp wit and cold looks, so hyper independent that it was hard to even get close to her. That didn't mean Chase didn't like her though, because he would have been blind to not see how amazing she was. She was the kind of person who paved her own way so elegantly people couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way she didn't let anything stop her. Most times he had wished he was like that, so determined, so driven to reach the full potential of what he could be.
Amelia always had said he was made for the stars. He still couldn't believe his luck that she had chosen him out of all people to be with, his wife like an angel from the heavens. How could he not love her soft smiles, her calloused hands, her honey eyes and crooked nose? She was so beautiful, not despite the injuries years of professional baseball had caused, but because of them. For a moment he was taken back to the first time he had gone to watch one of her matches. It had been one month after they had graduated, the ache of losing a home still fresh in his heart. He had wanted to call Mateo, but he knew his best friend had recently joined the army and was probably too busy for this all. So instead he had gone alone, keeping the seat beside him empty for no reason at all.
To see Amelia in action only made him fall in love more, but he had respected her choice when she stopped. It was hard to make it as a woman in professional sports, she had said, but he knew she still loved it dearly. A couple of years after, when they were working in the same company, the main consistency in his life was his weekly calls to the Martinez residence. At first, he had just thought his best friend had gone abroad on a mission, but later on he couldn't help but wonder if maybe he just didn't want to speak to him anymore. Perhaps he was the only one hung up on the friendship, one which had meant the world to him. Perhaps him keeping Mateo up to date with everything which was going on was unwanted, simply a nuisance.
Still, he had picked the phone up again, heart beating so quickly he thought it would leave his chest, unable to keep himself from sharing the news he had just heard.
"Mateo," he had said, tears prickling in his eyes," Mateo, I don't know if you're still living here, but I need you to know this, I do." He had breathed out, serotonin coursing through his veins. "Amelia is pregnant. I'm going to be a father. I can't believe this, truly -"
Somehow the words had seemed stuck in his throat then as he had looked at his wife sitting in the living room, a hand on her stomach.
"I'm sorry," he had said," I don't know, I just thought you'd be here, through all of it. I know that's clingy and that you're busy, but you're my best friend. Would it be too selfish to ask if you could be the godfather?"
"Hello?"
His heart had dropped, the voice unknown to him.
"This is Chase, right?" the woman on the phone had said.
"Yes," he had said, unsure as he added," Gabriela, is that you?"
"No, I apologize," the woman had said," I'm afraid I'm not who you're looking for. I am sorry for not informing you sooner, but I didn't want to take this away from you. Besides, you sounded so much like my grandson, it was comforting to finally have someone call me."
"What?" Chase had blinked," isn't this the Martinez residence?"
"It was," the woman had said," years ago. They moved out quickly. Unfortunately I have no idea where they went."
His vocal cords had seemed tangled, no words leaving his lips, but the woman had spoken again in his stead.
"You're not the first one to call," she had said," you're the most persistent one though. Still, another young boy used to, leave updates on his life as well and ask if everything was alright. He came by one day, so I told him they had moved then. Perhaps he knows more now."
"Who was it?" Chase had said, emotions soaring through his head so fast it made his ears ring.
"A nice young man named Bas," she had recalled," I don't know anything else about him though."
The woman had apologized again and had wished him good luck, but he hadn't been able to answer. Mateo having been abroad was understandable, that's why he had never intruded by showing up at the door, afraid to burden him. Still, for him to have moved without saying anything? He hated to admit that there always had been a certain comfort somewhere in knowing Mateo was there on the other line, even if he didn't reply. He didn't need to, because it was Mateo. Busy or not, he would be there when he needed him. And now, he didn't even know where he had gone.
Bas. He vaguely had remembered Jay changing his name to that, so he had tried to contact him. Next thing he knew he was back in St Joseph, seeing his old friend again for the first time in years. Mateo had used to bring them together, but still, it was comfortable to sit in his office. He was a teacher there now, and when Chase had looked at him in his tracksuit, he couldn't help but think of their old principal. They had talked for a while, but Bas didn't know where Mateo had gone either.
After saying goodbye, Chase had walked to the door, turning around to see his old friend one more time.
"Amelia's pregnant," he had said.
Bas' eyes had widened, a smile appearing on his face.
"I'm happy for you."
"I am too," Chase had grinned," and I want him to go to this school when he grows up. Not just because of the memories, but because of you as well. You better promise to give him the same experience you and I have had. After all, we were taught by the best."
"We were," Bas had said, voice soft," and I will. I'm going to be principal of this school one day. He will not be forgotten." He had continued on in a lighter tone, eyes glittering. "I however do object against doing that cucumber experiment in camp again."
"Yeah," Chase had chuckled," you better. I'm still traumatized by how you and Mateo tried to take mine."
He had stopped speaking at the mention of Mateo's name, a heavy silence hanging in the room which was broken by Bas.
"He will call," he had said," he's probably busy now, Chase, but you know Mateo. If he could, he would contact us immediately. Out of all the people in this world, he's one of the two that shaped me the most in the person I am now. If he needs some time, I'll give him all the time he wants, and when he returns, I'll be right here, back where we used to be."
For a moment all Chase could think about was how it used to be, how they had ran through these halls and how their laughter had echoed, how their only responsibilities had consisted of Mateo and him failing class or silly relationship problems. How they had gone camping and had met Milo and Luca, the both of them somehow having ended up living in the same street as him. How they all had been together.
"When he does," he had said," let him know that I'm still around as well. He always has a home with me." Chase had looked outside of the window at the students wreaking havoc. "Who knows, perhaps our kids could attend this school together."
"Perhaps I could teach them," Bas had mused," can you imagine, me teaching your and Mateo's kid?"
"He better immediately contact us when he's about to have one," Chase had said," I'll cry immediately when I'll hear it."
"Of course he will," Bas had said," he's busy in the army now, but if he gets a kid and sends it here, there's no way he wouldn't tell us. It's Mateo."
"You're right," Chase had replied," it's Mateo."
"Mateo's dead."
The whole world was ringing, his thoughts snapped back to the present. When he had heard St Joseph had burned down at his reunion with Bas and the others, he immediately thought of his sons and their friends. He loved the troublemakers, but he had to check. So Bas had offered to drive on his way to St Joseph and he had jumped out of the car, relieved to see them all standing there.
Bas had leaned out of the window, waiting for him to hop back in, when the both of them had immediately frozen at the sight of the woman in the door.
"I can't believe it," he said, taking a step forward," I can't believe i'm seeing you here. How are you? How's Mateo?"
When Gabriela spoke, his world crashed, Bas not moving at all as the words landed like snow on their hearts.
"Mateo's dead."
hiiii my lovelies! there are four more bonus chapters about the reunion (one in which is an au where Mateo's still alive titled a different life), but these are all exclusive on radish! anyway, thank you so much for reading sinful, notorious will be updated on here starting next week. all my love and moreâ¤ï¸ thank you for reading ella & levi's journey until now, you're all the best xxx