The Reid Family History

[Matthew Reid]

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Allow me to introduce the Reid family's history. This is basically where stories about Matthew and Jane's history can be put to keep it all together. Eventually, a list will be made with links to the different stories.

I will try to keep mine about Matthew's experiences, though I might do ones like when their father left too, because I really like writing about that.

Enjoy!

William Leaving
Bye Bye Diana Reid

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[Matthew Reid]

Tapping his pencil on the wooden desk in his room, Matthew put his head in his hand and sighed softly. Raised voices were coming from downstairs and the sixteen year old didn't want to know what his parents were arguing about this time. It always seemed to be something different... Yesterday it had been the cat, for example. Hearing someone rapping on his door, Matthew tore his gaze from his homework.

"Come in?"

The door opened, revealing a somewhat worried looking Jane. Her hair was a soft pink, like candy floss.

"Can I come in?" The younger sibling asked, her voice soft. Matthew nodded and put his pencil down.

"They worrying you?" He asked gently, watching her close the door and walk over to him while nodding. Standing, he moved to hug her. "It'll be okay. It always is." He said softly, trying to comfort her. The thirteen year old shook her head, though, and looked up at him.

"Dad's talking about leaving." She almost whispered. Matthew frowned in confusion.

"Whu-What?" He asked, watching as Jane looked away from his face and bit her lip momentarily.

"Dad's saying he's going to leave."

As she finished talking, Matthew let go of her and moved across the room before pulling the door open. Jane followed him at a distance as he hurried down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, where their parents were.

"You aren't taking your medication." William said loudly as Matthew entered the room, Jane following with her thumb holding her top lip, her eyes wide as she watched her parents.

"You don't know that.." Diana said dismissively, shaking her head. William sighed before noticing the children.

"Go back upstairs, kids."

Neither of the children moved and Diana looked at the floor, her brown hair settling on her shoulders gently.

"Are you leaving?" Jane asked, sounding close to tears. William looked at her almost as though he pitied her and didn't notice Matthew's hand tighten into a fist with suppressed anger. "Are you?" Jane asked again, forcing her voice to be stronger. William nodded softly. Matthew shook his head silently.

"Do you have something to say, Matthew?" William asked, his voice somewhat stricter than it had been while addressing Jane as well. Matthew forced himself to be silent, though Diana spoke instead.

"Probably thinking that you're weak." She snapped, looking at William. The man nodded silently.

"Then he should tell me." He stated, talking softly again before his gaze fell on Matthew. "Is that what you think?" He asked, watching as Matthew seemed to pale a little at being asked his opinion.

"No... I think you're selfish." Matthew stated, his voice barely above a mumble in volume. This answer seemed to surprise William, who had looked away from his son at the 'no'. Their eyes met and Matthew swallowed hard. "You have to be... To not consider us..."

"You could take Jane with you... It would help..." Diana suggested, crossing her arms over her ribs protectively. William shook his head.

"Don't do this, Diana..." William replied, moving to leave the room.

"Her don't do this?!" Matthew blurted out, frowning with the feeling that he was actually going to explode with annoyance at the man in front of him.

"Move, Matthew."

"Wh-Why? So... So you can abandon us?" Matthew asked, stepping a little bit closer to William despite the feeling that his heart was going to break his ribcage due to how fast it was beating. "Because... I think I understand exactly what's going on here. You don't want to help mom anymore but instead of admitting it, you're going to leave and act like the victim."

"You don't understand. Stop pretending that you do and move." William snarled. Matthew shook his head.

"I'm not moving just for you to abandon us... To abandon her." He said, indicating to Jane. William's expression turned determined while Matthew seemed to be extremely calm. Jane bit her bottom lip as Diana began to pay attention to what they were both saying.

"Just move, Matthew..."

"Move out of the way you stupid boy." William snapped, obviously angry with his son. "You don't understand and you never will. You're a failure an-" William was cut off by a fist connecting with his face. Jane screamed and jumped back, Diana moved to hug her daughter.

"Ma-"

"Then leave. If we mean that fucking little to you then fuck off." Matthew spat, looking down at his father with something more than hatred as his chest moved with heavy, angered breathing. "I don't know why you stayed around this long..." He added, his voice smaller before he turned and walked down the hallway. Diana hugged Jane tighter as the front door slammed shut behind Matthew. William was pressing his fingers against his bleeding lip as he stood up.

"Go. Get out, now." Diana demanded, stroking her daughter's hair gently. "You're not wanted here." She said, watching William. He looked at Diana, then at Jane, and nodded before leaving the room. He walked up the stairs to go to his and Diana's room. As his footsteps sounded, Jane looked up at Diana with tears in her eyes.

"Matthew's going to come back, isn't he?" She asked gently, clinging to Diana's top. Diana nodded.

"Of course he is. He cares about us."


Hours passed before the front door opened again. William had left shortly after Matthew, and Diana had gone to her room ten minutes after that. Jane was in the living room, staring at the television though not paying attention to the cartoon that was on it. When she heard the front door open, she stood up and ran into the hallway before smiling at her brother.

"Hi..."

Matthew smiled softly back at her and looked at the ground as he closed the door quietly.

"Hey..."

There was a pause, silence falling heavily on the pair before Jane practically dived forward and hugged her brother tightly.

"Thank you for coming back." She said softly, pressing her face against him as he hugged her back and nodded.

"You don't need to thank me. I would always come back." He replied gently. The pair looked at each other when they pulled out of the hug. Matthew glanced around the hallway.

"Quiet, isn't it? Mom's in her room... Dad left after you did..." Jane told him, looking around as well. "Cartoons are on... I don't know what on but..." She trailed off with a shrug.

"How's mom?" Matthew asked softly, looking around again.

"I don't know..."

Nodding, Matthew walked into the living room with Jane. The younger sibling picked up a paperweight that was on the window sill and sat down while weighing it in her hands.

"I'm gonna check on mom, 'kay?" Matthew asked, watching her from the doorway. Jane nodded silently. "Need anything before I do?" He asked, hoping for a verbal answer. Jane shook her head and watched the paperweight.

Leaving his sister in the living room, Matthew walked up the stairs and to his mother's bedroom silently. He tapped on the door upon reaching it before entering the room. Diana was sitting on the bed, looking out of the window.

"Mom?"

Diana looked around as though startled and smiled at Matthew.

"Matthew. I didn't hear you come home..."

Matthew smiled softly and shook his head.

"I was trying to be quiet..." He replied, trailing off as his gaze moved to the floor. He looked back at her after a moment, though. "Are you okay?" He asked, biting his lip. Diana nodded.

"I'm... I'm fine. Thank you." She answered, almost sounding dismissive of the question. Matthew nodded silently.

"What was he talking about? With the... Medicine...?" He asked, sounding almost afraid to ask. Diana looked at him before looking out of the window.

"I have schizophrenia."

Matthew frowned.

"You... Never told us..."

"Didn't want you two to worry..."

Matthew laughed softly and shook his head.

"We... We probably wouldn't have... Would've tried to be better, though."

Diana looked at him as he spoke and smiled.

"You two are perfect... Almost..." She stated and moved over to Matthew. "Pay no attention to what he said." She added and hugged him.

"Kind of difficult..." Matthew mumbled, hugging her back. Diana nodded and pulled away from him before holding his shoulders and looking him in the eye.

"I know, but you learn how to." She smiled and let him go. "But now you don't need to learn... He's not here and it's just us three..." She looked out of the window again while smiling. "And it's going to be fine..."

[Matthew Reid]

Curled up on the sofa, his heels perched on the edge of his seat as he blindly watched whatever was on the television, the eighteen year old occupying the seat took several deep breaths. His mother was in the kitchen. His sister was upstairs, in her room. Three loud knocks sounded on the front door, startling him out of whatever thoughts he was stuck in. He took another deep breath and stood before walking into the hallway. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Matthew paused and looked at the stairs. His sister stood there, watching him with a small frown.

"Who is it?" She asked, watching her brother. Matthew shrugged softly.

"Probably no one." He lied, pushing his hair out of his eyes before smiling a little. "Go back upstairs."

"I wanna know who it is." She said stubbornly, staying where she was. Matthew sighed almost silently and shook his head.

"Go back upstairs, please." He requested, not moving from his spot in the doorway of the living room. His sister shook her head and stayed put defiantly. "Go back upstairs, Jane." He snapped sharply, unable to deal with the situation at that moment in time. Jane, startled, froze. Matthew lowered his head. "Sorry." He mumbled, not seeing her as she ran back up the stairs. He gave another sigh and turned to the door before opening it. Two men, both rather friendly looking, were stood the otherside of the door.

"Matthew Reid?" One of the men inquired gently. Matthew nodded and the men smiled softly as though relieved they got to the right house. Matthew stepped back a little to let them in.

"She... She's in the kitchen..." He said quietly, his voice unable to climb any higher in volume. The men nodded.

"Lead the way."



As the trio reached the kitchen, with the table stacked high with books that had been read repeatedly in the past two years, Matthew broke away from the pair and hugged himself subtly.

"Um... Mom?"

"Yes, Matthew?"

"These... These men are here..."

The woman at the table, hunched over a piece of paper, looked up with a frown.

"Who are you?"

"We're from the Las Vegas Mental Hospital, ma'am. The second man, who'd been silent thus far, said gently.

"You're not allowed to be here. Get rid of them, Matthew." The woman almost demanded and went back to whatever she'd been doing before. Matthew shifted anxiously before glancing at the pair. The man who'd spoken at the door nodded softly as though understanding what Matthew was in need of.

"He called us in, ma'am." He said softly. Her head snapped up and she looked at them before looking at Matthew, who looked at the floor as he saw betrayal in his mother's expression.

"He can't do that. Please leave."

"Your son's eighteen. He can act in your welfare."

She looked at Matthew as though disappointed before looking back at the men.

"Please, leave me alone. This is my house. This is my life."

The men moved forward and Matthew was now crying, unable to watch what was happening.

"No. Go away. I don't want to leave."



The trio, made up of the two men from the hospital and Diana Reid, moved out of the kitchen as the woman demanded to be let go. Matthew remained in the kitchen, eyes closed as he cried silently.

"Mom?"

The voice from the hallway forced Matthew's eyes open and he jogged into the hallway as Jane reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Jane, go back upstairs." He said, his voice thick with suppressed tears. Jane looked at him with confusion and frowned.

"Matthew, what's going on?!"

"Please go upstairs. I'll explain everything later." Matthew requested, voice breaking as tears leaked down his cheeks. Jane shook her head.

"No! Tell me what's going on!"

"I... I'll explain everything later. I promise. Please..." He wasn't looking at her. He couldn't. He was trying hard not to cry, though that only seemed to make him cry more, and Jane had begun moving towards the front door. Dashing forward like an unco-ordinated giraffe, Matthew slipping in front of her and closed the door in one swift movement. Jane looked up at him and jutted her bottom jaw out.

"Matthew, move."

"No..." He shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper in volume. Jane narrowed her eyes and Matthew looked at the floor. "They're from the hospital..."

A sharp noise broke the air as Jane slapped her brother hard.

"Fuck you." She snarled, her voice shaking with rage. She shoved passed him and left the house to run after her mother. Matthew remained in the hallway, hugging his ribs as his cheek throbbed from the slap. A number of minutes passed before Jane came back in and moved to the stairs.

"J-Jane... I-"

"I hate you."

Matthew looked at his sister as she watched him, one foot on the bottom step.

"What the fuck possessed you to do that?"

"She... She needs help..."

"She was fine!" Jane screamed, making Matthew jump before she began moving towards him threateningly. The elder sibling stumbled backwards a little, expecting to get hit again. Jane shook her head as though pitying him before she moved upstairs, making sure to slam her bedroom door once she was inside her room.



Downstairs, Matthew's back was pressed against the wall. Tears streamed silently down his cheeks before he slid down the wall, pulled his knees to his chest and completely broke down into tears. He tore his glasses off and threw them across the hallway before pressing his hands to his face. They moved up slowly until the heels of his palms were against his forehead and pulled on his hair gently as though reminding himself that this was real. It wasn't a dream. He had just sent his mother to a mental hospital and his sister did actually hate him.


An hour passed before he stopped. His arms were crossed over his stomach gently as he stared blankly at his knees. Another half an hour passed before he remembered something. Looking in the living room, he could see a large table. They tended to use it as a desk despite it actually being a dining table. On top of it was a college application. He'd been struggling to fill it in, not knowing what to apply for. Now he knew, though. He moved to pick his glasses up and put them back on before standing and moving somewhat shakily into the living room. Upon reading the table, he dropped into the seat that the application was in front of and, after finding his pen, wrote out what he wanted to apply for in messy handwriting...

Psychology.