Matthew Anderson

『 ``You know I think it's funny how you shared your first kiss in the same place you two met and got cuddly.`` 』 --Matthew to Renee, regarding the latter's relationship with Astoria.

Matthew Anderson is one of the characters introduced in Season 2 of Awakening. Initially a newcomer, he soon becomes involved in the events and gets acquainted with the survivors as he learns more about what happened.

Personality
Matthew is typically calm, collected and stoic. One would usually find him looking on with a bored expression on his face.

He doesn't talk a whole lot, especially when he's around many people and when he does, it's usually to deliver a dry, sarcastic one-liner. When he's with one, two people at most, he's more prone to talk a lot.

He often jokes around, usually at the expense of others, even those supposedly close to him.

However, he had shown quite a few times how kindhearted and nice he really is. The most notable example being his relationship with Astoria. Aside from the bantering, he is nothing but supportive, sweet and comforting.

This also applies to the few other people he considers his friends.

While he's usually the chillest in the cast, he can still crack under the pressure. The sight of many bodies is said to have scarred him for life.

He also is quite closed off when it comes to emotional turmoil. In the end, he's mentioned to have avoided therapy, settling for writing down his feelings on his laptop, showing that he can't trust many with how he feels which could in turn damage him mentally. This method seems to have already affected him long before he witnessed the murders, thus making him awful with expressing himself.

Biography
Nothing much is mentioned of Matt's background, except that he's an only child and never had friends. He moved in Markwye two years after the first series of murders. He became friends with Tiffani shortly before moving in.Matt is first seen on his phone in his house, minding his own business. Then, his alone time is disturbed by Skylar's party nearby so he rushed in shortly after the first murder, seeing the detective and realizing that a murder took place. Assuming this is connected to the events two years ago, he goes on to Tiffani to ask for info and goes back home.

Spending some time online, he jumps in the group chat and sees that everyone is planning a meetup so he decides to join. It becomes apparent that it was a terrible idea so he left.

He crossed paths with Zoe and got freaked out by her ominous behavior (knowing his name takes the cake). As he followed her, he witnessed her talk with Jamie, and before he can ask her anymore, she ran back home while he texted her to offer friendship.

A while later after wandering around, Matthew stumbled upon a house with a horrific sight in it. He instantly texted Zoe to check up on her, learning that she's in the hospital. He goes there to make sure she's okay, and asks her about what she knows, then he leaves after

she's discharged.

Feeling the need to get some fresh air, he goes to the park and encounters Elizabeth. While they're talking, they notice a shadowy figure near the library attacking a girl. They go there and find the dead body of Mandy, so they call 911 as Matthew receives a picture of the body they found.

The police arrive and Matt is asked about Jason, which he replies that he doesn't know him well. Matt and Liz trade numbers and go their separate ways.

He immediately goes to Tiffani's house to inform her of the occurrence. She is horrified and asks him to leave, but changes her mind and he accompanies her to the graveyard. She leads him to Maddy's grave, her girlfriend who died two years prior.

Tiffani collapses and holds on to Matt for comfort, and he soothes her with words and kisses her on the forehead, confirming that she's the one he likes. Tiffani asks him once again to leave, to which he obliges.

A little while later, he catches a glimpse of the group chat and learns that Tiffani went missing. After getting taunted by the killer, they pinpoint her location in the graveyard, in Maddy's grave and save her in time. Emotionally destroyed by all these events, he goes home.

Tiffani contacts him to apologize for her breakdown, and he sends back a text asking when he can talk with her. While waiting, he discovers cameras in his home so he destroys them and steps out of the house.

While walking down the street, he encounters Astoria and the two become friends. Matt discovers that a file containing dirt on everyone was sent to her.

The two go to Starbucks, and getting a little annoyed with the barista, they soon leave and walk down the streets towards Astoria's house, then they part ways.

He checks on Tiffani and sees that he didn't get a response, so he texts Astoria instead and incidentally discovers that she's in the hospital so he rushes there. Astoria falls asleep and freaks out as she's sleeping, prompting Matthew to leave a note behind and exit the hospital.

When he gets back home, he finds weird things left on his doorstep. He goes to the mall and runs into Astoria there, so he accompanies her to do some shopping but running into Poppy triggered Astoria as she reminded her that she killed Elizabeth, which happened right after Matthew left the other day.

Astoria runs through the mall until she stops and sits on a bench with Matt comforting her. She explains everything that happened that day, and Matt invites her to stay with him at his house for a bit, and she accepts.

They go over to Matt's house and after a few peaceful seconds, the two get on the group chat and see that everyone is going to the warehouse because the killer said so. The duo and everyone else arrive and discover the many maimed bodies of previous victims, and a girl they recognize as Olivia shows up and tried to kill them, only to be swarmed by everyone, resulting in her death.

Olivia's body is thrown in the water, and the knife is buried. Matt, along with Astoria, Renee, Tiffani and Jason gathered around.

Fearing that it will be too late before he tells her, Matt urges Tiffani to step away for a bit so he can admit that he likes her. It looks like Matt got murdered right after confessing, but it turns out to be Tiffani's dream. In reality, Matt confessed and Tiff, having being flustered, runs away without a word.

Dejected, but understanding, he goes home as well.

He finally receives a text from Tiffani asking if she can come over, and he says yes. Once there, they try to break the tension between them with Matt explaining that he felt guilty about liking her because of her relationship with Maddy. It eventually ends in them sharing two kisses, then Tiff gets a text from the killer threatening to kill someone close to her after she killed Olivia.

Matthew accompanies Tiffani to Jason's house. The two latter argued while Matt stayed silent, and he eventually went home.

He decided to go to the graveyard after a while, and he does to pay respects then leaves.

Feeling disheartened, he goes back to Starbucks, where he sees Astoria and meets Paige and Skylar. Just as he was about to leave because of their antics, they force him into Skylar's car to go to the saloon.

On the way there, Astoria gets a call from the killer, urging her to say a name (Matthew or Paige). Nervous, she reluctantly says Matthew's name then suddenly Skylar gets thrown out of the car with the killer taking her place and driving into a wall.

Matthew is injured, as well as the other three and he is taken to the hospital where Astoria visits him later to apologize and he forgives her. She suddenly gets a text and leaves abruptly.

Later, after getting discharged, Matt texts Astoria and finds out that she went to the abandoned warehouse where she, along with Poppy, Cassie and Skylar were kidnapped. Only Poppy and Astoria survived.

Matthew goes to check on her and meets Renee and Jamie, who came along for the rescue. Much to his shock, Matt learns that the killer was Jason all along.

After a small conversation, they agree that strength is in numbers so they decided to have a sleepover at Renee's.

During this sleepover, Matt remarks that he wishes that Renee and Astoria get together and partially helps in making it happen. Renee suggests going to a carnival that's been announced and they agree to go.

At the carnival, they see some other people they know and they go in. It becomes apparent that something is wrong in the carnival.

Jamie reveals that there are secret tunnels that could be used by the killers. They find them and go in a secret room, discovering that Jason escaped jail and he was only framed, with the culprits being revealed as Noah, Zoe and Paige along with many members of the cult.

Against all odds, Matthew, along with Tiffani, Jason, Astoria and Jamie defeat all cult members and the three killers, but Renee was unfortunately killed.

Matthew's epilogue details that he moved out of town and will be staying with his parents till he can find a new house. He kept in touch with the other four, except for Jamie who cut off everybody. He went to study to get a job, at night after that day, he would always get his laptop and write nonstop about his experience. It is implied that he is scarred and this is his way of dealing with pain, having avoided therapy. But he's determined to push through life, despite knowing that he'll never forget what happened for years to come.

Trivia

 * Matthew was one of the few characters who never had a relationship with anyone, alive or dead.