InsaneJournal

Roger Stratton: Matt's father. Born and raised in North Carolina, he ventured out to college clear across the country, settling at the University of Southern California and majoring in music. It was there that he met and immediately fell for Elissa Rysier, and it was not long after that that he decided to settle in California permanently. An avid surfer and musician, Matt takes very much after his father. Killed in a car accident when Matt was 11 years old.

Elissa Stratton (née Rysier): Matt's mother. An only child, Elissa grew up in the wealthy society of Newport Beach, California, and stayed close to home her whole life. Though her family was rich, and she beautiful, Elissa was kind and down to earth, using her wealth to dedicate her life to philanthropy and appreciating things like cooking, art, and music. While attending the University of Southern California, she mett Roger Stratton and was immediately smitten. They were married not long after they graduated college (after a bit of a struggle between Elissa and her parents, who thought that Roger was not good enough for their daughter) and started their family not far from where Elissa herself grew up. She, along with her husband, was killed in a car accident on her way back from a charity function.

Matt has great memories of his parents, who loved going to the beach and teaching their kids to surf while also teaching them the little lessons in life that shaped who he is now. He still misses his parents every single day.

Kristine Stratton: Kristine is one of Matt's younger sisters. When they were orphaned, Kristine was only six; therefore, she only has spotty memories of her parents. She is close to both Matt and Claire, her younger sister, and acts as Claire's second mother. Matt worries about leaving her behind because he's worried about how she will surive at home without him, though they keep in touch fairly often. (See behindhereyes)

Claire Stratton: Matt's youngest sister. Claire was the quiet and shy one (kind of like Matt, except Matt was forced to grow a backbone to help take care of his sisters) until her twin sister Lily was diagnosed with leukemia when they were four. She then became her sister's protector, distracter, and advocate, right up until the day Lily died, and continued to do so afterwards. Ever since then, Claire has become lively, animated, and joyous -- not because her sister died, but because that was Lily's personality and even at four years old, she knew she had to keep her sister's memory alive. Matt is taken aback at how much Claire reminds him of Lily sometimes and how Lily would have grown up, as they were identical twins.

Lily Stratton, 4: Lily was Matt's youngest sister (and Claire's twin) and was the life and soul of her family. Claire and Lily were only a few months old when their parents died, so the only parent they ever knew was their aunt Andrea. Lily was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) at the age of four, and even though she had a better chance of surviving due to her having an identical twin, sadly, the cancer was an aggressive form and she passed away only ten months after being diagnosed. Her siblings were heartbroken, especially Matt and Kristine, who had to suffer losing three of their family members in as many years. Claire wears a locket with her sister's picture in it to remind them all that her sister lives on in her.

Andrea Stratton, 45: Once Andrea (who had been Roger's younger sister) heard that her brother and his wife had died in a car accident, and knowing that the couple had four young children, she took it upon herself to raise her brother's kids. At first, she moved to California to help take care of them, but after the stress of raising kids by herself and Lily's cancer battle, she wanted to move back to her (and Roger's) native North Carolina because she'd have help from their grandparents. Once they had laid Lily to rest, Andrea knew they had to move back, and as much as she didn't want to uproot her nephew and nieces from the only home they'd ever known, she knew there was a lot of loss and grief there and thought it might be good for them. And for the most part, it was therapeutic for them. They were still near the ocean, and they had their grandparents around to give them love and support, as well. Andrea loves her nephews and nieces like they were her own, and for the most part, they feel the same way. [PB: Jennie Garth]

Matt was born and raised in sunny Southern California until he hit high school. His mother and father were wonderful, beautiful people: they dedicated their lives to general philanthropy, as Elissa had come from a wealthy Newport Beach family and was an only child. They were the picture perfect family -- until everything fell apart.

Roger and Elissa Stratton were killed on a foggy November night on Pacific Coast Highway, as they were driving home from a dinner party. Matt remembers this day well - it was from this day on that his life was never the same. His aunt Andrea came out to help with everything that needed to be done, especially because he had three little sisters, two of which were babies. But he felt that he had to be the man of the house now because his dad was gone, and so he decided to do as much as he could to help his aunt, since he was the oldest.

Just as soon as they were getting adjusted to life without their parents, his youngest sister, Lily, was diagnosed with leukemia. During her treatments at the Children's Hospital in Orange County, Matt saw how much music made her feel better, and was intrigued by the music therapist in the hospital. He immediately decided that he would do that when he got older, so that he could help other kids like Lily feel better when they were feeling pain.

Matt doesn't really remember most of his childhood in the way that most kids do - he was forced to grow up early. He started working at fourteen, doing whatever he could. He held a steady job throughout high school, and managed to find time for extra-curriculars as well. He did well in all of his classes (not necessarily excelled, but did well) so that he could earn a scholarship to go to college. His mother had left all her fortune to them, but Matt knew that he wasn't the only one that was going to go to college -- just the first one.

He picked up the violin when Lily was in the hospital. When they took her home so she could pass away comfortably, Matt played what little he knew of it, and she loved it. There were many times that he thought about giving it up because no one seemed to appreciate it, but he will never forget that Lily wanted him to do it, so he plays it for her.

He and his sisters moved with his aunt Andrea to Elizabeth City, North Carolina the summer before he started high school. Though it was kind of a hard adjustment, it was a nice way to start over. In school, he didn't get teased for not having a life because he was too busy helping his sisters learn their ABCs or their times tables; in fact, almost every girl in the school found it endearing. However, Matt never had a way with girls his own age, even if he had the time to dabble in dating.

When the time for college came, Matt was content to just stay at home and go to community college so that he could be there for Kristine and Claire, but his aunt told him that they'd be okay without him. Andrea recognized that Matt had a talent and that it needed to be fostered, just like Roger had; and so, Matt used his musical skills to find a college that would help him do what he wanted. Three months later, he was on a plane to start his first summer session by himself.

When he started at McDermott, Matt felt more awkward than usual. However, he was able to make close friends; he was able to get along with his roommate, and he made a few friends through his job at the college eatery, but it was the girl he met one day at the library, Olivia Leighton, that would change his life. Not long after they met and became friends, Matt embarked on his first romantic venture. However, his first year of college also brought new and different challenges. It was during this time that his sister, Kristine, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Matt had never known just how helpless he could feel, going to school so far away and not being able to be there for his sister like he always had been before. His aunt also got engaged, and, right before he left for an extended stay at home, Matt experienced his first panic attack. In addition, his relationship with Olivia fell apart after she had to move back home, out of the country. These changes have affected Matt in a profound way, making him even more worried and anxious about who would accept him for himself, and not just pity him further.

While at McDermott he continued to make friends, though, and open up to a few people; he picked up guitar lessons and opened up to his teacher/mentor, and made a new friend in Ella Morgan. Ella was shy and socially awkward like him, and they became kindred spirits because of that. Ella was the first person Matt told about his new diagnosis that didn't look at him with pity or sadness, and it was that, along with so many other things, that made him fall in love with her.

Matt couldn't stay at McDermott forever, even though Ella still had another year to go. He had to think about what he wanted to do with his degree. More and more, Matt felt like he needed to move back to California, that it was truly his home. He still had his maternal grandparents there, who helped pull some strings and got him an in with the LA Philharmonic (they were wealthy benefactors). It was Matt's dream job, and even though they told him they couldn't pay him, he was okay with that as long as they wanted him and he got the experience. However, he'd strived for so long to help others through music, and was extremely fortunate to land a part-time job as a music therapist at the UCLA Health System, helping not only children but adults as well. He doesn't make much but with help from his grandparents' fortune he gets along okay. The best part about all of this, though, was that Ella followed him out - because Matt would have no idea where he'd be without her.

Matt is average height, slightly gangly, with shaggy brownish-blonde hair and blue eyes. He is tan from spending every possible moment at the beach. He kind of has awkward hands that fumble around a little when he's not playing the violin, and is usually found on his skateboard or sitting on random curbsides or benches, enjoying the sun.

Matt is an all around nice, easygoing guy. He is shy and quiet, but he's not a pushover -- if he knows what he needs, he'll make sure he gets it, but he won't be forceful or rude about it. He's very loyal to those he loves and has a protector complex, having helped raise his sisters since he was eleven.

He knows how to prioritize and what's important; he's a hard worker and does what he needs to get the job done. However, living like this since he was a pre-teen means that he's kind of socially awkward and dorky, so he keeps to himself a lot. He has the skills to be independent, but hasn't really had the opportunity, so he doesn't realize that he really is very independent.

He tends to get nervous and paranoid in certain situations, and is overly cautious and hesitant, especially when trying new and different things. This is multiplied in social situations. Matt worries a lot, more than he should. He tries to be courteous and cognizant of other people's feelings.

He can be pretty funny if he wants to be (if you get to know him well enough); he also loves comic books, video games, and superhero movies.