They Both Die at the End: Mateo 10:12 a.m. Summary & Analysis

As Rufus rides his bike beside Mateo, Mateo says he has one idea: he’d like to go visit his mom’s grave. Rufus agrees, but he stops in at a drugstore first, where he buys Mateo a set of Legos as a thank-you for the Instagram idea. After this, they catch their train and talk about where Rufus wanted to travel. As they chat, the lights flicker and everything shuts off. The intercom says that there’s a delay in the system, but Mateo thinks that someone could stab them. He scoots toward Rufus so their legs touch, hoping to protect Rufus so that Rufus can see the Plutos again. Rufus turns on the flashlight on his phone, massages Mateo’s shoulder, and then dumps Legos into Mateo’s lap. He tells Mateo to build something.

Mateo’s heart is pounding, but he aimlessly puts bricks together. Rufus asks where Mateo wanted to travel. Mateo feels suffocated—now that he’s dying and can’t travel, he wants to go everywhere and do everything. After a minute, Mateo realizes he’s building a sanctuary—it reminds him of home. At home, he hid from excitement, but home also kept him safe, alive, and happy. Mateo finishes his sanctuary and his head droops. He snaps awake and apologizes for not listening, but Rufus insists that Mateo rest. Mateo argues, but he eventually agrees. He knows that Rufus is watching him. It’s weird at first, but then it feels nice, like he has a personal guardian.