TO HIS SURPRISE Kardern ended up spending more time at the Matthew household -- he didn't know when he started spending more time at their house than his own. But it didn't matter because Kardern was just happy to have the company as it beat spending hours alone in his own house waiting for his dad to come home, just so he could see him for half an hour before he dragged himself up to bed in order to pass out, to get enough sleep in order to do the exact same thing the next day
He wasn't only close to Cory but Shawn as well. The troublemaker seemed to take Kardern under his wing after the conversation they had in detention and it made Kardern happier than he had been in a while. The boy had been lonely for a long time with only books to keep him company so it was nice to have actual people around him.
"Hey Osborn, what is happening?"
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Kardern didn't want to know how or why he was in his house. He's just happy to see the boy even if he provides a distraction to the homework he's been working on all morning and his eyes leave the masses of paper he had accumulated over the last couple of hours
"I'm doing homework Hunter -- you should try it sometime"
"Nah it's okay beside at this point Mr Feeny pretty much expects me to fail at this point"
He said it so casually and it took Kardern off guard. He was so used to Shawn being the cunning and trouble making one in the group of friends he wasn't used to seeing Shawn so vulnerable, even if the words were wrapped in amesument
"You don't have to think you will fail all the time, you know? You have potential to do great things. You just need to believe in yourself like I believe in you"
"You believe in me?"
"Yes" Kardern nodded, his voice firm and resolute and leaving no room for argument which he knew was coming if the look on Shawn's face was anything to go by as he pulled back a chair from the dining room table and sat with his arms resting on the back of the chair "I know your much smarter than you let on"
"And how do you know that?"
"Because I'm observant" Kardern's eyes narrow as once again he lets his homework go forgotten -- the down side of having a social life is actually having to socialise with other people and that often meant he didn't get his homework done as fast as he once did. Don't get Kardern wrong, he still did it and to the best of his ability no less ontop of them most of his homework was given in on time too, it just wasn't as quick as when he only had himself and his books
"So you observe me then?" Shawn said a growing smirk appearing on his face and Kardern rolled his eyes at the boy as he continued. For as friendly as Shawn was with Kardern he was as equally annoying and sometimes he just opened his mouth and words spewed out. Words that were not true at all "That's creepy you're like a stalker"
Kardern's brain short circuted and all he could do for a few moments was splutter and cough surrounded by his books and homework and of course Shawn who couldn't help but laugh at the poor boy's misery. If Kardern died right now, he would be so mad at himself because a) he hadn't got through all the books he wanted to finish before he started high school and b) he didn't want the last thing that he saw to be Shawn's face
After mostly sobering up from his laughter, Shawn decided to help Kardern kick his brain into gear and gently liked to remind Kardern that he was only kidding -- even if deep down Kardern knew that and he was getting flustered by something else entirely -- yes he definitely wasn't going to tell Shawn Hunter of all people that "Relax Osborn, I'm kidding. Breathe. You're going so red darling"
"And whose fault is that, Hunter?" Kardern tried to pointlessly argue
"Don't look at me like that! This whole mess started because of you"
"It started because you walked into my house and interrupted me trying to get my homework done. Why are you in here anyway?"Kardern pointed out with a smirk when it seemed that Shawn was done with arguing with him
Kardern -- 1 Shawn -- 0
"Cory's grandmother was visiting. I didn't want to intrude" Shawn said the sentence lightly butt Kardern could sense the note of bitterness in his tone but didn't comment on it just yet. He and Shawn were similar in so many ways, they both came from broken families and used different ways to cope with the cards they were given in life
Kardern used books as his armour against the world, engulfing him like an old friend after an long day when he had nobody to turn to and his words were sharp and full of wit and sarcasm to keep people getting too close to him and when he got angry, he couldn't help it he needed something (or someone) to punch and it didn't matter whether they were the target of his anger or not
Shawn very similar to how Kardern used books, used his charm and sarcasm to get through the day and when he didn't have that, he could always turn to Cory and his family for support. Kardern was always envious of that that no matter how much he or his older brother Eric mess up, they will always have somebody to come back to
Kardern wished he had that, all he had was a cold, empty house
"Please you're like one of the family already. The Matthews have all but adopted you, hey but at least you know your wanted. It seems everyone in my life can't get away from me fast enough" Kardern confessed, his voice barely above a whisper and a frown forming on his face
What happened next had Karden go as stiff as a board as Shawn brought Kardern into a hug and echoed his words from detention"Stop that, you are amazing and I don't say that lightly Osborn. You are one of my friends and it's not right that people think that of you because despite being a bit nerdy I think deep down you're alright"
"Sometimes I wonder whether it'd be easier if I was just a different person. You know change who I am. Maybe then people would actually stay" The words were muffled into Shawn's shoulder but the effect was just the same
"Osborn you doesn't need to change" Shawn smiled at him as he pulled away "I like you just the way you are"
YOU ARE READING
What Should I do? | Shawn Hunter
FanfictionHe was a sweet boy with a little bit of a temper, struggling to find his way through life. After his mother walked out on him when he was just a little boy and his dad having to work double the shifts in order to make ends meet, Kardern found his fr...
