Incredibly Average| BMW Shawn Hunter

"Forever sounds like a long time.."

——
"Okay, Anastasia, off you go." My mother said as she tried to push me into my new class. I shook my head profusely and hid behind her legs. My teacher kneeled down beside me.

"Would it make you feel better if your mom walked you in?" She asked kindly. I nodded as I slowly crept out from behind my moms security. My mom walked me into the class and gave me one last hug then quickly ran off as she was late for her job interview.
"It's play time right now, would you like to go find a friend to play with." I nodded but didn't walk to find someone to accompany me. I looked down at my Velcro shoes and slightly swung my leg in and out.

My teacher stood next to me and kneeled down once more. "Anastasia, I think I know two very nice gentlemen who would love if you joined them while they played." I looked up at my teacher and nodded while smiling and taking her hand. She walked me over to two brown haired boys playing together.

"Cory, Shawn. This is our new friend Anastasia, could she play with you two?"

"Yeah, she can play with us." The curly haired boy said. "We need someone to play the mommy."

"I'm good at playing the mommy." I smiled and walked over to the two boys.

"Hi I'm Cory, what's your name?" Asked the boy to my right.

"Anastasia." I replied.

"That's a long name." The other boy mentioned.

"My mommy calls me Annie or Stacey." I told the young boy.

"I like that better than your other name." He smiled at the girl.

"Really? I don't like Stacey."

"I do. I'll call you Stacey!" He smiled proudly.

"Please don't. I don't like it."

"Can we be friends?" The brown haired boy asked changing the subject.

"Yes!"

"Me too!" The curly haired boy chimed in.

"We can all be friends. We can be friends forever." I smiled happily at the two boys.

"Forever sounds like a long time.." Young Shawn said "oh well." We all returned to playing with each other. I would have never known how much these two boys would mean to me years from then.

—— 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

I woke up in my bed and sprang up. I hurried to get ready. I brushed my hair and teeth. I got dressed in plaid skirt and a white v-neck with my new zip up over top. I pulled on my black closed-toe shoes with a small heel on the back. I rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen where there was nobody to be seen. My mom was a nurse and had to work long night shifts sometimes so she wasn't home in a whole lot. I didn't mind it though, I had way more freedom than some of my friends. Speaking of friends, I was about to leave to see my two very best friends Shawn and Cory. I had been gone all summer and had changed..a lot. Still not quite jaw dropping, still very average, but a step up from middle school.

I grabbed my bag and ran out the door. I walked down the block and made the same right turn that I had made hundreds of times before. I walked down the street as my heart pounded inside my chest. I made a turn into the Matthews drive way and walked to the back door. I took a deep breath before going in.

"Good morning, Matthews Clan!" I greeted happily.

Mrs. Matthews looked at me in confusion then shock.

"Oh my goodness, Annie?" She asked in disbelief.

"The one and only!" I announced proudly.

"You look so grown up!" She smiled then pulled me in for a hug.

She was right. I did look different. My hair had grown a few inches and my curls had started to disappear. My face slimmed out. I grew from 5'to 5'2. I had grown into my body. My chest and hips grew a few sizes and I had curves.

Eric walked into the kitchen and stopped in is track.

"What's this?" He asked. "Who's that?"

"Stop messing around Eric. You know who I am. I hope." I looked at the ground.

"Of course I do, I'm just messing with you, Annie." He pulled me in and hugged me "Welcome back, kiddo."

I was turned around taking to Mrs. Matthews when I heard lots of noise coming down the stairs.

"Is she here?!" Cory asked excitedly.

"Where is she?!" Shawn yelled.

I turned to look at them and before I knew it they ran at me engulfing me in a hug.

"Boys! boys! I get it! You missed me. But I'd like to breath." I felt only a bit of relief when Cory let go but my oxygen was still limited because Shawn was clinging to me like his life depended on it.

"Shawn, let her breath." Mr. Matthews told the excited boy. He let go and I gasped for air.

"Sorry, Stace." He apologised as he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't call me that." The argument between me and Shawn about what name he can call me has been an ongoing battle since the day we met. He called me Stacey, always. And I hated it.

"Oh come on, you don't even look like an Annie anymore. You look like a Stacey." He bargained.

"And what exactly does that mean?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Annie is a name for a young girl. But you don't look like a young girl anymore you look more- well you've- you're-" He stuttered.

"She went through puberty." I heard from Eric in the other room.

"Yeah what he said." I rolled my eyes at his logic. How could your age determine what name you use?

"You know what? I'm just-" I stopped talking when I noticed the two pieces of fur that Shawn had stuck to the side of his face. "What is on your face?"

"These, my friend, are proof of manhood."I scoffed at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing it's just, you need to be a man to experience manhood." I teased. "Besides, slapping two squirrels on your face doesn't make you look more like a man."

"Stacey, you wouldn't understand, I'm going into highschool. I am now a man. I've grown out of my middle school days and am now blooming into a man." I rolled my eyes at his delusions.

"Shawn, once you realize that being a man has nothing to do with age and everything to do with maturity, only then will you be a real man." I patted his face with my hand and turned away.

"You gonna let her say that to me?" He asked while turning to Cory.

He shrugged and threw his hands up. "Don't wanna get in the way of a lovers quarrel huh, Cor." Eric joked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked sternly while turning to Eric.

"Nothing, it's just common knowledge not to get in the middle of old married couples."

"We're not married, or old, or a couple." I crossed my arms.

"Then stop acting like it." Eric retorted.

"I'm not doing this, it's too early. Let's go to school." I grabbed my bag walked out the door with my two boys right behind me unaware of what the new school year would bring.