DAISY {Eric Matthews}

01

Chapter one

'Stupid shoelaces!' 

"Tie your shoelaces!" called out Mrs Thomas as her daughter rushed out the front door. Valerie waved a hand back in both an acknowledgement and a goodbye. As she ran, she pulled her dark hair back into a ponytail hoping to look at least a little put together by the time she got to the Matthews' residence. Valerie had slept through her alarm, a result of consistent late mornings throughout the summer, and was left to rush around to get ready and meet one of her best friends, Cory, on time. 

Tripping unceremoniously on her untied shoelaces, Valerie practically fell through the Matthews' door, "I meant to do that" she announced sheepishly to the current occupants of the kitchen. 

"Sure, you did," Eric, the oldest Matthews' son nodded in fake agreement while pouring himself a glass of orange juice. With a sarcastic smile at said boy, Valerie swiped the glass from him before he could take a sip and downed the juice before handing back the glass. "Thanks, I didn't have time for breakfast this morning. Anyway, where's Cory?" 

"Well, now I'm not going to tell you" Eric huffed crossing his arms defiantly. 

"He's in the living room Sweetie, waiting for you so you can go to Shawn's" 

"Thank you, Mrs Matthews," Valerie smiled at the kind mother and went through to Cory.

"Mom!"

*

After a summer of Shawn living in Turner's apartment, the sight of him lying on the sofa in his pyjamas was not uncommon. Valerie sighed knowing the boy was clearly not ready for summer to be over. 

"Shawn, we gotta get to school" announced Cory 

"What, you don't know the way without me?" 

"Come on buddy," Val encouraged dragging Shawn by his arms to a standing position. 

"Fine, this pizza's gone bad anyway" Shawn shuffled in Cory's direction before leaning back at the smell, "It's you!" he pointed suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at Cory, who could only mutter a small, "Oh no."

 "You knew this would happen, Cory," Valerie shrugged unsympathetically towards the boy, who was now spinning around in an effort to rid himself of the strong-smelling cologne, leaning down to finally tie her shoelaces. 

"Cologne, nice clothes, the spinning," Shawn listed, "How could I forget, it's Wednesday. T-day. The day Topanga gets back from her summer trip"

"Oh yeah," Cory said excitedly.

"So, you're gonna do it, huh, Cor. You're gonna ask Topanga to be your girlfriend?"

"I really hope she says yes." 

Valerie looked at the starry-eyed look on Cory's face and smiled softly, her friends may be a pain sometimes, but she wanted them to be happy and for Cory, she knew that meant being with Topanga.  

"Lateness," Shawn scoffed when Cory tried to hurry him along into leaving, "A problem for me once, that was of course until I got myself a teacher-roommate" he smiled smugly at his friends. "John," he called out. 

"Yeah? Hey, Matthews nice outfit. Job interview?" Turner asked upon seeing his smartly dressed student, which gained a quiet snicker from the brunette now sitting on the sofa. 

"Watch" Shawn whispered to his friends conspiringly, to which Val rolled her eyes but gestured for him to get on with it. 

Laughing at his failed attempt to get a note from Turner to excuse him from class, Valerie picked up her bag and began to lead the way out of the apartment, not bothering to point out that Shawn was still in his pyjamas.