CHANGES [eric matthews]

Back to school

↳CHAPTER 2.2
Back to School.
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『 "Your Royal Awesomeness?" 』
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IT WAS TIME for new beginnings. The cool, September breeze was pushing past Beckett Hunter's hair, her leather jacket was reflecting off the sun, and a smile was rested on her lips.

It had been a short summer. She went to a few movies, ran at the beach, biked around Philadelphia, and, of course, played Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible alongside her new friend Wyatt. Her friends and family seemed to think she had a natural talent for acting.

She spent a lot of her time with Jason and Eric. Oh, Eric. After their talk in the spring, the two found it in themselves to be more civil with eachother and actually get along. Beckett wouldn't dare call him a friend per say, but she could just about tolerate him.

In fact, he had offered to be her and Shawn's ride to school this year. She was certainly surprised at the offer, but considering he had a car and she didn't, she took him up on it. And of course, Shawn said yes. He thought it would be great for his social life if he showed up to school with a couple of juniors.

That's right. He was entering his first year of high school. Beckett could hardly believe it, they grew up way too fast. She almost teared up, but Shawn had told her to get a grip, just before slapping on a pair of fake sideburns.

Don't ask.

On their walk over to the Matthews' on the first day, Shawn had been babbling about him and Cory's 'plan'. It was apparently an Eric approved high school crash course of getting to the top of the food chain to avoid years of misery.

Beckett thought it was stupid, just like Eric. But, now that she was attempting to be nice to him, she didn't say it out loud. But boy did she think it.

"What's even on this plan, anyways?" She asked her brother, who reached into his back pocket to grab it for her. He reached into another pocket, and then another, before his face went pale.

"I lost it!" He shrieked, and took off in a dead sprint towards the Matthews.

Beckett didn't have the pride in herself to chase the boy down the street, still reeling from the second hand embarrassment she got when looking at his 'cool' outfit. He had one too many layers, a vest, and of course, the sideburns.

When she finally caught up to her brother, he was already rambling to Cory about losing his copy. She only heard him say "They had no right to pass me. I am an idiot!"

She agreed.

"See? Shawn's not reinventing himself." Amy said from the table.

"You sure?" Beckett asked, pointing to the patches of fur on each side of his face.

"Shawn.." Alan asked hesitantly, "Are those sideburns?"

Shawn gave a coy smile, "You mean the ones on my face?"

"It's just that when we saw you yesterday, they weren't on your face, were they?" Amy asked, walking over to the trio.

"No." Beckett responded for him, "He grew them overnight it seems."

"Mrs. Matthews.. Beck," Shawn berated, "You two just can't accept the fact that Cory and I are growing up. And we're old enough now to.. buy our own hair."

"You've got a glue spot on your cheek." Amy noted in a motherly tone. She reached over to rub it off and Shawn begrudgingly let her do so.

Beckett walked to the other side of the island as Cory went over the plan once again, pulling out his own copy. She grabbed an untouched orange juice glass and silently asked Alan for permission.