My Brother's Best Friend...'s Brother (Boy Meets World fanfic)

Chapter Four: Eavesdropping

The movie wasn't all that scary, or interesting. If it was, I wouldn't have fallen asleep on Eric's shoulder about halfway through. In fact, I wouldn't have even realized I was asleep on Eric's shoulder if I hadn't been awoken by the sound of a door closing and Jack yelling, "STEP AWAY FROM MY SISTER!"

"Shhh!" snapped Eric. "We were watching a movie, she fell asleep. I didn't want to wake her."

I wanted to open my eyes, but I was still tired. Maybe, if I didn't let them know I was awake, I could peacefully drift back to sleep. That and I didn't want to be moved from my oh so comfortable spot, cuddled into Eric's side.

"Shawn's still over to dad's. You better hope she's awake and out of here before he gets home," Jack said. I could hear his footsteps cross the apartment to the kitchen. "Dad called me, worried out of his skull. Katie was supposed to be home nearly 2 hours ago. He's terrified something happened."

"Well, I'm sorry! I didn't know she had a curfew!" argued Eric.

"She's a nearly 18 year old high school senior and it's a school night. How did you not know she had a curfew?"

"I just thought Chet didn't really care. She's never had one before. She and Shawn used to stay over all the time."

"Yeah, but that was before, when you were still living with your parents and she wasn't, you know, developed."

Oh, now I really wish I could just slip out of consciousness and go back to sleep and not have to listen to this conversation.

I felt Eric move and get up. I felt him ease me down so I was lying on the couch. I almost wanted to protest and get him to stay, but I was supposed to be asleep and I kinda wanted to hear what they were saying.

"Listen, I'm sorry, okay? I lost track of time. I nearly fell asleep," Eric said. "I'll wake her and get her to go home."

"No. She's sound. I'll just call dad back and get him to give Shawn some clothes for her for tomorrow, she can stay here tonight." SCORE! "She can sleep in my bed."

"You have early classes, you'll wake her when you go to get ready. My classes aren't until the afternoon, she can sleep in my room."

What? Can someone please pinch me? I must be dreaming. I had to have just slipped back into the dream world. No way Eric Matthews just offered up his room, his BED, to me. Well, indirectly, of course, since he didn't know I was awake. But still! This could not be happening. It couldn't.

But it was!

"No way."

I held back the urge to jump up from the couch and hit Jack. Why was he fighting?! I get he's my big brother and he's protective over me and all, but come on Jack! Give me this one moment!

"Jack, why are you fighting me on this?" Eric asked. He was clearly getting frustrated with Jack's arguments. "I'll sleep on the floor. Better yet, I'll sleep on the couch."

I heard Jack sigh. "Okay, fine. She can sleep in your room." THANK YOU JACK. "But she's gotta be home the moment she wakes up tomorrow. Dad will kill you and her if she doesn't come home."

"She'll be going home. It's not like she's moving in or anything," Eric said. "We already have two Hunters in this house, I don't want to be even more outnumbered."

I bit back the urge to scream with delight. I was sleeping in Eric's bed! Jack had classes the next day, meaning I'd be home alone with Eric! Maybe I'd be able to salvage that interrupted moment we had earlier.

Don't get ahead of yourself, Katie. Just take things as they come.

I felt myself being picked up. I tried to keep my breathing steady so my heart didn't race at the thought of being picked up by Eric. God, I'm such a teenage girl! I feel like my life should be some dumb romantic teen fiction novel that gets made into an alright movie. Eric could be played by Macaulay Culkin. Or Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

Ohh, Jonathan Taylor Thomas. He's so cute.

I'm getting off topic.

I turned to cuddle into the chest of whoever was carrying me. I tried not to smile, but it was becoming way too hard. I had dreamt of this moment since I was little; my prince charming Eric Matthews carrying his princess, I didn't care with I was, to safety before kissing her, saving her with true loves kiss.

I felt my back press to a bed. I waited for Eric to cover me, but instead a hushed voice spoke.

"I know you're awake, Katie."

I finally opened my eyes and looked up at Jack. He had a disapproving look. He looked a lot like dad. I wonder how his step dad looked at him every day when he looked so much like his mother's one time fling.

"Hey Jack," I said, pretending to stretch and rub my eyes like I had just woke up. "What time is it? Why am I in bed? I was watching a movie with Eric - "

"Cut the crap, Katie, I know you heard us," Jack said. "I don't think you were expecting it to be me when you were cuddling into me."

"How do you know that? Maybe I just wanted to get close to you," I said. "Seriously, what time is it? I feel like I've been asleep forever."

"9:30," Jack replied. "You were supposed to be home an hour and a half ago. Shawn is seething. He's probably going to kill Eric when he gets home. Speaking of which, he's sleeping on the couch and you'll be gone when I get up for my early morning classes."

"Jack, I don't have to be to school till 8. Your early class is at like 7. Why can't any of you trust me? I'll be up at 7, be at school by at least 7:45. I'll swing by the trailer to grab some clean clothes and I'll change in the girl's bathroom. I won't even look at Eric if he's not awake."

"It's not that we don't trust you, Katie," Jack said, sitting next to me on the bed. "It's Eric. I know what us boys are like at this age. We see a pretty girl and the only thing we want is sex. Eric hasn't had a steady relationship since God knows when, according to Cory. And you're still young, it's easy to take advantage of a young girl like you, especially with this huge crush you have on him."

I wanted to argue that Eric wasn't like that. Because he wasn't. I knew Eric. He was too dumb and goofy and sweet to just a use a girl. Back when he was young and dumb, yeah he made a few wrong decisions when it came to girls, but he was older now. He was in university.

Jack sighed and stood back up. "Look, you can do your own plan, but you have to face dad's wrath tomorrow. You realize that, right?"

I nodded. "It won't be the first time and definitely not the last. I know how to hold my own against him. Goodnight, Jack."

"Night, Katelyn."

Jack closed the door and turned off the lights behind him, throwing me into the darkness of Eric's room. I turned on the lap on Eric's nightstand and looked around his room. It was cleaner than Shawn's room, or even my own room for that matter. A few shirts lay on the ground.

I couldn't help myself. Trying to make as little noise as possible, I rose from the bed and picked up one of the shirts on the floor. The only pajamas I ever had were dad's old t-shirts or old clothes that was too small for Shawn but also far too well warn for me to actually wear them as clothes.

I picked up a large button-up shirt and stripped myself from what I was already wearing. I put on the shirt and buttoned it up almost all the way before lying back down on the bed.

I fell asleep just moments later, not realizing I had been smiling.