CHANGES [eric matthews]

The Thrilla in Paris

↳CHAPTER 2.11
The Thrilla in Paris.
✩
『 "Joey—Do you want to get tetanus?"』
〉〉〉〉

"SO THEN WE JUST SAT THERE!" Beckett Hunter paced in front of a confused Eric Matthews, who was sitting on the edge of his bed. He was trying to follow along with the girl's relationship concerns, but she was speaking so fast it made his head spin. But he was trying, because he wanted to show he was a good friend.

"Right-"

"Oh, but it gets worse!" Beck interrupted, her hands finding their way into her hair, "Griff corners me in the lunch room last Monday and is all like 'Hey, baby, who's that guy you were talking to in the hall?'" She mimicked a deep voice, "He called me baby, Eric!"

"Well, what did you tell him?" The boy was thoroughly invested.

"I told him Jason was my boyfriend of course, and now he's being even more flirty than normal!"

As a curious teenager boy, Eric always wondered what girls did at sleepovers. Now he felt like he was at one.

"And Jason doesn't know about any of this?"

Beck laughed humorlessly, "God no. He called Griff the Harley wannabe with a bad haircut— Which I totally disagree with, his hair is fantastic!" She thought for a moment, and then looked seriously at Eric, "Not that I care about his hair, because I don't."

"Okay," Eric said slowly, his eyes drawing to the ceiling in thought, "Have you ever thought about, uh, talking to Jason about all of this?"

Beck paused her pacing and stared at him incredulously, "Eric! You're supposed to be feeding my delusions. Tell me everything's fine as it is!"

"I can't lie to you!" At her big eyes, he held his hands out, "It can't be as bad as you think."

"You're the one who told me to think about my relationship in the first place." She groaned, running her hands down her face until she looked like a melted snowman.

"And as I can see, all it did was make you panic," Eric sighed, feeling helpless. All he seemed to do was make her feel worse about everything, "Maybe you should have gone to see Wyatt instead?"

Beck threw her hands up, "I can't! Him and his parents went to some remote mountainside to collect crystals or something— Don't ask, because I don't know." She pointed a finger in his face as he tried to open his mouth. He clamped it shut and nodded. "Everyone in my life leaves the moment I have a crisis, why is that?"

Eric perked up, "Not everyone! I'm still here, and always will be."

"Oh, how reassuring."

She resumed her pacing, making a frustrated sigh escape Eric's lips. He stood and grabbed her by the shoulders. He tugged her so she was fully facing him and, despite her confusion, pulled her into a brief hug.

She stood stiff, "Is this supposed to help me?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"Eric?" He was warm.

"Yeah?"

"Let me go."

He did so—leaving Beck cold—and flopped back down, "I don't see why you don't just talk to Jason. From what it sounds like, he's just as much a mess as you right now."

She collapsed next to him, their shoulders brushing, "He's your best friend, shouldn't he be telling you these things?"

"He hasn't told me anything, but he is acting different." Eric confirmed, giving her a sympathetic look, "And he's your best friend too."