🅸'🅻🅻 🅱🅴 🆃🅷🅴🆁🅴 🅵🅾🆁 🆈🅾🆄 {ERIC MATTHEWS}

S1 E8: The One With The Broken Home

˚ ༘✶ ⋆｡˚ ⁀➷AMY GOT HOME AFTER THE KIDS ONE AFTERNOON, and came upstairs to something rather strange. Cory and Shawn were often weird in their behavior when it came to hanging out together, but this particular day it was noted that they were acting even further out of the ordinary. 

Shawn had been pacing by the top of the stairs, and Cory was stationed outside his bedroom door with a water gun clutched tightly in his hands. What on earth was going on with them today? She stopped in front of Shawn first, given that he was the first one blocking her from the upstairs hallway. 

"Hi Shawn, mind letting me into my room?" She spoke in a teasing manner, but upon looking closer at him and Cory, they seemed to be very serious. 

"Yes, of course," he stepped aside, but backed up towards Cory, and she knew something was going on in the room behind him. Come to think of it, she hadn't passed Eric on her way upstairs, meaning he had to be in there.

"Boys, what's going on? Where's Eric?" She put her hands on her hips, and started trekking towards the door they protected, but Cory raised his water gun to her, in which she toook mild offense. "Let me past, please."

"We can't do that, mom. We were given strict orders to guard this door, and I think there's a pretty good reason for that," Cory responded, his tone far more sullen than usual. He kept his water gun raised, and Amy had to think creatively to get them to leave the door, but nothing came to mind. 

"Where's Eric?" She repeated, more sternly this time. She knew he was behind the door, but what she didn't know was why he had instructed the boy with such a task, and how they were so cooperative to listen to him. The boys messed with each other all the time, surely Cory wouldn't have just done what the older sibling said to.

"He's helping someone," Shawn said, and Cory elbowed him, mumbling something about 'we weren't supposed to say anything' but Shawn looked to the woman with consideration. Maybe she could help, too. "He told us not to let anything through that door."

"And why would you both be so keen on actually doing it?" She tilted her head, awaiting their answer. Cory dipped his head before giving it up. 

"He was with Andy, something happened to her."

And out comes the truth. To be honest, she almost knew it pertained to the young girl. Her parents had been fighting again lately and it was even so bad that she spent the night on the couch a few times. Maybe this was just a culmination of all the bad events lately piling up and now it all came crashing down around her. Amy  felt horrible that the poor girl had gone through so much in this last year. Her life had been nearly picture perfect until now and she wondered what kind of a mental toll that could take. 

"I see," She used her hands to part the two boys, and they knew there wasn't really anything to be done about it now. She was the mom, they had no interference rights. They'd done their job until now, so they dispersed. 

She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She slowly cracked in open, hearing whispers and soft... crying? She opened the door all the way, stepping into the room and around the corner. The sight was almost too pitiful. 

Eric was sat back against some pillows on his headboard, and he had his arms around Andy, who was curled around him like a small child looking for comfort. He looked up and saw his mom, but didn't say anything. Andy hadn't noticed she was there yet, so Amy sat on the foot of his bed, just waiting until the opportune moment to ask what was the matter.

She noticed Eric's mom sitting there a few seconds later. She quickly sat up and tried to compose herself. Even though she was comfortable to be vulnerable with Eric, she doubted Amy would appreciate sitting here and listening to her sobs.