⌜ chapter twenty ⌟

Letty's walking down the hallway at school when she sees the Matthews boys talking by the lockers, and Eric's holding a big doll that looks like his younger brother. She narrows her dark eyes as she walks over and looks at it.

"You know, I considered pretending that it was Cory and saying hi to it, but now I realize that I really shouldn't encourage whatever's going on here." The brunette says.

"Eric, you'd have to be the biggest idiot on the planet to actually think that's me." Cory tells his older brother.

"Hey, Eric. Hey, Cor." Shawn greets as he walks up beside them, and then Eric uses the dummy's hand to slap his palm. The younger boy jumps when he sees Cory standing on the other side of the brunette that he's decided to stop talking to.

"Boy, you really went through a lot of trouble for me." Cory says as Shawn lightly smacks the dummies cheek.

"Well, I figured you're my only brother, and it's not gonna kill me to show a little...affection." The oldest says and then walks away from them.

"At least someone knows how to be a good older sibling." Shawn says, and Letty chuckles.

"Oh, you pitiful, delusional little boy." The brunette shakes her head. "You have no idea the amount of things that I've done for you that you'll either never know about or never know the full weight of. But you're older now, slightly less moronic, and I have to put myself first for a change."

"And that means you have to live in a house that doesn't move?" He questions, and she turns to face him with clenched teeth.

"No, it's not about living in a house versus a trailer. I really don't give a rat's ass about being trailer girl anymore." She tells him. "I need adults who don't run because life got hard. That is what I meant by stability."

"Oh, that's nice." He mutters as she walks away from him.

"You know he loves you." Eric says as she walks up beside her.

"He's a pain in my ass, is what he is." Letty says, and he nods.

"Yeah, but Cory's a pain in mine, and Morgan's a pain in both of ours. It's what siblings do." He reasons, and she offers him a small smile as she looks up at him. "Everything will work out."

"Thanks, Eric."

"It's what I'm here for, babe." He says. "Now, I gotta do something with Cory." He looks at the dummy that he's carrying, and she shakes her head as he walks away from her.

The next day, Letty's sitting in detention when Eric walks in. "What are you doing here?" She questions, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Feeny saw me stuffing the dummy in my locker and thought it was Cory." He tells her.

"Well, at least the plan's working." She chuckles. "Have you heard anything from him since he got to Orlando? You know how his plan's going to win back Topanga?"

"No, I haven't talked to him." He shakes his head. "Wait a minute, why are you in here?" He asks, and she shrugs.

"The usual way."

"You usually end up in detention?" He asks, obviously confused as he sits down beside her, and she shakes her head.

"No. Just when I do, it's usually for the same reason." She tells him.

"Which is what?"

"Oh, look, it's the unsuspecting Matthews boy and his charity case." A female voice gets their attention, and he looks over toward the door to see a blonde standing there.

"Because she's a bitch." Letty tells him.

"Ooh, trailer girl's got a backbone." She laughs.

"The hell do you want, Parker?" She questions. "You get off on this or something? Ooh, trailer girl's an orphan. I mean, I fail to see the comedy in that. Annie had some funny moments, but if you thought it was a comedy, you failed to see the moral of the movie."

"I just feel sorry for poor Eric." The blonde says. "The boy's too dumb to realize that you're using him even when the entire school knows it."

"The entire school, huh?" Letty laughs. "Wow. So, none of you have a life."

"Why do you think he's the only one dumb enough to date you?" She questions. "Only other type of guy that'd date you is Danny Sommers... Oh, right." She laughs.

"That's big talk coming from a girl who's dated every guy in this school except the two in this room." Danny says as he walks past her, heading to a seat in the back of the class. "Keep my name out of your mouth, tramp."

"What a reunion." Parker smirks as she looks at each of them.

"Do you ever shut up?" Letty asks as Eric sinks into his seat, obviously annoyed by their current company.

"Why would I when I have so much to say?"

"Oh, is Daddy telling you fascinating stories again?"

"Mhm. And he told me a nice little tale about cute, little Shawn getting arrested on the same day that his daddy went down to take care of some parking tickets. They had an adorable little reunion too." The blonde says. "At least one of you has a dad who actually loves you."

"Mom abandoned me, Dad killed himself to get away from me, I'm using Eric because he's too dumb to see it. You got any new material?" Letty questions. "Besides the old news that is my past relationship with Danny, who's already told you to shut up just like I did?"

"Yeah, actually. Do you have any idea how pathetic it is that you live with your ex-boyfriend? I mean, nobody wants you. He's just the only one who can't escape you." She says, and Letty curls her lips over her teeth to suppress a laugh as Eric turns toward her to hide the smile on his face, and Danny starts laughing from his seat at the back of the class. "Oh, now you think I'm funny?"

"Yeah, he's not laughing at what you said about me, sweetheart." Letty tells her, and the blonde turns back to face her as she points at the two teachers standing in the doorway behind her.

"Miss Parker, you'll be serving detention in my office with me." Feeny tells her. "I trust the rest of you can behave for Mr. Turner."

"You alright, Scarlett?" Turner asks the teenager as they leave, and she laughs.

"You kiddin'? That's the most entertainment I've had all week." The brunette tells him, and he shakes his head as he walks over to sit at the desk at the front of the room.

Danny's the first one out of the room after detention's over an hour later, and then Eric quickly pulls Letty to him once they're by his locker. "People really think that I'm stupid?" He asks as his hands settle on her hips, and she shrugs.

"Who cares? They also think that I'm only using you." The brunette says as she wraps her arms around his neck and clasps her hands together. "Clearly they don't know anything about us."

"They definitely don't know how amazing you are." He says, and she smiles as she looks up at him. "I love you." Eric tells her, and her smile widens like it always does.