Sure to Shine

The weekend flew past much too quickly for Eric’s liking. He didn’t see Skylar for the entire weekend, despite the fact that he and Adam, bored of the small flats they called home, had been wandering around for most of the time off, trying desperately to find a place to hang out which wouldn’t get them into any kind of trouble.

However, Eric was soon pulling the pillows over his head as he heard the annoying buzzing of his alarm clock. It had been distorted back when Eric had been a junior; due to the fact he would totally ignore it and leave it going for up to twenty minutes. Now, instead of being a ringing sound, it was more of a dull buzz, which was a blessing and a curse. Although it was annoying, it was easier to tune out after a while, and his father couldn’t hear it as clearly and therefore assumed his son was up.

Eric dragged himself out of bed literally about ten minutes before he had to leave for school and threw on some random clothes. He tried to tame his hair for a few seconds before giving up and then darted into the bathroom before his father could see he was still half asleep.

By the time Eric was about to go out of the door, having gulped down a coffee and still finishing a slice of toast, he looked convincing enough, knowing his father wouldn’t question exactly how long he had been in bed for.

"Have a good day," his father called to him, and Eric snorted.

"It’s Monday morning, Dad," he replied. "I think 'have a quick day' would be more accurate."

Matthew laughed at his son’s comment.

"Well, whatever you want to call it, I hope your day is adequate," he replied, and Eric grinned. Calling a quick goodbye, he went out of the door and began his always hurried walk to school.

He had almost forgotten that Skylar existed as he hurried through the dilapidated park, until the young man himself stepped out from behind a tree close to the path, causing Eric to jerk to a stop and jump slightly.

"Boo," Skylar grinned, looking at Eric’s annoyed profile. "What’s the matter, not pleased to see me?"

"Not really," Eric replied, trying to side step around him, but Skylar annoyingly made sure he was always in the way. "Skylar, would you move? I’m running late."

"Nah," Skylar said casually. "See, that’s another reason why it’s awesome to be me. I don’t have to worry about such simple little stresses."

"Skylar," Eric said slowly, exasperated. "Here’s the thing. Why don’t you either get yourself back into school, or go and get yourself a job and start earning the air you breathe? Instead of wasting your life away thinking you’re some sort of revolutionary prodigy? I get that you don’t go to school, and I don’t care."

Skylar only laughed, and Eric narrowed his eyes.

"I’m not joking," he told the other young man pointedly. "Now will you get out of my way? I actually have a direction in life."

Still laughing as though Eric had just told the world’s best joke, Skylar moved to the side slightly, and Eric stormed past him, refusing to look back, knowing that was what he wanted.

He was going out of the gate on the other side of the park when someone landed lightly beside him, having jumped the fence. Eric didn’t have to look to know it was Skylar.

"You have no direction in life," he said. "Absolutely none."

"I have more of a direction than you do," Eric fired back. "Even if it’s only a temporary direction."

"Temporary, eh?"

"Yes. Graduate high school. I’ll work from there, thanks."

"Well done you, you want a medal?"

"I want you to realise that, although you think you’re awesome and rebellious, in actual fact –" Eric stopped and faced him, glaring. "You’re an annoying obnoxious idiot."

Skylar grinned and shrugged.

"Soon you’ll be seeking me out," he told Eric simply, and then he turned and headed back to the park. Eric stood there for a couple of seconds, dumbfounded at Skylar’s ignorance.

"Not fucking likely," Eric eventually muttered, and then he turned and continued on his journey to school, all too conscious of the fact he was now running five minutes late.

Eric usually wouldn’t be bothered, but this would make his third late, and if he got three lates he would find himself in the thrilling place that was detention after school. School was the last place he wanted to spend extra time in on a Monday. Their school also had another rule however – you were only late if you got to your homeroom after the teacher got there, and so Eric was praying for a miracle.

He saw his homeroom teacher ahead of him when he got into school, and cursed. It was too long to run around and use the other stairs, and it was suicide to run past him. This particular teacher had a bit of a personal vendetta against Eric and would probably give him the detention anyway.

Sighing, Eric went up the stairs behind the teacher, accepting his fate and leaving a slight distance between them. If he wasn’t seen in the corridor, perhaps he could somehow sneak into the room and pretend he had always been there?

Eric was under the impression that this was going to be one of those days were nothing good would happen, but he was forced to reconsider this view as he spotted another one of his friends, Bobby, at his locker a little way up the corridor. He turned, spotted Eric, and his face seemed to flash recognition. Eric threw him a pained look, and Bobby smiled, turning back to his locker. Just as Eric thought his friend was going to leave him hanging, Bobby stepped back from his locker, as though he was frustrated from looking for something he couldn’t find.

Bobby had timed it perfectly and Eric’s homeroom teacher walked straight into him. Laughing quietly, Eric was able to dodge past as Bobby gave over-the-top apologies and helped the teacher pick up all of his dropped papers. As Eric rounded the corner, he glanced back, to see Bobby flash him a sly grin. Giving a thumbs-up, Eric disappeared from view, allowing himself to laugh openly once he was at a safe distance.

"I owe Bobby one," Eric told Adam, as he slid into his seat next to him just as the bell went.

"Why’s that?" Adam asked interestedly. Seconds later, their angry-looking teacher stormed in.

"You kids need to pay more attention!" he barked, though he gave no elaboration.

Adam raised his eyebrows at a sniggering Eric.

"Oh?" he asked, amused, as Eric quietly explained what had happened.

"What do we have first?" Eric asked, once they were all marked in and the teacher had waved them away without looking up from his computer. Eric pitied his next class.

"Psychology," Adam said, before clapping his hands and jumping excitedly, causing a group of freshmen to shoot him weird looks. Eric also gave his friend a strange look.

"That’s just disturbing, Adam," he said, and Adam laughed.

"You know I’m only joking. Anyway, how do you think my project will go down?"

"You managed to finish it?" Eric asked. "It took me ages."

"That’s because yours was good," Adam pointed out, laughing. Eric grinned.

"I’m sure you’ll scrape through. I don’t know how it’ll go down, anyway. As long as you haven’t splashed any pictures of Ben Murdoch all over the presentation for all to see."

"Well, there is a picture of him, but it’s the one the papers used, so he doesn’t really look like you there," Adam sad. "Why? You still touchy?"

"Well, I don’t want the corridors to part like the Red Sea when I walk down them, if that’s what you mean," Eric replied.

"Why not? Could come in handy when it’s rush hour between classes," Adam pointed out, as they entered the classroom, and Eric snorted and shoved him.

"Come off it," he said, and Adam stuck his tongue out.

Adam didn’t even get the chance to sit down before their Psychology teacher pointed to him, and then to the laptop sitting on the desk.

"Before you get your excuses in, young man," he said, and Adam groaned.

"You know me too well all ready, sir," he grumbled, going to get the computer set up. He almost looked disappointed when he realised he had remembered his memory stick, and Eric sniggered and went and took their normal table at the back of the classroom.

There was a little uncomfortable shuffling when Adam explained what his project was on and why he chose it, but Adam had a way with making people relax and so Eric didn’t find it as awkward as he would have thought, even when Adam followed the story of their own school. Eric was more nervous about anyone noticing any similarities, and found himself subconsciously hunching down in his seat.

All he could think about was what Skylar had been saying, about how alike they were, and how it was even in his namesake. Eric didn’t like the way Skylar seemed to think that Eric was destined to pull something like this off, and sometimes Eric got the feeling Skylar was biding his time, waiting for it, and perhaps trying to make Eric snap.

He had been so worried about the picture of Ben Murdoch that, even though his mind was on the subject of his own name, he didn’t expect most people to glance at him when Adam went onto the subject of Columbine. However, once they saw he had noticed, everyone went back to what they had been doing beforehand.

Eric sighed and glared at the desk, only looking up when Adam had moved off of Eric Harris and was speaking about his accomplice, Dylan Klebold.

He could relax a bit now. There wouldn’t be any more tense moments where people might realise what he had found out.

That was what Eric thought, anyway. He could feel the occasional stare on him again, and he glanced up to see Adam had flashed him an apologetic look. Eric closed his eyes briefly, wondering what was happening now.

It took him a second to work out what it was, and why the people staring at him were more familiar with him than the people who were still facing forward, oblivious. Eric noticed the birth date in the short profile was the same as his. He felt his jaw drop briefly before he quickly composed himself.

"Great," he muttered. "Something else to worry about."

Eric had enough controversy surrounding his date of birth – it was a little hard celebrating when everyone around you was thinking about the attacks in New York however many years ago, depending on what year it was. September 11 wasn’t a great birthday to have anymore, but now he realised he shared a birthday with one of the Columbine shooters he thought he may as well throw it down as a lost cause and move his birthday somewhere safe.

He was glad when everything was over and done with and they were able to move on from the topic. Adam looked a little uncomfortable when he sat down.

"I totally didn’t realise," he began, but Eric shook his head.

"It’s not like you did it on purpose," he shrugged.

"Yeah, but I guess it’s probably still really annoying," Adam said.

"Yeah, it is, a little," Eric nodded. "It just seems so weird I have so much in common with all these guys. As if my birthday wasn’t awkward enough, eh?"

There was a pause, and then Adam grinned.

"I’ve still got my fingers crossed for everyone getting out of your way in the corridors," he grinned, and Eric rolled his eyes and mock-punched him on the arm.

"Dream on, man."