He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked into the mirror. He
picked up the bottle, squirting more styling gel into his hand, and once
again, applied it to his "spikes". He glanced at the mirror one more time,
before deciding that it was time for breakfast.
Matthew Hanen Buchanan shut his bedroom door before making his way down the stairs. He had recently turned fifteen. He was a sophomore at Llanview High and just like every other teenager, he loathed going to school.
He threw his books down onto the couch before retreating to the kitchen. He grabbed a pop-tart out of the cabinet and poured himself a glass of milk as his father walked through the door.
"Another day, huh?"
"You know it, Pop." Matthew smiled as he bit into his chocolate toaster pastry.
"You ready for another day of hitting the books?" Bo smirked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. God, how he loved the automatic timer on the coffee maker.
"Yeah, I guess so. I've got a test in Debate. Shouldn't be all that bad, though." Matthew replied as he finished off his pastry.
Bo made his way to the table and sat down across from his son. "Well, considering who your mother is, it better not be."
Matthew chuckled as Nora came into the kitchen. "What's so funny?"
"We were just talking about Matthew's debate class." Bo answered.
Nora smiled as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "I loved Debate when I was in school. In fact, I was the teacher's assistant for that class."
Matthew grinned as he stood up and pushed his chair under the table. "Well, I'll see you guys after school. We're still going to Chuck's for pizza, right?"
Nora cleared her throat. "Right. It's where Madeline wanted to go."
Matthew walked over to his mother and kissed her on the cheek. "See ya, Ma." He pointed towards his father. "Pop."
"See ya, son." Bo waved as Matthew walked out of the kitchen.
Nora sat down in the chair that Matthew had just gotten up from.
"Did you talk to Maddie, yet?"
"Yeah, I called over to Asa's before coming down here. Renee has her all dressed and ready for Nigel to drive her to school." Nora smiled.
"She sure loves her grandpa an awful lot."
"Of course. Who wouldn't? Just look at all those presents Asa buys her." Nora said. She hated the fact that Asa kept insisting to buy her children things that they would never need.
"Aw, she'll be alright, Red. Look at Matt, he turned out great." He walked over to the other side of the table and lightly kissed his wife. "You wanna ride into work together?"
Nora shrugged. "Sure, why not?
"Yo, Matt! I got to level twenty five on Final Fantasy XVI last night."
Matthew turned around to greet his best friend, Stevie Pogenburg. "Wow, dude, I got there like last week. You're way behind."
Stevie gave Matt a friendly punch on the arm. "Shut up, man. I've been busy. Elizabeth takes up all my time. She always wants to hang out or talk on the phone. I don't ever get to do anything anymore."
Matthew grinned. "You're whipped!" He saw that Stevie was going to deny it, so he continued. "I don't have time for girls now. I've got better stuff to do."
"Open up, you stupid thing!"
Matthew turned around to the row of lockers behind him. A girl he didn't recognize was kicking her locker.
Matthew walked over to her. "Hi, um, do you need some help?"
The girl blushed. "Yeah. My locker won't seem to open. Here's the combination." She handed a small piece of paper to Matthew. He turned the lock, jiggled the lever and the door flew open.
"How did you do that?? I've been trying all morning!"
"Oh, sometimes you just have to jiggle the lock a little. By the way, I'm Matthew. Matthew Buchanan."
The girl smiled as she shook his hand. "I'm Kaitin Martin."
Stevie looked over from his own locker and saw Matthew talking to a new girl. He walked over to take part of the conversation. "Hi, I'm Stevie Pogenburg. I'm Matt's friend."
Kaitin smiled. "It's nice to meet you guys."
"Are you new?" Stevie asked.
"Yeah. I just moved here from South Carolina. My mom transferred to Llanview University."
"Oh, that's cool." Matthew said. "Since you're new, would you like me to show you around a little? I mean, if you want, I can. Only if you want to, though." He started to blush.
Kaitin giggled. "Sure. Lead the way."
Matthew said goodbye to Stevie and led Kaitin around the school.
"Marcie, is the commissioner in his office?"
"Yes, he is, Mrs. Buchanan." Marcie smiled. She watched as Nora walked to Bo's office, knock, then walk in and shut the door behind her. She had never seen anyone more in love than those two.
Bo smiled as he saw her at his door. "Can I help you?"
She smiled as she shut the door behind her, locked it, and closed the blinds on all the windows. "Why, I sure hope so, Commissioner Buchanan."
Bo got up out of his chair and walked around his desk to where she stood. "So, how can I be of assistance?" Nora smiled as she walked closer to him. "Well, I was hoping you'd help me look for something." She stepped up to him and put her hands on his chest.
"Oh, so I see. You've lost something. May I ask what this thing is?" Bo smirked as he played along.
"My heart." She leaned in and kissed his neck.
"O-o-oh. I see." He enjoyed the attention she was giving him. "And where should I look?"
Nora raised her head up so she could look into his eyes. "Your heart." She crashed her lips down onto his. The kiss was passionate and long over due. With cases lately, and ballet for Madeline, Soccer games for Matthew, and PTA meetings, their time together had suffered.
Bo raised his hands up to her blouse and started to undo the top button. She ran her hands up from the bottom of his chest to the top as she pulled out of the kiss. "Well, I'll see you after work." She buttoned the top button of her blouse and started to make her way out the door.
Bo stood there, stunned, staring after her. "What the hell?!"
"Hey, Daddy. Can I have a hot fudge sundae for desert?" The bright blue eyed, red headed seven year old asked.
Bo smiled at one of the lights of his life. "Sure, princess, why not?"
Bo and Nora started dating right after Matthew turned eight. They were married nearly a year later and the birth of their daughter, Madeline Renee Buchanan, came nine months after their honeymoon.
Matthew looked around the parlor of the pizza place and glanced back at his parents. "I'm gonna go play some video games."
As he stood up, his sister looked up at him. "Can I come with you, Mattie?"
Matthew sighed. "Sure, why not? Come on."
Matthew and Madeline made their way to the arcade in the back of the pizza parlor. The took turns each week deciding where they would eat out at.
Madeline had chosen this week.
"Matthew still loves those video games, huh?" Nora said as she sipped on her root beer.
"Yeah. What can I say, Red, our kid has a imagination." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey! What was that all about this afternoon in my office?"
Nora held her smile. "What?"
"You turning me on and then leaving." Bo said. "You know what I'm talking about."
"Oh! That!" Nora smiled. "Well, you know we can't have the commissioner of police and the district attorney engaging in well, let's just say, personal business at work."
"It's never stopped you before!" Bo exclaimed a little louder than he meant to. "Sorry."
Nora laughed as she put her hands on both sides of his face. "I was getting you to anticipate tonight."
"Oh! And what would tonight be?" Bo asked, as if he were a small child, excited about Christmas.
"You'll see, baby. You'll see." She leaned in and gave Bo a quick, but deep kiss
Matthew finished up his pinball game and started to walk towards the new air hockey table, when he saw the new girl from school. He waved as she made her way over to where he was.
"So, we meet again." She smiled.
Matthew smiled back. "Yeah. It's my family's weekly night out. What about you? What's your excuse for being here?"
Kaitin started to laugh. "My mom burnt our dinner. This was our last resort."
Matthew chuckled as he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down to find Madeline pulling on the bottom of his shirt.
"Mattie, can I have more quarters?"
Matthew started to blush. He felt a little embarrassed that Kaitin was seeing him with his little sister. "I don't have anymore, Maddie. Go ask Mom and Dad, ok?"
Madeline smiled before she trotted out into the restaurant area. Matthew turned his attention back to Kaitin. "Sorry about that. That's my little sister Madeline."
Kaitin smiled. "It's ok. I have a little brother. He's eleven though."
Matthew grinned as he was trying to think of things to say. Just then a brown eyed young boy ran around the corner and punched Kaitin on the shoulder.
"Come on, dummy, Mom says it's time to go." The boy ran out of the room.
Kaitin could feel herself blush. "That was my brother Brian. I guess I gotta go." She pulled a piece of paper from her purse, wrote something on it, and then handed it to Matthew. "That's my phone number. Call me sometime."
"I will." Matthew replied as she walked away. "Oh Man." He muttered to himself. "She's so cute."
Matthew Hanen Buchanan shut his bedroom door before making his way down the stairs. He had recently turned fifteen. He was a sophomore at Llanview High and just like every other teenager, he loathed going to school.
He threw his books down onto the couch before retreating to the kitchen. He grabbed a pop-tart out of the cabinet and poured himself a glass of milk as his father walked through the door.
"Another day, huh?"
"You know it, Pop." Matthew smiled as he bit into his chocolate toaster pastry.
"You ready for another day of hitting the books?" Bo smirked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. God, how he loved the automatic timer on the coffee maker.
"Yeah, I guess so. I've got a test in Debate. Shouldn't be all that bad, though." Matthew replied as he finished off his pastry.
Bo made his way to the table and sat down across from his son. "Well, considering who your mother is, it better not be."
Matthew chuckled as Nora came into the kitchen. "What's so funny?"
"We were just talking about Matthew's debate class." Bo answered.
Nora smiled as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "I loved Debate when I was in school. In fact, I was the teacher's assistant for that class."
Matthew grinned as he stood up and pushed his chair under the table. "Well, I'll see you guys after school. We're still going to Chuck's for pizza, right?"
Nora cleared her throat. "Right. It's where Madeline wanted to go."
Matthew walked over to his mother and kissed her on the cheek. "See ya, Ma." He pointed towards his father. "Pop."
"See ya, son." Bo waved as Matthew walked out of the kitchen.
Nora sat down in the chair that Matthew had just gotten up from.
"Did you talk to Maddie, yet?"
"Yeah, I called over to Asa's before coming down here. Renee has her all dressed and ready for Nigel to drive her to school." Nora smiled.
"She sure loves her grandpa an awful lot."
"Of course. Who wouldn't? Just look at all those presents Asa buys her." Nora said. She hated the fact that Asa kept insisting to buy her children things that they would never need.
"Aw, she'll be alright, Red. Look at Matt, he turned out great." He walked over to the other side of the table and lightly kissed his wife. "You wanna ride into work together?"
Nora shrugged. "Sure, why not?
"Yo, Matt! I got to level twenty five on Final Fantasy XVI last night."
Matthew turned around to greet his best friend, Stevie Pogenburg. "Wow, dude, I got there like last week. You're way behind."
Stevie gave Matt a friendly punch on the arm. "Shut up, man. I've been busy. Elizabeth takes up all my time. She always wants to hang out or talk on the phone. I don't ever get to do anything anymore."
Matthew grinned. "You're whipped!" He saw that Stevie was going to deny it, so he continued. "I don't have time for girls now. I've got better stuff to do."
"Open up, you stupid thing!"
Matthew turned around to the row of lockers behind him. A girl he didn't recognize was kicking her locker.
Matthew walked over to her. "Hi, um, do you need some help?"
The girl blushed. "Yeah. My locker won't seem to open. Here's the combination." She handed a small piece of paper to Matthew. He turned the lock, jiggled the lever and the door flew open.
"How did you do that?? I've been trying all morning!"
"Oh, sometimes you just have to jiggle the lock a little. By the way, I'm Matthew. Matthew Buchanan."
The girl smiled as she shook his hand. "I'm Kaitin Martin."
Stevie looked over from his own locker and saw Matthew talking to a new girl. He walked over to take part of the conversation. "Hi, I'm Stevie Pogenburg. I'm Matt's friend."
Kaitin smiled. "It's nice to meet you guys."
"Are you new?" Stevie asked.
"Yeah. I just moved here from South Carolina. My mom transferred to Llanview University."
"Oh, that's cool." Matthew said. "Since you're new, would you like me to show you around a little? I mean, if you want, I can. Only if you want to, though." He started to blush.
Kaitin giggled. "Sure. Lead the way."
Matthew said goodbye to Stevie and led Kaitin around the school.
"Marcie, is the commissioner in his office?"
"Yes, he is, Mrs. Buchanan." Marcie smiled. She watched as Nora walked to Bo's office, knock, then walk in and shut the door behind her. She had never seen anyone more in love than those two.
Bo smiled as he saw her at his door. "Can I help you?"
She smiled as she shut the door behind her, locked it, and closed the blinds on all the windows. "Why, I sure hope so, Commissioner Buchanan."
Bo got up out of his chair and walked around his desk to where she stood. "So, how can I be of assistance?" Nora smiled as she walked closer to him. "Well, I was hoping you'd help me look for something." She stepped up to him and put her hands on his chest.
"Oh, so I see. You've lost something. May I ask what this thing is?" Bo smirked as he played along.
"My heart." She leaned in and kissed his neck.
"O-o-oh. I see." He enjoyed the attention she was giving him. "And where should I look?"
Nora raised her head up so she could look into his eyes. "Your heart." She crashed her lips down onto his. The kiss was passionate and long over due. With cases lately, and ballet for Madeline, Soccer games for Matthew, and PTA meetings, their time together had suffered.
Bo raised his hands up to her blouse and started to undo the top button. She ran her hands up from the bottom of his chest to the top as she pulled out of the kiss. "Well, I'll see you after work." She buttoned the top button of her blouse and started to make her way out the door.
Bo stood there, stunned, staring after her. "What the hell?!"
"Hey, Daddy. Can I have a hot fudge sundae for desert?" The bright blue eyed, red headed seven year old asked.
Bo smiled at one of the lights of his life. "Sure, princess, why not?"
Bo and Nora started dating right after Matthew turned eight. They were married nearly a year later and the birth of their daughter, Madeline Renee Buchanan, came nine months after their honeymoon.
Matthew looked around the parlor of the pizza place and glanced back at his parents. "I'm gonna go play some video games."
As he stood up, his sister looked up at him. "Can I come with you, Mattie?"
Matthew sighed. "Sure, why not? Come on."
Matthew and Madeline made their way to the arcade in the back of the pizza parlor. The took turns each week deciding where they would eat out at.
Madeline had chosen this week.
"Matthew still loves those video games, huh?" Nora said as she sipped on her root beer.
"Yeah. What can I say, Red, our kid has a imagination." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey! What was that all about this afternoon in my office?"
Nora held her smile. "What?"
"You turning me on and then leaving." Bo said. "You know what I'm talking about."
"Oh! That!" Nora smiled. "Well, you know we can't have the commissioner of police and the district attorney engaging in well, let's just say, personal business at work."
"It's never stopped you before!" Bo exclaimed a little louder than he meant to. "Sorry."
Nora laughed as she put her hands on both sides of his face. "I was getting you to anticipate tonight."
"Oh! And what would tonight be?" Bo asked, as if he were a small child, excited about Christmas.
"You'll see, baby. You'll see." She leaned in and gave Bo a quick, but deep kiss
Matthew finished up his pinball game and started to walk towards the new air hockey table, when he saw the new girl from school. He waved as she made her way over to where he was.
"So, we meet again." She smiled.
Matthew smiled back. "Yeah. It's my family's weekly night out. What about you? What's your excuse for being here?"
Kaitin started to laugh. "My mom burnt our dinner. This was our last resort."
Matthew chuckled as he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down to find Madeline pulling on the bottom of his shirt.
"Mattie, can I have more quarters?"
Matthew started to blush. He felt a little embarrassed that Kaitin was seeing him with his little sister. "I don't have anymore, Maddie. Go ask Mom and Dad, ok?"
Madeline smiled before she trotted out into the restaurant area. Matthew turned his attention back to Kaitin. "Sorry about that. That's my little sister Madeline."
Kaitin smiled. "It's ok. I have a little brother. He's eleven though."
Matthew grinned as he was trying to think of things to say. Just then a brown eyed young boy ran around the corner and punched Kaitin on the shoulder.
"Come on, dummy, Mom says it's time to go." The boy ran out of the room.
Kaitin could feel herself blush. "That was my brother Brian. I guess I gotta go." She pulled a piece of paper from her purse, wrote something on it, and then handed it to Matthew. "That's my phone number. Call me sometime."
"I will." Matthew replied as she walked away. "Oh Man." He muttered to himself. "She's so cute."