Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.

A/N: thanks to everyone who read and reviewed last chapter, it means the world to me. Here's the next one.


Evan and Shawn walked inside the diner just a few blocks around the corner of the 21st and the waitress gave them a table in the far back close to the window.

"So, want to tell me what's going on?" Evan didn't waste time questioning his younger brother.

"You've got to be a bit more specific there."

"The reason dad yelled at you about school before or what about why there needed to be this secret discussion just the three of you?"

"I dropped out of Chicago U." He simply shrugged, leaving Evan stunned.

"What the fuck Shawn?" He almost yelled.

"Keep your damn voice down." He growled as the waitress handed them a menu.

"No wonder mom and dad are pissed. Why would you throw away that free ride?"

"Because that free ride isn't what I want anymore Evan. We don't all have our shit figured out since we were ten." He was growing frustrated with his older brother right now.

"What have you been doing if you aren't going to school?"

"I am going to school, just not at Chicago U." They gave the waitress their order before Evan resumed his verbal pounding.

"So you figured that you'd hide all that crap from mom and dad and let us all think you were still enrolled there?"

"You have no idea what it's like to be in your shadow. Golden boy Evan following in daddy's footsteps." The anger Shawn was feeling was bubbling at the surface and he suddenly stood and threw some money on the table before he stormed off. He crossed the street and pulled out his phone, calling his best friend Dylan to come pick him up. He didn't care where he went just as long as it was far away from Evan and his high and mighty attitude.

Evan sighed out of frustration as Shawn stormed out of the diner. The waitress returned with their orders to find a missing brother but Shawn ate regardless and headed back to his place, finding Jess hunched over her thesis.

"Hey, everything okay?" She looked up when he walked into their living room, having heard the front door slam shut.

"That little shit walked out on me at lunch."

"Evan." She sighed. She knew they didn't always see eye to eye but she knew for a fact that Evan loved his younger brother. "What happened?"

"He dropped out of Chicago U." He dropped himself on the couch and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Did you even let him explain or did you go off on him about it?" She came to sit next to him.

"Might have gone off on him."

"Baby, you need to stop doing that. You and your dad are the same. Doing that will only push him farther away."

"I know but he's so frustrating. He's throwing all of it away and for what?"

"You should talk to him Evan, don't let this boil over."

"I don't want to talk about him anymore, how's your thesis going?" He propped his legs on the living room table and pulled her into his side.

"Slowly but surely." If she was being honest, she needed a break from it all right now.

"Come on, why don't you take a break, let me make you forget about it for just a little bit." He pulled her on top of him, each leg on one side of his hips.

"You just read my mind." She smiled and dipped down for a kiss, Shawn now far from both their minds.

Dylan dropped Shawn off about thirty minutes later and he found his parents in the kitchen, his dad's arms around his mother's waist.

"Hey I'm back."

"Where is your brother?" Adam pulled himself away from Haley.

"No idea." His answer was short and he sounded pissed but Adam let it slide, figuring that he'd talk when he was ready. "What's for dinner?"

"Aunt Gabby's mac and cheese." Haley called over her shoulder. "Go wash up." Shawn bounced upstairs and Adam turned to face Haley.

"Did he seem off to you?" Pissed?"

"He wasn't gone long so I'm guessing Evan had a go at him about school and he impulsively stormed out. Wouldn't be the first time."

"That temper of yours will be their undoing." She chuckled as Adam finished putting the food on the table, Shawn coming down at that same moment.

"Smells almost as good as when aunt Gabby does it." Shawn laughed as Haley slapped him upside the head.

"I can let you cook if you would prefer." She laughed, knowing Shawn was the worst cook in all of the Chicago area.

"Nope, smells amazing mom." He sat and took a bite, preventing him from saying anything else that would get him into trouble.

"So, this construction business, you serious about it?" Adam asked point blank as he put a bite in his mouth, making Shawn groan.

"Dad!" He sighed. "That's exactly why I didn't tell you guys."

"I'm not trying to bust your balls son but considering the fact that you kept all of these important changes from us, it's hard to be able to help you out when we're in the dark."

"It's serious dad." He finally said. "I have two more practical classes left along with a business course if we want to start a business and I have to get an internship somewhere." Shawn talked more about the steps he was taking to make this a reality and his parents were more than happy for him. He talked about construction with more passion than he had shown in the last year regarding football and it made Haley happy. After dinner, Shawn locked himself up in his room after he helped his dad with the table so he could talk with Chloe on the phone, leaving Adam and Haley to enjoy some time alone. It was still swarm enough outside for them to be sitting on a lounge chair, Haley tucked away safely in his side, a glass of red wine in hand.

"I haven't seen him excited for anything like that in a while." Haley smiled, taking a sip.

"I'm glad he is though, makes him look forward to something."

"I told you he'd get an epiphany. Too bad we didn't witness it."

"We can witness that epiphany come to life though and that'll be a beautiful thing."

"Always with the right words. So what next?"

"Can you talk to Matt about this tomorrow? I had a thought on how we can help him but I just want to make sure that he's staying the course."

"And what Idea is that exactly?" She set the glass down on the table next to her and straddled him.

"Well he's taking his drivers licence but he doesn't have anything to move around. I figured he'd need something to move all of his tools on jobs so I was thinking we could look into getting him a used truck, give him an extra push."

"I think that's a great idea babe." She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah?" He ran his hands over her arms. "You know of another great idea I have?"

"If it's what I think it is than go right ahead." He pushed himself up and captured her lips in his. They moved the party to their bedroom and locked themselves away for the evening considering Haley had shift in the morning.


A/N: I hope you guys liked this one and please take a second to review before you go.-Sarra