Time Warp: On Adulthood (Mathis)

[Oliver Barnes]

Date: July 2024 

Oliver felt like he hadn't changed much in a span of ten years time. He had graduated high school, and decided to stay in the quaint town of Pilot Ridge. There was no real reason for him to go back to Minnesota, besides his parents, and that's what occasional visits were for. AJ was here, as was Ace, and other friends that the introverted boy somehow made during his years at Hammel. He immediately signed up for university, more years of his life blurring by as he graduated with his Bachelors in English a few of years ago. Although Oliver couldn't pinpoint every memory along the way, he enjoyed adulthood and what came with it.

Him and AJ had reconciled junior year at Hammel and became a couple a long year later. The two lived blissfully together, deciding to stay in the small town of Pilot Ridge, for now, at least. They both were well on their way in their respective careers, both of them involved with the English language, of course. The two had married in a small ceremony back in Minnesota, with close friends and family in attendance. Like most married couples, Oliver and AJ bickered but above all, the love they had for each other was real. A smile appeared on his face, as he stared at the lake, thinking about his life's journey so far.

Oliver gently shut his leather bound journal, the vessel of all his thoughts, musings and writings. He tucked it into the book bag he had brought down to the lake with him today, his eyes landing on a certain four year old girl with wide, curious brown eyes and short, wavy brown hair. Victoria Marie Barnes had a knack for adventure, and being near the lake was no exception. She played by the shore, her entire focus on a smooth rock. Her white sundress was dirty, covered in a multitude of stains Oliver didn't recognize.

Walking over, he let out a small sigh as he tried to brush off some of the mess. "You're a messy cutie." Oliver told his daughter, with a soft smile.

Victoria knelt by the edge of the water, grinning. "Look! Look at all of these rocks." She said, ignoring her dad's comment and pointing to an array of colourful stones. "Can we keep them?"

His eyes flickered between his bag and his daughter. "A couple." Oliver insisted. He watched as she began the process of deciding which ones to keep, when someone... familiar seemed to be approaching with a couple of blonde haired children in tow.

[Mathis Reeves]

Hey. This is Non-Canon

Mathis knew time had changed him a lot. Sure he'd graduated from Hammel, transferred into college, and even gotten a job at Hammel. But he'd never moved out of Pilot Ridge. He never traveled the world or even went back to Texas for however brief a time. He never followed a career path in anything he wanted to, nor did he go anywhere with his basketball future. His once happy-go-lucky-no-matter-what attitude has faded out as he became an adult. It had been a huge shock to the mimic's system when he discovered the real world wasn't at all what he thought it would be. Bills sucked, college was hard, and people were mean.

Still, Mathis decided it couldn't be all that bad. Especially when his first drunken night in college had resulted in the two blonde haired boys jogging beside him. It was with a girl he could barely remember, a girl who had literally dropped the two boys in his lap and left without another word. Matty didn't know what to think or what to do or how to care for babies. If it weren't for his older brother, Matty was sure his life would be a lot different than it was now.

He probably wouldn't have finished college in time, he definitely wouldn't have the two boys in his life. Hell, he probably wouldn't have been a researcher at Hammel if it weren't for his older brothers. (He would probably always count Antosha as his brother.) But even with all his blessings, Matty could still be upset that he was still unmarried. That it was just him and his boys in a two bedroom apartment until he paid off his student loans.

However he wasn't going to think about that today. No, today he was just going to slather the sunscreen on his boys, get them in their suits and floaties and head out to the pond. Which is exactly what the mimic did.

Matty kept his boy's hands firmly grasped in his as they walked to the pond, Aiden pulling eagerly at his hand like an excited puppy. "Y'know. I ain't gunna let go 'less you ask." Mathis pointed out with a small grin as they reached the dirt around the pond. "Pleaaase, Daddy?" Aiden was whining, and he knew it. But Matty grinned anyway and let both boys go so they could go running off to undoubtedly play in the dirt before going swimming.

As he followed the eager twins to the water he spotted a familiar figure, and a not so familiar little girl. He pondered saying hi before realizing his boys were steadily making a beeline to the wavy haired girl. Which would be a convenient excuse to get closer. As he did... Well... The face was aged, and the child still unfamiliar, but... "Oliver?" His voice was rougher than when he was younger, and he seemed a lot less excited than before. As he spoke his two sons plopped down on the dirt and immediately began pulling 'beach toys' from their bag so they could make 'sand castles'. Really they were just going to make dirt mounds, but Matty wasn't about to ruin their fun.

[Oliver Barnes]

Although Oliver would like to say he stayed in contact with people from high school, the truth was, he hadn't done a very good job at it. He didn't have a lot of close friends to begin with, but the number dwindled further, especially after university ended. Some of his friends left Pilot Ridge and the state of Vermont all together, while others stayed in town (like him) and continued on in their own bubble of life. His own road had been bumpy and filled with difficulties, but it was nothing unmanageable. Oliver was incredibly grateful for the love of his life and their child.

The afternoon was a beautiful one, and it was a shame that AJ had to work. Regardless, Oliver planned to have a fun afternoon with his daughter and would treat her to ice cream or some other sweet dessert later. Suddenly, the two little blonde boys that the Minnesotan had seen earlier were approaching Victoria, and he couldn't help but to watch them a little more carefully. AJ joked that already, Oliver was a very protective father... but he couldn't help it. He wasn't overbearing, but... his anxiety peeked whenever someone new approached. Victoria, on the other hand, had no qualms and welcomed to younger company. She took two of the pebbles, a shiny white one and a jet black one, stuffing it in the pocket of her dress before turning to face the boys. "Hello!" Victoria confidently spoke, quite the opposite of her two parents.

Then, an unfamiliar voice spoke and Oliver's eyes gazed up from his spot on the ground, his jaw nearly dropping from shock. Like most people, the face was aged, but what was most surprising was the tone of his voice. It was definitely Oliver's old friend from Hammel, Mathis, but the voice was nearly unrecognizable. No longer did he remind him of a happy young puppy. It was rough, as if time hadn't been kind to him. Maybe it was the loss of the optimistic attitude? Oliver stared for a moment, before recollecting himself and his thoughts to form a response.

"Mathis... Matty..." Oliver trailed off, blinking slowly. "It's been awhile man, I've missed you." Damn, it had been a long time. "You're so different." He commented. Time did that. He stroked his chin and the facial hair the once clean shaven man had decided to grow out. His eyes glanced over, seeing his daughter sitting with (presumably) Mathis' kids. "They... they yours?" He asked, with a smile. He couldn't help all of the questions, excited to see his friend.