Brandon, Olivia & Eric

Brandon (19) - Olivia’s Fiancé

Olivia (21)

Eric (22) - Olivia’s Ex-Boyfriend

Marion, MI

The Young & The Restless

In the tiny village of Marion, Michigan (population 872) it’s impossible to walk down the street or grab some groceries without running into someone you know… or babysat... or dated... It goes without saying that most people living in Marion have known each other their entire lives. Their bonds are made stronger and also complicated by the fact that everyone knows one another’s business. Brandon and Eric grew up together, but Olivia is the exception. She grew up in the bigger, more affluent town of nearby Traverse and moved to Marion when she was twelve years old. She was received as the goodie-two-shoes, practically perfect and egregiously insufferable girl from the “right side of the tracks.” However, Eric was smitten by the new girl with her devil-may-care, literal “too-cool-for school” attitude. He ate it up and they quickly became friends. Friendship turned to flirtation… then holding hands, sharing a kiss… their relationship was off and running.

Everyone in Marion knew Eric and Olivia as the, “It” couple to gossip about. As popular kids, to date Olivia or Eric was to guarantee social status. So, when Erica and Olivia dated one another it was big news for the little town. Eric and Olivia cheated on their respective boyfriends and girlfriends with one another, which only added fuel to the fire of their rebellious relationship. They devoured the gossip. Whispers at schools, at churches… and even at the grocery stores. They loved the attention and they loved the forbidden aspect of their on-again/off-again relationship. It only made it sexier … 

Through their high school years, Eric was the football player and Olivia was the cheerleader, but while their relationship might appear on to be a Disney movie poster, the two are too individualistic to be stuck in a box like that. Their personalities are so alike, that it caused huge issues in their relationship. While they were inseparable, they also butted heads whenever any conflict arose. In the end, this was the reason that forced them to severe ties permanently after dating on and off for nearly three years. As much as they love, admire and confide in one another they’re each headstrong, sensitive, stubborn, emotional and are used to getting their own way.

Olivia and her new beau, Brandon, have been together for two and a half years and have lived together for two of those years. They are engaged and plan to have a wedding in 2023. In the meantime, they plan on building a house for themselves on a large plot of land that they own together. They’re also looking to adopt a puppy. In short, they’re starting a life together and planting roots. Olivia wants to remain near her parents indefinitely, even though she also has a strong desire to move to Florida. It’s a source of internal conflict that she speaks candidly with Eric about. She loves the idea of seeing more of the world, living in a beautiful place and trying something completely different than Michigan.

Brandon is the complete opposite. He can’t picture himself in a city much larger than where he grew up. Brandon loves to hunt, fish and spend time outside. Olivia is at home in a department store or Instagramming her eggs benedict at brunch from a trendy café.

Meanwhile, Eric is not as certain about where his life is headed. He absolutely loves his job in the cement pouring industry and imagines a future in which he starts his own company doing just that. He has also expressed strong interest in joining the military, especially considering he has a college degree, which would allow him to enter as an officer. 

Eric and Brandon have a complex and volatile relationship only made worse by the fact that they’ve known each other their entire lives. As a matter of fact, Eric is Brandon’s boss at work. Eric can be rude, curt and explosive with Brandon. Poor Brandon is never sure what version of Eric he’s going to get when he pulls up. On one hand Brandon admires and appreciates his friendship with Eric, but on the other he doesn’t know if he can trust Eric because he never knows where he stands with him. The bigger problem is that Eric treats Olivia the same way. Eric and Olivia have a sarcastic, stubborn and over-the-top relationship, and Eric can be rude, condescending and two-faced to Olivia. It’s one thing for Eric to treat him (Brandon) like this, but it’s another thing to treat his fiancé poorly. It’s pretty obvious to Brandon and Olivia that Eric has a chip on his shoulder and is jealous of their picture-perfect life.

Olivia in turn doesn’t want to give up on Eric as he is the person that she can turn to regarding anything (even confiding in him about her insecurities about establishing roots in Michigan). She has few choices when it comes to friends. She either doesn’t relate to many other girls in town, or they don’t like her (chalking it up to jealously) so Eric has proven himself a good friend to her in a town of very few options. Brandon feels like he has to tolerate Eric because of their shared history. Brandon is also friends with Eric’s brother. Their families know one another. So as much as Brandon is exhausted by Eric’s extreme moods he feels obligated to maintain peace for the sake of his family and Olivia. But there’s also a limit to how much Brandon will tolerate.

Olivia does not love the idea of Eric entering the military, partially for safety, but also because of the distance that will be put between them. No matter what their relationship status has been throughout their lives, they have always been each other’s go-to when it comes to anything difficult. As Olivia and Brandon continue to build a life together, it remains to be seen how their growing relationship will impact or influence their respective relationships with Eric. Will Eric continue to lash out at Olivia? Will Brandon say enough is enough? If the bottom does drop out, will the three of them really be able to co-exist in their tiny town? Or will Eric perhaps grow-up and start to develop a more mature relationship with Brandon and Olivia?