Erin O'Byrne
Erin O'Byrne (played by Erin Morris) is a fictional character from the American family drama, syndicated television series, Up on High Ground that originally aired on select The CW television affiliates and Pure Flix from October 25, 2014 to October 26, 2015. Erin O'Byrne, was a Sophomore high school student at East Valley Academy. She was a noted show choir singer, acoustic guitar player, and president of her high school drama club. She is perhaps best known for her long running feud with student rival Savannah Swanson. Erin is a pretty red haired girl who dances and sings as an integral part of the East Valley Academy state finalist show choir team. She’s 15, but doesn't drive. Erin is straightforward, open-minded, and athletic. She is introverted and knows full well she intimidates her classmate rival Savannah Swanson, with her strong mind and smarts.
In the third episode “Friends, Family, and Freeloaders, Part 2“, Erin makes it a point to allude to her in-school restraining order with Savannah and that it shouldn't restrict her from participating in a new school show choir when talking to her best friend Miri. Erin, who plays acoustic guitar and sings solos, makes the show choir team after auditions are held. Under scrutiny for not dancing from Sydney and Savannah, she's ridiculed as she walks past the girls in the audition line prior to going on stage with her guitar, which is not an instrument used in madrigal show choir. Erin and her best friend Miri are found talking about their results and hopes for their school show choir and even making comments about a hot student guy named Eban who is never seen. Erin and Miri have a phone conversation about gathering details from Savannah, proving to be the best of friends by working together to get as much information from her and others in their rival's friends circle about the show choir. Londyn, promptly calls Erin wanting to get in on the action deliberately, by trying to find ways to get personal with Savannah, Sydney, Teagan and their teachers pet circle inside Ms. Fritz classroom about the rumored show-choir audition.
Miri proposed a plan B to Erin that there has to be signups posted and that they should talk to Ms. Fritz with the show-choir audition signups to be revealed soon. While Miri and Erin are wrapping up their call Londyn calls Erin knowing her and Miri are looking for all the skill-sets in the auditions and that she knows what Fritz and judge Jefferies are looking for to add to Erin's plan C. Erin’s plan C is to talk to Judge Jefferies on Wednesday as he goes to her church.
While in Mr. Neil’s class, and when he’s away at a board meeting, Erin and Miri have a long conversation with Ms. Lara Camille about cute and creepy guys. Later in the series, Ms. Camille seems overly distracted on the whereabouts of Miri, who’s not in her class, when she asks Erin. Camille goes on to tell Erin she had this great gossip boy website for Miri when Erin tells her Miri is with Ms. Fritz for a solo rehearsal instead of being in Ms. Camille's class.
Evident by very vocal and seemingly subtle class notes and harsh looks at each other, Erin and Savannah are singled out by Mrs. Hialeah. The two girls must stand front and center in psychology class as do not do examples, and are assigned an ongoing cooperative project to meet outside of school and complete it together.
Savannah knows Erin’s drama presidency is up for a re-considering by Ms. Fritz, who treats her like a teacher’s pet. Over the phone, before school, Sydney and Savannah plot to audition for multiple roles knowing they will put Ms. Fritz in a position to choose between the two of them, Mara, and Erin for who’s a better actress.
In the fifth episode Erin's classmate rival Savannah Swanson insists on infringing on the Drama Club auditioning process by telling the class about it before Ms. Camille walks in to take control of the class. Savannah wants to play more than one role herself, even though she has never acted before. Erin, has of course, cast herself as the lead role “Ariel” in this rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, to the dismay of Savannah.
Family, boyfriend and videotaped guy fling
Erin's mom Avril plays an active role in Erin's learning experience. In an early episode her mom confronts Principal Guidry and teacher Hialeah for bringing an ongoing feud in front of the class as a learning lesson involving her daughter and classmate rival Savannah.
Erin develops a quick crush on her younger, freshman classmate, Griffin Sundin, as the two eventually become a very stable couple. The new couple are boldly found making out in the library by Principal Guidry while Griffin is supposed to be in detention, but they play it cool when caught.
Erin is seen hanging around Griffin Sundin playing basketball and quickly gets swept away by his charm, shortly thereafter the two become a couple of forever's.
Later on Erin convinces her parents to let her study abroad during the summer after she auditions online for the Abbey School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland.
Erin is noticeably close to her college aged sister Jayda, who’s in St. Louis for some valuable one on one time to spend shopping with her in the final episode.
Erin and boyfriend Griffin are noticeably in love, but are sad to see each other for one of the last times around a lake-shore as the two kiss and share their feelings for each other. It's evident Erin is going away and will miss Griffin and be missed by Griffin for the summer while she studies abroad in Ireland with prep classes for Abbey school of acting. The last time the two are seen are together are in class when Griffin comes in late after a dentist appointment and kisses Erin then being at graduation in the crowd for other upperclassmen.
In the eighth episode “Gone, But Not Forgotten”, Miri, who seemingly has second thoughts about posting a video online about Savannah, asks Erin again if they should post it. Erin immediately tells Miri "Of course, it will show how pathetic she is!" Erin goes on to say "Savannah dressed like a stripper to impress that guy who's totally into me (Erin) and still even after that he's still willing to cheat on her." Miri tells Erin she's right and guesses the suspension just wasn't enough and she still needs some slapping down. Evident of her growing into womanhood, Erin gives a very facetious and reassuring nod to Miri in supporting this manipulative behavior to steal a man away from Savannah. This scene is meant to set up the future story-line for the next episode of the girls dressing less to impress guys. The next episode script was not produced, due to the series being canceled, but does explain that Erin, who already has a boyfriend in Griffin, apparently has already gone all the way with another guy solely to get back at Savannah. Moreover this clearly shows Erin and Miri are willing to exploit Savannah to get to one of her popular top notch guys, who only Miri and Erin know he's already secretly in love with Erin. The story line was meant to play-out with Erin not ever intending to have two boyfriends at once, but to be perceived as Erin being taken advantage of by Savannah’s boyfriend for a videotape spearheaded by Londyn. Ultimately Erin was to apologize genuinely to Griffin later and make amends with the seemingly weak temptation moment where she lets go and cheats on him to get back at Savannah. Savannah gets into deep counseling for recovery with Counselor Kaidence.
Character Quote
Erin’s quote to her bitter class rival Savannah, after the two finally have a mutual grown up understanding of each other and make peace. “Everyone... including me knows you will always top the guys list who want to make you their girlfriend, you're that blonde who turns heads. You’re thee attention get-ter for a good reason, with your personality too… there's no denying that! Our jealousy for each other runs high, but I always knew this day would come where we can co-exist and understand each other’s positive personality traits and flaws.”
“For the longest time Savannah, I always thought that your negative attention towards me was mainly because I was labeled as the nerdy smart kid while you were miss-labeled as dumb and out witted by the smart attention grabbing redhead.” The two finally become friends when Savannah says“Friends” outright and offers a heartfelt hug in the ninth and final episode "All Good Things Must Come to an End".
