Eric, soon after his mother's death hadn't wanted much to do with anyone. It bothered him to be near people, especially someone like Kyle, who was loud and rambunctious. He'd secretly wanted to be with Kailey every day, to see her smile, hear her laugh. But it always made him feel guilty to try and spend time with her and not Kyle, who had been his friend for over three years now. He also was a bit embarrassed at the fact that being around her mother soon after his own mother's death would make him cry, and he didn't want to cry in front of people, much less a girl.

This would in fact change over the next couple years, in fact within the next few months. But at the time he didn't like the idea of it at all. His dislike of going out and spending time with people only grew stronger when his dad started drinking more, getting angrier more, and leaving marks on Eric's body.

He hadn't seen Kai approch him at first, but lifted his head as he heard her voice. At first, his body tensed as he realized she was coming closer, but relaxed fully into her as she hugged him, his arms slipping around her gently. It'd been a couple months since he'd had any affection, the change being hard on him. His mother had always been one to hug and kiss, ruffle his hair, playfully tease him. But all of that was gone now, and even though it had been a slow progressive decline, it still had felt sudden, when it was all gone.

He was left with a stern eye and a rough hand to rely on at home, and a sister who he bickered with constantly. She was moody now more than ever, a bit rebellious, and left the house to hang out with her boyfriend and friends all day.

Eric tried to give Kai a smile, but it came across weaker than he'd meant it to. "I'm...okay I guess." he answered her quietly, shrugging a little. "I have Algebra, English, History, and Weights." he said, listing off his classes before lunch. "Why? What do you have?" He felt an anxious fluttering in his stomach being here at school for some reason, the atmosphere just felt....off. He knew the majority of the students had heard about his mother's death, and it made him feel awkward. Would everyone be trying to sympathize with him? Give him pity? He didn't want that. But he didn't want anyone to make fun of him for being a momma's boy either.

Despite his nervousness, he was happy to be standing here with Kai. Seeing her face again made a little bit of the clouds in his mind part. It was also a bit neat to see how she'd changed since he'd seen her last. If he'd been with her all summer he may not have noticed so easily nor as quickly. But he'd been parted from his friends for a couple of months, and kids their age grew rather quickly. She was a little bit taller (at least he thought she seemed be) and her face looked slightly more mature.

He had grown slightly taller as well, and had matured a bit in the face too. But he appeared thinner than what he had been before, mostly because he was avoiding going downstairs during the day to eat, which in turn meant he was eating once a day, twice at most. He glanced over to see a guy from his class walk by, making a confused and suspicious expression at the bruise on Eric's face. His eyes scanned up and down Eric's body as he passed, but he said nothing, continuing silently on his way.

Eric felt like shrinking into himself, and this feeling manifested by him taking a couple steps closer to Kai without realizing he'd done so, close enough to where their shoulders brushed. He jumped slightly upon hearing a noise, someone coming up, but relaxed when he noticed it was only Mary and Anna. Eric felt the clouds in his mind start to darken things again as he saw their faces, the warm feeling he'd gotten from Kai fading. The two other girls didn't carry with them the same energy as Kailey did, and it showed strongly now more than ever. He nodded at them in a greeting, but didn't speak unless they spoke to him directly, his gaze often travelling to the floor or making eye contact with kids who walked by, giving him the same sort of suspicious looks.

At one point he reached up, brushing a finger along the bruise and wishing he could hide it somehow. He hadn't realized at all that the entire time he'd been practically glued to Kai's side, moving closer whenever they drifted apart or whenever he got a strange look from a passerby.

"Hey howdy hey my beautiful peeps!" Kyle exclaimed in a greeting from down the hall, his voice echoing loudly over to them. He cared not what anyone thought, because hardly anyone thought badly of him. He made his way over to them, giving Mary a friendly wink and a nod to Kai. He bumped Anna's shoulder as a greeting and stepped up to Eric's other side. "Hey bud, how are ya? Haven't seen ya in a bit."

Normally, Eric would have been thrilled to see Kyle. But just as he'd feared...he wasn't ready for all of his excitement. He was happy to see him, but not as happy as he normally would be, still finding all of his comfort in Kai.

"Okay," he answered quietly, his gaze falling to the floor for a second or two. "Just...overwhelmed a bit."

"Well hey, if you're not doing anything after school you could come hang with me and Jacob." he offered, tossing his head at a sopomore who stood at his locker just a few lockers down. Eric hesitated before shaking his head.

"I...I don't think I will," he said quietly. "Thank you, but..." he trailed off, unsure how to finish his sentence without sounding rude. Kyle shrugged.

"That's okay. I get it." The bell rang, interrupting the conversation, and Kyle briskly turned away, walking towards Jacob and heading to his first class. Eric hung behind a little before looking towards Kai, a slightly guilty look in his eyes.

"I feel bad," he said. "But...I don't think I can handle being around him too much yet." he admitted softly to her. "He doesn't...know me as well as I thought he did. He doesn't...understand things." He gave a weak smile, trying to put on a face that would hopefully get him through the day. "Besides, he's a little too hyper for me." He walked beside her at her pace, not really wanting to split ways. He liked the vibe she gave off, and he was happy to be feeling it again. He had in all honesty missed her, and he'd wanted more than anything to spend time with her.

"Hey I'm sorry I kind of...cut you off for a little while." he apologized. "I just couldn't be around anybody so soon after...everything. Once stuff started to settle in I really did want to come see you, but I just felt bad because of Kyle. I didn't want to be around him, I knew I couldn't survive more than an hour with him. He's just too hyper and too loud, and he always brings other people with him. It's never just me and him, which is...what I like more." He shot her a slightly embarrassed glance and gave her a shy smile. "Crowds, you know." he said quietly, remembering how it had taken him quite awhile to feel comfortable with Anna and Mary. Something he was still working on a little bit even.

It affected him in basketball, because it was a pretty big team, but not as much as it did just hanging out with people. Mostly because the only time he was with the team was during practice, and they all needed each other for practice to work, all of them doing the same repeated motions, so it gave him something else to focus on and they all worked as one anyway. But when just hanging out with friends, it was harder. Especially when he felt closer to one more than the others.

"I really did want to hang out with you," he reinforced kindly. "I just...couldn't." He fell silent for a bit as they walked, pushing down the emotions that were starting to well up inside. They came so suddenly, it was hard to control. He stopped outside their classroom doors, hesitating before taking her arm and pulling her aside. Mostly everyone else was in their classrooms already, so he wasn't too scared of anyone overhearing.

"Kai...you're different." he said, his words coming out quickly but still softly and kind. "I don't know what it is, but you're different. I feel bad for saying this but at the same time...I don't. Kyle's been my friend for a little over two years but you seem to just...I don't know, you seem to know me better than he does. You seem to actually understand stuff. I can't explain it, but you just do. I guess I just wanted to say thank you." he said, his words starting to slow down and go back to his normal rate of speaking. He gave her a shy and slightly nervous glance, a small shy smile forming on his lips.

"For being patient with me and everything. Just...thank you for being a good friend, even if I wasn't really being a great one for a little bit. It really means a lot."

"I don't know what I can do, or if you want me to do anything," she realized that she was letting some of the frustration to leak out of her voice. Maybe he wouldn't notice. She closed her eyes, trying to restrain herself from getting anymore emotional. She hadn't meant to add her own emotions add to his burdens. This summer she had felt so powerless, and she knew that her friend had been hurting alone. She felt guilty for not knowing what to do, and her lack of action. She was used to trying her hardest to make things better, and she could only imagine what was going on the other side of his phone.

If she couldn't help, there was no sense in her yelling at him for not letting her help. It was quite presumptuous. Others were gathering, so she had to stop herself from possibly making a scene. She was annoyed with herself, and scared how Eric would react. She noticed that his voice had started changing, which unsettled her. So much was able to happen in so little time. She would never get to hear his old voice again, and she would have to get used to his current one. When she looked at him after the guy passed, she realized what he had been looking at. Where had he gotten the bruise?

She often asked questions like that, because she often didn't have a sense of when to open her mouth, but about this, she felt uncomfortable. If things were rough at home, the school authorities were supposed to report it to the proper people. Perhaps she should open that can of worms later. The school could get sued if they didn't. It was being taken more and more seriously more and more often. She hadn't measured herself, but she had to get new clothes for the new year, so she assumed that she had grown some. The changes were not noticeable to her. She was disappointed to see Eric closing off again, when the girls arrived.

Mary was in the same grade as Kai, but Anna was a highschooler now. A freshman-someone at the bottom of the totem pole. At first Kai didn't notice Eric crowding her space, but when she almost bumped into him moving, she realized that she wouldn't mind if he backed up a step or so. She studied him, trying to figure out why he was standing so close, but she came to nothing conclusive. A grin spread across Kai's face, as Kyle waltzed into the room. "Long time no see, what have you been up to?" She glanced at Eric concerned at the way he was responding.

She had expected him to perk up, when he reunited with Kyle. He hadn't even perked up as much as he had with her, or made as much effort as he had with her. When Eric said no to Kyle, Kai was glad she hadn't tried to ask. She supposed Eric was going to continue to push them away. Perhaps, she could see if the girls wanted to come over. Kai was about to dash away to her class, when the bell rang, but Eric's posture prompted her to stay. He seemed to want to say something, and even if it made her late on the first day, and gave the teacher a bad first impression, which would be really hard to overcome, she was okay with that. She wasn't able to smile back at him.

She was thinking on his confession not sure what to say, do or feel. She gave him a small smile, trying to be encouraging. She wanted to say something light hearted, but her brain wasn't generating words in a particular order for her to say. "That's okay. I understand," two big fat lies in a row, but it seemed like the expected appropriate response.

She understood more now. Before she just assumed it was some sort of reaction, that she wouldn't understand unless she went through the exact same thing. "It's nice to know, that it wasn't me," it came out before she thought about it too much. There were a lot of things she might never say, because she thought about it for too long. She was tempted to say that she was sorry. She didn't know if he felt like his friendship was falling a part, when he needed it the most, or what. "Like I said, what do you want me to do? I want to help, but I have no idea what way would work the best, or what you are looking for. My time is yours. Do you want to come over to chill, hang out, talk?" she told him, hoping she would have time to complete her school work.

She had a feeling there was more to say than just losing his mom. There were so many adjustments, and having someone to talk to outside of the house would be refreshing possibly, if he was ready. At least she wasn't in highschool so it wouldn't affect her GPA yet. She began to head to her class, because she was probably going to be late as it was. She was still a bit bewildered, when they got to the door. When he began to say those words, she felt guilty. Maybe she hadn't been as obvious as she had believed. "I think you might be overstating things a bit, but I do think I understand the value of 1x1 time," she shrugged. "I'm sorry for almost freaking out on you there earlier. IIt wasn't you. I just felt like I had failed as a friend, because I didn't do anything," she apologized shuffling her feet awkwardly, not able to make eye contact.

After all of his apologies, she felt worse. "At least I understand better," she sort of tried to detract from her freaking out. She had kept on telling herself, that he wanted to be left alone. Being left alone was helping him, but it hadn't felt right, and it had stressed her out, not texting him every minute. Now, she was sort of glad that she hadn't done that. She might have been paired with Eric as too hyper. Could she really undertand Eric better than his best friend he had known forever? She did believe she had probably tried harder. With a quick hug, they soon broke ways to go to their own separate classes.

He nodded quietly as she listed off her classes, taking note of them. Their core classes like English and History would be different, so they more than likely wouldn't see each other much for the first half of the day. The last half though, he knew he had Art, Science, and Choir. "What do you have after lunch?" She asked him what she could do for him, and he shrugged. He opened his mouth to answer her, but quickly shut it as Mary and Anna approached them. He fell silent, listening to the conversations rather than joining, unless of course someone asked him a direct question.

He had been able to pick up on the frustration in her voice, and it made him feel even more guilty. It made him want to curl up into himself even more, knowing that he'd made her upset during everything. Everyone handled pain differently though, couldn't she see that?

Eric glanced up to see Anna making eye contact with him. She gave him a friendly smile, and he tried to return it but it came out looking less friendly than hers. He found himself glancing in her direction more often than he really had before, taking in her appearance. She'd changed too, seemingly more so than the other two girls. She for sure was taller, he could tell that right away. Was she also wearing...makeup? Did she touch up her hair? He wasn't sure about her hair, but he could see a small amount of makeup on her face.

When Kyle arrived, Eric tried to appear outwardly happy, but it was hard. It would be much easier to smile and laugh outside of school, but right now he was feeling anxious. He felt as if so many people were staring at him, even though they weren't for that long. Kyle nodded at Kai, answering her.

"Oh ya know...nothing of significant importance." He chuckled, turning his attention back to Eric. Kyle had never been tall, but he wasn't considered short, either. His red-brown hair was wavy and typically long, but he'd cut it for once, and it looked nice. He was slightly taller than before, and his freckled face was starting to be splotched with acne. Luckily, Eric's hadn't started to flare up yet. He only had a couple dotted on his face, and he was lucky enough that they never lasted long.

She told him that it was okay and that she understood when he spoke to her about how he felt and why he did what he did, but he had a feeling she didn't fully mean it. It was the typical thing to say. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, but he brushed it aside and didn't worry about it. She told him that she was glad it wasn't her that caused him to shut down, and he stopped walking for a split second, taken by surprise. How could she think that it was her?

"Kai, no." he said gently, starting to walk again by her side. "Of course it wasn't you." She asked him again what she could do for him, and once again he wasn't sure. He didn't like feeling needy and hopeless. He wanted to be strong and take care of things himself, but he knew that wasn't possible for him. He was the kind of person who needed good friends by his side, he'd discovered that during those couple months. Isolating himself saved him from his father on a few ocassions, but it had done nothing good for his mental state.

"I just want to spend time with you," he admitted softly, looking down at the floor as they walked. He wasn't sure how she would take that. Would she think that he was crushing on her? Or would she pass it off as a good friendship like he intended it to be?

I miss you Kailey. he added in his head. I miss my mother. I just want time with someone who cares. Someone like you.

She asked if he wanted to come over to her place, and he looked over at her, his posture straightening a little. He ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "Actually yeah," he said quietly. "That would be great." Once they got to the doors, she listened to him speak. Shortly after she apologized, and he shook his head. "It's okay." he nearly whispered. "I get it. I wasn't exactly being the most open with either of you, so I think it was more of a failure on my end. Don't feel guilty, it isn't you." He gave her a small, shy, teasing smile. "I think out of the two of us I'm the one more likely to mess something up."

She looked to be nervous or anxious, and he was beginning to understand that feeling a lot more than he used to. The sight of her shuffling her feet and breaking eye contact drove him to step closer and pull her into a hug, holding her close and tight. "I'll see you later," he told her quietly as he stepped back. "At lunch hopefully."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the day went fairly well and Eric was feeling a little bit better than he had been that morning. He made his way through the halls, his bag strapped over his left shoulder and avoided eye contact with anyone he wasn't friends with. So far Kyle hadn't taken any action to approach him, and Eric couldn't see him anywhere anyway.

He made his way to the gym, quickly going down the steps and into the locker room to put his gym bag into the locker down there. Once done, he made his way back up and out into the school lobby, standing by the big doors to wait for Kailey.

"Hey Eric," he heard someone say. It took him a second to find who had spoken, but his blue eyes soon rested on a girl in the same grade as himself and Anna. She was one of the taller girls in the class, her hair a natural red and her eyes a bright emerald green. Her skin was fair and smooth, and a fair amount of makeup lined her young but pretty face. Her hair came to rest in the middle of her back, naturally straight but it looked as if she had slept with braids in it overnight, making it appear more wavy. She was dressed in a sky blue sundress with a pretty jean jacket covering her shoulders.

"Hey," he said quietly in return, a bit surprised by her confrontation. He knew her by the name of Harper Stewart, but he'd never really talked to her much before. "What's...what's up?" he asked, stepping towards her curiously. She tucked a bit of firey hair behind her ear and looked at the floor shyly before looking back up at him.

"Nothing much, really." she answered. She stood up a little straighter and lifted her chin, as if she was telling herself to be braver. "I guess I was just wondering if you're doing anything today?" she asked, a hopeful look in her green gaze. Eric stood for a moment, thinking, unsure of how to tell her he was busy. He didn't exactly want to tell her that he was hanging out with Kai, simply because he had the feeling Harper was hoping for a date. He knew girls this age well enough by now to know they didn't exactly like any competition when it came to dating or relationships.

He didn't think she'd much appreciate it if he turned her down simply to just go hang out with another girl. "Um," he started, sounding slightly nervous. "I actually do have plans. I'm...kind of waiting for someone."

"Oh." she said, her shoulders slumping slightly. She looked around for a moment, biting her lip and glancing at the floor before looking back up at him. "Is it Kyle?" she asked. "I don't mean to be snoopy or anything, it's just that I saw him leave with Jacob."

He left without even telling me bye? Eric thought, slightly hurt. Kyle hadn't even tried to find him at all.

"No, no it's not Kyle." he answered, hearing the bit of hurt slipping through his tone.

"It's Kai, isn't it?" Harper asked, giving him a small smile, her green eyes glittering with an expression he wasn't sure how to interpret. Not angry, not exactly jealous, but not full on friendly either.

"Yeah," he admitted quietly, adjusting the straps of his bag on his shoulder. "Yeah it is." Harper let out a nearly inaudible sigh and adjusted her own backpack, glancing out the glass of the doors for a second or two.

"Well maybe some other time then," she said, turning her attention back to him. "Hope you have fun." She started to walk away, but turned back towards him once more, lowering her voice and saying, "She's quite pretty." She gave him a friendly teasing wink before turning and walking out the door, heading to her mother's car. Eric watched her go, setting his jaw. Girls changed when they got into high school, he noticed. They matured.

Harper had been one of the middle school girls that would come up to him in a nervous wreck, so it hadn't been the first time he'd had to turn her down. But...something was different now. She wasn't as nervous, she didn't fumble around her words. She was light, kind, and flirty all at once in a subtle way he found himself to enjoy. Not to mention that he found her pretty too. She was right though. Kailey was pretty. She was also someone he'd grown quite close to, someone he felt like he could talk to. Someone he could have fun with and not worry too much about being awkward. Someone who never ceased to make him laugh, even when he was upset.

Someone he cared about dearly.

A bizarre thought crossed his mind, one that he was quite shocked by.

Someone I could see myself dating.

His mind had started to wander as he looked out the doors, the sun glinting off of his eyes and warming his skin through the glass. He stepped carefully aside as a group of middle schoolers flew by him, pushing open the doors and bursting outside in a loud wave. He couldn't remember a time when he was ever that hyper, not even as a young child.

He waited patiently for Kailey, hoping she hadn't forgot that he was coming over.

Texting had felt so impersonal and cold. It was so easy to do, even though it showed that she was at least thinking about him. She assumed that he would want someone to try to connect with him, even if he wanted to push them away. Since she was just a kid, she needed Eric and her mom's approval before she could even try to talk to him in person, while school was out. She wasn't exactly sure what she was mad at, but she felt like she had failed, and it was Eric who had sealed himself off so completely. She hated that she was making him feel guilty. She should have tried to hide her frustration better. He started trying to reassure her, and he opened his mouth to say something, but they were interrupted by their friend group.

Kai turned her head shamefaced that she was making it about herself and her insecurities, when Eric was the one who had gone through the biggest change. Kai should be more understanding, and she shouldn't put more on Eric. Kai didn't realize she was so empathetic of her friends, that when they were distressed, she became more distressed. Perhaps this was why he had distanced himself. There was only so much one person could take. Kai had to put her feelings away, so that she could act normal around her friends. Kai felt that a lot of the freshman highschool girls felt the need to dress up with make up, and an improved fashion sense. Kai didn't really see herself making that change, but who knew at the end of the year what could happen.

She was glad that she had finally gotten control over her crush on Eric. Between not seeing him over the summer, and learning to be a friend to him, there wasn't room for other feelings. It was disconcerting to meet up with Anna, and see how she had glowed up a bit. Kai tried not to fall under peer pressure, but she began to see why girls started dressing nicer. It made her look older, so perhaps people would be more willing to take her seriously. Kai wasn't planning on forcing herself to grow up before her time, but it was tempting, since she knew that she found Anna prettier dressed up. It also made her feel guilty for having such disloyal thoughts.

"Anna! Wow! I love your outfit," she gushed annoyed that she started out with such a shallow greeting, as she went to hug her friends. Kai felt sorry for Kyle and his acne. At least he was still growing. Kai seemed to go in cycles where she would have worse acne, and more would pop up, but she never had had it terrible. At least...not yet. Eventually, they would go away, especially, if she was more careful about washing her face and hair. Kai was a little disappointed by the coolness when Kyle and Eric said hi. She was worried. She didn't want Eric to lose support, when he needed it the most. If she thought she could be subtle or helpful, she would consider having a talk with Kyle, however, she had a feeling he would blab, and make things bad or awkward.

She couldn't trust him to do the right thing. Later she and Eric were alone again. She was nervous, because she knew they woul talk about what she had hinted at. They had only been back together a little while, and everything was already getting stressful and complicated. No wonder he had pushed them away. Her words took him by surprise, and if she didn't think it would make things more awkward or worse, she would have hidden her face. Luckily, he didn't seem to realize how much it had affected her, even when he did start protesting and trying to explain again. Her face showed that she felt awkward, but it didn't seem like he could pull everything from it. She had been worried that perhaps they weren't as close as she thought.

Maybe he didn't need her. Perhaps this was his way of saying that they weren't friends. It did feel like she wasn't being valued. She couldn't be for sure that he wasn't talking to other people, and just leaving her out of the loop. Some of those fears had snuck in. She smiled a little at his admission. Just those words were what she was wanting to hear the most. She tried not to feel guilty, since he told her not to, but she didn't think it was right that she was piling her feelings on him. He might not be able to handle it, and she didn't have anything big to deal with where she couldn't keep it to herself.

To try to hide her feelings she forced a smile, "Great. I'll see you after school." She frowned, "I doubt that." Everyone had problems or failures in friendship. She felt herself shudder minimally, as some of her emotions were released into the hug. She found it a relief to have him reaching out to her again. Things would never be the same for Eric again, and she needed to learn how to roll with the flow. She nodded her head and disappeared into her class.

~~~~~~~~

Eventually, Kai steadied out in her boring classes. It was hard to stay anxious, when she wanted to go to sleep most of the time. After last year, it was disappointing being in none of the same classes together this year. They all managed to at least say hi to each other at lunch, but some of them didn't get out at the same time, so they would have to wave as they passed. Kai felt her insecure little heart thump, when she noticed Harper standing there talking to Eric. Anna sometimes got on her nerves, and Mary was too quiet.

They didn't seem to get along with Eric the way that Kai did, so she had never felt jealous of them, but she had never seen Eric with another girl, sort of chatting her up. Kai's insecurities poured back out again, and she tried to knock out her jealousy, and tie it up for later. The other girl was quite pretty. Perhaps she had a personality to match. Kai wondered if she could have ever caught Eric's attention, when she had a crush on him, if she had dressed like these other girls. She had been too young at the time to do anything about her crush, and she hadn't wanted to mess up their friendship, so she had kept it to herself. She felt some of her previous pangs of panic, when Eric started getting too friendly with another girl.

She didn't have any claim on him at all, and it appeared that she still had residual feelings for him, and not as erased as they were led to believe. Kai immediately put on her cheerful face. She didn't think Eric had gotten used to her enough to know exactly what it meant, or when she was using it. "How's it going?" she asked him, "That was Harper, right? Do you have classes together?" She took a moment to squish out the remaining insecure jealousy. Harper had changed. Perhaps Eric's views on a relationship had as well. Kai repeated her mantra, which was if you are friends, no human can take him away from you. It was a bit lengthy, but she thought it was what she needed at the moment. In her head she also repeated, you don't have a crush on him anymore.

"My mom should be here soon." Would she have to add another girl to the friendgroup? Would hse one day became something like Kyle, where he didn't think she understood him? It all felt like it had happened so fast. Instead of being told that she was special was comforting, it added more pressure and fears. She didn't want to be replaced, but she had found from different friend groups, that it was all too easy. Kai had forgotten that her sister was driving. Normally, mom drove her on the first day of shcool. Rebecca would be graduating this year, and Kai wasn't sure what to think yet. Kai sort of wanted to figure out what Eric thought of all these girls dressing up. Even though she told herself she didn't like him anymore, she still found herself wanting to please him particularly. "What do you think if the mysterioius highschool girl change happened to me?" she asked.

Would he simply find it weird, would he admire it? What answer did she want to hear? The middle schoolers seemed to be on a rampage. Kai was relieved to escape in the car. While she had been in class, or in between classes, she had messaged her mom, getting the okay to bring Eric home. Her mom told Kai they should try to have him over more often. It would be better for him. Now that they were at her house, she wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to talk and catch up, but she didn't want to put too much pressure on him.

She let Eric get his greetings in. Her mom, Lisa, was the type of woman who demanded hugs from Kai's friends. Of course if they didn't want to, she would never force it, but most of her friends had come to expect a hug from her mom. She let him see her cats, but she did't want to mess with them too much. It felt a little forced, but she grabbed the jenga. Not only could it get high risk and distracting, but their mouths should be free to chat should they wish it. She started setting it up with his help. "What did you do during the summer?" it was the routine question that fell out of her mouth. Sometimes it was easy to forget how horrible it had been for him. "Without you, I didn't hang out as much with Kyle, but I did get closer to Anna and Mary," she was looking for topics of conversation.

It was strange, seeing so many kids looking older and changing. It was especially strange to see the girls. It was as if once they got in high school they had a sudden urge to wear makeup and fancier clothes. Why? To get attention? He didn't understand it, but he supposed it was a girl thing. He would have continued to think that if he hadn't seen some of the guys doing a similar thing.

Like Kyle.

His hair had actually been combed and spiked in a fauxhawk with hair gel, and he wasn't wearing just anything he'd found on his bedroom floor. What had gotten into everyone? Eric had never been messy, and he'd always taken care of himself. But he'd never put more effort than usual into how he looked. His mother had been insistent on his hair looking nice, and he'd tried to please her by keeping it combed and whatnot, but it was something he often failed to remember to do. More often than not he forgot and showed up to school with his hair looking as if he'd just rolled out of bed.

After her death however, he'd felt inspired to do as she'd wished. For a good while after, he'd gotten up and fixed his hair every morning, just to create some sort of feeling of approval or love from her even though she was no longer there.

Talking to Harper had been more strange than anything else, but he had to admit to himself that it was nice to talk to her without her being all fumbly and nervous and twitchy. She had been brave enough to approach him herself and talk to him like a normal human being, which only Kai had been able to master last year straight away.

He turned around as he heard Kai's voice, his solemn expression lighting up into a grin upon seeing her face. "Oh you know," he answered. "It's going I guess." She asked him a couple more questions and he nodded. "Yeah that's Harper. We have a couple classes together, but we've never really talked too much before." He paused, his brow creasing in thought. "She asked me if I wanted to hang out with her today." He shrugged. "Don't really know why, I barely know her. Besides, I told her I had plans already." He gave Kai a friendly grin. Most of his anxiety and sorrow had faded as the day went on, mostly because he'd been focusing on his plans after school. "I have plans to hang out with someone else. Someone who wasn't afraid to be herself around me the first day. Someone I can trust and rely on." He nudged her gently with his shoulder.

She told him that her mother would be here soon to pick them up, and he nodded. "Okay." His ears perked as she asked him a strange question. He sort of shrugged, confused as to why she was asking. Was she considering it, too? What was it with all of these girls?

"I mean...I think it's rubbish all of it." he said after a moment, his accent slipping through a little. "What goes on your girl's heads? Why is everyone all of a sudden thinking they have to plaster makeup on their face or dress fancy?" He broke his gaze from her to see a boy and girl from his class brush past them hand in hand, the girl giggling and pushing herself closer to the boy. "Like that!" he pointed out with a small smile. "Blimey, it's like everyone's gone insane."

He looked back over at Kai, shaking his head. "I think you're pretty as is, you don't need to get all fancied up. If you're wanting to cover up your features to earn a guy's interest than he really has no interest in you." He was a bit surprised by his words. They had flown out of his mouth so naturally without much thought. Is that what he really believed? Did he really feel that strongly about it?

Or....

Was he feeling something for her and didn't like the idea of another guy taking interest? Was he just being stupidly overprotective? Was he just trying to keep her close to him and away from the wrong guys? Or was it something deeper?

"I guess what I'm saying is that...I think you're pretty enough as you are, and if you're thinking about wearing makeup just because the other girls are you shouldn't. But if you genuinely want to just because you want to..." He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Go for it." He gave her a smile. He walked with her to the car, saying a hello to Rebecca and sliding into the backseat.

Once they got inside her house, he was greeted almost straight away by Lisa. The sight of her sent a pain shooting in his chest, a deeper pain than he had been expecting to feel. He felt his throat tighten, but pushed back the horrible urge to cry. He knew it didn't stop everything though, and was aware that both Kai and her mother could probably see the tears glinting in his blue eyes. He stepped towards her, feeling as if everything was slowing down, and accepted her hug, leaning into her.

Even though it had saddened him to see her and realize that he no longer had a mother but Kai did...it still filled him with a relief and happiness when he hugged her that only a mother could bring. Even though she wasn't his own, part of him was already desperate to reach out and beg it from her. He wanted that feeling of motherly love, and Kai's mother was one of the best sources. She knew him, he knew her, he knew her daughter and cared for her, he was over often enough, and he was a well behaved kid, even if his current home life was slowly being broken.

"Thanks for letting me come over," he said quietly as he slowly pulled out of her hug. A large part of him was screaming out to go back, to wrap his arms tightly around her and cry into her, to pour out all the emotions he was feeling. Just to feel that motherly protection, the love that only someone like her could give. But he didn't. He stepped back towards Kai and followed her through the house, stopping to pet the cats that began to creep out from their places.

After a little bit, Kai grabbed the jenga set and sat down, opening it and starting to set it up. He slowly sank to the ground as well, quietly reaching out and helping her. She asked him what he did during the summer, and he looked up at her, surprised. His expression barely changed, but his heart was doing flips. Was she seriously asking him that? Or had it just slipped out?

"Um," he started, looking back down to focus on setting up the game. "Well I read a lot of books." He let a small smile creep onto his face. He hadn't done too much, having been locked inside his room in order to avoid his family. He'd had to entertain himself by other means. "I watched several movies, spent time drawing...texted you." He glanced up at her, giving her an unknowing slightly flirtatious grin.

"Well that's good," he commented as she said she got closer with Anna and Mary. "Us boys can be a bit much, you need girl friends to fall back on." He chuckled quietly, setting the last piece up. "They'll understand all the fancy changes." He teased, referencing their conversation at school about the sudden glow up of the freshman girls.

"Did you do anything else over the summer?" he asked. His sadness was starting to dissipate again, and his orneriness starting to flare. "Talk about boys?" he asked teasingly, pitching his voice a little higher and making it more feminine in a playful mocking tone. "Which one's your dream boy?"

His teasing energy was slowly starting to come back, and he took the time once again to appreciate Kailey. Something about her just made everything better. She wasn't doing anything special or different really, but she as herself was able to make him feel so much better at any given time.

Getting a random text from her during the day instantly lifted his spirits and put a smile on his face. Hanging out with her only intensified that. He felt like everything bad in the world momentarily vanished when he was spending time with her. He could focus on her and other things rather than the hard reality of home life.

He let Kai start the game, and they played quietly for a couple minutes before Eric's teasing energy died down again. His expression turned slightly more solemn and his brow creased in thought. "Hey Kai..." he said quietly, pausing for a second. His gaze was on the ground, but it was obvious that his mind was going and shifting through at full speed. "Do you think I'll always feel this bad? Does the pain of losing someone you love ever go away?" He slowly looked up at her, his heart starting to pick up its pace. "When I saw your mum...I was happy to see her. I was happy to be hugged like that again. But...it also made me want to cry. Because it...it hurts to know that I don't have that at home anymore."

His voice faltered and dropped to a whisper on the last sentence, as if he was trying to hide how much it really was hurting him. His throat was starting to tighten and burn, and he cursed himself for bringing it up. He didn't like crying, especially in front of someone, but he wasn't strong enough to stop it from happening. A tear escaped his eye and he used his shoulder to brush it aside, trying to hold back anymore that wanted to be let loose.

"Is it bad that I'm jealous of you?" He kind of let out a chuckle to try and release his tension, even though he was being honest. It wasn't a bad jealousy at all, but he wanted the closeness she seemed to have with her family. She had a mother and father who loved her, and he could only imagine what that must be like. Another tear escaped from him, and he brushed it away with his hand. He felt his cheeks blush with shy embarrassment and he tried to smile at her through his tears. "I'm sorry, I don't usually...cry in front of people."

She wasn't sure how much beauty caught guy's eyes, so she wasn't sure how worthwhile it was to dress up. She had to keep reminding herself, that she was too young, and that was unimportant right now. She smiled some, when he began to reference her. Or at least that's what it seemed like. Sometimes Kai took all of the wrong hints, but it did reassure her. She shook her head disapprovingly, "Eric, you know it often takes a while for people to warm up before they become themselves. They just need some time to feel comfortable."

She wasn't sure why she felt the need to defend Harper. "I just am wide open, and can't hide a thing," she sort of grinned in a joking manner, yet being totally serious. She knew that it was probably easy to guess what she was thinking, but neither of them spelled it out, so she wasn't certain. She shrugged, "I'm not totally sure why. For some girls it's peer pressure. If you stick out, you get hammered and made fun of, or people think you are odd. Once you ride the first wave of the newness they stop paying attention, but they think you are weird until then. I think most girls feel insecure, so they can't imagine a girl who is secure enough not to follow the fads, or try to look better. Dressing up nicer is just another way to try to attract attention and hopefully gain people's favor," she looked Eric up and down before she blushed a little, "Honestly, it's probably y'all's favor girls are trying to get. It starts out like that, and then all of the girls dress up, so if it doesn't work, now they are dressing up, because of all of the other girls."

Kai didn't really know if she was correct, but it was her best guess. Kai would feel weird changing her look to get a guy to like her. Maybe picking out certain clothing that she already had in her wardrobe that the guy preferred would make sense, but totally altering it wouldn't be right. She shrugged, "Yeah. I think something happens in seventh grade through highschool. We lose the obliviousness during childhood, and we desperately try to fit in, and jostle everyone else out, which is quite insane, since it doesn't work. I guess it's like Adam and Eve realizing they are naked. During this time, we realize how awkward we are, and we don't fit in, so we do all of the wrong things to try to feel better."

She stopped for a moment realizing what a long winded unnecessary spiel she had given him. Her smile became a bit apologetic. He probably knew all of that, or he didn't agree with her. She hid a smirk, as he was referencing her beauty again. She knew it technically wasn't important, but it was surprising to get a guy who would actually compliment her on her appearance, and still be a friend. It was one thing if some creep complimented her, but it was special if a friend did.

She cocked her head considering his words. Maybe that was true. She shrugged, "I saw a thing on pinterest," she grinned and had to take a moment to add something, "I know I know. Totally accurate and right about life, but I think had something to it. It said that when he first met his wife, she wore something pretty which caught his eye, but the woman herself caught his heart. I think that method might work, so until proven otherwise, I wouldn't discard it quite yet." She paused a moment before smiling a little, "Thanks for saying that I don't have to dress up. I just hope that's true with everyone else." She tried not to fall under the fads, because most of them were silly and expensive.

Lisa and Kai could both see how something was affecting Eric. They weren't quite sure if it was them, or something else. "Hey it's okay," Lisa tried to be soothing. She rubbed his back the way she did it, when she was comforting her own family members. "Yeah, of course. You are always welcome here, whenever you need to or want to, even if we are half asleep, and it's in the middle of the night," she smiled gently at him. "I'll be honest. I'd prefer you to pick a time that's better for us, but if you ever do that, you're still welcome over."

Kai just stood there, sort of surprised by the offer. She normally only gave it to Kai's girl friends. Perhaps, she could see that Eric would need more support. She let him go after a moment. She watched as Kai led Eric off to the game room. She wasn't sure what he had filled his days doing. When he grinned at her, she felt her heart do its thing where she could feel herself falling back into last year's pattern of a crush. She thought she had gotten over it, but she was determined. They would only be friends. She sort of smiled, "Yeah, hopefully. I need someone to help keep me in the loop."

She tried to think what she had done. Nothing special really. She wondered how often girls went to Summer to ask her if she could ask Eric, if he liked them or noticed them. Summer was so much older than Eric, she assumed it would be awkward. Even though Kai was determined to only be friends with Eric, she didn't want to be so friend zoned that other girls started using her that way once Summer was off at college. Her eyes dramatically widened at his question, "Bold, hmmm? Those questions aren't allowed. Mums the word"

She shook her head, "Now you are just being insulting. Unless you guy's voices change, often you are higher pitched than us females, so I'm going to say that you are mocking your own gender and mimicing a young boy," she felt that her come back was too long and had lost power and didn't sting as much upon impact. She raised a brow very skeptical, "You really want to know?" She supposed she would tell him if she asked, but she hadn't thought he would care. She wasn't really sure herself. She began to relax again after the awkward moment with her mother. It hadn't bothered her, and she was happy to share, but she hadn't known what to do, or how to act.

"Maybe you can come to church with us sometime," she told him. She wasn't sure how regularly he went without his mom there to guide the family into the sanctuary each Sunday. For a while there was a quiet interlude. She noticed that Eric was becoming more solemn, and she looked at him waiting to see if he would say anything. She felt herself start to sweat with panic at that question. She had never lost someone that close to her. How was she supposed to know? Losing her friend back from where she had moved was different than losing someone to death? It hurt differently, but at the same time, you could never get it back again.

"It does fade, eventually. Never fully gone, but at least it's not hanging over your head constantly. I think that's one of the reasons humans forget. We couldn't cope with memory any better than we already have." She cocked her head not sure where this was going. "I'm sorry Eric." It was the only thing she could think to say. Nothing she would say could fix this. She wasn't sure if that meant he didn't like it here, or if it was just something they were all going to get used to. She scooched closer to him. "It's okay to hurt," she whispered. "It's okay to grieve." She added in her head, as long as you don't give up on life, and you try to keep going.

She put an arm around his back, and unconsiously rubbed his back the way her momma did for her, when she was upset. "No. It's something worth while to want. I don't think it's bad, since I know that you aren't wishing bad upon me, because I have it." She leaned her head against his shoulder, "Eric. My mom says, as you get older, you're going to cry more and more, because the things that matter to you are worth crying over. It's okay to cry." She wasn't sure if this was the correct thing to say, but she half smiled, "If you didn't, I'd wonder why you hadn't, or how you hadn't. Whatever you do, or whatever you feel. Someone has felt it before you, and someone understands what you are going through, so you don't have to feel alone, crazy, or like you are doing something wrong. You have people who want to be there for you, and we'll do whatever it takes."

She considered something hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way, but feeling this might be a good moment. "Whatever happens, I love you. Even when I don't act like it, I do. We might not always be close, but I'll always have a place in my heart for you."

He shrugged at her words, agreeing with her to a degree. It did take time for people to warm up. But an entire year? He didn't think it would take an entire school year for someone to get up enough nerve to talk to someone. He could understand it taking a year or longer for a person to understand themselves and figuring themselves out, but warming up around other people shouldn't take that long. What did he know, though? Maybe girls were just different.

He listened to her explanation of things, finding it interesting to hear her thoughts. Was that really how girls thought? Sheesh. What a confusing bunch people. He just couldn't fathom how to think like that. Not that she was wrong at all, but it was confusing to follow her. One thing led to another, while he thought in compartments. One thing was one thing, and another was another. His thoughts often didn't mix and mingle and connect and lead to another unless it was something traumatic or emotional that he was going through.

He felt a sweet smile uncontrollably come onto his face as he saw her blush, listening to her following words. "I guess that makes sense." He knew style sent messages, and as he got older he would come to know and learn what those messages meant. If a girl wore clothing that showed a lot of skin or a lot of body, the message she was sending to a guy was that she just wanted a relationship for the body. So that guy is going to come to her by the message she gave him, whether it was intentional on her end or not.

If a girl wore modest but stylish clothing and was funny and nice, she would be sending a message that she wanted a relationship based on emotion and love first, before anything else. The girl chooses what guy she is attracting, whether she is aware of it or not. The type of guy a girl attracts is entirely up to her.

He liked her comparison of Adam and Eve, everything she'd said finally clicking and making sense.

Simple terms, girls. He thought to himself. Simple terms. It takes us a minute to understand you. He let out a chuckle as she started to speak again, telling him she'd seen something on Pinterest. "Totally accurate," he said with a smile. He listened to her and nodded, agreeing for the most part. "As long as it doesn't send the wrong message," he commented, speaking about the clothing.

He gave her a kind and sweet smile as she thanked him. "Well you're the only girl I can say that to without feeling...weird about it. I hope other guys are telling those girls the same thing. They need it, but from someone who knows and cares about them. Not from me." He nudged her lightly again with his shoulder. "Because I know and care about you, so you're my priority." He lifted his chin in a teasing way, making himself stand straighter. "Eric Godfrey, official body guard and protector of Miss Kailey Adair, called to duty." He made a teasing saluting gesture before falling back into his normal posture and chuckling. Most of it had been a complete tease, but there was an underlying message there.

He did love and care for her, and there were some feelings there that even he himself was completely unaware of. He wanted to protect her from any guys that would hurt her or use her, he wanted to be her source of comfort when she wasn't able to find it elsewhere, and he wanted to show her what true companionship was.

Lisa's voice was soothing and motherly, which prompted a tear to be released. Her hand rubbed his back and he accepted the comfort, wanting nothing more than to curl up against her and cry. He missed his own mother, more than anything else. He used his shoulder to brush the tear away as he back up from the hug, nodding at her offer. He was glad he had at least someone who was willing to be there for him.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Once they were in the game room, his sadness had started to lift. Her smile brightened his mood, and so did her voice. Just spending time with her helped calm him down. Her eyes widened at his question, and he giggled like a child, breaking eye contact to continue helping set up the game. He laughed as she made a fierce comeback, enjoying the moment with her. "Okay, okay," he said, as if accepting her tease as truth. His voice had changed and lowered since middle school, but he naturally didn't have a low voice. His voice was nowhere near feminine, but it possessed a higher tone that often made the majority of his words sound soothing and calm.

He was for the most part soft-natured, and even his voice reflected that. She asked him if he really wanted to know who her crush was, and he looked up at her, his blue eyes bright with curiosity. He gave her a small grin, his expression one that appeared as if he was about to be let in on a secret.

"Of course," he said, lowering his voice a little. Most boys his age wouldn't care about such things. In fact, most boys would talk to each other about who they fancied, but didn't have a preference at all on which one they would date. Eric however, had a type. He had a type and he knew what he wanted in a girl. He enjoyed having more girls in his friend group than guys. They provided information into the language of females as a whole, and he often got let in on little secrets like this one. Of course, being in a friend group with more girls than boys also had its downsides. Things like being left out of certain activities or conversations because "he was a boy and he wouldn't get it." While that would probably mostly remain true, it still hurt a little sometimes. So what if he didn't get it? He still enjoyed the company. As for activities...he didn't mind doing embarassing things within the friend group. As long as it remained there.

The first time he'd ever done anything that was "meant for girls" was last year, shortly after he, Kai and Anna had finished up their group project. Anna had insisted that Kai come to her house, and Eric had felt slightly left out. Anna had made an offer to him, inviting him to come if he wished, but warned him that they would probably be doing "girly" things. Of course, he'd taken the offer up. It wasn't long before he was sitting cross-legged on Anna's bedroom floor chuckling as he let her paint his fingernails.

After a little while, Kai invited him to go to church with her and her family sometime. His teasing smile fell a little, his expression turning more mature and grateful. "That would be really nice," he told her. One thought started to lead to another, and he knew that he hadn't been inside the church since his mother's funeral. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to go, but his father was without religion, Eric didn't have a car, and Summer was going through a rebellious phase that included skipping out on church.

He finally asked one of the harder questions for someone else to answer. He felt bad for putting it on Kai, but he couldn't keep holding everything in. It wasn't healthy, and he trusted her with almost anything.

He listened to her answer, nodding and trying as hard as he could to keep from crying. She scooted a little closer to him, telling him that it was okay to hurt, and that it was okay to grieve. He nodded, knowing that was the truth but having a hard time accepting it. Why was losing someone so hard? He felt her arm curl around his back, and how she repeated her mother's comforting motion. He shivered slightly at her touch, his emotions begging to be let loose.

She told him she didn't think it was a bad thing to be jealous over, and he nodded again, afraid to speak. He was scared that the second he opened his mouth to talk he would burst into tears, which would accomplish nothing but make him feel more like a baby than he knew he already was. But as soon as she laid her head on his shoulder, he felt his muscles release their tension that he didn't even know had built up. Listening to her speak was comforting, but at the same time it tugged at his heart even more, finally breakingthe bridge that held his wave of tears back.

Everything she was saying was true, and he couldn't help but be amazed and grateful for her and her family. They were wonderful people, and he actually felt loved every time he stepped inside their house.

Her last words were soothing and something he'd wanted to hear since his mother's death, especially the first five. Without thinking, he reached over and entwined his fingers with hers, not even worrying about how she would take it.

"Thank you Kai," he whispered. "I love you too." He wasn't sure what do to now, but part of him didn't really feel like doing anything. Would she care if they just watched a movie or something? He sat for a little longer with her, not wanting to move from this position. He hadn't really realized how much he'd missed that physical affection, even if it was something small. He didn't let himself cry for long, but it was mostly because of Kai's presence and comfort that caused him to stop.

"I don't know how you do it, but you manage to make everything bad go away, you know that?" he told her quietly, starting to feel slightly better. He was really having a hard time deciding if he should let go of her hand or get up or not. He really didn't want to, but he didn't know if she would think he was weird if he didn't. He ran his thumb over the side of her hand and glanced over at her, the corners of his mouth turning into a small but gentle and sweet smile.

"I'm really glad you moved here, Kailey." he told her softly before glancing quickly at the floor, feeling a slight blush on his cheeks. What was this strange fluttering in his chest? "I don't think high school would be the same without you. I mean...even school in general wasn't the same before you came here. It's nice knowing that I have someone steadfast to rely on and talk to." His voice dropped lower and he looked down at their hands, his expression falling slightly solemn again.

"Kyle's great and all, but he's just...not the same." he nearly whispered. "He's not really there all the time. It's like he just kind of exists in everyone's world. He tries so hard to be fair and give everyone a bit of his time, but he has so many friends that he can't divide it up evenly. So he mixes and mingles and that's just...not how I function." He looked back over at her and gently nudged up against her. "I like this stuff. Quiet moments with someone, just to talk or hang out. I get to know people better this way, and it doesn't stress me out like crowds do. I don't feel the need to do everything everyone else is doing. I can just be myself with no worries."

He fell silent for a brief moment, thinking. "You're the only girl I've ever felt this comfortable around," he admitted a bit shyly. "I feel closer to you than any of my other friends." It was a bold statement, but very much true. He could talk to her about almost anything, and he trusted her with everything he said. He trusted Kyle with most things, but he had his doubts about the boy. Kyle also jumped around a lot, didn't like one on one time. He liked big groups of people and big exciting group events. Eric just didn't function that way.

He giggled a little bit, giving her a shy but still teasing glance. "Never really thought I'd have a girl as my best friend. Other than...you know...my wife someday. But that's a ways off."

"Even if I did like her like that I don't know if I'd go out with her." he commented thoughtfully, furrowing his brow a little. He glanced over at Kai. "I don't really know her much at all, and from what I do know about her, I'm not too sure if we'd be the best of friends."

Unlike me and you. he thought to himself. We get along just fine, and unlike Harper I can see myself taking a chance with you. I can see myself going out on a limb and asking you to go out with me.

Of course he kept these thoughts hidden to himself, because he wasn't entirely sure why he was thinking them. Sure, they were talking about relationships sort of, but he hadn't expected his thoughts to be so adament and focused on Kai. He could envision himself taking the step to ask her on a date...but would he?

Likely not.

He was too shy for that, even if she was his best friend.

Even if she didn't know how how girls thought, she sure was right about one thing. It WAS complicated. Her scoff only made his playful grin wider, and he giggled at her response to him. "Yes ma'am," he said. "Otherwise I wouldn't be your knight in shining armour. I'd just be your knight in regular old boring armour that never gets cleaned." She asked him where his horse was, and he mimed looking around for it. "Good question m'lady," he answered, still grinning.

He leaned towards her, his expression lighting up with interest when he discovered that she was going to tell him who she liked. Or at the very least who she thought was cute. He nodded as she told him he couldn't tell anybody. "Of course not," he whispered, itching to hear. He was surprised to hear her say Jordan, but could understand why. He chuckled as she told him about Peter. He tilted his head slightly at her words about not having a crush on her friends. Would she never take that chance?

She sort of left it open, but at the same time it didn't seem like she really approved of it. He was a bit surprised to feel a slight disappointment upon hearing her say that. "Not even me?" he playfully asked, flashing her a cute and charming smile. She asked him if he had any crushes, then proceeded to recognize her mistake as having a loss of a bargain.

He chuckled at her dramatic flopping, and scooted a little closer. "Okay," he said quietly. "I think Holly is pretty. But I've never talked to her and she looks like she's got an interest in somebody else anyway. Blair is really nice and cute, but that's about as far as it goes." He hesitated for a second, but went ahead and decided to say it. They were best friends, and he should be able to tell her things. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time he'd told her. It wouldn't come by surprise. "I've also thought you were really pretty and cute since you got here," he said, giving her a shy grin. "Plus you're funny and nice, and have all the good qualities. And...bonus points...you're my best friend."

He was glad to have a friend like her, especially when he was feeling bad. She sat there with him quietly as he slowly ceased his crying. He nodded along as she agreed with what he was saying. It was true. It was much nicer and better to have a friend you can count on at all times. There was a brief moment of silence, and then she piped up, teasing him that she wasn't a girl anymore. She was a young lady now. It broke his tears and he giggled, his heart doing flips. She apologized, and he quietly shook his head, leaning into her.

This wasn't the first time they'd been physically close, but it wasn't something they did everyday. It felt nice, and he briefly wondered if they would continue to be close friends as the got older. He couldn't see any reason why they wouldn't, but the thought still made him nervous. "I like it," he said quietly, responding to her. He liked that they were this close of friends, and he hoped to continue being that way. He also wondered if it was possible to grow closer. He didn't know many kids at school as of now that had a best friend of the opposite gender.

They dated sure, but remaining just friends and still being best friends? There weren't many. He sure hadn't seen any other pair except he and Kai in middle school. He was sure there were a couple in high school, but he hadn't paid too much attention. Unlike Kyle, all Eric did was listen. Kyle was distracted almost all of the time, his mind and attention bouncing from one place to the other. Eric was observant, yes, but he was able to hone in and really listen to somebody, especially he he really cared for them.

She told him that her mother said one should get married to their best friend, and he felt that flutter in his chest again as she looked at him sidelong. He agreed with her mother. Your husband or wife should be someone you know very well, someone you get along with, and someone you could love. He kind of smiled a little, making brief eye contact with her before glancing shyly at the floor, continuing to run his thumb over the side of her hand.

"Well if that's the case then I don't have too much to worry about," he whispered, his voice slightly teasing but with an underlying serious tone. "Maybe I'll propose atop a pure white stallion dressed in shining armour." he teased, starting to giggle again. His ears perked as Kai offered him cookies, and he smiled, nodding. "I mean sure," he said. "I won't turn down cookies." He smiled at her gum story, remembering when something similar had happened to Summer. He had been very young, so he didn't remember much. All he remembered was hearing her crying and his mother having to cut it out of her hair.

She listed off some things they could do. "A movie sounds fine," he said quietly. He didn't feel like doing too much, so if she was fine with watching a movie...he was fine with it too. She soon asked him if he wanted to join them for family night, and he suddenly felt a bit nervous. Grateful and happy that she even thought to ask him, but nervous about it. He wasn't family, and he didn't know how strict her family would be about it.

"Um," he said nervously, trying to keep a smile on his face. He ran a hand through his hair and bit his lower lip, a couple common signs of anxiousness from him. "Yeah, if...if your parents don't care, I'd like to." He wanted as much time away from home and as much time with Kailey as possible, so at this point he would take anything. He wasn't a picky eater either, so spaghetti sounded perfectly fine to him. He jumped a bit as she knocked down the jenga tower, having forgotten about it.

He smiled, but couldn't find the energy to laugh. He felt another small wave of nervousness as she told him that they might let him pick the game. "Oh no," he said, shaking his head. He didn't like choosing. He didn't like being put on the spot. "No, it's okay. You guys pick. I'll...I'll play whatever." She asked him if he like milk with his cookies and he shrugged, not really having a preference. "With or without is fine," he said. "Would you think me crazy if I said water?"

Eric heard the sound of a door opening, and he turned his head in that direction. Kai quickly reacted, urging him to his feet. He wasn't entirely filled with the same energy she had, especially when he was feeling anxious, but he tried to push it down and remind himself that he was in a safe place, and that he shouldn't let little things toy with his emotions. He got to his feet as quickly as he could and followed her. But even as he did he couldn't help but think,

I don't want to be the little sibling's annoying little friend. He knew how annoyed Summer got when Eric used to bring Kyle over, and he assumed Rebecca felt the same way about Kai bringing Eric over. He also assumed she wouldn't take it too well if they cut abruptly in front of her. His mother's words drove him to stop rushing, his emotions swirling in his chest. He wanted to do what Kai wanted, but at the same time...he didn't want Rebecca to be annoyed with him, and he still wanted to be respectful like his mum had taught.

He fell back once they got to the kitchen, letting Kai go first and then stepping aside to let Rebecca get some before he dare took any for himself. "Do you guys usually have a game that you play more than anything else?" he asked, knowing that some families did. "Or do you just cycle through pretty evenly?"