She was making a bit of a commitment, but she was sure her parents would try to help. It would be a fairly easy way to minister to a younger person. Potentially, someone could disciple Eric, and take his spiritual life under their wing. Kai noticed that Eric was trying to make the face look good, which was fun sometimes, to see their different art styles mix together, however, if they made it as weird or hideous looking as possible, it took off the pressure of the others judging their drawing talents. They didn’t stop with a face until they had crammed as much onto it as could possibly fit. When Kai got tired of looking at the ugly face, she started a new one. She didn’t want to start stepping on someone else’s design, even though it was supposed to be fun working together. There was only so many times one person could draw over the same range of area.

Even if somebody wasn’t crazy about drawing, she had never known somebody to reject the notebook, when she passed it around. It was simply another small thing that could be done to feel like someone in the group. After the service, even though she was busy herself with her social group, Kai kept an eye on how Eric handled talking to another girl. She was carefully comparing and taking notes. She wasn’t sure if it was bad or not, or if she would hinder rather than help, but she did it reflexively anyway. In Kai’s opinion, it was a little awkward, (maybe a bit more than a little) however she continued to appear totally invested in the conversation.

Awkwardness wasn’t scaring her away. On one hand, it made her uncomfortable that purely Eric’s looks had attracted a girl’s attention. As far as she knew they had no other connections besides this particular night. Was there actually something else about Eric that had attracted Holly's attention? While looks were a valid reason, did she have a better one? Would it really become a fight between her and others? Would she have to work hard to be fit into Eric's schedule? Her mind was going off into a weird place, imagining what it would be like if Eric had a bustling social life. She imagined how alone she would be. Even though she bounced around from social group to social group rather easily, she still had her core group, who she preferred to spend time with, and actually tried to spend time with.

Kai felt weird holding the paper with the number. It was totally within Eric’s rights to not text the girl, however, Kai didn’t like the way he had sort of put the decision on her by giving her the number. It made her feel like he was being wishy washy, and not courageous enough to stand up for what he wants or to be able to say a hard no. Would Holly always wonder what had happened? Would she reach out to him again? Sometimes persistence was the best way to show someone you were serious, but it was hard to determine how much Holly wanted this.

She almost felt like shaking her head exasperatedly. Holly was one person. She was not a whole group, so it shouldn’t be as overwhelming, and he’d have to learn social skills and how to talk to new people. It would be a real setback, if he did not have that ability. It seemed so close minded to not want to reach out for new friends, especially, when they made the first move, but she decided she wouldn’t push him unless it was a guy who might be good for him. Personally, she sometimes found it a little scary branching out, and she wanted the experience to be positive for Holly, since she was doing something that was potentially nerve wrecking. She almost rolled her eyes, because it sounded like a very calculated way to placate her. He was still grinning, but he added something, which was more serious.

Sometimes she could be a little slow reading people, but it was good that she was also slow to react. She gently nudged him, and tossed her head, “I was trying not to be greedy, and share your awesomeness with others, but I am fine with our time not being lost.” She gave him a grin, “Besides, I had a back up plan. I can always steal time from Kyle.” When they were back to church attendance, she nodded. She wouldn’t risk Eric not being able to go with pushing Mr. Godfrey too hard. She disliked the way she had the piece of paper. What was she supposed to do with it? Throwing it away felt rude, but holding onto it felt weird.

She didn't like the way others might think that she controlled who Eric was going to be friends with. She could imagine some of the ruder bolder girls giving her grief, if they started showing an interest in Eric, and Kai could get a bad reputation for being that kind of girl. She was sort of grinning awkwardly. Perhaps it might be counted more as a smirk, when he began to approach her. It was sort of humiliating that her cousin had run off, and they were sort of put into this position. She could always just walk away, but something was keeping her here. “You don’t have to,” she shrugged, “I just have to stand here until someone releases me.” What a weird tradition! It wouldn’t be the first or the last time she thought that. She tilted forward slightly not sure if that was helping or not. It was short and easy. Not much to think about, yet it caused her heart to hammer.

She tried not to dash off, or act unnatural. It was only a kiss on the cheek, but she sort of wanted to start moving again to try to separate and release some of the awkward tension. She cocked her head at him. Personally, she thought she looked rather normal, even if she might have a flushed face, however Eric appeared particularly nervous. “Are you okay?” her brow furrowed. She noticed him glance around, and her eyes followed his. No cousins. “They’ll probably leave the day after Christmas.” What would they do until Eric left? She couldn’t go change, because that would be a waste of time, but she wasn’t sure what just the two of them could do together. “Should we claim the tv before anyone else does?” she asked Eric. “What would you like to do?” Perhaps for once he would at least give her an idea of what to do. Asking questions would give her a few extra moments to think to herself.

After her mother had finished changing, she brought out some games. "I doubt we'll have time to do these tomorrow, so we can do them tonight. Who wants to play the sarran wrap game?" Kai began to explain to Eric, since she wasn't sure if he had played. Their family was quite large, so they were going to have to make a big circle in the living room. "Prizes are wrapped in the sarran wrap, and you have to unwrap it to get them without standing up, or tearing the wrap. The next person to go is rolling two dice, trying to get a double, because that'll end your turn. Would you like to play?"

Eric smiled at her words. It was a truly baffling tradition. If he didn't release her with a kiss, who would? Her cousin had run away already, leaving the job to him. Unless of course she wanted to stand there until one of her parents or another relative came. He felt as if that may be even more awkward than if he just did it.

Little did he know such a simple action could cause such emotion. What was wrong with him? Why was his heart beating so fast? Why did he feel like he had to go in the bathroom and splash his face with cold water? Why couldn't he stand completely still? Why did he feel like he had to keep making sure no one was looking?

It's not that big of a deal calm down. he told himself, forcing himself to stop moving around as if he had ants in his pants. Kai asked him if he was okay, bringing him back into the moment. "Yeah," he answered quickly, almost too quickly. "Yeah, I'm okay." He forced himself to take a deep breath in and let it out as quietly and subtly as possible as she answered his question about her family.

That was a lot of people to be crammed in staying in one house. Unless some of them were staying in motels and inns. She asked if they should claim the tv, and a relief shot through him.

Yes. he thought to himself. Yes, we should claim the tv. I want to sit down and relax, I don't want to deal with anyone but you. I want to figure out what this feeling is, I want to know how to fix it.

But instead of saying anything of that sort out loud...he simply said, "That would be nice." She asked him what he wanted to do, and despite having the strong and desperate urge to just lay down on the couch and relax with her by his side...he kept that longing to himself. However he knew he should tell her what he wanted to do, because he didn't want to be a pushover and he didn't want her to have to make all the choices.

I hate being indecisive. he thought. Why can't I ever just make a choice for myself? Why do I always have to ask someone else for their opinion first? Why do I care so much about what everyone else thinks?

"I'm...okay with whatever." he said somewhat hesitantly. "But I do kind of want to sit down for awhile." His eyes glanced over to the couch and he bit his lower lip in thought, wondering if he should just go ahead and go over there to sit down. He didn't like always being the party pooper, but his mind would never let him be anything else. He would always be the shy, quiet, indecisive person that he was, and he no matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep up the energetic fun act for long.

Sometimes he truly did have genuine, energetic fun with people (however mostly with Kai) but even that energy didn't last forever. Eventually the social life drained, and he was left to deal with his anxious mind again. If the day had been spent with Kai and her household family alone he would be fine. But her entire family was internally stressing him out, even if he wasn't bringing the issue to the forefront.

Before he could make any sort of real decision, Kai's mother stepped out and offered a game to play. He actively felt his heart fall. As much as he adored Kai, and as much as he loved her family...he just wasn't the type to throw himself into a group game that he'd never played before. Especially one that he may embarrass himself by playing in front of a bunch of people he didn't know and wasn't comfortable around.

At the same time, he didn't want to decline for fear that he would be judged that way too. He didn't want to be rude and not play when offered a game, but a big part of him was instinctively denying it. Kai was explaining the rules to him, but they seemed to be going through one ear and out the other, his nerves starting to mush together all words he was hearing and his brain not putting them in the right order.

"Okay," he said simply, overwhelmed already. Why was he like this? "Is...is it okay if I just watch?" he asked her quietly, his heart hammering in his chest as he watched the mass of people begin gathering in the living room. Too many. Too many people in one space. Too high of a chance he'd have to interact with more than one of them. Too high of a chance to embarrass himself. Too high of a chance for him to have a panic attack and look like an absolute idiot.

He just couldn't bring himself to take those chances. He worked in a strange way. Sometimes he had more fun watching people play rather than actually playing himself. Because if he played himself he was too concerned over trying to remember the rules, trying not to mess up and be made fun of, and trying to calm his brain down and focus. When he was just watching it was much easier on his stress levels and brain, and he could observe. He was an observer, so it was more fun for him to do that than actually get involved. Was that weird? Maybe.

"I just...don't really feel up to playing." he explained softly, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "I'm sorry. I'd love to watch though."

At the same time, she thought it was prideful to think that he might be able to fall for her, and that she had to be particularly careful. She didn't realize exactly what the differences were, but she knew that friendships with guys had to be treated differently than those with girls. Kai treated them about the same, even though she was slightly more aware and wary with guys. He seemed to really want to chill on the couch. Normally, he didn't even state a preference, so she knew it was a pretty strong one. Being at church was a lot, and Kai herself got overwhelmed being with family. She nodded her head willing to do what he wanted. Kai's face brightened, when her mother mentioned a game. Kai always really wanted to win, and sometimes her fear of losing kept her from playing. However this game wasn't a big deal. Other than at the end, her mother didn't put very nice prizes in the sarran wrap. It was pretty fun, because her family could become really competitive and aggressive. However, if Eric didn't want to play, she was fine sitting out. There wasn't much to it that really attracted her.

As she had Eric, she didn't need to be part of the group to feel involved, or avoid the feeling of being alone. She didn't want to leave Eric, and make him feel that way. She did sort of feel like it might be wiser to at least appear involved, because her mother was sure to try to rope them in, and she wouldn't be super convinced with Kai saying that Eric didn't really want to play. Kai was sort of on autopilot mode. She had a hard time concetrating in a big group, and she would save it for one person at a time. Besides, it took some brain power to think of the most easy way to explain how the game worked. It wouldn't take long for him to catch on, if he watched them first.

"Yeah, sure," she shrugged hoping her mother would know not to be pushy. Everyone was beginning to gather after changing, and their voices were filling the air. It would almost seem rude, if they tried to watch tv by themselves. At the same time, Kai loved to chill and do nothing. She could keep going for a little while longer. Kai loved to put on her pajamas as soon as she got home, but she would have to wait until after Eric left. It was one of the quickest changes she was capable of. One side of her felt comfortable being around Eric in pajamas, or she refused to be embarrassed, but she knew that even if they didn't care, there was still proper protocol, and he was a guy, so she had to keep that in mind. Kai wasn't sure why he would be nervous.

Eric was practically always graceful, and Kai could be a bit of a klutz. Kai supposed she was used to messing up in front of people, so she tried to shut down the feelings of shame, and just accept that it was part of life. If she worried too much, it could halt her actions, but if she jumped into action, it wasn't a problem, and the worse of the anxiousness faded. However, she could be seen for a long time twisting her hair, as it was a way to control her nervous energy by putting it all into one motion. The rules really weren't hard, however a few people had been known to yank away the ball before it was their time, because they were doubles happy. "Make yourself at home. I guess I'll play. I can share my winnings with you," she grinned. They started with one of the younger cousins, and went around the circle. "Quick quick! One of her Aunts was yelling at the dice roller. Come on come one," others were leaning in, cheering on the cousin to get started.

If she did it near the end of their turn, then it would be easier for the next person to keep it going, but the other person wouldn't reap the prizes. Kai was grinning slightly as she aniticpated her turn. "Doubles!" screamed the next person in line, yanking the ball of sarran wrap out of her cousin's resisting hands. Soon it was Kai's turn, and she was frantically trying to get the next piece of sarran wrap started. She managed to get a few pieces of candy before it went off to the next person. They recieved candy, gum, balloons, and a kitchen timer/stopwatch clock item.

"Come on, come on! You can go quicker," she cheered. "Get that double!" she urged on both family members. At the end Kai earned a few more things, and Katelynne recieved the ten dollars at the end. "Jack pot!" Kaytelynne grinned widely. She hurried to go stuff that in her wallet, happy to have recieved the best thing in the whole ball. Kai smiled at Eric, "What did you think? Momma had me wrap it, and I tried to wrap it was well as I could. Did you ever want to be in the circle?" her brow furrowed worried that he had possibly felt left out. It wouldn't have been hard to get him a place in the circle. "Want any of my prizes?" she nudged them his way to survey for his choice pick.

Eric relaxed a little when Kai said yes to his request about staying out of the game in order to just watch. Even though she didn't fully understand him, she understood him more than the majority of his own blood, which was both impressive and heartwarming. He gave her a smile as she told him she'd share her prizes with him. "Oh you don't have to do that," he said quietly, flattered at her offer. He made his way quietly and somewhat gracefully around the family members who were rushing themselves into the living room, their voices filling his ears with almost mindless chatter. He was intrigued to watch the game and discover what all the buzz was about, relieved that he didn't have to play.

It may be a simple game, but sometimes it was just better for him to observe than be involved. It didn't take long at all for the room to grow even more in volume. Almost the instant the game started, voices began to rise and excitement filled the room. Eric was perched on the arm of the couch, watching with curious eyes and a small grin on his face. Despite the noise blaring in his ears, he didn't mind the buzz. He liked being able to see everything from this view, and being able to take in the details of everyone without being concerned or too wrapped up in it. He almost felt more included by watching than he would have actually playing, which was odd but how he felt with most group activities.

When it was Kai's turn, Eric's grin unknowingly got a bit wider, and he leaned forward a little, watching intently. "Come on Kai!" He said, his voice adding to everyone else's, although his was the only one that trailed a british accent at the end of his words. A few pieces of candy fell from the wrap, and Eric leaned back with a satisfied grin. At least she'd gotten something. It was passed on to the next family member, and he watched as it continued around the circle. The game went on, and Kai earned several more gifts.

The end of the game was not hard to detect, as Katelynne yelled out her victory, quickly bustling to her feet and running to go stuff the money in her wallet. She ran past Eric, nearly bumping him with her shoulder as she flew by, and he leaned away, watching her go with an amused grin on his face. As the family began to disperse, Kai gave him a smile and he slid off the arm of the couch, standing next to her.

"I thought it was more than entertaining," he answered her, smiling. His bright blue eyes sparkled in the light, and he looked happy again despite the crowd. She asked him if at any point he'd wanted to be in the circle, and he quickly shook his head. "Oh god, no." he said. "No, I liked watching. I think I would have been a bit too overwhelmed if I'd been sitting among all of that." She nudged her prizes his way, offering him some.

At first he declined her offer, saying, "No, they're your prizes Kai. You earned them." But it quickly occured to him that she was offering it to him, and he didn't want her to be hurt by him not taking the offer up. With a little reassurance, he gave in and took a couple small pieces of candy. "Thank you." he said softly. He glanced at the time, noticing that it was starting to get a little late. He didn't want to leave yet, but he feared that Kai's mother may want him out soon.

He wanted some quiet time with Kai still, but he wasn't sure how to bring it up or where they would hang out. It was far too cold outside and it was dark, so that was a definite no, and the majority of the house was full, used up by family members. Even the rooms they wouldn't be allowed to go in anyway were filled.

"What time do you think your mom will kick me out?" he asked a bit shyly, biting his lower lip. "I don't want to go home yet, but it's starting to get late and I don't think she'll be wanting me here too much later, will she?"

How do I ask her if she wants to just chill for awhile? he wondered to himself, running his fingers through his hair. Perhaps if he was older it wouldn't be so hard to work up the nerve to ask her something like this. Perhaps if he was older it would come with a natural ease, and it wouldn't be awkward.

He wondered if everyone would judge them if they tried to spend some time in peace together, and if anyone would tease them about being a couple or something. While normally he wouldn't care, ever since the kiss he was a bit more nervous than usual when thinking about things like that. It was as if he was becoming more aware of the feelings he'd been supressing for awhile now. How was this going to change things in their relationship? Would she pick up on it ever? Ask him about it?

What would he say if she did? Would he tell her the truth about how he felt? More than likely he wouldn't, but if pressured enough he might. How would she take it? He had enough faith in their friendship that even if she found out, they would still be friends. But he worried there might be tension for awhile. Tension often led to driftings, and drifting apart was the last thing he wanted to happen. He was determined to keep a strong friendship with her, even at the young age they were now. Oh how time would change things for them both.

As an older teen and even more so as a young adult, Eric would become more sensitive to her feelings, and far more protective of her than he was now. Did he know that yet? No. Of course not, how could he? But he would one day learn, and no matter what he was determined to keep his bond strong with her, and be there for her no matter what happened in their friendship.

"I guess that's my own little way of joining in while not having to worry about the stress of actually joining in." he said, giggling in response to her comment about him yelling a lot. He assumed she probably thought his logic made no sense, but he didn't much care. She could judge him for it if she wanted, but he had his reasons and he knew his limits. She soon leaned over to him, whispering into his ear. Her voice carried with it a strange tone, but it felt oddly familiar...

Is she...imitating Olaf? he wondered, an amused grin creeping onto his face. The more he thought about it, the more familiar it became, and the words she was saying caused the scene to pop into his head. Yes, yes she was indeed quoting a clip from Frozen and applying it to real life.

Sometimes I wonder about you. he thought, giving her a look but his eyes alight with mischief and admiration. But I love you all the same. He liked this goofy, Disney-loving side of her that came out every so often. Although it was a cute moment, he knew what she meant by it. It was time for him to go. She of all people should know that he wasn't exactly phased by alcohol and being around drunken people, but he knew it was getting late and he didn't want to overstay his welcome.

A large part of him was aching to stay, and he wished they'd had more quiet time together like they were used to when hanging out. He wasn't looking forward to going home and feeling the overwhelming lonliness like he always did the moment he stepped in the door. It was inevitable, he knew he couldn't stay here at Kai's house forever, but it still made him a bit sad to say goodbye for the night.

What kind of sentimental child am I? he wondered to himself, feeling a bit stupid. It's not like I'm never going to see her again. I'll more than likely see her in a couple of days, so man up ya big mush. He nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Okay," he said quietly. He was about to say something else when Lisa appeared, her mouth opening to say the words he already had heard from Kai. She asked him if he enjoyed his time, and he nodded, putting a smile on his face that he didn't completely feel. "Yes I did, it was fun. Thank you for having me over." It wasn't a lie, for despite small amounts of anxiety and stress sprinkled throughout the evening, he overall very much enjoyed his time spent with Kai. Even their somewhat serious discussion at the park he'd enjoyed, because it was time spent with her.

Kai quickly interjected into the conversation, asking her mother if he could start coming to church with them. To his delight, Lisa agreed. He didn't mind if it wasn't consistent every Sunday, as long as he got to go and get out of his home on the weekends. After thanking Lisa one more time for the night, he followed Kailey quietly to the door. She apologized for their time being mostly spent crowded in with other people, and he shook his head, grabbing his jacket and draping it over his arm.

"It's okay," he said giving her a kind smile. The day hadn't been at all what he was expecting it, but he'd still had fun regardless, and he was hoping the following year he would be invited back. "Yeah, I'll...see you Sunday." His voice carried with it a hopeful tone, as if he was disappointed that he had to leave but looking forward for the next time he'd get to see her. He reached out gently and took one of her hands in his as the other rested on the door. "Thanks for the fun day. Have a good night." He gave her a small smile and let go, their fingers brushing softly as he opened the door and walked out.

The chilly winter air hit him right away, and he slipped his jacket over his head, walking home under the cover of darkness, snowflakes falling softly down from the night sky.

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

Eric moved through the hall, his bag hanging heavily off of one shoulder and his opposite arm carrying two textbooks. He had been running late for school this morning, and hadn't had time to drop things off at his locker like he normally did. So for most of the morning classes he'd been rushing around and struggling to carry all of his things, cursing himself quietly for being late.

"Eric!" A voice called from behind him. He came to a quick halt, turning to see his science teacher poking her head out of the door. He felt his chest drop as a sigh released from his body, and he adjusted the books in his arms, walking back to the classroom he'd just come out of.

"Yes, Mrs. Stewart?" he asked politely. The woman gave him a slightly disappointed look, but concern was dancing in her eyes. She came fully out of her classroom, her body leaning against the door to hold it open as Eric stood in the hallway in front of her. Her dark brown waves fell over her left shoulder, and her darkly rimmed glasses sat a bit low on the bridge of her nose.

"Is everything alright, Eric?" she asked, her voice slightly quiet. "Is everything here okay? Or at home?" He swallowed, unsure how he should answer. No things weren't perfect, no things weren't okay. But it was the best he could hope to ever get. When he didn't answer, she unfolded her arms which had been crossed over her chest, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I only ask because your grades in my class have been dropping significantly, and if there's something I can do please let me know."

Eric looked down, averting his blue eyes to the floor as he nodded in silence. "If it's something you don't understand in my class, you can always ask for help. I'll help as best as I can, and I'm sure other students would be glad to help you as well. But if it's something that's going on at home...you don't have to be afraid to talk to one of us teachers, okay?" He looked up at her, once again only nodding in silence. "Have a good rest of your day, alright? Don't stress too much." She removed her hand from his shoulder and recrossed her arms, her expression a little more worried and sad than before.

"Yes Mrs. Stewart." Eric said quietly, his voice coming out as a near whisper. "Thank you." Without any other words, he turned and walked away, his heart hammering in his chest. He beat it down as it tried to claw its way up his throat. As he was heading to his locker, a sign caught his eye. He did a double take and walked backwards to see a notice hanging on the wall, advertising for an upcoming play and what date and times auditions would be held.

A small smile crawled across his previously solemn face, and he rushed to his locker as quickly as he could without running. Once his stuff was shoved inside, he made his way quickly to the lunch room. It didn't take long to get through the line, and his blue eyes were quick to spot Kai as they'd been trained to do since the moment he met her.

A genuine smile lit up his face and he moved towards her table, nodding greeting to Anna and Mary. He sat down next to Kai as he always did, although there was almost always an empty seat next to Anna. Her smile gave him a slight flutter in his chest, and he nodded. "Yeah I saw those! I think it would be a lot of fun." he agreed.

"May I ask what all you lovelies are talking about?" Kyle's voice briskly interrupted, his ornery face coming into view. The boy had grown up a little in the last couple of years, his messy red hair now almost always up and done in a style similar to Eric's, and his clothes slightly more on the fashionable side. His left ear was now home to three piercings, and a silver dog tag necklace could be seen dangling in front of his chest on a normal basis. His voice had deepened, too, and it was already much deeper than Eric's own. Kyle's voice carried with it a slight raspiness, but nothing too bad.

Kyle sat down in the empty seat next to Anna, his cologne drifting Eric's way. "There's gotta be at least fifty kids talking about some play that's supposed to be happening in a few months." he said, beginning to shove food in his mouth. Already Eric could feel the energetic buzz that was radiating off of his friend. There were some rumors floating about his class about Kyle having slept with a girl named Emily, but Eric was too chicken to ask him about it, and he hadn't confirmed or denied any of the stories.

Eric nodded, an amused smile on his face as she asked him once more for clarification. "Yes, I'm up for auditioning." he told her, leaning in to bump her shoulder playfully with his own. He was surprised at himself. Normally it would take far more persuasion to get him to do something...this involved. But for some reason, it was sticking out to him, and he felt an excited tugging inside of him longing to be set free. This could be fun, very fun, especially if everyone in their small group joined. The hard part would be getting Kyle to agree...

"Yeah I saw that!" he said excitedly as she asked him if he knew that it was Liv and Maddie. Her tiny excited squeal sent flutters around in his chest, and he couldn't help but return a genuine grin, his bright blue eyes lit with admiration and happiness. He was actually excited for this. She suggested all of them going to her house to watch the show, and he nodded, lifting up an apple to take a bite out of it. There was a curious glint in his eyes, and one corner of his mouth was lifted ever so slightly into a small smirk, hinting at the fact that he had already seen a good few episodes of the show with Kai already on a couple different occassions. If nothing was on, or if they couldn't decide on a movie, sometimes he would be perfectly content with watching Liv and Maddie with her.

It was one of the better Disney shows in his opinion, both plot and acting wise. Of course there were the typical cringy Disney Channel TV show moments, but overall he wasn't ashamed to admit he enjoyed watching it, especially at Kai's side. His brain began scanning the male characters, deciding who he wanted to audition for. The first person who came to mind was Diggie, but from there it quickly switched to Holden. Appearance wise Eric looked more like Diggie, but Holden....

I fit the bill for Holden personality wise for the most part. It wouldn't scare me to play Holden. Diggie would be a bit overwhelming....

Eric turned as Kyle made his over the top entrance, giving him an acknowledging smile and nod. The other boy clicked his tongue and made a finger gun at Kai as she spoke to him, sitting down a bit heavily onto the seat next to Anna. "Always have time for you losers." he said teasingly, popping open his drink right away. Eric turned to look at Kai as she asked if anyone had ever tried acting before. Kyle let out a snort and chuckle, shaking his head. "Good god, no." he answered, a smirk on his face. "It'd take a lot of pushing to get me up on a stage." He tossed his head in the direction of the cafeteria doors, referencing the posters. "Much less a musical."

Eric glanced at Kai, a semi hopeless smirk on his face. He knew it would take a bit of pressing for his friend. "If you count the project we did for History a couple years ago..." Eric said in response to the acting experience question. Other than that he had no genuine experience with it. Even if none of them made the cast, it would still be fun to audition, and he knew they would have fun preparing for it regardless if they made it or not.

When Kai informed them of her idea, Eric shifted his eyes to Kyle, noticing that Kai had done the same thing. Kyle set down his drink, swallowing whatever food he had in his mouth before promptly shaking his head. "Nope." he said. "Not doin' it." Eric's shoulders visibly slumped in a sort of comical teasing way, and he slid his arm across the table dramatically, his chin resting on the table top.

"Why not?" he whined, making his face appear a bit pouty. Kyle's own expression turned up into a smirk, as if he was trying to hold back a grin.

"Knock it off ya big baby." he said, pushing Eric's hand away from him. "Sit up and eat your food like a big boy, stop your whining. You'll be fine, you have Kailey." Eric slid back up into a normal sitting position, giving Kai a teasing look.

"I tried." he said, giggling. Kyle shook his head.

"Ya'll can...dance and sing, and...shout your lines to the world but...not me okay. I'd be happy to watch you from the audience. Maybe throw a tomato or two depending on your performance." Eric picked up his napkin, wadding it into a ball and throwing it at his friend, the crumpled wad bouncing off his head and falling to the floor with a soft and nearly soundless thunk. Eric cast a glance at Kai, surprised at her question. He didn't think she'd be so bold. He quickly moved his eyes back over to Kyle, whose cheeks had gone a bit rosy. He cleared his throat, looking back down at his food.

"Oh she's...she's with her friends." he answered. He shook his head. "No, I'm not sure this is really her type of crowd if...you know what I mean." Eric did. He knew exactly what Kyle meant. Emily was a girl who belonged with the popular kids, with the girls who wore layers of makeup and expensive clothes, with the designer boys and jocks. The kind of girl who didn't want to associate with anyone nerdier than her, geekier than her. He cast a glance over his shoulder towards her table, spotting Harper and Emily straight away.

Emily's dark skin and black curly waves always looked smooth and shiny, gold hoops piercing her ears. Harper sat across from her in a nice, expensive looking blouse, her lips bright red with lipstick. Of all the "popular" girls, Eric didn't mind Harper. She was probably the nicest of the bunch, although he did notice a slight passive aggressiveness from her towards Kai once in awhile.

He looked back at his friends, only to see Kyle's gaze locked with his. A hidden message flashed through their eyes, and Eric felt a small pit in his stomach.

"Why don't you ever sit over there with me?" Was the question in Kyle's eyes. "You belong over there. They all talk about you." A single and quick glance towards Harper from Kyle signaled that she in particular had an eye out for Eric. He swallowed, looking down at his plate and taking another bite out of his apple.

I don't belong over there. he thought to himself, taking a look over at Kai. Instantly the pit in his stomach left as his blue gaze met hers. This was why he was over here. She was worth so much more than the fancy dresses and makeup. She gave him a true friendship, and he couldn't see himself being so comfortable around anybody at the other tables. Soon the subject was changed, and Kai asked what everyone wanted to audition for. Eric looked to Mary, curious about what she was thinking.

"Support from the audience." Kyle joked, leaving Eric with a subtle smile on his face. He turned to look at Kai as she expressed her ideas. The thought of him being Holden flashed in his mind again, butterflies in his stomach upon realizing what that meant if Kai did indeed get the part of the twins. She tossed out the idea of him being Diggie, and before he could open his mouth to respond, Kyle pounced on the case like a panther.

"Pfff," he scoffed. "He'd have to be outgoing for that." Eric cast him a look, but it quickly broke into a smile. He turned his eyes to Kai, a shy but cute expression on his face.

"I was...actually thinking more along the lines of Holden." he said quietly. "Like you, I'm a bit opposite in appearance but...I don't know if I could pull off being Diggie." He looked at Anna and Mary. "What do you guys think? Would you want to audition? Who would you want to be?"

Kyle arched his brows at her words, clearly amused but not impressed. Eric could tell however that he was thinking about it. "Can't really say that it's up my alley," he said after letting her finish. "But I'll think about it, how's that?" It didn't take him long to finish his food, making Eric aware of how much he still had left on his own tray. He hadn't been eating, too involved in the conversation to really do so and he wasn't exactly hungry anyway.

Eric didn't understand how Kyle didn't want to do this, especially after listening to Kai. He knew that if she would have pulled that pouty face on him he would have agreed to it in a heartbeat. She was too cute not to like. Kyle shrugged as she talked about the auditioning, obviously thinking but not saying much. Eric could tell he was having an internal battle. If he did this, would he lose his friends in his other group? He would have to sacrifice a lot of time with them to work on lines, practice, and so on so forth. Eric wasn't sure if he was willing to do that.

Kai began asking him questions about why he didn't want to do it, which made Eric slightly nervous. Kyle was nice, and he knew he'd never intentionally hurt Kai, but sometimes when annoyed he could say some pretty hurtful and sarcastic things. It was getting harder and harder for Eric to be able to read Kyle as they got older, since he seemed to be drifting more over to the popular side of life while Eric still stuck to what he found familiar and comforting. He wished he could tell what he was truly feeling, so he could stop something if need be before it happened.

Luckily, and to Eric's relief, Kyle didn't seem annoyed yet. "It's just...a lot of time." he answered her, tapping his fingers on the table. His amber eyes flickered over to the table beyond this one before looking back at Kai. "Say if we do make it that is, I've made promises to people and I don't want to back out on them." Eric felt a horrible knot in his stomach suddenly upon hearing those words. What did that mean?

Surely Kyle couldn't go off the deep end, could he? He knew he was a partier, and he knew he hung out with a lot of different people, but he still wasn't sure how far he would go. He had faith in his friend, but was beginning to get a little nervous. At least if he did this play, he would be with them a lot more and his popular friends a lot less. Eric could keep an eye on him and maybe become closer again like they used to be.

"Plus," Kyle added. "I'm not exactly good at remembering or memorizing things like that. What if I fail to do so? It would be embarrassing and..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I'll think about it, Kai. I will." After several moments, Eric admitted to Kai that he was thinking about being Holden. Her smile was quick, and he instantly lit up too.

"I know." he said, tilting his chin down just slightly and returning her nudge. "It's fine with me." Kyle spat in with a teasing insult, to which Kai fired right back. Kyle shook his head, grinning before picking up his empty tray and standing up. It looked as if he was about to leave, but he lingered for a few moments longer, continuing to listen to the conversation. Eric was glad to see this, for it meant that he genuinely was interested and thinking about it as he said he would, instead of just walking away and leaving the discussion abruptly.

Mary and Anna both put in their thoughts, and Eric nodded. A quick flare of suspicion flashed through his mind at Anna's words, for she only spoke of this part after learning that he was trying out for Holden. He quickly dismissed the thought though, trying to shake it off. Anna surely had no real interest in him. Kyle shifted on his feet as Kai reinforced the marathon.

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll come. Don't get your hopes up too high Kai, alright?" he teased, giving her a wink before turning and walking away to dump his trash. Eric watched as he moved over to his other table right after doing so. He nodded to Kai's whispered words, torn away from Kyle and looking back at her with a grin.

"For sure," he said in agreement. He could picture his red headed friend flirting the day away over dramatically with whomever got the part of Liv. It would be very amusing to watch if Kai got the part of the twins for sure. "Just know that you'll have to resist the temptation when he expresses his love for you in the most beautiful ways." he joked. "You'll have to try really hard to keep your heart in check. I don't want to lose you to him." He giggled, making a cute pouty face to which Anna squirmed in her seat at. He didn't notice.

He quickly began to finish eating. "So are you guys wanting to meet up today after school? For the marathon?" He personally had nothing going on as per usual, except for taking care of Gunner. After waiting to hear their replies, he stood up and dumped his tray. Just before getting ready to head back over, someone touched his shoulder. He was a little surprised to see Harper standing there.

"Hey," she said. "I hear you and Kyle are thinking about...auditioning for a play?" Eric shifted on his feet, nodding. "That's pretty cool. I didn't think you were the type to do something like this."

"It's...something new." he replied, clearing his throat and glancing over to Kai. He didn't know if he was too far away for her to see the look in his eyes. Please come over here. he pleaded. He didn't want to walk away from Harper while she was talking to him, but he didn't want to exactly be having this conversation with her right now. "Just going to audition and see how it goes."

Harper nodded, tucking her red hair behind her ear before starting to speak again. "That's cool. I guess I really just came over to ask if you were doing anything after school today? Or tomorrow maybe?" Eric felt his stomach roll with nerves, unsure how to answer. It had been a little while since anyone had approached him with this question in mind. Other than Kai of course asking him to hang out. But with her it was different, because...well...it just was.

"Well..." he said, shifting his position a little bit. "With auditions coming up...." Harper nodded, looking at the ground. Eric glanced behind her, spotting Kyle instantly who sat at the table next to Emily, their eyes watching with curiousness. Had Kyle set this up? What was he trying to do? Eric prayed that Kai would be able to read his body language by now, his nervousness obviously beginning to show. He ran his hands through his hair, and he was bouncing a little on one leg, a dead give away of his feelings to someone close enough to him to know.