They often refused that it ever happened. She wished she hadn't panicked so quickly, because this situation wouldn't be near as tense. It appeared they had straightened out that little misunderstanding fairly quickly. She needed to say something now that she was just walking him to the car. She hadn’t anything to say until she remembered that they still needed to meet sometime over the weekend. “Thank you,” she simply said. She supposed she should have saved her thanks until he proved that he would keep his mouth shut.

She didn’t want another thing to worry about, but what else could she do? She wasn't prepared to do anything serious to anyone except maybe blackmail their secrets. When he opened the conversation about where to meet, she was relieved. It meant that he wouldn’t try to avoid her, so he couldn’t be thinking of divulging her secret. Or it could mean he was some creep and he was willing to do whatever. She rolled her eyes at herself. She could read his mind and that wasn’t his intention.

She nodded her head, “I can make time tomorrow.” In reality it was a fairly loose day, and she wasn't sure why she had put it that way. Time was ticking and every moment brought him closer to leaving. “Which park? Around what time?” she asked. Should they bring food or should this just be a quick chat? Should she reach out to him. Wouldn't it be a relief to have someone she could trust with this secret? Who could he tell? Wouldn't it be nice to have another friend?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a friend that knew the real her? She shook the dream out of her head. He would be scared of her, because she hadn't been the sweet smart girl everyone thought she was. She had resorted to harsh measure immediately, instead of leading up to it. She wanted to scare him into keeping the secret, because she wasn't sure if any other way worked. Threatening him wouldn't have earned her any favors with anyone, and she doubted it was the best way to sow a long lasting friendship.

Besides, it was always awkward to think that she could hear and understand all of their thoughts. She was curious which park he wanted to meet at. She was prepared to be suspicious of his intention even though there was no way he had known about her in advance unless it was a relative. There were quite a few, and she didn’t want to be playing musical park with him trying to find each other. She planned on driving herself, because she couldn’t really even tell her family about meeting him.

They wouldn't understand, and they might overreact or get the wrong idea. Besides they might disapprove of him and they wouldn’t like her seeing him. She wasn't prepared to go behind their back more than necessary. It was better to keep everything on the down low. "I know it is. Hopefully, this will give me time to....word things better," she gave a sardonic smile. "We'll see. I'm sorry I put this on you," she apologized. If only she hadn't panicked and reacted rashly.

Keeping this secret wouldn't hurt him, while it could be very damaging to herself. There shouldn't be anything for him to win if he blabbed right? "I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked. She waved and let him go. She tried to take a deep breath telling herself that everything would be okay. She headed back to her own car while still worrying. At this point there was nothing to be done. She headed home in her car. Nerves wrapped her up in anxiety, and she didn't concentrate too well on the road.

(Should I have her wreck? If so how seriously?)

Eric furrowed his brow in thought as she asked which park to meet up at. "Bonforte?" he suggested. He knew he would want to be out of the house relatively early, but he didn't know what was too early for her. "Ten thirty?" he asked. "That work for you?" He figured he'd just show up there, and if she didn't show, she didn't show. He'd love answers, but if she blew him off it wouldn't be the first time he would be ignored. It wouldn't bother him extremely bad.

"It's okay," he said, looking at the ground. Eric often struggled with eye contact, and especially now that he knew she could read his mind. Was it easier when she was looking in his eyes? He had so many questions, but little to no more time left to even ask any. At this rate he was sure to be getting a beating anyway, so what was the point in rushing?

Because you have a dog at home who needs to be taken care of. he thought. "Yeah." he said, giving her a small smile. "I'll see you tomorrow. Drive safe." He watched her walk away and stood for a moment longer, looking at thr ground in thought. Then he promptly ducked inside and shut the door, turning the car on and putting it in gear. Eric was a nervous and worrisome teen, but he never usually let it affect much in his life other than his personality. He wasn't easily distracted often (unless by a pretty girl) and so he considered himself a safe driver and person to be around.

He got home safe enough, the amount of traffic making him more nervous for the wrath he would face when he got home. Maybe he could use that as an excuse. Maybe if he complained about the traffic, his father wouldn't punish him for being late. He wasn't a liar, he didn't like to lie at all, but if it would save him a beating...

He pulled into the driveway, getting out slowly and throwing one strap of his backpack over his shoulder, pushing the car door shut with a thump. He took a deep breath and walked up the sidewalk up onto his front porch, raising a hand and opening the door softly. As per usual, it was dimly lit inside, the windows shut and curtains pulled over them, the sunlight peeking through but not enough to fully light the room.

He peered into the living room, his father nowhere to be seen. He ran his tongue over his teeth in nervous tension and walked through the kitchen and into the hallway, turning the corner and walking up the stairs to his room. Once inside, his tension was relieved and Gunner whined happily at the sight of his owner.

"Hey buddy," Eric said, dropping his bag on the floor and walking over to the kennel. He knelt down, sticking his fingers between the thin metal bars as Gunner rubbed his cheeks along them. Eric smiled and opened the crate door, the German Shepherd running instantly into his arms and whining with happiness. His entire body was trembling with excitement, and his tail wagged furiously, thumping against the kennel with soft metal thunks.

"You wanna go outside?" Eric asked, smiling. Gunner barked in response, heading instantly for the bedroom door and tearing down the stairs, his nails scratching on the wood. Eric followed, joy replacing all nervousness and tension. Gunner ran through the house, heading straight towards the back door as he knew to go, and stopped, prancing as he waited for Eric to catch up. He chuckled and opened the door, Gunner darting out and quickly doing his business before practically dancing his way back to his owner. Eric chuckled and knelt down, running his hands through his dog's black and brown fur, rubbing his face and neck lovingly. The two were outside for a decent amount of time, the sun beating down on their backs. When it got too hot, Eric stood up and opened the door, Gunner running inside and into the kitchen. Eric shut the door behind him, and walked smoothly after his dog, only to stop short at the figure hulking by the kitchen counter.

"Homework?" His father asked, his voice rumbling deeply in his throat.

"Yes Sir," Eric answered, the joy from Gunner's happiness vanishing almost instantly.

"History?"

"Math."

"Then why ain't you doin' that?" David asked, looking down at his son. "How come you were out with the dog?"

"He needed out, Sir." Eric answered, looking at the floor respectfully. He knew his father took eye contact as defiance, as a challenge. "I let him out to do his business and get his exercise in. He's been pinned up all day."

"Hmm." David hummed, tapping his knuckles twice on the counter before speaking again. "You were home late today." he said. "Later than normal. Why is that?"

"Traffic, Sir."

"Is that right?" he questioned, letting out a breath and walking slowly towards Eric. He stopped just in front of him, tilting his head down and staring at Eric, his gaze sending shivers down his spine. Eric still did not make eye contact, knowing that if he looked up he may bump noses with his father.

"Yes."

"Mrs. Peterson said you left the building late."

Now, Eric did look up, stepping back a couple steps.

"You called the principal?!" he asked, outraged. What was he doing, stalking his own son?! "Why would you need to call her?"

"She called me boy!" he fired back. "She called to tell me your grades are dropping. That you're daydreaming in your classes. She said she saw you hangin' around with a girl after school today. That true?"

Eric didn't know what to say. He couldn't lie, for his father knew the truth. But he was afraid to admit the truth as well, for fear of what his father could potentially do. But he wasn't a liar. He wouldn't stoop that low.

"That's true, Sir." he admitted, looking back down again, his voice softening.

"That...Adair girl." David rumbled. "Look at me, boy." Eric lifted his chin, making eye contact with his father. A brief moment passed, silence hung in the air, nothing happened. Then boom! His father's hand smacked him across his jaw, the slap stinging on his skin. He stumbled back, reaching up to touch his burning cheek, his eyes squeezing shut for a moment before opening again to stare at the floor some more. David advanced slowly, tilting his head down once again, inches from his son's face, his voice lowered to a volume just above a whisper.

"You be home on time on Monday." he said. "Stop hangin' around with girls. They won't do you no good. Just turn you into man whore. Studies come first." Eric swallowed, clenching his jaw and nodding in agreement. David nodded and stepped back, running his tongue over his teeth and making room for his son to pass by. Eric moved swiftly past his father, avoiding contact and running up the steps to his room.

Once inside, he discovered that Gunner had made his way up on his own, and was laying on his bed, panting softly with his ears pinned slightly back. Eric shut the door with his foot and leaned up against it, his back pressed tightly against the wood. He closed his eyes, letting out a fluttering breath as he fought the urge to cry. Partly from relief, for it was nothing compared to what he had been fearing, and partly because of fear itself. He hated living here.

Gunner whined quietly, his tail thumping softly on the mattress, and slid off the bed, walking over to Eric and sitting down at his feet, his big brown eyes staring up at him. Eric opened his eyes, brushing away any tears that threatened to fall, and rubbed Gunner's ears.

"You're a good boy." he whispered. He knelt down, face to face with the German Shepherd. "You're gonna meet someone new tomorrow." he said. "I think you're gonna like her."

Eric awoke from his night's sleep, laying still for a moment before sitting upright, Gunner laying pressed against his legs on the bed. He reached up, rubbing his face and glancing at the clock. It read 8:00am. He'd told Kailey yesterday before leaving that he would be happy to stay at the park as long as she needed him to, and he was fine with her being a bit late. He knew his father wasn't home, and that he worked Saturday mornings and afternoons, so that was one less thing to worry about this morning.

He sat for a few moments longer, waking himself up, and then made his way downstairs. Gunner darted past him, trotting down the stairs with ease and heading right towards the back door on routine. Once Gunner was outside, Eric fixed himself a quick breakfast and ate it before filling the outdoor food and water dishes for his dog.

He left Gunner outside as he did his daily indoor exercises and weight lifting, and around 9:00 he took a shower. Half an hour later, he came out dressed in a casual outfit of a white T-shirt and black basketball shorts, ruffling a towel through his wet hair to dry it. After equipping himself with a black watch, tennis shoes, a small backpack with a few waterbottles, and a small notebook and pen (just in case), he headed downstairs into the kitchen.

He slid the pack off his shoulders and set it on the counter, opening the fridge and making a few sandwiches for he and Kailey just in case. He wasn't sure how long they would be there, but just in case she didn't pack anything, at least he would have something for her. He zipped up the bag and put it on his back, grabbing Gunner's collar and leash and putting it on him. The park wasn't too far from his house, so he waited until about a quarter till to leave.

Once there, he found a relatively shady spot and sat down on a bench to wait for Kai. It wasn't a hidden space, but it wasn't private either. He figured it would be an easy spot for her to find him, and once she did they could walk around or go find someplace more secluded to talk so no one had a chance of overhearing.

The entire walk there he'd had so many questions running through his mind, and he was beginning to wonder if he had hallucinated the entire thing. It was so crazy and wacky that it couldn't possibly be real. Had he really asked to meet up with Kailey at the park to talk about her being able to...read minds?!

Sitting on the bench, Gunner was at his feet, panting happily. He was mostly well behaved, other than the occassional bark at people who passed and the twitching urge to dart after a squirrel. Eric checkedhis watch, which read a quarter after 10. He started tapping his foot, starting to get a little nervous. He knew she said she may not be on time, but the same old fear pressed into his head.

She's blowing me off.

It had happened on several other occassions with girls that he'd casually asked out on a date. They just never showed up. He was nervous that it was happening again, but not shocked. But at the same time, he was also wondering if the entire episode yesterday had just been one big dream. It seemed so unlikely that any of that had ever even happened.

I hope nothing bad happened. he thought suddenly. If it wasn't a hallucination, he hoped she was alright. She'd said she may not be on time, but still. He tapped his leg nervously and bit his lower lip, looking down at Gunner, who was now standing and had his dark brown eyes on a squirrel in the distance.

"Well boy," he said quietly to him, reaching down and petting him softly. "You may not get to meet her."

She felt terrible that she'd probably be late, but at least she had a valid reason. Her parents normally didn't like her to sleep in too late, but it was a common courtesy to let someone who was tired and healing to get some extra sleep. She bolted out of her bed and hurried to the closet. She would have to forgo the shower, because she didn't have time to figure out how to do it while having a cast. She was torn between making an okay impression and not being as late as she would be.

She decided that he already had an impression, and it was better to try not to be late. She slowly got dressed in a nice blouse and shorts. She didn't even try to hide her bruises and cuts. She sort of wanted him to see, so that he knew she had a valid reason. She brushed her hair. It was all awkward and she took longer than she normally would have. Her arm ached terribly, but it wasn't unbearable. She headed downstairs after she slipped some sandals on.

Her parents were at the kitchen table and rose surprised to see her.

“How are you feeling honey?” her mother asked.

“I’m fine,” she gave a slight smile. “I had somewhere I was going to go. Could one of you take me to the park?” she asked them.

Her parents looked at each other as if they were deciding together what they were going to do. Kai waited in silence for their verdict. She hadn’t thought to get his number. She also didn’t have a phone anymore.

“Are you sure you are up for that?” they both turned concerned eyes on her.

“Yes,” she gave a patient smile. “I’m not going to be able to exercise today, because the doctor told me to rest, but I wanted to go somewhere outdoors,” she explained.

“I suppose I can take you,” her dad finally committed.

“Thanks,” she smiled again.

She was wondering how quickly she could get him to the park. She didn’t think her parents would like it that she was meeting a boy.

“I’m meeting Eric there at ten, so we need to hurry,” she told them.

She hoped this wouldn’t slow things down, but she didn’t want her parents to be able to come back and say that she had been lying to them.

Since she had been injured, they would be a little more pliable, and she was willing to take advantage of that. If they asked her why she didn't say earlier, she could always blame it on her injury. They would be less able to protest, since she had told them without them asking why she wanted to go there. Their eyes widened a bit, but it seemed they were still willing to take her. She never gave it a thought that she still had time to back out. She could still have a chance to let him think that he was imagining things. She grabbed her purse and headed toward the car.

“Please hurry, I’ll be waiting for you,” she urged him.

Once they were in the car, she told him which park. The drive was a rather silent one. Once they were there her father parked. She hoped he wouldn’t hang around the whole time, but she should have known that he would want to supervise, especially, since she had broken her arm. She let her mind search out for him, and she found him. He was worrying that she wouldn’t show up. She felt a pang of worry and guilt, but there was nothing she could do about it. She realized that she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, but she would be fine.

A quarter till ten her watch read. It could have been much worse, but she supposed it was long enough to become worried. She exited the car and headed toward him. He wasn’t even in sight yet, when she felt his thoughts, but at least she knew he was around here. Soon, she found him.

“Hey, sorry I was late. I slept in late. Yesterday was a hard day,” she apologized with her most pleasant smile. She looked down at the dog, “Hey pretty doggy,” she grinned and crouched down. “Can I pet him?” she looked up at Eric. “Is this the reason you had to up and leave me so quickly yesterday?” she tried to tease him.

Eric saw her coming out of the corner of his eye and lifted his head to meet her gaze. He was prepared to give her a smile, but his eyes quickly fell upon her cast and cuts, bruises lining her body, and he couldn't find the urge to.

"Hey..." he said, standing up. "It's okay, don't worry about it." He swallowed, feeling much more nervous than he should be. But he pushed it all down with all the strength he could muster. "It looks like it was a bit of a hard day." He was about to ask her what had happened, but she swiftly spoke, asking if she could pet Gunner. The dog's tail was wagging happily, and he sat down as Kai knelt. He showed no sign of aggression or hostility, and Eric found that pleasing.

He had nothing to worry about with Kailey. If Gunner was fine with her, he knew she was good. "Yeah, go ahead. He'll love you forever. His name is Gunner." She teased him, and he felt his cheeks turn a bit red. Partly because he wasn't exactly sure how to feel just yet, and partly because he wasn't sure if he should say anything about his home life with his father. "Yeah, part of the reason." he said, smiling at her.

"We don't have to stay over here if you don't want to. We could find a more private spot." He hoped he didn't sound creepy, he really wasn't meaning to be. He always felt a bit awkward in general, but around a girl that feeling intensified. He was much more self aware and worried about almost everything when in the company of a lady.

"Do you...do you mind if I ask what happened?" he asked, nodding at her arm. "I don't want to pry, but I feel like it would be just as rude to ignore the fact that your arm seems to be broken." He gave her a slightly sheepish smile, adjusting his stance nervously. Gunner panted, looking back and forth between his owner and this new girl who he seemed to like very much.

Eric suddenly remembered that he'd brought food and water, and he wondered if she'd had the chance to eat anything before coming, especially if she said she had slept in late. "I brought some food, just in case." he said, slipping the bag off of his shoulder and holding it. "I also have some water if you need it. I wasn't sure how long you needed to explain everything."

"Also, sorry if I seem a bit off I've never really...hung out with anyone before." He chuckled to relieve the stress building up inside him. "Anybody but Gunner." He teased, running his hand through the dog's fur. Gunner looked up at him, whining happily, and looked back up at Kai, his brown eyes big and begging to continue being pet.

He adjusted his position again, shifting the leash from his left hand to his right, and stuffing the small backpack under one arm. He was internally screaming at himself, constantly worried about how he was coming off. Was he being creepy? Was he scaring her? He hoped not. Was he acting normal? Too nervous? Too jumpy? Was he talking too much?

He fell silent, looking at her and then down at Gunner, awaiting her response.

After she bent down, she was happy to see that Gunnar had already accepted her. She loved dogs and would have hated it if he growled at her. She knew German Shepherds had a tendency to be a one person type dog, especially males. She was glad that he told her his name. She hated calling a dog doggy, because she didn't want to sound babyish, but she hadn't wanted to assume his gender, and it was a little awkward trying to figure it out.

"What a pretty boy," she cooed.

She was tempted to look up and wink at Eric, insinuating that he was a pretty boy also, but she resisted. It would be wrong of her to flirt with him, when she didn't know him well. He didn't need some girl throwing herself at him. Frankly, she was a little disturbed that she had had that thought. If he ever figured it out, she would blame it on pain and painkillers. She gave him a small grin. She began to pet Gunnar with intentionality. It didn't take long for the dog to role over for a belly rub.

"He's a beautiful boy," she smiled slightly at the dog and looked up at Eric.

She wondered if she should ask some of those usual questions about the dog.

"Uh...Sure...We can move somewhere else," she agreed hesitantly.

While she tried not to appear suspicious, her parents had warned her about unsavory characters, and she didn't know Eric well. She tended to be less suspcious than her parents, because she could see right into their heads.

If she wanted to know, not much could be kept hidden from her. She couldn't believe she was considering talking to him about it. If she was going to tell him, she wanted to find a better place. She tried to lift up her arm slightly, and gave a playful smile.

"This broken? Oh no! It's just a mild sprain," she tried to joke lightly. She wasn't sure if she hit the mark. She gave a deprecating smile, "I was wondering how long it would take for you to ask that. It's sort of expected," she shrugged.

She realized she might have been a little hurt if he didn't ask. It was a blaring question.

"I got in a wreck. My car is done. An eighteen wheeler pushed me off the highway and I hit a tree. Luckily, I had no serious head injuries, so I was able to go home after a few hours."

She stood up feeling guilty to stop petting Gunnar.

She arose, and gave him a full smile, as he mentioned refreshments, "Aren't you thoughtful? I woke up late, so I didn't have time to eat breakfast," she admitted. She gave a giggle, "Sorry, I didn't do anything like that. I was too busy getting here."

Her face sterned a little when she thought about explaining things.

"Oh dear," she sighed. "I never figured out how I would explain things. I suppose you'll just have to ask questions," she told him.

She raised a brow at his not hanging out with anyone, but she didn't say anything. Her face softened as he mentioned Gunnar.

"Shall we walk?" she asked. "I want to find somewhere comfortable to sit, but no eavesdroppers," she told him, as if she was expecting him to find the perfect place.

She also didn't want to be hidden away and giving everyone bad ideas. She hoped that he wouldn't try to record this thing. She was pretty sure she would be able to hear his thoughts if that had ever crossed his mind.

Eric smiled at her, feeling a little bit of pride. He was glad she liked Gunner, and even more glad that the dog had accepted her. He didn't do that with many people at all, which seemed to Eric to point to Kailey being someone special and that he could trust.

"He is," he agreed. She agreed to go someplace else, and he couldn't help but hear the hesitation. He held back a wince, for he knew she was probably thinking he was some creep. But he brushed that aside as she started to explain what had happened to her. At first he was amused by her slight joke, but soon any trace of a smile faded from his face, being replaced with shock and concern.

"Oh my god," he breathed. "You sure you're okay? That's horrifying!" She was extremely lucky to have survived, AND to have been let go with no serious head injuries. "I'm glad you didn't get any more injuries than you did. That would have been awful. I'm so sorry." He knew she may think at first that he was faking, but he truly did mean it. It scared him to think that this all happened just after they left the school. That it could happen to anyone at any moment. It scared him to think that she very well could have died yesterday. He cared about her, even if he didn't know her that well yet.

His gaze followed her as she stood up, her tone slipping by him almost flirtatiously, and he couldn't help but blush a little. He returned her smile, the type of person that smiles had a contagious effect on.

"Well I mean, I wasn't sure if you would bring anything or not, and I remembered you saying that you may be a little late so I just...brought some stuff in case." He chuckled as she giggled. "It's no big deal, you're here. That's all that really matters I guess." He tilted his head at her sudden frown, then realized that she hadn't thought out how to explain everything. No wonder, with the accident and all.

"That's fine." he said, adjusting Gunner's leash in his hand. "Asking questions is easy enough." He gave her a smile. He continued to smile as she talked, finding it amusing how descriptive she was being, as if he knew exactly where to go and that the perfect spot would just magically be there.

"Well I can certainly do my best to find a spot like that." he said, teasing her. "Come on, Gunner." he said gently, tugging the leash softly. The dog stood up and walked smoothly by Eric's other side, allowing Kailey to stay by his other without any annoying bumps. His nose was to the ground, picking up any scents that drifted his way. The breeze picked up a little, splitting through the warming air and giving Eric a nice cool chill.

"So do you come here often?" he asked, making small conversation as they walked. He wasn't sure if she would much appreciate him starting to rattle off questions about her mind reading without being in a good spot yet, so he decided to make simple conversation first. Besides, maybe it would be a bit easier to talk to him if she knew him a little better first. He walked at a nice pace, not too fast but not draggingly slow, and Gunner stayed pretty even with him.

The dog seemed to know exactly where Eric was going, and he was right. Eric had already thought of the perfect spot, having been to this place nearly every day for almost eight years now. It was nice and shady, secluded but not hidden. A small trail cut by it, so it wasn't a completely private area, but it was private enough that it wouldn't feel too open and unsafe for her to speak.

They walked a little farther, and soon veered off onto the trail that would lead them there. Here was a bit forested, a line of carefully planted trees on either side of the path, providing shade. Flowers were planted between each tree, blooming and pretty. Gunner picked up his pace, lifting his head and letting the air rush through his fur. Eric smiled at him, and a few minutes later they were where he wanted to be.

There was a row of about four wooden benches, the trees shading them and flowers planted at their bases. He held out his arm towards them, gesturing for her to go and check it out.

"This spot okay?" he asked. Gunner panted, his eyes darting between Eric and Kai, waiting to see what was going to happen next. "I come here a lot because it's quiet and peaceful, and the shade is always nice. But if you don't like it, we can find someplace else."

Still, even though she had secretely wanted him to be concerned, she felt a little nervous awkwardness as his face changed to shock and worry. She decided to be honest instead of the way most people tried to brush things off. "Honestly, I'm not sure how I'm doing. I don't know if I'll be able to drive again, because I'm not sure if I'll trust myself, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I think I am functional, because I haven't had any symptoms of someone with a head injury. While it certainly wasn't fun, and I wouldn't want to do it again, it could have been much worse."

She sort of felt that since this whole meeting was supposed to be about her, they could squirrel off into the topic of her injuries. She had been about to apologize for making this about her, but she realized that was pretty much the whole point of this. It almost made her want to laugh at the irony of it. It was scary to think that any moment could be their last on earth. It seemed surreal the whole thing, but she was lugging around a heavy cast to prove it. Her arm was beginning to ache, and she decided that she wanted to make herself comfortable somewhere.

She was becoming tired already, and they hadn't really started to talk yet. She thought her comments had caused a bit of a blush on his cheeks, and she made note of that. One day she might want to know that information, but for now she believed that she shouldn't be trying to do that. She gave an awkward look. "I've never talked about that part of myself before. I've never had to figure out a way to tell someone," she admitted. She was relieved he would be fine with asking questions.

Hopefully, this would help her figure out some things. She gave a grin at his teasing her. Slowly, she followed him wondering if he had a place already scouted out. When he asked how often she came here, she almost started to shrug, but she felt a twinge of pain. "Not too often. It just depends," she knew it was vague, but she normally didn't plan to come here for the park. If she came here it was with someone. She was glad that he was willing to hold off on the conversation until they found a good place to talk.

She didn't feel like diving right in to everything, so this was some good warm up stuff. When she turned her head to look at the dog, she admired how well he walked. Not only was he gorgeous, but he wasn't pulling and tugging on the lead. From the looks of it he was very well trained and he had done this walk before. Were they going somewhere he often frequented? When they came upon it, her eyes widened a bit surprised that this place was here. Since he came here without dwaddling, he must have known about it.

It seemed to be a peaceful place to watch nature. She was relieved to see somewhere to sit. She was becoming quite tired, and she wasn't sure if she could keep standing. Somehow she needed to rest her arm. Before she sat down, she gave the area a few turns. "This looks good," she graced him with a smile. "You surpassed my expectations. It was like you already knew of this place or you had planned it," she commented wondering if that was the case. She plopped her butt down on the bench and looked at him, wondering if she would get any type of explanation.

She nodded her head, "I like the shade and it does seem quiet and peaceful." There wasn't much traffic and there were no children running around and screaming. Now, that she had a safe place to talk, she was becoming more concerned with her stomach. She could feel that any moment now, it would begin to growl. If possible, she would prefer to spare herself that mild embarrassesment. "I guess we can begin talking about it whenever you want," she felt herself tense a little.

She was keeping her mind tuned in to his. If she heard any thoughts that said recordings she would stop talking and definitely begin throwing accusations. She wouldn't let her secret become public knowledge, and she knew that she could be a very good liar if it came down to it. If he didn't start serving the food, she wouldn't be polite. She would ask about it. While if he didn't want to share, she wouldn't continue to pester him, she was hungry, and she knew that she couldn't depend on hinting things, because not everyone was a mind reader.

He listened as she spoke about her wreck, and he was surprised yet glad that she was being honest about it instead of shrugging it off like most people would have. He was still very nervous about standing close to her and actually talking to her, but at the same time he was glad that he'd unintentionally found out about her power. He'd crushed on this girl for years, but never really knew her at all. He heard OF her, what all she did and all she accomplished, but he'd never spoken to her or got to know her personally because he was always too nervous.

Now he would get the chance to know things about her and know her for who she was instead of like her for her looks. Already he was picking up and storing away all the qualities he liked about her. She was very smart, honest, funny, and shockingly kind. He always had felt a bit shallow and bad for liking her for her looks, but now he didn't have to feel bad. Because he already had valid reasons to like her. He didn't want to dwell on that thought too much though, because he wasn't sure if he wanted her to know.

He'd heard of this working in books, but he wasn't sure if it would in real life. He imagined locking all of his thoughts away inside a big chest, hiding them and burying them from anyone who looked, and already he could feel himself not even actively thinking about it. He knew it was there, but it was deeply hidden.

"I think you're right." he said. "But I do think that once this is all over you'll come out of it wiser and more sensible. Not that you aren't or weren't before, that kind of came out wrong." He fumbled over his words, his nerves still eating at him. "What I'm so clumsily trying to say is that I think this happened for a reason, and you'll come out of it more experienced, and I'm sure you're going to do fine when back on the road. Because you're right. It was bad, but it could have been much worse." He paused, unsure if he should say this next words. He didn't know if she was religious or not, but this whole thing was about her. So why should he get to know everything about her but not vice versa?

"I don't know exactly what you believe, but I believe that there is a God out there somewhere, and I think that maybe he let this happen to you for a reason. He spared you for a reason. I don't know what it is, but maybe one day you will." he shrugged, not wanting to say anymore. He didn't know how or why he still believed so deeply in God after what all he and his family had been through. He didn't know why he still loved God even though he was allowing him to be beaten by his father everyday. But he did believe that God was teaching him something, that he was allowing this to happen for a reason, and he was determined to learn from it.

He turned his gaze to her as they walked, understanding that she'd never had to explain this away to anyone before. He assumed by that simple statement that her parents didn't know either. He figured that if they knew, she would have had medical tests done and had it explained that way. He tilted his head as she gave a very vague answer to his question. He noticed that she tried to shrug, a simple every day action, and stopped midway. Perhaps because of pain. He felt sorry for her, but he didn't want to say anything. He wasn't sure if she would be annoyed with him if he continued to badger her about it.

Once at the spot, he watched as she smiled and said it was good. She also commented on how he had surpassed her expectations and followed suit with suggessting that perhaps he planned it. He felt himself grow a little hot, but once again out of nerves. He didn't want her thinking that he had planned any of this, because he hadn't. He'd just tried to make her feel comfortable in a nice spot.

"Well I'm glad you like it." he said, switching the leash from one hand to the other. Gunner sat down, looking up at him and panting, but Eric tugged lightly a little more, signaling him to stand so they could move over to the bench Kai had sat down on. They walked over and he sat down next to her, pulling off his bag and setting it on the ground between them. Gunner instantly tried to stick his nose inside, knowing there was food inside, but Eric said one semi harsh "no" and he stopped, laying down at his feet and panting calmly.

"But I promise I didn't plain this. I thought of it after you said what you wanted. I've been here a lot, and this is one of my favorite spots, if not my favorite all together." He returned her smile as she gave the okay to begin talking about it. "Well," he said, bending down and unzipping the bag. "First off, there's more than two sandwiches in there, and more than one kind. So if you want to eat, just take them. There's bottled water in there too that should be still cold. It's not too hot out yet."

He knew there was a notepad and pencil in there as well, and he hoped she wouldn't get the wrong idea. He simply brought it along just in case he got up the courage to ask for her number. He hadn't brought his phone, he had no need for it. Plus, he didn't bring it because he didn't want to make her nervous or think that he was going to record any of what she was going to say. If she asked about the pad and pencil he would tell her the truth, but he wasn't exactly prepared for how awkward he was going to sound doing it.

"Well I guess the first question I have is kind of a dumb one, but I mean.." he shrugged, his tone half serious and half teasing. "Were you born with this ability? Or did it just kind of happen one day?"