She thought it might have been a little insulting, but she was also trying to be thoughtful and not burdensome. It was rude to grab everything in the restaurant without a thought to the payer. She tossed her head a little and brought some of her hair on her shoulders closer to the front of her face. It gave her a little more security and shelter. When she became aware that she was making her shy move, she realized that she was being silly, so she pushed her hair back out of her face. They were friends, and she needed to chill out. This was supposed to be fun, and it would cease to be so, if she didn't relax.

Soon, the conversation turned toward his family's plans. She wasn't sure how far it was appropriate to pry into his family life. There shouldn't be anything they needed to hide from each other, but it might be annoying to be super nosy. She was nervous that talking about his home situation would become awkward. She was scared that she would say the wrong thing, because it could be a touchy subject. She hoped they would get time over the summer to chill out together without worrying about things. Perhaps her parents would let him come visit, if he moved away.

She wasn't surprised that they were keeping the house for his father. She wasn't sure how it would be able to be paid, but they didn't own the house, so they couldn't sell it. How would they keep it up, if they didn't stay around the area? "Another good reason to stay around is to care for your father's house," she mentioned just in case he needed another argument against his sister. After getting caught, her parents looked at Eric with more wariness. They had been between neutral and approved, now it was tilting more in the other direction.

She regretted that she had chosen that particular path, but Eric should have stayed. He didn't have a safe place to go, so that part she didn't regret. She probably should have told her parents, and they wouldn't be mad at her for as long. They also wouldn't treat Eric quite as distantly. It would have been a good moment to prove that Eric had honorable intentions, but she had ruined it for the both of them. She hated that her parents didn't have the best view of Eric.

She realized that she hadn't given much thought about whether Summer liked her. She had been worried about Mr. Godfrey, since he had told Eric to stay away from her. However, she had no idea how strict Summer would be or how deep into Eric's life she would want to delve. What did his family think of her? Should she care what Mr. Godfrey thought? She assumed that she should care what Summer thought. Should she ask about that? Should she try to help her parents see the good of Eric or should she let them figure it out?

"Eric, do you know how involved Summer plans on being in your life? Is she going to approve your dates and stuff?" she gave him a small grin. She was teasing him, but being absolutely serious. How close were the ties between the siblings? She grinned glad that they were joking about something else. There was only so long she could handle more serious topics. She noted that a slight gloom came over him, but she decided not to pry. She knew her little anecdote wasn't that interesting, but she wanted to be able to talk about anything. Sometimes the little things mean a lot more than you realized.

"Barely," she rolled her eyes and huffed. "If I had waited a moment longer, it wouldn't have made it. My cat started running away from me, as soon as I started screaming at it to let the mouse go, and I was barely fast enough." She sighed as she thought about the memory. It had stressed her out. If the cat had to eat the mouse, she didn't want to be around to watch it die. Since she had tried to save the mouse, if she had been anywhere near, she would have gotten a sight full of it being dead.

She didn't want to make him feel guilty about her friend group, but she wanted to ask for advice and support from someone. He was one of the few people left she could talk to it about. Her parents probably wouldn't know the whole situation, and Eric was a little bit closer. When she noticed the thought about Jack cross his mind, she blanched. Her face didn't show her emotion, but she had sort of frozen and stopped for a moment, as she considered the appropriate reaction. How was she supposed to respond to that?

Since he didn't say it out loud, she didn't feel like she could say anything. She didn't know how to comfort him. Eventually, he would see that she and Jack were far from a thing. She and Jack had had plenty of time before Eric, but she hadn’t chosen him. Why was Eric doing this again? It was like he was purposefully putting distance between them. It didn’t make her feel any better, when he confirmed her thoughts. She wasn’t surprised, but it was something she would have to worry about.

"It's not your fault. It's mine," she sighed. She wondered how could a mind reader go so wrong. How had she not know that this would happen? She realized that one of the reasons was she was never around them long enough to pick up on their thoughts about this. Should they talk about serious things on their first date? It was starting to become quite heavy. She changed the subject by mentioning ideas. She thought they might be interesting, and she didn't want to totally bore him.

She wouldn't want to be totally bored. One day, she decided they should go volunteer at an animal shelter. They would get to hang out with cute animals even if they had to do all the dirty chores. Going through something slightly hard and fun was always good for bonding experiences. She looked at him thoughtfully, "Let's just go hang out in the mall. There are always things to see and do there." She smiled and thanked the waiter as their food was brought to them.

She began to munch on it, while looking at him thoughtfully. She raised a brow when he said it didn't matter what he thought. He soon corrected himself, so she let it go. "It'll be interesting to see what you pick," she smiled. She became more serious. He might be leaving. He didn't want to, but life was all about leaving and meeting someone again. Even close family members. "I'm not going anywhere," she said solemnly. She grinned at him, "One day, we have to go to the pound and volunteer to do chores and stuff. Not only will volunteer hours look good, but it'll be great bonding while doing work, and we get to see cute animals," she told him wondering if he would agree.

Kai pitched in another reason to stay, and he nodded. "Yeah, John's brought it up a couple times before. It is a good reason." After a few moments of silence, she jumped in with a question he really hadn't been expecting. He didn't mind the question at all, but it had taken him a bit off guard.

"I...haven't really thought about it." he answered, giving her a grin. "Honestly I'm not sure. She doesn't seem to be super involved as of now, but I know she's busy and stressed." He shrugged. "I know she likes you. She kept teasing me about it on your birthday, since she knew I was going to ask you. But it was all in good fun, nothing mean." She went on to explain the events of her cat and the mouse, and he listened.

"Well hey, at least you saved it." he said, giving her a gentle smile. "Next time that happens call me and I'll be there to help." he teased, fully aware that that couldn't happen. If she called of course he would come, but he wouldn't make it in time to actually be of any use.

As the conversation turned to her friends, Eric noticed the subtle change in her face. It wasn't an expression change, really, more of a color change. She looked slightly more pale, and he began to worry. Had he done something wrong again? Why, why couldn't he do anything right? Had she caught his thoughts? Probably. He tried not to think or worry too much about it, because he didn't want to make her more angry or nervous with him. But for the first time ever, he was really starting to question if her mind reading was really a good thing. For the first time, he felt like he needed to hide something from her. Before, he hadn't had a problem with it and left his mind open. But now, if he had any sort of negative thought she would pick up on it and it could potentially damage the relationship.

He'd never thought about it like this before, and he didn't want to continue thinking about it. He accepted her for her, and she couldn't help her mind reading. He didn't want to be secretive, he wanted everything to be out in the open. But maybe that needed to be a slower progress. He didn't say anything however, because he knew his anxiety was starting to flare up. This wasn't meant to be stressful, it was supposed to be fun.

He needed to calm down, and he needed to get his head straight. He couldn't keep messing up like this. How long would she be able to tolerate his anxiety? He couldn't help the thoughts he had, they just came. He couldn't stop himself from thinking.

"It's not your fault. It's mine," she said, reassuring him. He wanted to argue with her, tell her that it wasn't her fault completely. It had been both of theirs, she shouldn't blame herself for everything. But he didn't. It was best to move on. They could talk more in depth about it later. After a moment of thought to herself, she mentioned going to the mall. It sounded like a good idea to him, and his face and mood instantly brightened at her smile.

It was no use stressing and worrying about things. He was with her now. He was hers and she was his, and no matter what they would get through whatever obstacles came their way. They couldn't ignore the fact that arguments would happen, words would be said, but he had faith that they would get through it. No matter what.

The waiter came, giving them their food. Kailey thanked him, and so did Eric. He heard her say she wasn't going anywhere, and he gave her a soft reassuring smile. If she hadn't been preoccupied with eating, he would have reached across and held her hand. She mentioned going to the pound sometime to volunteer, and he perked. That actually sounded like a lot of fun. Plus, since he'd lost Gunner to the pound, maybe he'd even persuade Summer to let him get a puppy.

"That sounds really fun, actually." he told her. "I like that." They talked for a bit longer about random things as they finished the food. Once they were done, Eric cleaned up his spot and left a tip for the waiter. He waited for Kailey to get ready, and walked out with her. He would have gone to his car, but the mall wasn't really that far, and it was a nice day. He asked her to make sure, and they began walking.

On the way, music could be heard coming from the near distance. He gave her a questioning look, as if to say, "What is that?" The further towards the mall they walked, the busier the streets and sidewalks became. There were a lot of people, and Eric slipped his hand into hers, feeling that small surge of protectiveness. He wanted to keep her close, and her touch as it was was comforting. The music got louder as well, and it didn't take long for Eric to see what the cause was.

There was a small little stage set up on the side of the street in a small empty lot, with a few street performers. Three people, two men and a woman, were standing on the stage and singing and playing music for a surprisingly big group of people. As they got closer, Eric was aiming to go around and avoid them, but the closer they got the more impossible that seemed. As they were trying to politely brush their way through, he felt someone grab his arm. With his social anxiety starting to rise, and wanting to be protective of Kailey, it took him off guard and he reacted more violently than he normally would have. He jumped, and turned sharpy, nearly raising a fist. He didn't though when he realized it was another young man, maybe one or two years older than himself, and he was motioning to the performers and the crowd, excitedly inviting Eric and Kai to join.

Eric hesitated, tensing up. He didn't do well in crowds, and he wasn't sure about this. His grip on Kailey's hand tightened, not wanting to be seperated from her. The stranger laughed and pulled him into the small crowd of people, and Eric pulled Kai in after him.

Or would Summer think that Eric should be grateful for her rescuing him from his father, and that she didn't need to do anything more besides keep him alive and give him a place to stay until he was on his own. Since Summer had been absent for most of the time she knew Eric, she wasn't sure what to expect from Summer. She was sure there were other reactions that Summer might have, but those were the two main ones she thought of at first. She was relieved that Summer didn't disapprove of her.

She wasn't sure how important to Eric it was to have approval, but as far as she knew it wouldn't hurt, and would probably be a good thing. She smiled, when he offered his services and assistance for the next time. "Won't it take too long for you to get over here, or is that your super ability?" she teased him. "Are you like Ken in Barbie life in the dream house. You have a sixth sense girlfriend? I don't like getting involved in my cat's kills, but I knew that I could save it, if I moved fast enough." When they talked about her friend group, it didn't take a mind reader to realize that they were both getting stressed.

Should they talk it out or change the subject? While the dates didn't mean they should only have fun, it was their first one, and they wouldn't want to get loaded down with hard topics. She didn't see how her friends being mad at her was his fault. She was the one who hadn't juggled friends well. It was her choices and decisions that had led her here. She realized that something had happened that probably needed to be worked out, but nobody wanted to do it on their first date.

Was it a good idea to push it off to deal with later? She was glad that the food came. It gave her a reason to stop talking for a while. She wasn't sure if being around other dogs would hurt Eric or not since Gunner wasn't around anymore, but she thought it would be fun. Since she couldn't have a dog, and Eric didn't have one anymore. However, volunteering at the shelter might be the only way to hang out with them. Knowing her, it might be the only way she could convince her parents. If she showed how responsible she was volunteering, it might make it easier convincing them.

She could begin her arguments anew for a dog. Perhaps her attention to animals would make them nicer and help them get better homes. When they finished the food, there was no reason to hang around any longer. They knew where they wanted to go next, so it was time to continue their date. Eric was waiting on her after they cleaned up their trash. She gathered her belongings and they headed out. She started heading to the car, because hse assumed that they would want to take it. However, he asked her if they could walk. She quickly agreed, because it was a nice day. They decided to walk since it wasn't far. They weren't planning on shopping, so they shouldn't have bags of junk to lug back to the car, which wouldn't be a problem.

As they began heading toward the mall, her head cocked, when loud strains of music hit her ears. What was going on at the mall? They both shared a glance, and she realized they were both curious about the music. "Shall we go check it out?" she asked. They began to walk again, and the space became more crowded with people as they drew nearer. He slipped his hand into hers, and she gripped it back. She stared for a moment taking in the sight. There was a little small stage with a few street performers. She wasn't sure if Eric wanted to stop and listen or if they should continue going.

They didn't really have a plan. They began walking through the crowd, and it felt they like they were being pushed towards the stage. She felt Eric jump, and she turned trying to see what was wrong. She saw that there was a young man who had grabbed his arm. It was intentional and not some mere brush by. She could tell that Eric wasn't feeling it. After all it was a large group of people. He started motioning them towards the performers. Somehow he managed to drag Eric. Eric kept a solid grip on her, so she was pulled along also.

It was a little hard weaving through the crowd. She could see that the stranger was amused from his laugh by the way that Eric tensed. Kai managed to rub Eric's hand trying to reassure him. The stranger stood in the front, and she realized that a popular song was playing. It looked like he wanted them to dance as a group. While he started the moves, he looked at them expecting them to try it also. She looked at Eric questioningly as she tried to follow the man's moves.

A few more people joined, when they realized what dance it was. She moved closer to Eric, trying not to collide, "Do you want to go or shall we stay and try?" Since he wasn't the mind reader, she couldn't just send a telepathic message. Her efforts were feeble, because she was concentrated on Eric, but she did try to dance, because she didn't want to look like a stick in the mud. The few people dancing drew a crowd. Since it was just a bunch of randoms a few more were enlisted into the crowd, or they joined voluntarily.

Eric felt Kailey's small but reassuring hand rub, but his mind was moving so quickly he couldn't focus enough to turn to acknowledge her action. Once they were pulled to the front, the strange man let go of his arm and began dancing, motioning for them to dance along as well. While he knew it was harmless, Eric was still a bit upset. What gave this man the right to think that he could pull a couple of people off the street and drag them into something like this?

His annoyance was minor, but still present. However, more people started to join this energetic stranger, and he turned to see Kai even trying to match his moves. She asked him if they should go or stay, and even though he didn't exactly like this, and even though his anxiety was peaking with the crowd and cramped space...he wasn't sure he all together wanted to leave either. He could have fun with this, right? Like at prom? He'd actually had genuine fun at prom even with his anxiety. Why was this any different?

"Just like dance class, right?" he asked Kai, giving her a nervous but determined and happy smile. He glanced over at the stranger, who seemed so energetic and happy, almost like a young child. His energy and positivity were catching, and watching him made Eric's grin wider. The song was fast, catchy, and happy, which in turn filled everyone watching with happiness. Even though the people were pressed close, causing him to feel anxious and nervous, it wasn't nearly as high as it could have been.

His blue eyes lifted to the singers, and he turned his head to look at Kailey, giving her an excited and loving smile. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. He let his body tak control instead of his mind, drifting into a dance similar to what everyone else was doing. When he wasn't trying so hard to concentrate, when he let his body just do what it wanted...he wasn't a bad dancer. He was fluid enough to move gracefully and not look awkward. While he was nowhere near professional, for someone who wasn't a regular dancer and hardly took many classes, he wasn't bad at all. Similar to his vocals. He'd never taken any classes, and he was not the greatest singer in the world, but he had been gifted. His vocals were smooth and calming, a natural high tenor.

He stayed with Kai in the small crowd for a couple more songs, by then his nervousness had run its course. He was relaxed, loose, and happy. His shyness had evaded him, and by the end of it, he turned to the guy next to him and the two high fived. Directly after, he turned to Kai and gently grabbed her hand to show her that he was still close by and hadn't forgotten about her. He looked at her, a smile on his face.

It looked like the small band was done, and that was soon confirmed by the lead singer thanking everyone and wishing them a good day. Not wanting to be pushed around nor wanting to be the one pushing, Eric hung back a little bit as everyone began to disperse, pulling Kai a little closer subconsciously. Partially because of his innate need to protect her and partially because of his own anxiety. Having her close was comforting, and it sort of served as a reminder that they were actually together now.

Even though it has been a few days, he still had trouble believing that it was real. It was so strange to think that he had a girlfriend now, and that it was her. Once most of the crowd had gone, he gave her a grin.

"You ready to go?" he asked her. Since there weren't many eyes on them at all, he pulled her into a side embrace and kissed her on the forehead. "That...was slightly stressful." he admitted about the dancing. "But more fun than I thought it would be, have to admit." He began walking slowly back out towards the sidewalk, keeping her close.

She was going with Eric. It would be weirder being left behind, and Eric wanted her with him, which was apparent from how tightly he was holding onto her. No one meant any harm, and it was supposed to be fun. She gave him a small smile, "Just like dance class." If she were a bit bolder, she might have said that he might even get a kiss when they were finished. Sometimes playful bantering helped, but sometimes it gave her a bit of anxiety and made her more apprehensive. Now that she was here, she was beginning to enjoy herself. She sort of shook out her muscles so that she could move to the beat.

He had let her go, when they had gotten here. She loosened enough where she was slightly bopping to the beat. Eric was gradually relaxing, so she was feeling less stressed. While she wasn't smiling, her face was now resting instead of her tensed face. The music was catchy and the dance wasn't super complicated, so she was gradually learning it. As she wasn't fully committed to the dance, her arms and legs kept slightly bent, and she didn't straighten her legs out all of the way. She felt a little silly being in front of a huge group of people dancing, but even if she was a bad dancer, it would probably make the show more entertaining.

She relaxed further and was able to get more into the dance, when Eric faced her with a smile. She would feel awful if something they did together would bring about a panic attack, but it looked like the momentary crisis had been averted. Eric seemed to be doing even better in this situation than he had previously. She hadn't expected this type of place to cause him to relax more and she felt he was more graceful and less tense. He even high fived a guy nearby, which seemed like an impulsive unusual thing for him to do. Sometimes movement helped with nerves. Often she fidgeted when she was nervous, so this was just another outlet.

She had carefully been keeping an eye on him, and he seemed so enrapt in the song that it didn't feel like they were quite together. It felt like they were both dancing to their own beat, even though they were supposed to be doing the same dance moves at the same time. He grabbed her hand, and she felt silly that anything like that had crept into her mind. She beamed back at him, and gave his hand a squeeze. She felt a little pleased, when the leader singer began to walk around the small crowd.

She nodded a good day to him a little out of breath, and having a hard time finding her voice. Surrounded by people shoving to go their own way, she stood closer to Eric than she normally would. Sometimes it made her feel clingy or needy, but she didn't want to get separated. She smirked, because he was still finding it hard to believe that they were together. Why did it seem so unrealistic? Was it because that's how awesome it was? Or was it some other less favorable reason? She faltered at the thought of having another boyfriend or Eric having another girlfriend. Who else would fit the bill? She felt some worry creep up.

What if it became a real problem in their relationship her mind reading. What if she never found someone, because that chased them away. She didn't doubt that Eric would always try to be her friend, but what if that is what messed up their relationship? Now that the crowd had disperesered, it was pretty much just Eric and Kai. The small music band had already managed to pack up and leave. Once they were finished they moved quite fast. She felt a tingly warmth of excitement, since it was still new at being pulled close and kissed.

"How are you doing?" her voice was soft as were her eyes as she looked up at him. She nodded her head acknowledging and agreeing with him. "I wasn't expecting that at all," she told him. "It was just like dance class," she sighed, hoping he understood except the differences. Both times had been stressful, however, this kiss was much easier. "I even got a kiss," she gave him a teasing grin, which she couldn't stop spread across her face. Perhaps she had actually learned a new dance. It might be cemented in there for the short term. He believed he would be able to do it for a little while afterwards.

She cocked her head, "Perhaps we should find a movie to rent for later?" They could wander around a little. Was this considered the end of her choice? Was it Eric's turn? Especially with how tall he was, it was hard to keep up with Eric, when they were that close. However, she wouldn't ever have pulled away. She believed at this point, they would have better luck going over to Eric's house. While she knew it might make her parents suspicious, her mother, father, and her sister were all watching her like hawks. She couldn't stand being under that much inspection, when she might want to have a private moment with Eric. She knew it wouldn't put him at ease either, so it wouldn't be fun for either of them.

She believed that she was probably better at ignoring them than he was. However, it would take some good oblivious concentration for it to work out. They were beginning to reach the majority of the mall. Which place would have some of the goofiest designs that would be the funniest to mock? It might be a little hard, but sometimes Kai had fun dressing up in fancy clothing and seeing how bad weird styles looked on her. She thought that might be a bit much for a date. They would have to find something else.

"One moment," she raised a finger, while she got out her phone. She had to stop, so that her phone screen wasn't moving too much, and she could read it. "Want to do anything on this list?" she asked him. It was a pinterest list of things to do in walmart. "Is this a good idea?" she asked. She normally wasn't devious or a rule breaker, however, in the back of her mind, she had always wanted to try at least one of them out. Of course this was a mall and not walmart, but it would be the same thing right?

Eric felt his heart flutter a bit at her glance and words. "You know, I'm doing just fine." he answered with a soft smile. "You?" He nudged her shoulder gently with his own, sliding his hand down her arm until his fingers entwined with hers. He returned her grin, involuntarily of course. Her smiles were so contagious. "You did get a kiss." he said lightly. "Not a proper one though." He shot her a teasing glance, hoping she would pick up on the meaning and not think he meant something else.

He'd purely meant that he just hadn't kissed her on the lips like he'd wanted to, nothing more than that. He nodded to her suggestion. "Good idea." he said. "I was actually planning on taking you to a movie later, but I like the idea of renting one better. We can chill at my place or yours and watch it, and we don't have to worry about a whole lot." They wandered around the mall for a little while, not really buying too much but just looking around.

It was kind of relaxing, even though there were still quite a bit of people. But it wasn't a packed place, and Eric was very content. He had Kailey by his side, and that was really all that mattered to him in the moment. He was aware that his height would make it a bit hard for her to keep up, since his legs were longer and he could cover more ground, so he tried to make sure and watch his pace. There were times when he'd speed up a little too much by accident, but slow back down to keep pace with her.

Once they neared the end of the mall, Kai held up a finger and asked to stop. He did so with no comment, letting his hand slide out of hers so she could grab her phone. A small amused grin started to spread on his face, and his bright blue eyes glittered in the white store lights. "Are you being serious?" he asked quietly, his heart speeding up a bit. "You actually want to do one of these?" He stepped a little closer to her, reading over the options.

Eric wasn't exactly a rule breaker, not when it came to public places. He didn't think he would be brave enough to do anything even remotely wrong in a public place as big as this with cops wandering around. He gave her another glance, one that was loaded with apprehensive confusion yet admiration. Was she really asking this? Was she really daring enough to try and get kicked out?

"I mean...I'm not sure it's a good idea, but..." he shrugged, feeling a little nervous. He'd do it if she really wanted to, but he had to admit he was scared of getting caught by the mall cops. Especially since his own father was in prison right now. He wasn't sure what all would be involved if the cops had to escort them out instead of a regular staff member. "Kailey if you want to do it I will, but I don't think it's a great idea. Not here, anyway." He stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to be open and honest with her. He chuckled a little bit, still a bit amused and very surprised that she'd brought it up.

"Is there a criminal part of you that I didn't know about?" He nudged her playfully, his grin spreading wider. He lifted his hand out of his pocket and grabbed hers once again, just wanting to be close. Part of him was in all honesty was just wanting to go back to his place. John would be home, and he wasn't the type to constantly bug or chaperone. He'd check in once and a while, but he wouldn't bother them about it.

He just wanted time with Kai. Some personal time together that they hadn't really had a chance to have yet. Most of their time spent together was in public or in front of her family, so he didn't feel comfortable kissing her or really even holding her too close in those situations. But he wanted some of that time, very badly.

"Do you wanna grab a movie to rent and head to my house?" he asked kind of quietly. "John will be home. Do you think your parents would let you? If they knew he would be there?" Eric knew that Kai's parents didn't know John or Summer all that well, but John presented himself as a good responsible adult. He was, too. But he was a bit more lax when it came to Eric. He trusted him a lot, and understood that the young man had had to mature at a faster rate than most his age.

He had faith that Eric wouldn't do anything stupid. He would moniter and check, but he wouldn't overly push it. Eric knew that his voice was a bit of an obvious indicator that he wanted some time alone with Kai, but he couldn't really control that. His emotions and feelings just flew out so easily when he was with her, and he knew regardless she would pick up on it because of her mind reading anyway, so it wasn't a huge deal.

He gave her a small and almost shy smile, knowing that she knew exactly what he wanted. "I don't know about you but I just need it," he whispered, placing a hand softly on her cheek. They were standing in a spot where not many people were at right now. Other than a few other couples who walked quietly past without much of a glance. He hoped she wasn't getting the wrong message from his mind. He just wanted time with her. Some personal time with her where he didn't have to be worried or scared about kissing her or holding her close.

Where he didn't have to be scared about talking to her about certain things. He really wanted to kiss her now, but he didn't want to put that pressure on her in a public place, even if it was pretty much vacant.

It would be easier to be together at someone's house. Even though theaters were dark, there was a certain amount of protocol that she would want to follow that some couples disregarded. Even if it were innocent snuggling, she wasn't sure how comfortable she and Eric would be with that. "I guess you'll pick the movie out." It would be interesting to see what he considered an appropriate movie for a date. It would most likely change each time they were together. They were wandering around the mall without any real purpose. It was surprising how it became less busy so quickly. Kai was trying to keep an eye out for movie rentals.

Since they spent some quiet minutes together, she found that she had calmed, and was now ready for more action. From her little observations, sometimes his pace appeared to be erratic. From his mind, she gathered his intentions, and she appreciated what he was trying to do. When she called a stop, she felt a quick pang, as she had to remove her hand from his to pull out her phone. She almost wanted to laugh at how silly she was being and possibly clingy she was becoming. She knew her eyes were alight with mischief that she kept contained most of the time. She wasn't sure if she were serious or not, but it would certainly liven things.

She was pleased that he was at least trying to take her seriously, and he even read over the options. She would most certainly be careful, and take the option that seemed the least risky. While she supposed it would be okay getting kicked out of the store, she would prefer to avoid being arrested. She watched him carefully, and was a little amused and worried when she noted apprehensive confusion and admiration. Already now that she was given time to think about it, she knew she was being silly. However, the admiration surprised her completely. She smirked realizing that it was a bad idea wherever they did it unless they wrote a book about their fake experiences.

When he nudged her playfully, she began to quote the Bible, "None is righteous, no, not one." She gave a playful shrug, "I suppose I am just better at hiding it than some. She was glad that he was grinning, and her idea was beginning to lose it's allure. With an arch expression, she decided to use this moment, "Well...If you don't like my idea, you are going to have to come up with a better one." Once his hand was out of his pocket, they were entwined together again. She realized they had only had time once together, and it had awkwardly been broken up. They were about due to spend some private time alone.

While she felt there was a good chance that Eric would stay, she still couldn't take this time for granted. Proudly, she tossed her head, but she was intently listening. At this time she was becoming intuned with him, however, she wanted him to say the words and for her not to skip over him just because she could hear his thoughts. Her face became a little more expectant and she gave him more of her attention. "If John is there, i think they'll let me stay," she was glad that he had come up with a better idea than hers. "I'll text them and you can pick out a movie," she told him.

She noted the tone his voice was taking on, and the feelings that were beginning to leak through. She felt the feelings take a hold on her, and she was surprised he wasn't trying harder to hide it. While he shouldn't really bother to hide stuff from her, there were other people. She let herself siddle a little closer, but not too close, so she could still look up at him. She decided to take this opportunity to tease him a little. It wouldn't be quite as effective in the middle of everywhere.

"I am so disappointed that our plans are being changed. I was excited for an adrenaline rush. Think you can give me that," her voice was dropping lower and softer. "Oh, I suppose we can change the plans," she huffed an exaggerated sigh, and unconsiously bit her lip. She let herself move even closer to him, and cast a slightly guilty look around. They were virtually alone. Her arms raised until she managed to snake them around his neck.

"After all it is your turn to pick the activity," she tried to be nochalant about it. "If we were taken along to prison, we wouldn't even get to be in the same cell together," she fake pouted. "I would so hate to be alone or without you." With a grin she added, "It might be worth it, if we got the same cell." She felt her heart beat raising, and she removed her arms from his neck, trying to dial herself back.

She remembered when they had wanted to become boyfriend and girlfriend so it felt more offical and less like they were playing around. However, they still had to watch themselves carefully. They still weren't comfortable acting like this in front of people. She supposed partly because it was inconsiderate of others. As she was looking up at him, she was really tempted to give him a kiss on the mouth, since he was so near. Perhaps they needed to establish a few more guidlines about when kissing was appropriate and that would help with her indecision. She resisted, before finally backing off and pulling out her phone.

It broke the moment, and she felt that she might have done it a bit hastily. "I think you had better go and pick out that movie. I'll text my mom now. Better hurry so we have more time together," she gave him a sort of anticipatory smile. She found herself wanting to hurry and not dilly dally around. She would just like some cuddling and being close together.

There were only a few people she would basically lounge on. She was curious to see how comfortable she was around him. From what she had gathered John might possibly be even more lax of a supervisor. She certainly didn't want to be at her house. Her mother was like a hawk at the moment. When she texted her mom, her mother asked her to call, so they could talk it out. It took a little while, but her mother finally agreed to let her go over. She gave Eric the good news, when he came back. They headed to the car, and they were soon heading to Eric's house.

He raised his brows at her, making a mock shock face. "Me? Pick the movie? What a huge responsibility." His face softened and he giggled, brushing his thumb softly over the top of her hand.

He grinned widely as she quoted the Bible, the response a perfect one. "Oh, do I?" he asked in response to her playfully sassy remark about him having to choose something else to do if he didn't like her idea. He nodded as she told him what she was going to do, and his took on a small gleam of orneriness as she began speaking, her voice dropping to a softer volume. The hairs on the back of his neck raised and an excited tingle shot down his spine as her arms snaked around his neck. He slowly put his arms around her lower back, listening to her intently as she spoke, entranced even though it was mostly teasing. For a brief few moments, he was so lost in her gaze and words that he'd forgotten they were in a public place.

It wasn't until she backed away that he was snapped back into reality, finally realizing how fast and hard his heart was beating. "That's really cruel, ya know that?" he teased her, swallowing. All that, getting him all worked up, and not even one kiss. He gave her a disappointed side smile, but his eyes were still alight with love and awareness. He wasn't really mad at her at all, he was just being dramatic.

She was suddenly moving quite quickly, and he felt an exciting buzz in the energy around them. "Yes ma'am," he joked, walking by and brushing his hand along her arm before walking smoothly past her towards the movie rentals. He wasn't sure exactly what to pick. Should he go the cliche' route and find a romance movie? Probably not. It seemed a bit too soon for that, and very cliche'. Maybe a romantic comedy? Those usually weren't meant to be taken too seriously.

Why was this so hard? It shouldn't be so hard to pick out a gosh darn movie. But now he felt pressured to pick something decent. He had this fear that if he picked something like an action movie she may judge him for being a "typical boy," or if he got a romance movie she may judge him for being too cliche' or think that he had other intentions. It was slowly starting to stress him out, and he couldn't help but laugh at his anxiety.

"I am literally such an idiot." he said softly to himself, running his hands through his hair. She's not going to care. She isn't going to judge you that harshly, now calm down ya big baby. Comedies were always a good first date kind of thing, right? It was lighthearted, not super serious, and it wasn't something they would have to be deeply invested in. That way if they wanted to talk or get a little lost in each other, it wouldn't really matter all that much.

After a few more seconds of debating, he went ahead and rented a romantic comedy, just because it was a date. It would still have a decent plot, a little bit of that nice romance, while still being something lighthearted and fun to watch.

He started to head back to where Kai was, pulling out his phone and calling John to ask and make sure that they would be able to come. The call took just a matter of seconds, with John casually agreeing. No arguments, no having to persuade. He was there alone, doing some online work, so it wouldn't be a bother.

When he came back, Kai told him that her mother had agreed, and they made their way back to the car. He showed her the movie he'd gotten, giving her a slight smirk. "I honestly had no clue what to get," he told her. "If stood there for so long, maybe or maybe not having a slight panic attack." he chuckled, running one hand through his hair as he walked beside her. "If you could have seen me you probably would have scolded me because...I had to scold myself. I worry about too much I think." He gave her a shy smile.

Once they were in the car, it didn't take too long to get back to his house. John had said that he would unlock the door, so once there it was easy to just open the door and walk inside. "Hey we're home." Eric called, his eyes turning to see John sitting on the couch, his computer on his lap.

"Oh hey!" he briefly looked up at them, quickly finished what he was typing, and shut the laptop, standing up and coming over to greet them. His brown eyes seemed to always be happy, and his smile was so contagious. One of the things Eric loved about him. "Hey kiddo, how'd it go?" He ruffled Eric's hair briefly, an action typically used on a younger child, but Eric and John were around the same height.

Eric gave a look to Kai, slightly embarassed but still grinning. "I think it went okay." he said. "But I can only handle so much time out in public." John laughed, picking up what Eric had been laying down. It was nothing more than a joke between the guys, so Eric hoped that if Kai understood she wouldn't be mad at him for it or get nervous about his intentions.

"Hello Kai," John said, holding out a hand for her to shake. "I don't think I've ever properly introduced myself to you. My name is Johnathan, although you probably already knew that, huh?" Eric grinned. John and Summer were a good couple, but sometimes he couldn't help but notice their drastic differences. John seemed to always be smiling, and everything he said was fun, kind, and lighthearted. Summer had that streak in her too, but here lately she didn't seem to be smiling much, and she was constantly in a state of stress and worry.

Eric was glad that it was John who was home instead of her. "You guys can be in here, I'll move my things out of the way for ya." He quickly walked back over to the couch, picking up his computer and coffee mug, walking into Mr. Godfrey's old office. "Don't cause too much trouble!" he called over his shoulder, the door closing. Eric turned to look at Kai.

"He'll be checking in on us at some point." he said, shrugging. "I just don't know when."

She knew she wasn't the only one whose pulse was racing. Her smile fell a little until it was apologetic. A sort of guilty ducking demeanor came over her for a few moment. She felt that he was telling the truth even if he was joking at the same time. It would have been a natural moment to kiss him. She tossed her head trying to shake herself out of it. She didn't want to be promising him a kiss later, because she didn't like the idea of herself falling pressure to physical intimacy.

While she knew that in the end, she probably wouldn't say no to Eric if he pushed, she still felt like she had to try to be strong. She could feel that it was often a delicate balance, and she had to be careful for both of their sakes. Since she had recently gotten in trouble with her parents, she was even more cautious than usual. She didn't want to violate their trust, because she doubted she could earn it back after a second time. She wasn't sure how to balance all of this, and she thought it was the safest to be cautious.

She beamed at him as he returned showing that her mother had said yes. She smirked, when he said he had a hard time picking a movie. With a dramatic sweep of her arms, "I am so smart, I knew this would happen. That's why you did it instead of me." She probably would have picked something quicker, but she would have been just as confounded on what to choose.

Her face instantly became concerned, and approached him, "I'm sorry. You really didn't have to worry about it. I can watch most anything." One hand was laid on his arm and her deep brown eyes were looking into his. She shrugged, "If worst came to shove, you could have closed your eyes and picked something, that way you don't have to take responsibility for the choice." She let out a snort, "Should we pick a genre that is appropriate for date nights for future reference?" She was totally being serious, but she found it amusing that they wanted guidance on a little thing like that.

They were soon at Eric's house. She hadn't really gotten a chance to see it for quite a while. She was a little nervous about being around John since she didn't know him well. She was naturally more comfortable around Summer, even though John was warmer and he was able to make you like him quicker. She held back her smile keeping it small as she watched their interaction, including Eric getting his hair ruffled. She thought it was sweet. She sort of kept an awkward, polite, half amused smile on her face the whole time.

When he made an inside joke, her brow furrowed a little confused, but she let it pass by without a question. It showed how easy their relationship was already. John hadn't been around much before now, so she was surprised at how easy they were together. She had been sort of behind Eric, and it might even look like she was hiding or taking some sort of shelter. She stepped forward and shook John's proffered hand. Her voice sort of disappeared as she was slightly nervous around John. She merely nodded her head that she was aware of his name. She felt even more awkward, when he offered to move his things. She felt bad for kicking him out of this room.

She nodded her head at Eric's words. It would defeat the purpose of a chaperone if he didn't. Now that John was gone, she felt herself relax more. They didn't spend a ton of time at his house, so she still felt a little awkward coming over. She wasn't sure how serious of a movie watcher Eric was. If they became too wrapped up doing something else would they pause the movie or let it keep running? Were they allowed to ignore the movie, or once the picture started rolling did he stay glued to the screen. She had a feeling whatever TV watching policy he had, it would be more lax and flexible on the first date.

Should she sit on the couch and let him put in the movie? Should they sit together a while before? "I think we should put in the movie before we sit down. Once we are down, we might not want to get back up," she told him. She knew how annoying it was, when the remote was just out of reach. "Popcorn?" she asked her one word question. "Do you want to dive directly into the movie?" It was what they had come here to do. She was a little tempted to act the way she had done at the mall, but she had a feeling it was a little more risque move here. She pushed the thought out of her mind for now.

After a while they were finally arranaged and settled on the couch. The movie was in the disc player. She siddled on over until she was very close. She felt a more appropriate position was the normal cuddling positions. At the moment, she stayed to his side. While she often normally just propped some part of her up on one of her family members, that wasn't quite the right approach. She let her head lean over onto his shoulder. For a short while her mind blanked out as she watched the movie. It took a little while for it to get rolling and for there to be an actual funny scene. As far as she could tell it had been a good choice.

He nodded at her words, agreeing with her. He was giving her kind of a shy look as he said, "That's for sure." If he did sit down on the couch with her before putting the movie in there was no way he would want to get up. "Oh yeah I can get popcorn." he answered, setting the disc gently down on the coffee table before walking into the kitchen. He grabbed a big bowl and set it on the counter, waiting for the popcorn to pop. When that was done, he brought the bowl over to where she was sitting, setting in down. "Help yourself," he said. "You want anything to drink? We have several kinds of soda and water. There's also chips if you want some."

After awhile, everything was situated and he put the movie into the player. Eric wasn't the kind of person that had any sort of "rules" when it came to movie watching, unless it was a movie he hadn't seen before. But he kind of remembered this one, and since he was with Kailey he didn't mind at all if she wanted to talk or do something else while it was playing. He was surprised how entranced she seemed to be with the movie, but he wasn't upset. At least he'd picked something fairly interesting.

Her head was leaned on his shoulder, and after a bit, he gently slid his hand into hers, bringing it over to his lap. About half an hour or so in, John quietly peeked his head into the room, just making sure nothing nefarious was going on before ducking back inside the office. The longer Eric sat there, the more his anxiety was building up. For once though it wasn't a bad kind of anxiety. This was a nervous, bubbling kind that caused one of his legs to bounce ever so slightly up and down.

As good as the movie was, he did in all honesty just want to have a moment with Kai. Part of him longed to just go for it. But he was nervous that she may not exactly want that right now, since the movie was going. He wasn't sure what her preference was on movie watching, or if she would get annoyed at him if he spoke. He wished he didn't constantly feel the need to overthink things, because it put a lot more pressure on his shoulders than there needed to be.

His thumb brushed subconciously over the top and sides of her hand as he wrestled with his decision. He couldn't help but wonder if she was hearing or picking up on anything he was feeling or thinking, or if she was so entranced with the movie that she didn't notice. Or if she had learned to block certain things instead of peering in. His heart sent a wave of nervousness through his body with each thud, but it wasn't all exactly bad.

After a few more moments, he softly kissed the top of her head, before feeling a flutter in his heart. "Kailey," he whispered quietly, grabbing her attention. He gently lifted her chin towards his face and pressed his lips to hers, his eyes instinctively closing and his heart sending electric pulses through his chest. His one hand was still entwined with hers, but his other arm crossed over her lap as he leaned more towards her, his kiss slowly starting to feel more passionate.

He was aware that there was a line he shouldn't and could not cross, but it was becoming dim and fuzzy instead of bold and clear, now that they were actually together. Before, they had just been friends, so the lines had to be bold. But now they seemed to fade, becoming blurry. What things could he do now that he couldn't do as her friend? Which lines could he cross and which ones could he not?

Realizing the danger he was slowly slipping into, he pulled away, resting his forehead on hers, keeping his eyes closed. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his heart still thudding heavily with emotion, his feelings swirling around in a chaotic mess within him. "I just..." he trailed off, letting out a defeated sigh and pulling back so he could look at her. The overwhelming need to talk seemed to sweep over him, and because it was kind of a serious matter, he felt the need to either stop the movie or turn it down.

"I really need to talk to you." He leaned up but his hand still grasped hers, and turned the volume down. He didn't want to turn it off completely, because John may get suspicious, but he needed to be able to concentrate and listen to what she had to say too.

He shifted his icy blue gaze to her, his expression a mix of guilt, shyness, nervousness, yet still love. "I think I've been meaning to talk to you about this, but I just...haven't." he said quietly. "Back before I asked you to be my girlfriend...we set guidelines. We had lines we couldn't cross. But I guess...I guess I'm just really confused. Because I know that some of those rules still apply, but at the same time, aren't some of them gone now?" He realized that the way he was asking seemed a bit strange, so he tried to re-word it.

"Basically what I'm saying is, the lines that were so clear before aren't so clear anymore. I know the big things I'm not supposed to do, but...even the little things can lead to that big thing." He kind of gave her a small embarassed smile before swallowing. He knew it was common knowledge and such, but it still made him slightly nervous and uncomfortable to admit the following thing in front of her.

"I just...sometimes....my brain tells me one thing, and I do it. But sometimes when I'm with you, my body really wants to do another. My mind can tell me all these sensible things, but even still my body can override that. I don't...I don't want to cross that line with you." he said quietly, his cheeks a bit warm. "At least...at least not yet."