Status: Fresh out of the oven

One of the Boys

Chapter Ten

The two hours past quickly and at eight o'clock there was a knock at my door. Teddy had woken up a bit ago and was meandering around the room, his balance shacky, and his eyes half closed. I had to tell him that he had put his shirt on backwards when couldn't find the bottons.

I knew before even reaching the door that Eric would be there, I had accepted to hang out with him for breakfast today, since he didn't force me to go to dinner with everyone else. Before he even opened his mouth to greet me, he was already laughing, I could see it in the way his shoulders raised up and down in tiny tremors and he had to pinch nose and look down at his shoes.

Instincively I wanted to cock a hip and pout, but managed to stopped myself and resolved to crossing my arms. "How was any of the thing that happend this morning funny. Tell me Hales. I don't think it's funny. Do you think's funny?"

On hearing my tone of voice, he ventured to glanced up at me, and on seeing my sour expression he sobered up and his facial muscle slacked.

"Oh, well. It's because of your scream... Well let's just say, you better not do it again unless you want people to call you Tranny Lucy."

I squeezed my folded arms tighter and raised my eyes to meet his a good couple of inches above. "Watch it Hales, I have been known to exibit psychotic acts of violence to people that talk shit. So borrow one of Teddy's lollysticks and sweeten up that mouth of yours, before I make it taste like iron. Got it?"

"Wow! What is up with you today, it was only a word of caution. And don't call me Hales. The people that call me Hales, make my life hell." I stood firm for a second, then weakened the intensity of my glare and rolled my eyes. "Common, let's go get some food."

I waved good bye to Teddy who was brushing his teeth with his eyes shut and lying on his bed at the same time. I heard him gurgle some sort of response that I couldn't make out even if I had cared to try.

I turned my attention back to Eric who was tunning his guitar and knawwing once more the end of a yellow pencil. "Will you make me Nutatlla suprise sandwich again. Not now because I am still digesting it. Probably only reach my stomach an hour ago. I had dreams about how good that tasted."

"You like it that much?"

"Of course." He had been nice enough to bring it to me last night after he saw that I hadn't come to dinner.

"Ah. Good to know, those things keep you up longer than two cans of Monster. I swear it. Let's see. I'll make you one if you listen to my song. It's basically done and I really want to you to hear it."

"Deal."

Breakfast was an uneventful event at first. We ate in the large food hall that was part of the main building at a table in a little corner. In truth, I ate, and Eric just continued play and twiking his guitar, mubbling furstrations at himself and continuously running his hand through his hazel tinged hair.

"Eric, dude, Eric!" He looked up at me frazzled. "Come on let me hear this thing. Your acting like you never share your music with anyone before." He looked down to the table avoiding my question, and continued to strum the guitar lightly.

"What? You can't tell me you've never sung to anyone before."

"What!" he snapped back. "I have.Just not any of my own material. Well except the teachers."

"Isn't the a big annual showcase in this school. My father alway stresses-" I coughted uneasily. "I mean my father stressed to me the importance it hold in the school. Don't you sing then?"

"Yeah but some people make sure it's none of my original."

"Miller?" I guessed, vaguely remembering the outspoken boy.

"Him? No way. He's just a jackass. No, no. I mean just the all high and mighty Leo."

I leaned back in my seat trying to see the whole picture that made Eric Hales. I couldn't see anything that made anyone want to bully him. He was nice looking, more on the cute side with a great smile. He didn't dress weird out of uniform, and his only vice was his eagerness to talk and overwhelming enthusiasm (that disappeared at any mention of a certain few).

"So what's you beef with this guy? You did his girl or something?"

"As if. My girls and Leo's girls. They're world appart. We don't have the same... values." Yeah, right. When it came to boys and their attraction to girls there wasn't much room for uniqueness. "We just never got along, from the very fist day here, he's been quite negative about my music. And whatever Leo says goes. He isn't the rule, but he's just as influential, and very persuasive. I mean you saw his welcome speech yesterday, complet and utter bollocks. The dude lives two lives. And then their was the incident two years ago and -" He stop short as though terrified by what he was about to say. He looked around whipping his head in all directions to see if anyone had heard.

"What's this about then?"

"We are not going to talk about it." he's lips were making a fine line and I knew that for once Eric was locked and shut, there was no prying this out of him at the moment.

"Fine, go on with you sob story."

"Point is... You're a friend, and not my music teacher, or random commentor on YouTube. I actually value your opinion."

How the hell, did we already become friends? Spending most of my time on the first day here didn't have to make us friends. It barely made us aqquaintences. I couldnt' say that though, because the pure joy I could hear when he said it almost broke my female heart.

"Whatever, just sing me the song." He didn't stop smiling, and I caught him mouthing the word friend, as if test if his lips still recognized the word.

All of a sudden his expression metamorphosed, and he was in a different world. An intro of chords caught my dormant heart and shook it into full attention. Then his voice came in mixing into each note he played a drop at time, before growing like a creek to a rapid river rushing seaward. His stayed low, consious of our surroundings, but his passion was high and strong. I felt my throught dry and a wave of excitation run down from the base of my neck to the base of my back, leaving a trail of goosebumps in passing.

A thousand years of solitude
Passed him by like the rushing tube
He catches everyday.
Lost without a map,
He circuits round, around the clock.

One day he'll step out at an unknow stop
Heart on sleeve and hope in sight
Dirty baggage left back inside

Knowing that for the first time,
that a thousand years of solitude,
A thousand years of solid blues,
was worth it to find you.

And thousand years with you
Will only be a flutter of heart beats.
Because time can no longer stand still
If you've found with direction you're heading in.


His voice was smoky, not like a smoker's, but like a room were you are rendered blind, and have to rely on your other sense. It sounded like a mix between The Fray's style the Script because of his Irish accent.

When he finishe the next few verse's he looked up at, corners of his lips twiching and crow's feet krinkling at the corner of his eyes. Initinally he appeared supprised by my awe of silence, furrowing his eyebrows in worry. I soon assured him he was excellent, bordering on mezmerizing. Whilst listening to the next few things to said, I had to reminde myself that I wasn't a girl in his eyes. But boy did it make me wish I was.

"Hey, you looked like you reallly enjoyed that. But you know there is a whole lot more that I can do. Come to my bedroom later and I'll show you just how well I can use my mouth and what God gave me."
♠ ♠ ♠
Here we go. Next up date is on Thursday!