Teaching Erik to love

Gaps

Erik didn't speak to Lauren for a whole week after that night. Lauren was beginning to get worried. He wasn't even answering my texts. She decided to go down to his house and see him to check if he was ok. He'd had a pretty tough week with his girlfriend breaking up with him.

So, Lauren did the best friend thing. She bought a large bar of chocolate, a bag of DVDs and a big bottle of Cola. When I rang the doorbell it wasn't Erik who answered but his father. Ugh. "What?' Erik's father, Jason barked at me rudely. "Um, hi" Lauren said, a bit awkwardly, "is Erik in?" "Yeah" Jason said with a slight smirk, "he's sulking in his room." What an ass Jason is. Luckily Lauren had enough sense not to say it to his face. 

Erik's mother had left him a few years ago with his mean and abusive father. Who is a jerk by the way, if you hadn't already noticed. Erik's mother Rebbeca had always been a bit absent though. She was quiet a timid woman and was always controlled by Jason. I don't blame her for leaving Jason, but Lauren doid blame her for leaving Erik. 

Erik was eight years old at the time and was scared sick of his father. And his mother, the one who was supposed to always love and protect him let him down. So, yeah, he has some trust issues. Who wouldn't? 

Erik would often come round Lauren's house for tea after school and after a couple of years he began to trust me more and more. Our relationsip took a very long time to build but we're very close now. Lauren was just worried that he saw her more as a little sister rather than anything else though as he had always been rather over-protective of her.

"Uh, can I come in?" Lauren asked. "Yeah, whatever" was Jason's once again blatantly rude reply. "Jerk" I muttered under my breath, quietly so he couldn't hear. When I walked in three empty cans of beer laid messily on the table which explained Jason's behaviour, but didn't excuse it. Jason slumped back over to the setee where he was watching some rude comedy on T.V. 

Erik's door was shut when Lauren walked up to it so she knocked relatively quietly. 1 once wait four seconds, 1,2 wait another four seconds 3. It was their secret knock; the one that they had created as children so that Erik would know when people like Jason wanted to come in. Lauren heard a mumbled, "come in" and so she prised the door open gently. 

Erik was lying on his bed, a book in hand looking really miserable. "Oh, honey" Lauren said, "it's Georgia isn't it?" "Yeah" he mumbled, "her and other stuff." "What other stuff?" Lauren asked, trying not to let too much concern slip into her voice. "Lauren....my father, when I turn sixteen he plans to kick me out and I've got nowhere to go."