Eric Is Back (A Gossip Girl Novel)

3. 2009

"So, where the hell have you been over the last two years!" Jenny squealed, slamming the door shut behind her. "You have to tell me everything!"

We were alone in her bedroom. I sat down on the edge of her bed, trying to take long, discreet breaths. I couldn't believe that I had just had a run-in with Dan. I wasn't expecting him to be here. Why was he here?! I'd thought he'd be away at college right now. He should have been at college right now!

"They're not much to tell," I hedged. "I mean, you know – boarding school and all that. It's not that exciting."

"Oh, come on!" Jenny tutted. "There's got to be more to it than that! One minute you were here and the next you were at some mysterious boarding school? And with no way of contacting you except through your mom and Rufus? What was all that about?"

I just shrugged. "I-I don't know what to say."

"Did you steal a car or something? Or... I dunno – get caught shoplifting?"

I blew out a long, heavy breath.

"I'm sorry! It's just... your mom and Rufus have been super tight-lipped about the whole thing. I thought they would have let slip after a while, especially after two years! But they never gave anything away!"

"Well, there was nothing to tell," I shrugged. "Like I said, it was just boring, old boarding school."

"Yeah, right! There's gotta be more to it than that!" Jenny brought her hands together in prayer and begged, "Oh, come on, Eric – you gotta tell me! Please! Please! Please!"

Figuring that Jenny wasn't going to let this go unless I gave her something, I blurted out, "Look, I did drugs, okay?!"

Jenny's mouth dropped open in shock before she puffed out the words: "No. Freakin'. Way!"

"So, now you know..." I mumbled.

"Oh my God! What drugs?!"

I shrugged. "Um, well... all of them. You know – weed, coke, pills."

"Even heroin!"

"Okay, not everything," I said. "But most of them."

"Whoa! That's awesome!"

My eyes flashed to the door. "B-but you can't tell anyone..."

"Oh, totally!" Jenny replied. "Your secret is safe with me!"

"Thanks."

Out of nowhere, Jenny threw herself at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back!"

"Aw, thanks, Jenny."

Breaking away from me, she said, "Oh, by the way! There's this new guy who's just started at St Jude's. He's called Jonathan and he's super cute! He has this long, floppy haircut that makes him look like that Justin Bieber guy! I'm totally hooking you up with him!"

I forced a smile. "Thanks, Jenny."

"Don't mention it!"

The thing was, it didn't matter how 'super cute' Jonathan was. There was no way I could think about boys right now.

Especially after I had just had a run-in with the boy.

Dan.

The only boy I've ever loved.

*

At Mom's party, it had been as if everyone was staring at me. And as I walked through the hallways of St Jude's, a spotlight might as well have been shining on me here, too! Everyone kept coming up to me, demanding to know where I had been over the last two years. But instead of getting defensive and telling people to mind their own business, I thought I'd have a little fun with it. By the time I reached the end of the hallway, I had been teaching English to kids in third-world countries... getting a nose-job in Switzerland... starring in an Indian soap opera...