The Boy's of Westbrook

~Brave~ Chapter VI

Chapter VI

"I heard," Veronica said with a tiny stomp, but she was wearing a flip flop so the effect was small. "You bolted like the house was on fire. That's all everyone will talk about for the rest of the day. Was it because Trey pulled a juicy one? Because I hear he clogged the toilet again."

They were thankfully alone, antiquing like they did every year. Eric pretended to stare at a long time abandoned typewriter. He was wondering if maybe he would give a shot at becoming a writer. And why not? He liked reading.

He was also thinking about the last moment with Damien. When he brought up his friend Reese, who attended a different high school. Eric had thought he was hot too. Like Damien, Reese could sing too. They were the reason the Talent shows were memorable. They remixed popular pop songs into club vibe music and it was better than the original. They sang and danced together. The schools ultimate eye candy, so it was by no chance that they won every year.

For why Reese got pulled out of school and transferred to another school. That was a mystery to Eric. Did Damien and Reese have a secret relationship? All he knew was that Reese got into a fight but the reason never surfaced.

Eric considering telling Veronica this. He let himself daydream that he and Veronica would hit it off, because they seemed like they'd make a great pair. So how cool would it be if Damien and Eric became an item, Veronica and Reese too?! The ultimate dream. He figured Veronica should get her time if he did. Then again, Eric would have been happy even it just was Veronica getting with a hot guy like Reese. Eric would be a little sad, because that would mean more alone time for Eric.

He would find a way to deal. Hopefully he would find his dream career by then and would be too busy to care.

"Eric? Hello? You home?"

Eric snapped out of it. "I was thinking about becoming a writer." Not the absolute truth but still true.

"Oh really?" She didn't believe him. Her eyes went into slits while her foot tapped on the floor a bunch of times.

When Eric didn't off anything else. She gave up but that also meant Eric was one step closer to the doghouse. The antiquing trips went uneventfully even though he caught his aunt and uncle glance his way, as if expecting him to bolt at any moment. Eric pretended he didn't notice and stared out the window.

They went to a mall which had more going for it than the one back near his hometown. Life was more laid back out here. So it seemed. The mall had posters up that there would be a petting zoo coming in August. That involved baby lions and tigers. But that was in August. Eric would be long gone until next year in June. Well maybe, he still had no idea where his future planned on taking him by then yet.

The year suddenly felt too short. He needed to think of something else. Veronica must have sensed it too because she offered an earbud on the car ride back. Eric had less than twenty four hours now. Because, come noon on Sunday, it would be time to say goodbye to another year. That would also mean his time being closest he'd ever been to with Damien, would end. It was always sad when it came down to the goodbyes.

Instead of heading back, his aunt and uncle stopped at a local grocery store. Eric forgot about that. Tonight was usually the night where the family held nothing back. Everyone was due to get drunk, blast music (always the oldies), dance, sing and throw the last big bonfire. So the aunt and uncle stopped to get different kinds of liquor. Most of it Eric didn't know about.

Until he saw the very same vodka bottle he had several swigs out of just last night. Eric almost made a suggestion but the darkness in him also tempted Eric to get Damien drunk so he could live on his fairytale. He was also sure he was going to get raised eyebrows from his aunt and uncle. He wasn't supposed to have known about vodka. Even though the family kind of contradicted itself by even letting the kids 14 and up get drunk with the family. On Saturday's only, once a year.