This is Home

Part 3

I just want one straight answer, is that really too much to ask? Whenever I see Eric practically burn my eyes out trying to jog my memory. Maybe I never actually new Eric and he's just playing some stupid prank on me? If that were true though he wouldn't look so familiar. I try to ignore my burning curiosity, but I can't help it. I need to know! It's all I could think about. Even when Drake took off his shirt to mow the lawn. Suddenly I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see little Amelia smiling up at me. 

"Do you want to play tag?" She asks in a sweet innocent voice.

"I would love to, but I was just going out to grocery shop for Violet. Maybe later," I reply.

"Okay!" she says and skips off to Tommy and taps him on the shoulder. They start chasing each other around the house in an endless loop. Finally Tommy catches up to Amelia and taps her on the shoulder. Without meaning to Amelia trips on a chair and tumbles down. Startled at first I get up, but to my surprise Amelia bounces up and once again resumes her game of tag. That's when It hits me. A rush of guilt comes floating into my body. I know Eric.

                                                                                                      ~~~~~

I run up the stairs as fast as I can. When I get to the landing I turn and crash into Eric's room.

"Whoa! What the...," Eric starts, but he stops talking when he sees me. "Hi," He says.

"I remember you," I answer. 

"Oh," He replies looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry," is all I could think to say.

                                                                                                        ~~~~~

It happened when I was eleven years old. I was at a foster home with Eric. The foster family was a couple with a young daughter, Laura, around the age of five. The parents adored their daughter, but they didn't give a crap about me and Eric. One day Eric, Laura, and I where running around in the back yard. Of course being five Laura wasn't too bright so she tagged me and Eric at the same time. Playing along, Eric and I started chasing after Laura in circles around the back yard.  I tagged Laura though she tripped over a twig. 

Some how she managed to break her arm. How a little five year old breaks her arm while stumbiling on a twig I will never know. Any way, her Dad was furious he demanded to know who it was that "made Laura trip" (as he put it). I was terrified, so being the little eleven year old bitch that I was, I pointed my finger right at Eric. I wasn't expecting it but, Eric didn't argue he just nodded his head and said it was all his fault. Laura's Father was furious. Till this day I still remember hearing Eric's screams as our foster dad smacked Eric across the face. I felt terrible, but by the time I gathered up the guts to apologize his social worker already dragged him off to another foster home. Not much later I went to another foster home as well and I never saw Laura or her father again. 

                                                                                                       ~~~~~

"It's fine really, in the past like I said before," He answered.

"I meant to apologize, but the next day you where gone and.... I'm sorry," I meant to say it sincerely, but instead my voicee came out as a high pitched squeak.

"It's ok," and I think he means it.

"Was your next foster home better at least?" I ask hoping for him to say how much better his life got from there. I don't exactly know why I was expecting that. Obviously his life didn't get better or he wouldn't be here. 

"I went to a group home after that, my first one," He says it out loud, but it sounds more like he's  talking more to himself than me. I suddenly begin to feel even more guilty than I did before. Of course he went to another group home, no prospecting foster parents want a kid who they thought beat up a five year old child. He probably only went into other group homes after that. This one doesn't seem so bad, but supposedly there are others that are horrible. The truth is I hate feeling guilty personally I think it's one of the worst feelings in the world. "Look, It's really not your fault. Laura's father was the one who told my social worker I beat Laura up even though he obviously knew it was an accident."

"I guess, but I still feel really bad," I reply.

"Don't feel bad, I'm serious. If you feel bad then I'll just feel bad," he answers.

"Ok, thanks. You shouldn't feel bad though. None of this is your fault, " I say.

"Thanks," He says shyly smiling at the ground. I turn around to leave thinking maybe, just maybe I made a new friend.

                                                                                             ~~~~~

I walk down stairs and out into the sunny porch. Moments after I sit down I hear the porch door swing open and see Drake come out. To my surprise he sits down at the chair next to me. He brushes his blonde hair out of my eyes and I can tell he know how hot he is. 

"So what's your deal?"  He asks.

"My deal?" I say.

"Yeah, why are you here?" He answers plainly.

"Well you're upfront," I reply.

"What can I say? I don't like to dilly dally," He counters.

"Dick dad, absent mom, the usual," I say simply.

"Come on there's more than that," He pries. 

"So? Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you," I answer. 

"Fine, fine," he says throwing his hands up in surrender. He's right though there is more than that.