Project 438

Chapter 6: Eric's return

I am fine pumpkin. Your mother is right. I need to stop contradicting her. We need to discuss it together in a calm way. I hope that you and your mother learn to get along someday. It may be the last time you ever see her.

I read my dad's message the whole way to school. Dad was such a good man always defending my mom even when she was rude to him. I love my mom, but trying to get along with her is impossible and mostly because we don't agree on anything. Ally read the message over my shoulder and I could tell by how she was leaning over my shoulder, but I didn't mind. She always knew how I felt and what to say.

"You have more patients then me. It would be hard to accept that, and just let her win."

I shoved my phone in my bag and slouched in the seat. Maybe dad was tired of fighting with mom, and wanted me to just get along with her so that we could become a family again. I knew that is what he wanted more than anything.

"If your parents were like mine, how would you handle it?" I asked Ally. She smiled and looked at me. Her parents hardly ever fought and if they did fight, it was away from the house so Ally wouldn't know they were fighting, and she always knew they were fighting anyways.

"If my parents fought like yours, I would stick to my IPod more. Your parents just disagree on a lot. Makes you curious what they saw in each other in the first place."

I watched as Ally searched for a parking spot then pulled in quickly so no one could take it. I really did not want to go to school today. I was mad at my mom, but I was really mad at Eric because something told me his dad was lying to me about Eric going to his uncles. I remembered asking him where Eric was and when he told me, he refused to look me in the eye. Why would he lie for his son?

We walked inside slowly only to see Tracy talking with the soccer team. She looked happier than usual and was holding her soccer ball as if she was ready to go play. When she saw Ally and me, she turned to us and crossed her arms.

"We have an important game today. Daddy has scouts coming out so don't ruin this for us."

Ally rolled her eyes and tossed her books in her locker. Scouts. My mom's favorite people in the world. She was always trying to find some to come watch me play. I personally hated them. They reminded me everytime I saw them that my life career would be soccer. Tracy lived on them coming to the games which always made me think she was actually my mom's daughter.

"Scouts. Every time they come out, I get put on the bench. Does this not seem wrong to you?" Ally said as she grabbed her Math book and binder. She was always benched and I felt bad for her, but Tracy seemed to think it was for the good of the team. Right.

I was about to say more when Eric walked down the hall towards us with a big smile on his face. He walked to me and was about to kiss me when I pulled away. All the anger I felt towards him before was all coming back and I wanted to hit him so bad. He looked hurt at first, but pushed it away and nodded to Ally. She nodded in return clearly waiting for me to begin.

"So I heard you went to your uncles' house. During school hours. What were you really doing?" He studied me a few minutes then held out a flier from a gun show in Texas.

"My uncle wanted to take me to one before he leaves for Afghanistan. I wanted to go and spend some time with him. I can tell you all about it."

I had a feeling he was lying, but didn't want to sound like the non-trusting girlfriend who demands to know everything. Instead, I grabbed my bag and headed to class giving him the cold shoulder. I hated being the last to know everything and with him, that's how it was. All throughout school, I thought of Eric cheating and it angered me more. I loved Eric, and the thought of him doing something like that crushed me more then I imagined. I also knew Eric only told lies for good reason, and there was probably a good reason for this, but I didn't understand why he had to lie to me.

The school was expecting a visitor today and this visitor just so happened to be Paula Simpson from the assembly over careers. This time she wore jeans and a t-shirt but she carried around a clipboard to each classroom watching the students. I was curious as to why she was here and when I asked Eric, he shrugged as if he didn't know. He actually pretended like he did not even notice her when clearly he did. I glanced at her a few times just to see what she did during class, but she mostly just wrote things down on her clipboard not looking up.

When class ended, she followed us all out into the hall for the next classroom listed on her clipboard. I stood at my locker like a lost new student and watched to see what class she was going to this time, but Ally stepped in front of me blocking Paula's view from me.

"So I know your upset about not knowing where Eric was, but I had a theory you might want to hear. What if he is telling the truth and it's just touchy for him? Going to Afghanistan is very dangerous and maybe he fears he may never see him again."

I wanted to believe that was true and maybe it was, but I was his girlfriend and I confided in him a lot, but it seemed like he never confided in me and that was unfair for not only me, but this relationship. Every time he kept something secret, it made me think my feelings for him were not mutual.

"I just wish he would talk to me more. It doesn't seem like he wants to take the time and talk with me about anything. All I know about him is that he loves to shoot guns and is really good at football. If you had a boyfriend, wouldn't you want to know more about him?"

Ally nodded clearly agreeing with me, but she liked Eric as a friend as well and it was hard to have to choose between friends. Maybe it was not a big deal and he was just a private person. After all, we were young. Being in love seemed a bit soon, but I could not help myself. I always felt he had the same feelings. When he walked up, I let my anger go and forced a smile.

"Look, I really am sorry about getting angry. I had no right to act that way. I guess sometimes, I feel like I am being lied to."

Eric studied me a few minutes then nodded as if he agreed with me. I was afraid maybe I had taken this all too far and he is realizing we are not meant for one another, but when I looked up into his eyes, something else was hidden there. It was not anger or hurt, but more like he had something to tell me that was good news. Either way, my heart was already beating fast and I was afraid to hear what he had to say next.

"I understand why you would be mad at me, but all I can say is that I would never lie unless I had to. Sometimes knowing the truth is more difficult than a lie."

Those words made me feel like my heart stopped. Was he about to break up with me or admit that he was cheating on me? I wanted to cry just then not wanting to break up. I was already in too deep for this and it would be more painful. As if sensing my fear of breaking up, he slipped an arm around me and pulled me close not caring that the school had a ban against students touching. He held me for what seemed like forever then spoke softly in my ear.

"I would not break up with you over something like that, but I can say that you should trust that I mean well no matter what I do. I hope that today, you get some good news as well. I know things will get better for you and your parents will both be proud of you."

I wanted to ask what he meant, but the bell rang warning us that class was about to start. When I looked around the hall, it was bare. I was never late for class, but this time I was and my coach would be furious with me. We rushed to class and even though I had more questions for Eric, I decided it was best to wait till after school.