That Lucky Jerk (On Hold)

Chapter 2: Terrible Parents and the Apple Girl

'Dear Eric,

You may have noticed already, but your mother and I are gone along with all of the loot that we've acquired throughout our many years together. And as you may be wondering what happened to us, I want to assure you that everything is fine. We've taken our possessions and are currently on our way to an island which I will not name so that we may live the rest of our lives in the retirement we deserve. And seeing as this will probably be the last that you will hear from us, we just want to thank you for being our lucky charm over the years, seeing as all of the loot that we've been able to find by bringing you along was the only reason that this happened.

With love, Charlie and Sarah Tarrit.

P.S.- We wont worry about you, so don't worry about us either! Just use that luck of yours to make your own fortune!'

"Worry about you?! You bastards! You left me with nothing!" Eric, now sixteen, yelled as he crumpled the poorly written note and threw it at his feet. He'd been helping them rob people for his entire life, and this was what he got in return!? They didn't even leave anything for him to eat when they cleaned out the house, not to mention that the horses were gone which meant that he would have to walk over twenty miles to the nearest city in order to find the money that he needed in order to survive. Though thankfully all he had to do was head to the nearby road and follow it, which he did now seeing as he knew that his parents really would't come back after pulling a stunt like this. However, seeing as he was already tired of walking when he reached the road...

"Alright, I give up." Eric groaned as he laid down in the grass beside the road after only walking for roughly five minutes. "This seems like as good of a place to die as any... Goodbye, cruel world."

Succumbing to his laziness almost immediately, Eric preferred gazing up into the trees for the rest of his inactive life rather than walking. And while many would think that this was foolish... they were right, but it still beat walking. Especially if a carriage just so happened to pass by and offered its assistance while he was resting. Yes, that would be-

"Could it be, my savior coming to my rescue!" Eric asked extravagantly as he sat up out of the grass to see a wagon travelling in his direction down the road. "Oh heavenly rescuers, please be kind and let this unfortunate soul-!"

"Humph." A blue-haired girl with braided pigtails that appeared to be around his age harrumphed at him as soon as they were close, purposefully turning her head away from him while the tiny and apparently oblivious old man beside her who was coaching their wagon didn't seem to notice him at all. Though seeing as he was never one to pass an opportunity when he saw one, Eric got to his feet as soon as the wagon passed him before he chased it down and jumped up so that he was sitting on the back of it.

"Hey, we didn't say that you could get a free ride!" The blue girl turned around and snapped angrily at him as soon as he sat down, though Eric was the one ignoring her now as he opened one of the bags in the back of their wagon and withdrew an apple before biting into it. "Hey! Grandpa!"

"Eh?! Did you say something deary?!" The old man asked.

"There's a weird guy that just jumped into the back of our wagon, and he's eating our apples!" The girl explained loudly.

"Hey, we're right here you know. No need to yell." Eric complained with his mouth full before he took another bite.

"Don't worry, we'll be at Baleford in another couple of hours." The old man replied.

"Grandpa, that's not what I'm talking about!" The girl cried before sending another glare towards Eric as he noisily took another bite of apple. "Fine, then I'll deal with you myself!"

Getting up from the front of the wagon, the girl continued to glare towards Eric before a long, wooden cane suddenly appeared in her hand and she raised it above her head dramatically.

"Either pay for that apple and get off of the wagon or I blast you with magic. Your choice!" She threatened, and Eric chewed for a little bit more while wondering if the girl really could use magic or not. Or at least, he did until he took another bite without saying anything and the girl seemed to get even angrier as her cane started glowing blue. "That's it! I warned you!"

"Bump." The old man warned, and suddenly the girl's cane lost its color and she tumbled forward as the entire wagon shook from the uneven road, causing her to fall forward over the bags of apples and for the dress that she was wearing to remarkable flip.

"White huh? The color of innocence." Eric nodded his approval as he spoke, and suddenly the girl in front of him moved as fast as she could to cover herself. Though instead of yelling at him again, this time her face was completely red and she had the beginning of tears in her eyes as she looked at him with a furious expression. And while he didn't feel the least bit guilty, he thought that he could at least offer her something for her terrible experience as he held out his half-eaten apple. "Here, you want a bite?"

"I do not!" The girl yelled while picking up her cane and attempting to stand again. "I want you gone, so just get off-"

"Bump." The old man warned, and once again, the girl fell over as the unstable bags of apples shifted underneath her weight. Though this time, while she was sprawled out over the bags, Eric crossed the distance between them before finding himself a more comfortable seat than just the wagon's wooden edges.

"Hey, what are you- get off of me!" The girl cried out, kicking her legs in the air and attempting to grab her cane which Eric now held just out of reach.

"And sit on the hard wood of the wagon again? Do you want me to kill my backside?" Eric asked as if he was hurt by the suggestion.

"I don't care about what happens to your backside, just get off of me before I kick it!" The girl replied furiously.

"It's going to be pretty hard to kick me from down there." Eric replied with an evil smirk. "Don't worry, it's only a few hours until Baleford so just be my seat until then."

"But you're- Even if you're not that heavy, this is still uncomfortable!" The girl whined. "Get off! Get off and give me back my cane so that I can freeze you solid!"

"Well if that's what you're going to do then I think that I'll just sit here and keep your cane with me." Eric replied. "But don't worry, I'll give it back to you once we get to the city."

"Get off of me!" The girl continued to struggle despite being pinned. "Grandpa!"

"Just a little while longer now dear, please be patient." The old man at the front replied.

"Grandpa!"