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Post by Jazmin on Jul 9, 2011 0:56:45 GMT -5
Eric smirked and led the way to his home, only a block or so down. He propped the door open for her and followed her in.
"Mom?" he called.
The lithe figure of his mother leaned around the corner, her thin black brows lifted. "Who's that, dear?" she asked, already walking over and moving his hand from his shoulder to have a look.
"Fawn," Eric grunted as his mother tenderly touched his shoulder. "Fawn, this is my mom, Lucy."
Lucy smiled politely and led her son into the kitchen, where he shucked off the coat and peeled out of his shirt. He sat on the table, like he was expected to. "It's nice to see that Eric is out there making friends with such pretty girls," she said, giving Eric a teasing look.
Eric sighed heavily. "Take a seat, Fawn," he offered, kicking out a chair for her from under the table. "We're gonna be sitting for a minute."
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Post by {Fawn} on Jul 9, 2011 1:12:42 GMT -5
Fawn blushed. "Thanks. No one's ever said that." She followed Eric into the kitchen and sat at the chair he kicked. She repositioned it so she could lean on the chairs back, but still watch Eric. She smirked at him, knowing he would know it was about his mum.
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Post by Jazmin on Jul 9, 2011 1:31:15 GMT -5
Eric hissed bitterly as his mother pressed a cloth to his wound, damp with rubbing alcohol. His mom apologized quietly.
"What did you go and do this time?" The deep rumbling voice came from the doorway of the kitchen, where Eric's father leaned against the door jam. Eric looked down into his lap. "Speak up," his dad growled, crossing the room. He flicked the damp cloth from his shoulder and purposely dug the nail of his finger into the nick.
"Dammit!" Eric cried out. "Don't touch it!" He leaned forward, clutching his shoulder in a vicious attempt to ease the sting.
"Then keep your sorry ass out of trouble!" his dad hissed. He gave the back of Eric's head a hard slap before walking to the fridge, fishing out a beer, and leaving the room.
Eric's mom plucked the washcloth off of the floor and gently patted it against Eric's shoulder again. "I'm sorry, dear," she cooed softly over and over, even to Fawn once or twice. Eric just sat slumped until his mother put a bandage over the cut. She gave him a tight hug, not letting go until Eric hugged her back.
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Post by {Fawn} on Jul 9, 2011 12:43:19 GMT -5
The girl had been watching Lucy tend to Eric, and jumped when a sudden voice spoke. Fawn glanced up to see a man, presumably Eric's dad.
She watched as he crossed the kitchen, flicked the damp cloth covering the wound, and dug his finger in it. The girl flinched, thinking how much that must've hurt Eric. When he yelled not to touch it, his father blamed it on Eric and said he should stay out of trouble. He then grabbed a beer and left.
Fawn's eye grew huge in concern for Eric. It wasn't fair that he was treated like this. She asked him, "How do you put up with that? Didn't it hurt?" She knew she'd probably sound ignorant, but she was honestly curious.
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Post by Jazmin on Jul 9, 2011 13:04:04 GMT -5
Eric was hoping she wouldn't ask that. "Of course it hurt," he grumbled, watching his mother clean up. She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and left the room. Eric grabbed his shirt, sliding it over his head and down his torso.
"I just deal with it," he said dismissively. "It's not like I can change any of it by going and tattling on him." Eric shrugged his good shoulder. He would probably get busted for drug abuse if he tried to turn his dad in. His father was always one to get even, and he would be sure Eric was put where kids bigger than him would have him anytime they wanted a punching bag.
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Post by {Fawn} on Jul 9, 2011 13:54:15 GMT -5
The brunette frowned. "I'm sorry if you don't like talking about it. I was just curious." She remembered her mom, and she'd had the same problem, in a way. "I know how you feel, in a way. I've felt emotional abuse, not physical like you. That's why I left my mom. She was the one causing it." Her gaze had fallen to the floor, but then she flicked it back to Eric, hoping she wasn't boring him. "Sorry. What I had to deal with is nothing to compare to you." She switched her gaze to her shoes, noticing they were smudged with dirt.
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Post by Jazmin on Jul 9, 2011 14:18:51 GMT -5
Eric looked at her for a long time, no, stared. Just from that little slap, that little jab, she knew Eric had taken it worse? But the familiar tingle in his ribs, the burning sensation in his limbs, told him she was right. Eric had had his feet knocked out from under him, been thrown against walls, had his head pounded back against them, been kicked when he was down, and left there to sulk in his pain, later to retreat to his room and search desperately for a razor, something to take the pain away with bloody kisses.
Shaking himself before she could look up and see him gawking, Eric got off the edge of the table and grabbed a couple of sodas, popping the caps with his pocket knife and passing one to Fawn. "Here," he said, "it's been a long day. I'll walk you home after a bit."
Eric plopped into a chair, putting his ankle on his knee and taking a long drink until he hiccuped.
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Post by {Fawn} on Jul 9, 2011 14:40:28 GMT -5
The girl picked up the soda and drank most of it one sip. She set it down and looked at Eric, saying, "Sorry. I usually never have pop." Since she lived on her own, it was hard to have much of a variety for food and drinks, because she was still in school and didn't have much time for a job. She usually drank water from the tap and had Ramen noodles to eat. She looked back at her shoes and slouched on the chair.
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Post by Jazmin on Jul 9, 2011 14:54:50 GMT -5
Eric fanned his hand to dismiss Fawn's apology, up-ending the bottle and downing the rest of his drink. He waited for Fawn to finish hers, took the bottle, and set both of them in the sink. Eric never threw away glass bottles. He liked how they looked. With a little wash, they made perfect little trinkets.
"I'll walk you home," he offered, already pulling his coat on. He gestured for Fawn to follow him and went to the door, passing by the living room where his father sat in his chair, the game playing quietly on the television. Eric silently glared at him for as long as he could before he was out of sight. He reached out and grabbed the doorknob, holding the door open for Fawn.
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Post by {Fawn} on Jul 9, 2011 22:26:32 GMT -5
Fawn drank the rest of her drink quickly and stood up. Damn. I don't really want to leave. But she turned the chair back around and pushed it into it's spot under the table.
She followed Eric to the door and left the house. She turned around and said, "Um, can you get us back to the school? I know how to get us to my apartment from there."
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Post by Jazmin on Jul 9, 2011 22:44:43 GMT -5
Eric nodded tightly to Fawn's request, leading them down the stoop and back to the school. He stuck his hands into his coat pockets, one hand twirling the pocket knife he kept there between his fingers.
"Hey," he said quietly as they reached the school, "you didn't see anything that happened between me and my dad, okay?" The last thing he needed was someone going and telling the fuzz.
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Post by {Fawn} on Jul 9, 2011 23:26:33 GMT -5
The brunette followed Eric to the school. When they got there, she zipped up her jacket. It was cooling down and she was slightly cold. When Eric told her to keep quiet about him and his dad, Fawn said, "Yeah, ok. I wasn't going to tell anyone anyway. I'm not like that." She smiled. "And I have no friends at school so that's not a problem."
She turned and gesturered with her head for Eric to follow, to lead him to her apartment. She was glad she'd met him, and that he'd offer to walk her home.
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Post by Jazmin on Jul 9, 2011 23:43:30 GMT -5
Eric couldn't help but chuckle. No friends; he had been there before. "Welcome to the club," he said. He trailed after her, checking each nook and cranny of every shadow for any sign of an enemy. Once, a nearby bush rustled, but only a squirrel jumped out and scampered away.
"Well, now you got me as a friend," he said with a smile, "whether you think it's a good thing or not. So at least school ain't as lonely now."
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Post by {Fawn} on Jul 13, 2011 14:30:35 GMT -5
The brunette smiled. "I think it's a good thing. You're probably my first actual friend. I had 'friends'," she quoted the word, "when my mother made me be a little goody goody, but I don't think they actually liked me. But that's the past. I really need to get over it." She glanced up at the street sign and saw they were a block from her apartment.
"It's right up here," she said over her shoulder as she jogged up to the building door. She dug around her pockets for a few seconds before finding the key. "Aha!" Fawn turned to Eric and said, smiling, "At least I didn't forget these." She unlocked the door to the building and leaned against the door, holding it open.
"Well, thanks for walking me home." She glanced at the streets, covered in shadows. She probably would've freaked if she'd had to walk home alone, like he now had to. "Do you want to come in and have a drink? Or...something?" She looked at her shoes, feeling the awkwardness growing.
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