ELEVEN
The sun rose over the east of Scothbury where the mountains were located. The morning was fresh and breezy that fine Monday. It had been a busy weekend at the workshop and with Beth but Eric was up and ready for school that fine day. As he bid his old man goodbye and drove Viola out of the driveway and onto the road, a troubling thought crossed his mind– Beth was starting school on the same day!
He stepped on the accelerator and drove quicker. Eric soon arrived at Scothbury High and parked Viola at his favourite spot in the parking lot. By the time he got down from the vehicle, it was too late; there she was standing in the middle of the group of girls with pudding dripping from her hair.
"Eric." A familiar soothing voice called behind him. He spun on his heels only to realise that Beth was right behind him ... so the girl under the coat of pudding wasn't her. He heaved a sigh of relief.
"Hey." He greeted and took her hand, not looking to see her expression this time. They needed to leave the open space of the driveway before any of the girls noticed them.
Little did Eric know that news had already flown round that there was a new girl in school.
And he found out later in the day during lunch...
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The cafeteria buzzed with life and the rattling of hungry students lining up to get their lunch from Rita, the school's lunch lady. It was lasagna day and no one was ready to fall behind or pass on the delicious cheesy, creamy and tomato-ey delicacy.
Eric had gotten his plate since he was smart and lucky enough to show up earlier for his share of the meal. He walked towards his table but didn't sit yet- he stood on the spot and looked out over the whole cafeteria hall, looking for Beth.
His heart pulsed rather violently at the thought of her being entangled in the webs of his dreadful stalkers ... then he spotted her and started walking towards her with his tray in hand. With gaze fixed on her, he manoeuvred through the crowd..
The crowd shifted and grew rowdy when the football team came in for their lunches. Eric tried to use his height as an advantage; trying to look for her in the spot she had been but ... she was gone! He took in a deep breath in an attempt to relax.
He searched ... and searched ... and searched until he'd scouted the entire hall and she was nowhere to be found, so he went out into the school hallways with his tray still in hand.
He checked every classroom as he strutted down the halls– she wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere. Eric feared for the worst, so he flung his tray to the side and ran towards the school roof since it was the habitual chaos spot for the "fearsome five"– his dreaded stalkers and the most infamous girl gang in Scothbury.
He flung the door open and his his heart sank into his stomach... but in a good way. His brows scrunched first ... and then his lips twisted into a smile. He saw it– Beth seated in the midst of all five of the fiercely dressed girls with a bible in her lap. He chuckled slightly as his mouth hung ajar in amazement.
●●
"I saw what you did back there." He brought it up later after school as they sat in Viola.
"I know. I saw you too." She replied without looking at him– she rather peered out the window.
"That was fantastic. How did you manage to do that? Those girls are pure animals."
"And they happened to really like you."
"I know ..." he muttered in a small voice. "What did you tell them?"
"What they needed to know." She replied and fiddled with the car door a bit before it opened. "Good bye, Eric." She said, finally looking him in the face.
Before she could climb down from the vehicle, he took her hand and stopped her.
For a split second, he stared, not knowing what to say to her. She let him hold her hand, locking her gaze onto his but not with inquisitiveness- with a knowing look that made something wrench inside of him.
"Bye..." his voice slurred as he let go of her hand and watched her nurse a subtle smile and shut the car door.
"
