TWELVE
Eric and Beth had grown closer over the the months that rolled by at Scothbury. Everyone saw- it was obvious. The kids at school didn't know her name yet; no one said it much but they all noticed she loved to pull a huge book around ... so they called her book girl.
Eric was always there– at bible club, fellowship, even the one she had started at school ... until it was graduation season and all the other seniors were in their gowns as well. Beth had one more year to go.
He wanted to go to a college in Pinebridge to study mechanical engineering. She was proud of him. She would miss him even if she didn't say it.
Eric was sad; didn't want to leave her behind but was excited about college life...
●●
"Son, I think the hat goes the other way around." Mr Coleman was there early, helping Eric with the gown in the lobby, alongside other students and their parents.
Beth walked in on them from behind; didn't say a thing. Eric caught side of her since it was his old man that backed her. "Hey," he muttered with a glint in his eyes and his bodily movement suspended for a while.
"Hi," she replied subtly and slowly walked towards him. She was wearing cream coloured silk. "You look great," she commented and shared a glance with Mr Coleman.
"Hey there, Beth." The man greeted in a cheerful tone. "Hi, sir." She replied as he patted her back fondly with the same proud look he gave his son. Then he left them.
"I'm going to miss you," she finally said it without any ounce of hoping back.
"Me too," he replied and adjusted his navy blue gown. "I was thinking..." he began.
"You were thinking?" She pressed on and closed a little of the distance between them.
"Can you come with me to Pinebridge?" He asked with sincerity and anticipation in his eyes.
"Eric," she uttered his name with a soft chuckle. "I wish I could but, my family ... and I just moved here." She explained, not making eye contact.
"Oh" he nodded his head steadily while stuffing down the disappointment he felt. "I understand."
Then she did something.
Beth took a few steps closer to him and took his hands. "Eric, you're a good friend ... and a better person." She began and then shut her eyes and prayed for him.
When she finished, the hallway speakers blared with a voice calling the graduands to the podium. Beth chuckled in announcement as her eyes slightly watered with emotion. He let go of her hand but held her gaze in a split second– the kind of look that held water, but she couldn't wrap her head around it.
"Go hurry!" She urged, beaming with smiles as he ran off to catch up with the rest of the seniors who were making their was to the stage in jubilation...
●●
The graduation ceremony was a success ... but there was still prom. And it was the last night before the seniors were sent off and out; Scothbury High liked to do her students like that.
"Are you going to ask her to prom?" Mr Coleman brought up the topic at breakfast the next morning– it was only about two days to prom night and Eric had been up and around, gathering the extra credits and necessary documentation he needed for his college admission.
There was something strange after his father asked the question; Eric didn't fidget, he didn't argue, he didn't stiffen. He simply said; "Of course; I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to see her for like another Christmas."
Mr Coleman suddenly burst into laughter, leaving him stunned. "You finally grew up. First girlfriend at eighteen. Not bad. I had mine at 21!" He remarked.
"She's not my girlfriend, dad." Eric retorted with a smile etching up his lips.
"But you're gonna ask her to prom. What do you call that?"
"Friendship. Just two friends going to the last event they'd attend together in a long time." He explained.
"Keep saying it till you believe it," Mr Coleman teased and patted his son's back.
"Clean up when you're done, kid."
"Sure, sir." Eric replied and took the last bite of his pie.
●●
In the afternoon; about 3:00pm of the same day, Eric pulled up in Viola on the driveway of the Rodriguez apartment. Beth wasn't around when he got arrived. She'd gone to the church with her dad. Her mom served him ice tea and home-baked cookies– he thought they were delightful.
Brown-haired girl was there too; she was home since her college was on a break so she kept him company for a while and told him about college life and dorm life. According to her, the two were worlds apart.
When she couldn't keep him company any longer, Gina asked him to wait for Beth in her room instead since she had to go grocery shopping at the mall.
Eric followed the direction he'd been given– up the stairs, third door by the left, next to the door that read; Enter at your own risk. That was Gina's room that she hardly used.
He stepped onto the dark red carpeted floor, holding the half-open door as his eyes scanned the bedroom. It had warm lights and white silk curtains that filtered natural light. Her mahogany bed had layers and layers of bedding.
Like he'd imagined, there was a shelf. Next to it was a desk and chair with more books on it; boy did she love to read. Eric had earlier decided within himself not to snoop but ... he just had to snoop!
Eric took a little peep at her mini library. The shelf was stuffed with hard copies of ... "Christian philosophy." He read off the cover of one. Why would she want to know so much about Christian history... "mythology, Books of Moses.." he read the other titles. A shortlived chill ran through his spine as he carefully placed the books back into the shelf and walked closer to her dresser; just lady stuff scattered here and there.
It looked like an antique– not that he knew what that was but, it looked really old like something from the Victorian era ... then there were drawers with bronze like knobs. Eric knew the contents of it would be the peak of her privacy but, he couldn't help himself at the moment; it was fun digging up personal information about someone you liked.
So ... he turned the knob of the first drawer‐ locked.
Then the second‐ also locked, and so was the third beneath the first two.
His brows furrowed in confusion. Why would she lock her drawers? He asked within himself and yanked on the bottom one again– it opened! ... but to his disappointment, it was empty. Eric tried the second one above it and yanked a little harder and when it opened, he found the rest of her lady stuff ... and a little more of her personal wears than he should have seen.
Eric covered his eyes in embarrassment and shut the drawer. Then he tried the third one; he yanked harder than the first two, but it was locked for real this time. "Why would she lock this one?" He asked himself out loud and concluded in his mind that it must've contained a diary.
At that point, he put a leash on himself; he respected her too much to cross her boundaries, even if he so desperately needed the answer to something at the moment so he returned to the mini library and sat in her desk, going through some notes she had left on the table just to pass the time.
Then he decided to read! And as he skimmed the shelf for something entertaining, a small metal object bounced out of one of the pages and fell onto the floor with a soft clink. Eric was bewildered when he bent down to pick it up and saw that it was a key– probably to the locked drawer.
WELL, YEAH I'VE NOT BEEN CONSISTENT BUT THE STORY'S ONLY GETTING GOOD. PLUS, IT'S SUPER HARD TO BE UPDATING ON THIS APP EVERY SINGLE DAY 😪🙄😒
