I Will Be There

"I'll handle it, Mom. I'm sorry."

Eric was using a weed whacker and had his ear buds in. Metallica was growling about bells tolling at their highest volume and he had no idea Emily was standing behind him.

"Eric!" she screamed for the third time. Frustrated, she grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. She was almost hit by the string of the tool as he spun.

"Jesus Christ!" he shouted. "What the fuck are you doing?" He pulled his ear buds out as he waited.

"Sorry, I was trying to talk to you and..."

"Yeah? Well, you almost got your toes cut off for that. What's so important?"

He walked over to the ATV and climbed on. His next task was to install the missing fence posts. He didn't care if she followed him or not.

"Well?" He groaned. "I've got work to do on the other end of the property."

"I wanted to apologize, for upstairs. I was only jok..."

"Accepted," he said and drove off kicking up gravel behind him.

She stood and watched the trail he left behind and wondered why he was being such an asshole to her.

She walked into the house and said, "He's a real jerk, Mom. I tried to apologize, and he just drove off."

"What did he say?" Julia asked as she mixed the cold taco salad she made for dinner.

"I said I wanted to apologize, and before I could finish explaining myself, he cut me off and said 'accepted' and then drove off."

"Oh, boy. You must've really made him angry. To be honest with you, he wasn't looking forward to seeing you because of how you ended your friendship with him. Then you don't even say hello to him the first time you see him in years? You messed up big time."

"He doesn't have to be a jerk about it. It's not my fault we lost contact."

"It's not?"

Emily had the decency to look away.

Julia chided, "That's what I thought. You couldn't bear the thought of one of your bitchy little cheerleader friends finding out that you were pen pals, let alone best friends, with someone like Eric. I told you then that you were wrong. He was a good kid, and he grew into a better man. Not just his looks, but everything about him. You should be ashamed of yourself, and I'm glad he's giving you a ration of shit. You hurt that poor boy."

"I never meant to..."

"You can lie to yourself all you want, but don't lie to me. You cut him off and it went exactly how you hoped." She looked out the window and didn't see him. "Where is he now? It's time for dinner."

"He rode off on one of the four wheelers. He said he had work to do on the other side of the property."

Julia picked up her phone and called Eric's cell. He didn't answer and it went to voicemail.

"Damn it! Now he's ignoring my calls. Set the table, I have to ride out and tell him to come in."

Emily grabbed the bowl from her mother and said, "I know I messed up, Mom. I've felt bad about that for a while and want to make it right."

Julia shook her head, "Now that your 'friends' have all split into the wind, you're sorry, huh. It's safe now? You should've been sorry six years ago."

She walked out and looked out to the fields. She didn't see any dirt flying or any sign of him riding, so she figured he was working on the fence. She started the other ATV and headed along the fence line.

She remembered asking Emily, all those years ago, how Eric was doing. Emily's response was that she didn't have time to keep emailing a dork like Eric. Julia felt a pang of guilt that she didn't push back on Emily harder to keep in touch with him. She felt bad that because Emily became one of the popular girls, she didn't want to ruin anything for her. She merely told her that she shouldn't shut him out and let it go.

She saw Eric as he shoveled gravel into a hole where he placed a post. He had his shirt off again, and she hoped he was wearing sunscreen. He was still pink and was peeling in spots.

He saw her approach and set the shovel against the post.

"It's time for dinner, Eric. You've done enough for today."

He shrugged. "Let me just get these three posts in and I'll eat something later."

"Avoiding her won't make the problem go away," Julia frowned.

"Look, I know you're gonna take her side because she's..."

"I'm not on her side. She was wrong to end your friendship."

He sighed, "I just don't want to deal with it. It hurts to see that she became one of the people that picked on us when we were in grade school. She's not the Emily I choose to remember."

Julia smiled sadly. "She isn't like that anymore. When she went to college, she left all those friends behind. She's back to being the hard-working bookworm she was before high school."

"I really hope that's true, Julia. I honestly do."

"Come on back and have dinner with us. You shouldn't eat alone. This can wait until tomorrow."

He nodded and said, "Okay, give me ten minutes to finish this one and clean up. I'll be back soon."

He still wasn't looking forward to having dinner with Emily.

*****

Eric walked into the utility room that separated the back door from the kitchen and began to wash the dirt from his hands and face. He was still shirtless and didn't want to put the sweaty thing back on.

He rubbed some cool water on his face and hair and dried off. When he walked into the kitchen, both women were agog at his cut physique and how his short hair was styled after being tussled by his hand.

"I hope you like taco salad. I make it with crushed Doritos," Julia said after she gathered her wits. Emily was trying not to get caught staring.

"With the red dressing? My mom makes it too. It's one of the few things she makes well."

Julia laughed. "Yeah, your mom, bless her heart, never cared much for cooking."

"And she still doesn't," Eric admitted with a smile. He loved his mother, but a domestic goddess, she was not.

Emily sat quietly as Eric filled Julia in on his progress on the list. He didn't mention the lack of progress the day before that was ruined by their making love and taking a nap.

"Eric, you're really doing a great job helping me," she smirked. "I especially appreciate you cleaning my pipes out yesterday. I didn't think I'd ever get that done so well."

He coughed and almost spit up his food. Emily didn't pay any attention to the conversation.

"My pleasure," he said after taking a drink of water.

"Emily, we have a dumpster coming tomorrow," Julia began. "I think the weekend will be spent cleaning out the barn and the sheds of all that junk. Will you be able to help with that?"

Eric snorted.

Emily glared at him and said, "I don't know, Mom. I might break a nail. Maybe it's best if I just sit in the cool house and bring you guys cold beverages."

"Don't be churlish, Emily," Julia groaned.

"It'll be fine, Mom. I can help with that."

"Good. Eric, I'm sorry the other bedroom doesn't have a bed any longer. David took it with him."

"It's fine. I think I might camp outside if it's all the same to you. I saw a tent in the barn, and I have some of that scrap wood to burn. I was going to do a bonfire later."

"A bonfire?" Julia chirped. "We haven't done that in ages. I figured we'd just put that wood in the dumpster."

"Oh, we will still have to. Most of the wood in there is treated, so we can't burn it."

She smiled, "I'm sure I have the fixings for s'mores. I'm excited now."

Eric laughed and Emily stayed quiet. He had no intention of inviting her to join them.

Emily got up and took her plate to the sink. Julia said, "Emily, I'll need your help with the dishes, don't run off."

Emily didn't answer. She jumped up and sat on the counter.

Eric had a third helping of the delicious salad and smirked knowing Emily was annoyed that she had to wait for him. Julia winked at him as she cleared the table.

*****

At dusk, it cooled but was still in the low seventies with a breeze. Not nearly has hot as the morning, so the fire wouldn't make them too uncomfortable.

Eric set the last of the wood next to the firepit when Julia and Emily walked up with a cooler.

"I brought out some water, pop, and beer," Julia chirped. "I also have graham crackers, marshmallows and leftover candy from Halloween to make the s'mores."

"You're as giddy as a little kid," he teased.

She slapped his shoulder and handed him a beer. "Thank you for bringing the chairs out. I didn't want to sit on the ground,"

He nodded and took a pull from the beer.

Emily sat in the chair across the fire from where Julia and Eric sat. Suddenly, the breeze picked up and forced the smoke directly into Emily's face. Eric couldn't help but laugh when she coughed and slid her chair to the other side of her mother.

Julia and Eric made small talk about his school experiences and her move back to suburban life. Emily sat stone faced and didn't participate much. She felt like a third wheel and didn't like how Eric ignored her. She was resolved to apologize to him, though, and make him see she wasn't the same person anymore.

After a couple of hours, Julia excused herself to go to bed. Emily sat quietly and built a s'more out of the marshmallow she'd toasted. Eric watched her take a bite out of the hot snack and smirked when the marshmallow and chocolate dripped down her chin.

"What?" she demanded.

He shook his head. "You never could eat one without making a mess."

She smiled, "Some things never change."

He frowned, "I guess just the important things change."

He started to clean up the area and she said, "Eric, don't go yet. Can we please talk?"

He plopped down onto his chair and opened another beer. "The floor is yours."

She sighed, "First, about this afternoon, I was only joking and I'm really sorry I didn't say hello before I started joking with you. I can see how you would take that badly and I truly am sorry."

"I accepted your apology for that."

"So you said. Look, I'm also sorry for ghosting you. You did nothing to deserve it and it was the beginning of a part of my life of which I'm not proud. I turned into a bitch, and I lost a good friend because of it."

He sadly looked into the fire. She read the devastated look in his eyes and began to cry.

They sat in silence as she'd said her piece and hoped he'd forgive her. She knew it was a hard ask, but she'd do anything to make it up to him.

She finally got tired of the silence and asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

His head snapped over and his eyes glared at her. She asked, "What? It's simple conversation, Eric."

He frowned, "No."

She was annoyed with his one-word answer, and asked, "Do you still watch Doctor Who? I had to binge a few seasons, but I still watch."

That surprised him, he answered, "Yes."

She shook her head. "What do you think of the new Doctor? I liked Thirteen and it's sad to see her go."

"Don't know. We'll see."

She wanted to smack him into a conversation yet kept her patience. She said, "I think it's great. Having the Doctor played by a gay black man after being played by a woman is a nice kick in the pants to the show."

He chugged his beer and tossed the can into the flames.

"Can I have one of those?" she asked.

"I'm not your mother."

She rolled her eyes and took the seat where her mother sat earlier. It was nearer to Eric and next to the cooler. She grabbed a beer for herself and offered one to Eric.

"What do I have to do to prove to you that I'm repentant and I've changed. I didn't like who I became."

He looked at her and took the offered beer, "You don't have to prove anything to me, Emily. I'll only be here for another week or so, and you'll never have to see me again."

"Jesus, Eric. What if I want to be your friend again?"

He laughed, "Why? I wasn't good enough to be your friend before. Nothing's changed with me. I'm the same dork you ghosted six years ago."

He caught her looking at his chest.

"Oh! I get it. I guess in one regard, I'm not the same am I? I'm not the skinny, gawky nerd anymore."

"Eric..." she whispered.

"No, don't bother."

He stood and tossed the beer into the fire. "I'm going to get some sleep now if you don't mind. I have a lot of hard work to do tomorrow."

He ducked into the tent which was a bit away from the fire. She watched as he zipped the flaps, then she cleaned up the area and went to bed. Her last thoughts were of Eric as she strummed her clit to a powerful orgasm.

*****

The beeping from the truck delivering the dumpster woke Emily. She looked at her phone and groaned when she saw it was only seven. "Shit! They must be working already. Eric is probably loving me sleeping later than them."

She rushed out of bed, threw yoga pants and a t-shirt on, and made her way downstairs.

There was a plate with biscuits on the counter and a pot of sausage gravy on the stove. She groaned as she loved her mother's biscuits and gravy. She put her shoes on, dipped a biscuit in the gravy and hurried out the back door.

The dumpster was placed, and the truck was already down the dirt road by the time she made it out to her mother and Eric.

"You should've woken me," she whined as Eric threw the first load of junk into the dumpster. He shook his head and walked into the barn.

"You should've set your alarm if you wanted to help," Julia sighed. "I figured you wanted to sleep in."

"I wanted to help."

"Good," Julia mused. "Grab some gloves from the box on the workbench and start with the pile nearest to the doors. Eric already separated what we can recycle or sell from the garbage. Just watch for sharp edges."

She nodded and bounced into the barn.

Eric walked out with another load and said, "I hope she doesn't get in the way."

Julia laughed, "Have you seen the way she's been looking at you? She's going to be your shadow, Stud."

He shook his head as Julia put her gloves on and walked into the barn.

As they worked, Eric couldn't help but check out Emily in the tight leggings she wore. He compared her ass to her mother's, and they were very similar. He wondered how Emily's would feel in his hands. He shook that thought off when Julia smiled and winked at him.

He wished that Emily never came home and wondered what would have become of him and Julia. Would they have stopped seeing each other when he went home? Would they be able to get together once she moved back to the neighborhood? He didn't dare think they could have a long-term relationship that was out in the open. He was confused.

"What's the matter, Eric," Emily asked as she caught him lost in thought.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about something."

She looked down at his crotch, he didn't realize he'd gotten an erection.

"It looks like you were thinking of someone not something," she teased and wiggled her butt on the way to the dumpster. She couldn't have imagined he was thinking of her mother and not her.

He shook his head and went back to work. Meanwhile, Emily was shocked at the size of his bulge. She couldn't believe he grew into that hunk of a man. She wasn't a virgin, but the three men she'd been with were nothing compared to Eric.

Eric fought every desire in his body of luring Julia into the house just for a kiss. He knew she'd never go for a quickie. He just wanted some form of intimacy with her. Julia was right, however. Emily was never far from his side.

They had one side of the barn cleared by lunch and Eric was sweeping the floor when Emily came up behind him.

"Hey, Big Guy. Mom's got lunch ready for us."

He set the broom down and walked towards the house. She ran in front of him and walked backwards.

"Why are you still being so cold to me. I noticed you watching me today. You like me, don't you?"

He laughed. "Like you? You may be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, you..." he stopped when he saw her pale at his words. "Anyway, no. I'm not interested in you at all."

She stopped walking and he stepped around her. He regretted what he said, but he wasn't lying. She, on the other hand, sat on the steps and cried. She couldn't understand why he couldn't see she changed.

"He just needs time," Julia said as she sat down. "I heard what he said. He wasn't trying to be mean."

"His intent has nothing to do with the outcome, Mom. I knew what he was going to say, but I'm not ugly on the inside anymore. I've tried so hard to be that little girl again. It doesn't even have anything to do with Eric. I never thought I'd see him again."

Eric watched from the back door. He felt bad, but he did nothing about it. She caused it, regardless of if she was trying to be a different person. Some wounds cut too deep.

Eric went back into the kitchen and thought about Emily while he ate his sandwich. He remembered the fun they had playing board games. The times they made up games with a deck of cards while their parents played poker. He remembered when she got braces and how she didn't think having them was a big deal, while other girls in their class cried for a week when they got them. She was different. She was like him, until she wasn't.

He thought how ironic it was that they were both, what some would call, geeks or nerds, yet they both matured into good looking people. He wondered if he had started changing a year or two earlier as she did, would he have changed as she changed for the worse. He supposed timing was everything.

He couldn't deny she was beautiful, as she walked into the kitchen with tear-soaked eyes, no makeup, and with her hair in a loose ponytail. He figured she was so shallow, she probably thought she looked terrible.

She sat down and didn't look at Eric. He looked up at Julia who stood behind her, and she gave him a hand signal to take it easy. He nodded.

"Emily, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to upset you; it's just so hard seeing you after all these years. Especially after you cut me off so cruelly. You told me you'd always be my friend after you moved, and I believed you."

A tear fell down her cheek and she sniffed. She didn't want to be reminded of how horrible she was to him.

"I waited for any sort of contact from you for months. Do you know I remember the day I gave up on you?"

She shook her head, yet still made no eye contact.

"Your parents came up for a party one weekend. I was looking forward to seeing you the whole week before. I had so much to tell you about my life, I wanted to hear all about yours. I had so many new friends I wanted to tell you about, and even though they weren't in my tier, I wanted to hear about your new friends. There were so many games I got that I wanted to play with you, but it wasn't to be. I even remember the sadness in your mom's eyes when she told me you weren't with them."

A tear fell down Julia's cheek. She remembered the conversation well. It broke her heart to tell the excited young man her daughter wasn't with them. She saw the pain in his eyes before he silently walked away.

"I had a date that night with Jimmy Tate. He was the quarterback of the freshman team."

"Of course he was."

Emily took the comment in stride and continued, "I didn't even think about going with my parents and cancelling the date. I begged my dad to let me stay with Chrissy Allen, while they went to the party. She was dating Jimmy's best friend and we went to Dairy Queen and then to her house to watch movies. I got my first kiss that day."

He snorted. "No, you didn't."

She looked at him confused and then she remembered. "Jesus, I can't believe I forgot," she whispered.

Eric stood and put his plate in the sink. "I have work to do," he said when he walked out the back door.

"What was that all about?" Julia asked.

Emily cried and said, "It was just before we moved. I told him that I caught you and dad kissing in the kitchen and, of course, him being a ten-year-old boy said that was gross. I told him it was sweet, and he should kiss me to see that it wasn't gross."

Julia smiled and shook her head.

"We sat in front of each other, crisscross legged, and leaned towards each other. It was so tender, neither of us knew what we were supposed to do, so we just touched our lips together for a few seconds. When I pulled back, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand."