Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

 

Chapter Twenty One

 

Caitlin couldn’t stand the silence between them.  They’d been driving for a while now and nothing but nothing came to mind.  It was like her mind was drawing a blank when it came to interesting conversation. 

 

When in actual truth, a certain topic had been nagging her all the while.  Caitlin took a deep breath.  “Eric?”  Caitlin looked at the teenage driver expectantly.  “I think we need to talk about the past couple of months.”

 

Caitlin watched as Griffin’s shoulders tensed at the mention of the uneasy topic.  He didn’t respond.  “Look Eric.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean for everything to get out of hand the way it did.  I mean, I don’t even know why we’re not speaking anymore.”

 

Eric licked his lips and continued to look straight ahead.  Caitlin turned her body until she was looking straight ahead of her.  Well she tried.

 

“I’m sorry too.”

 

The words that came out of Eric’s mouth seemed to echo through her thoughts.  Had he really apologized?  And what for?

 

Caitlin swallowed hard and shifted her body until she faced the focused driver, his knuckles white from tightly clutching the steering wheel.  “Eric, what are you sorry for?”

 

Her whole body tensed at the hope of renewing one relationship that had been absent for months.

 

“I’m sorry I caused so much trouble between you and Will,” Eric explained, hesitantly.  “I shouldn’t have…well, I shouldn’t have, well, uh, been kissing you.  Especially since I knew you and Will were a ‘couple’.”

 

Caitlin watched Eric grimace at the words.  This was hard for him to say, and it was actually hard for Caitlin to hear.  It wasn’t all his fault.  You kissed him back.

 

“It’s not all your fault Eric.  I mean, I was there too.  I shouldn’t have kissed you back.”  Caitlin sat straight ahead again.

 

There.  She’d said it.  She had admitted it.  She, Caitlin Seager had kissed Eric back.

 

“Well,” Eric mumbled.  “Where does that leave us?  I mean, we’re friends again?”

 

Eric’s clear pale blue eyes seemed to see right through her.  Caitlin ran her fingers through her hair.  Licking her lips, Caitlin replied slowly.  “I don’t…I don’t know.  I hope we’re friends.  I mean, that’s what we were before this thing happened.  And now that it’s done with, it’s good we’re friends again…right?”

 

Caitlin peered over her shoulder and watched the Eric’s eyes cloud over.  In some way, he seemed disappointed with her response.  “Isn’t that what you…we want?” Caitlin asked expectantly.

 

Eric swallowed and took a deep breath.  “Yeah,” he agreed, nodding his head.  “That’s exactly what we wanted.  It was just a stupid mistake.  Must have been some hormonal imbalance!”

 

Caitlin laughed at the somewhat awkward joke.  She didn’t know what to make of her feelings during this conversation.  Caitlin was ecstatic that she and Eric had somewhat managed to patch things up, but a part of her felt like she had missed out on something.  As she stared at Eric, Caitlin couldn’t explain the unexplainable sense of loss she felt over, well, just being friends.

 

***

 

Eric’s heart leapt when he’d seen Caitlin that morning.  It hadn’t taken very long for her to get under his defenses.  As much as he’d been angry and disappointed at her, Eric couldn’t help but miss the feisty 17 year old.

 

It had been a tiring conversation, trying to figure out how to repair the damage of their misguided friendship.  And Eric had been disappointed at the decision to just remain friends.  Not that he wasn’t glad to be her friend again, but in the end, Caitlin had sounded definite about the boundaries of their close relationship and anything more than friendship seemed an impossibility.

 

As Eric pulled into the Lowe’s yard, Eric’s gaze met Caitlin’s for a moment, just before they exited the truck.  It was almost unexplainable what seemed to pass between them for a split second.  Even Eric himself wasn’t quite sure, but part of him seemed to be filled with a renewed sense of hope.

 

“Hey Eric!” Griffin yelled from the Lowe’s porch.  “What are you doing here?”

 

Eric exited the truck and grinned.  “Thought I’d show you my excellent new snowboard dude!”

 

Eric watched Griffin sprint towards the truck as he pulled the cobalt blue beauty out of the back of the truck.  “What do ya think?” Eric smirked.

 

“Wow!  Did you get it for Christmas?” Griffin asked.

 

But as Griffin rambled on as he admired Eric’s new board, Eric was preoccupied watching Caitlin walk up to the porch.  She turned around and met his gaze.  It was almost as if Caitlin knew he was watching her.  Eric quickly returned to his babbling friend.  “Huh?”

 

“I said, when are you going to try it out?” Griffin repeated exasperated with his distracted friend.

 

“I was thinking the day after tomorrow.  Cuz Christmas is tomorrow you know?”

 

Griffin frowned for a moment.  “Hey?  How come you’re not with your folks?”

 

Eric sighed.  “Cuz they’re gone for a couple of days.  That’s why I got my Christmas present early.”

 

Griffin bit his lip for a moment and then replaced the frown on his face with an excited grin.  “You can stay here for Christmas!  Until your parents get back.  I mean, I’m sure my Mom and Dad won’t mind.”

 

Eric thought about it for a moment.  “I don’t know,” he hesitated.

 

Griffin rolled his eyes.  “If it’s Caitlin you’re worried about, I’m sure she’ll understand.  As much as you guys are fighting, I don’t think she would want you to be alone for Christmas.”

 

Eric shrugged.  “Aiight dude.  If it’s okay with your parents then I’ll stay!” he grinned.  “I’ll have to go get my stuff though.”

 

Griffin draped his arm around Eric’s shoulder and guided him into the house.  “Great!  I’m so glad Christmas is here.  What a time to mend fences and stop acting like kids!” Griffin sighed.  “You and Caitlin better get your act together.  Half the school year has gone and I’m not willing to go through another month of the silent treatment.”

 

Eric shook his head.  “I think me and Caitlin have got a couple of things sorted out,” Eric explained.  “We no longer have to avoid her at any cost.”

 

Griffin shook his head and laughed.  “But that was the fun part!”