The Elementalists

34.

I didn't even need the next day to start before I knew it would be bad. Christopher had stomped out on account of my decision to talk to Sean, understandably. I'd been chewed out by Eric over it too. Flo was a bit confused so I had to repeat my story. I'm pretty sure she was plotting a painful revenge.

Meeting Sean wasn't the only thing I had to look forward to. I still had to deal with the fallout from the fight with Elizabeth. Which meant people that would be openly staring at me, gossiping in my presence, and the weird looks. It meant I wouldn't have to hide or keep my head down anymore. I couldn't anyway. But I could deal with this. Gossip eventually dies out. I give it till the end of the week.

Eric still seemed a bit peeved when I got into the car the next morning. I held out a box filled with fresh brownies. He didn't look as I waved it by his head. "Sorry?" I'd just baked them as a peace offering.

His eyes flickered from the warm box to my face and back. He sighed. "I'm not angry, I'm worried. You don't need to meet him. Don't go today."

"I know I don't need to meet him." I replied easily. "But he knows where I work, and I'd rather he not show up at Anchor."

Flo reached out to take the box as my hand sagged with the weight of it. "That would be awkward. You, your boss and your one night stand." Flo twisted in her seat to face me, a mischievous grin on her face. "Was he good?"

Eric stiffened. He chose to start the car and move out of the driveway. I grinned back at her. "Oh, yeah." I giggled with Flo as she turned back.

"Don't touch my brownies." Eric warned as he sped up.

I smirked. "How long has it been since someone touched your brownies?"

"Fi, no." Eric gritted out as we burst into giggles again. He sighed as our mirth subsided. "I'll never look at brownies the same again."

On cue, the smell of fresh brownies filled the car. Flo popped one in her mouth. "Then, I'll take them."

"Then, you can start walking to school." He took one too.

"Hey, I'm your friend too. You share." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Not with brownies I don't. I've gotten into fights for that." He hummed as he bit into one.

I nodded sagely from the back. "That's true. He got his ass kicked."

"Sh-shut up."

"Hey." I whacked the side of Eric's head. "Give me some credit for bailing you out all those times."

"You guys have to tell me this story." Flo stared at me in the rearview mirror. "Go on." She prompted, as I took a few moments to collect my thoughts.

"Well, basically," I began slowly "you know how I used to stay over at Eric's every year, right? So, I believe we were 13, I come over and Eric was ignoring me a lot. Turned out he liked a girl, I made brownies for him and he immediately took them to the girl. But, she had a boyfriend who was in a higher class and he beat up Eric. Eric came home so bruised."

Eric groaned in remembrance. "That was one of my first beatings. I'd never been a fight before."

"And so I-"

"I'll take it from here. Anyway, Fiera was in her fighting phase at that time-"

"Fighting phase?" Flo cut in. "Is it really a phase if it's still going on?" They laughed as I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up." I whacked her head as I also grabbed a brownie. "We used to move a lot so I take on a new sort of persona everywhere we go. It's fun."

"And this time it was the bully?" She replied dryly as I ate.