Fan Fiction ❯ Looking in a Mirror ❯ Chapter six ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six-

 

Over the next week Eric went about avoiding Devan best he could while he sorted things out. During lunch he hung out in the library and after school he headed home as soon as he could. It was draining to avoid someone especially if you didn't really want to avoid him.

 

Eric just felt so confused though, that he didn't want to get anymore so by talking to Devan, since he was the source of all his confusion in the first place. But Eric wasn't very successfully sorting out his feelings on his own even without talking to Devan, though he thought about it a lot and made it hard to concentrate on any work, though he was still doing well in school he wasn't really learning anything new on his own.

 

Though all his efforts were in vane when he went to the forensics tournament the following Friday. He got there and got all his required information and was heading to his first round when someone came up behind him and grabbed his wrist, turning him around. “Eric,” Devan said, looking at him with a strange look on his face, “why have you been avoiding me?” His voice sounded pained, hurt almost.

 

“I…” Eric said, he hadn't been ready for this, he'd been hoping for a little bit longer to think before having to talk to Devan. “I just needed a bit of time to think,” he said, then thought that he sounded like a girl after she'd gotten in a fight with her boyfriend and that made him even more confused.

 

Devan raised his eyebrows, “About what?” he asked truly wanting to know.

 

Eric looked away, “I need to get to my round, and you do to,” he answered, trying to remove the wrist Devan still held so he could keep walking.

 

Devan didn't let go, but just stood there and watched the back of Eric's head trying to figure it out.

 

Eric turned around again trying desperately not to blush, “Will you let me go?!” he asked in desperation, he really just wanted to get out of there.

 

Devan dropped his arm, a little reluctant to relinquish the contact with Eric. “Yeah, we should get to rounds,” Devan said and turned, walking down the hallway to his DI room on the other side of the school.

 

Eric watched Devan's back as he walked down the hallway, and he struggled with the urge to call him back and apologize, but for what he wasn't sure. He was so confused…he turned too and walked in the other direction to his room feeling that each step he took led him in the wrong direction.

 

Eric sat down heavily in a chair; there were a couple other kids in the room already too. A few minutes later the judge and other competitors were there and the round started. Eric wasn't very into it but he also wasn't very nervous when he went up there, and even though he didn't realize it he did better than he'd done before.

 

Once the round was over Eric was more then ready to leave the room. He stood up and thanked the judge like everyone else and exited the room quickly heading to the school's cafeteria.

 

There he ran into Zack, who stopped him, “Hey Eric, where are you headed in such a hurry?” he asked.

 

Eric looked at his brother for a moment then answered, “Oh, I just need to do something before next round starts.”

 

Zack looked at him but just nodded, and went on his way leaving his brother to deal with his own problems.

 

Eric walked over to the table and dropped off his script at the table before looking for Devan, he had the feeling he'd screwed up. And the thought of Devan not being his friend…that scared him more than his own feelings.

 

He didn't find Devan before he needed to go to his next round and reluctantly gave up the search till the second round was over.

 

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts in the next round that he almost didn't hear the judge when she called his code. He hastily stood up and headed up to the front of the room, still not feeling nervous about what he was doing due to how preoccupied he was he went the motions and necessary emotions he'd practiced with out the mess ups that usually came with feeling nervous.

 

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts in the next round that he almost didn't hear the judge when she called his code. He hastily stood up and headed up to the front of the room, still not feeling nervous about what he was doing due to how preoccupied he was he went the motions and necessary emotions he'd practiced with out the mess ups that usually came with feeling nervous.

 

He finished his speech and sat down, not paying attention to the next person who preformed.

 

When the last person was finished he stood up and left the room, this time not say thank you to the judge.

 

He headed to the cafeteria hoping to find Devan this time. As he walked threw the crowd, trying to locate Devan, he ran into someone.

 

He looked over at the girl now on the floor, "I...I'm sorry," he said, then identified the girl as April.

 

She looked up at him, "Oh, Eric," she said, standing up, and straightened her skirt. "How've you been?" she asked, smiling brightly at him.

 

He shrugged. Why did he have to run into her now, she could only make things worst if anything. "I'm actually in a bit of...ah...hurry," he said, slipping past her.

 

He really wanted to find Devan before next round started. This was also confusing him even more and he didn't know how to sort things out.

 

April watched his back as he went off on whatever errand he was doing. She huffed and crossed her arms before heading over to her school's area.

 

*~*~*

 

Eric walked around the area his school had decided to claim when they had arrived. He walked threw the kids five or six times without any luck.

 

He sighed seeing he had seven minutes till rounds started. He reluctantly walked to his room, his mind a bit fuzzy.

 

When the judge called his code he went up there and dud his speech as he had done the other two times that day.

 

Then he took his seat and pretended to pay attention to those who went after him. As the round ended he stood up and was the last to exit the room.

 

He found an empty hallway and he took a seat on the floor leaning against one of the lockers, and closed his eyes. How could he have been so stupid? It was just that he wasn't used to this...feeling like this.

 

As Eric sat there the light was blocked out by some unknown shadow. Eric opened his eyes and immediately looked down once he found it was Devan who was standing there.

 

"Look," Devan said, "I'm sorry for how I acted, I really don't know what you're going threw. I guess it just hurt that you avoided me while doing so," he was trying to be honest.

 

Eric blushed, he hadn't thought about it, he never did, from Devan's point of view, "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing," he said, feeling the fool, "I'm just not good with people, I don't get them, so I end up pushing them away. I...I don't want to push you away," he said a tear falling down his cheek, only one though.

 

Devan saw the tear and gently brushed it away with the pad of his thumb, "You can't push me far enough away to get rid of me Eric," he whispered softly, gently into his ear.

 

Eric gasped at Devan's warm breath on his cheek as well as the words that came with them.

 

Then a voice from behind them startled them both. "Hey you two," came April's voice, "They've posted finals."

 

Devan turned around and smiled, though in an awkward position since he was kneeling, "Thanks for telling us," he said standing up, and holding his hand out to Eric.

 

Eric reached up and took it, so the Devan mostly pulled him to his feet as they walked off towards the cafeteria, Eric could still feel where Devan's thumb had touched his face.