jamie and eric-11-early morning

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Laughing woke him up. Bridgett’s laughing. He knew it was her laughing. It had to be Bridgett’s laughing. Eric groaned.

What day was it? Thursday, he worked today. Why hadn’t his alarm gone off? Adrenaline filled his veins as he flopped out of bed. The conversation in the other room paused momentarily. Then Bridgett laughed again. More of a suppressed giggle.

Eric grabbed his alarm clock from the nightstand. 6:13. Seven minutes before he had to get up. Eric sat on the edge of the bed, holding the clock. Seven minutes. Eric was so tired. The sleep fogginess pained his thinking. His eyes watered. His bed still felt warm. Six minutes. Eric fell backwards.

The alarm went off.

Shrugging on his clothes, Eric hesitated a moment before heading out into the common room. Dahlia wasn’t up yet. She usually wasn’t. Eric didn’t really know when she got up. Only that her classes started later than his work. Master Brown looked tired, eating pancakes from the downstairs kitchen. Bridgett, however, was quite exuberant.

“Good morning, Eric.” She chimed. She had a glass of orange juice in front of her, but she didn’t appear to be eating. How early did she get up?

Eric mumbled good morning back. Jamie was quiet, face hidden by his hair. As usual. Bridgett continued her conversation with Jamie. Jamie’s responses were quiet and short. Eric tuned it out as he fixed himself a bowl of cereal in the kitchenette. But as he sat down at the table, he couldn’t help but overhear them. Something about schedules.

“…physics at 11:30, and after that is my two hour break. Then magic at 2:30. That’s only an hour and after that I’m free.” She slid some sheet of paper back into a book bag at her feet.

“I can hang out any time. I’m either here or at the library.” Came Jamie’s small reply. She had to ask him to repeat it.

“Alright, well…” Bridgett looked at her watch. “I probably have plenty of time, but in case I have trouble finding the room, I think I’m going to head off.” Bridgett picked up her book bag and bade them all goodbye. If not for yesterday, Eric would have thought he imagined the pointed angry look that Bridgett gave him right before she slipped out of their front door. Fine. Whatever. Bridgett was mad at him, why would he care?

Master Brown tried to ask the boys about their plans for the day, but Eric was too tired to articulate his words and Jamie’s answers discouraged further dialog.

picture of me

This is an older picture of me, but I won't be able to post a story update today and I wanted to post something.

jamie and eric-10-midnight talk ends

“Yeah, fine.” Eric couldn’t argue that. Eric shifted a little on the bench. The fervor that had driven him up the wall was gone. Now the anxiety that led him to seek Master Brown’s advice had dissipated as well. He felt drained. He felt ready to sleep. But he felt small in Master Brown’s presence, and kept quiet. Sitting on his hands.

“Well I suppose we’re done here. I probably won’t have anything set up until next week.” She stood up, yawning. She paused in her motion towards the door. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

Eric shook his head. There was nothing else he needed to say that he wanted to.

“Alright then. Off to bed with you. And remember to be quiet for Jamie because he sleeps in the living room.”

Eric bade her goodnight, and shrugged off the sting. Of course he knew that Jamie slept in the living room. He wasn’t that far removed.

After three steps, Eric realized his work shoes were loud on the wood floor. Take them off now, or try to get out of Jamie’s space more quickly? The moonlight was weak in living room, and Eric couldn’t even see really. It was highly likely he might stumble into the couch. Wake Jamie up directly. He took his shoes off.

Eric slept well.

jamie and eric-9-midnight talk continues

Couldn’t admit he missed Jamie. It felt all weird and wrong—missing someone without even knowing them. Missing a guy. Eric didn’t even miss his girlfriends.

“It’s been a long time since you’ve practiced you art,” Master Brown’s voice was sympathetic. “And a long time since you’ve challenged yourself academically. And a long time since you’ve practiced power sharing with Jamie.”

Eric wasn’t sure what ‘power sharing’ was, but he nodded anyways.

“I know you’ve had trouble concentrating on writing. So instead of essays we can have you work on a research project. I know you have interest with physical things. I could talk to- “

Eric buried his face in his hands, so frustrated. She didn’t get it. He couldn’t do things like that. She still wasn’t getting it.

“Come on Eric, that doesn’t help me.” She snapped over his groaning. Eric didn’t move. Master Brown tapped her nail file on the vanity top. “Well if you don’t want to do a research project, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.” More and more Eric regretted climbing up the side of the building. Had he thought that Master Brown would magically have all of the answers?

“Alright, well tell me why you don’t want to do a research project then.”

“I can’t.” Eric barked out what he thought was so obvious, angry that she made him admit it.

“Eric, honey, that’s nonsense.” The irritation melted away. “You’ve done little research projects dozens of times. This would be no different.”

Eric shook his head. He remembered those projects. Kinda. But. But when he sat down and tried to do it now… he just couldn’t. It had been too long. Jamie had helped him too much.

“I can’t.” Eric looked out the window. A bright crescent floating among streaming clouds. Hardly impressive this far away from the horizon, when it looked so small. Master Brown was tapping again.

“I think you’re letting yourself get overwhelmed by the scope of the project, and that makes you feel like you’re unable to start the project… Which you could work though…”

“No, I couldn’t” Eric blurted emphatically.

“Okay… Why don’t we find out what you are capable of. I can set up a series of assessment tests that you can take on your days off.”

“Yeah, okay… What? You still want me to work?”

“I think it would be detrimental for you to lose your routine. At least until we decide something else to do with you.” Master Brown gave that quirky half smile, that showed how young she was… compared to the other masters.