No! [Zac]

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac felt oddly satisfied about that fact that he ‘surrendered’ to Eric. He feels that such surrenders boosted Eric’s confidence, even for a bit, which is a good thing in this case. He wants Eric to be comfortable with him, and Zac believes the key to the whole thing is for him to be confident when Zac’s around. Once Eric becomes more confident of himself around Zac, they’d be able to erase any previous awkwardness between them. They’d be able to exchange witty jabs easily, their conversations would be more fluid, yadda yadda. Zac strongly believes Eric needs self-confidence (or simply assurance that he can pretty much his own against Zac) for their “relationship” to come to a fruition. Which only means Zac would and will stay a bit more, much more, than Eric would’ve wanted.

“Yes, mistakes,” Zac repeated, rolling his eyes in pseudo-disgust. Yes, right now he’s trying too hard to seem uninterested, amazing really. “Do I really have to count them for you?” Zac was known to never like his mistakes, and he’s currently just saying these stuff to “stay in character”. Frog in boiling water remember? “First off was the Fifi-is-not-a-slut issue. Then the Autie-is-Eric’s-girlfriend issue. Happy now?” He even counted with his fingers, to show, at least outwardly, that he is not so good about people rubbing in his mistakes.

“What?! A month and you’re still not sure what you are? When I was your age, two weeks was all it takes for me to know if we are an item or not. And two weeks is already too long.” Another bluff, obviously. When Zac was Eric’s age, it took around three or four months before Zac was sure he and Cassie were boyfriend-girlfriend. Being comfortable with Eric doesn’t mean he has to be honest about everything. “But hey, since you’re not me, I guess it’s understandable. And since you’re you, it’s even more obvious,” he chuckled to emphasize the disadvantage of Eric being an Eric. “I’d give it a good two or three more weeks. Another month and a half tops. After that you can somehow be sure that she’s into you already. That you two are what I previously thought you were. Probably.” Zac knows firsthand the turmoil of a teenage boy at that stage feels, and no matter how many relationships you’ve gone through, it was the same weird and uneasy feeling. Zac only breezed through later on because his ego exploded exponentially.

“Just remember, never say those words first, never.” Yes, that was Zac’s golden rule. There were certain words, certain phrases, certain labels, that must not come from a guy first. Nope, to him if a guy says it first, it denotes that he’ll submit to the other party, something Zac does not like. Never ever submit to anyone. He just hopes Eric will understand what words he’s talking about.

He couldn’t stop a chuckle from escaping him when he realized what he just said in the past few minutes. Really, if one of his ‘friends’ would hear their conversation, they’d laugh so hard. Zac playing love guru for Eric? Just hilarious. Amazing, amusing and hilarious.

“No worries Eric, I’m fairly sure you’re whatever you (or I) think you are already,” he said with a smile, his chin resting on his hands, “Trust me. I know stuff.” As he was giving Eric a light pinch on the cheek, he couldn’t stop but notice the waning mark of a black eye. He noticed it way back and had actually forgotten about it until now. “Woah. A battle scar,” he joked, not knowing the real story behind the mark, “So I guess it’s safe to assume your training’s going well? Who’s your trainer by the way?” One of the things Zac’s really picky about is control of one’s powers, and since he knows that Eric’s pretty much behind with his powers before, it does make him feel good to know (or assume) that Eric’s exerting an effort to control his abilities.

Hopefully he won’t spazz out when he hears the true story.

[Eric Bower]

Zac wasn't wrong when he thought those surrenders boosted Eric's confidence. They did, if by small increments. Maybe Zac wasn't such a big ole' badass, like he let on? Right? At least that was what that led him to believe. However, Eric didn't have Sherlock-like abilities with reading people and he really wasn't that good with seeing so deeply into people either. He was a simple guy, yet to completely develop into the person he was going to be for the rest of his life (which was actually a scary thing), and he knew he wasn't good at reading people. But maybe...now he was starting to see Zac as something different than just an upperclassmen bully. Why else would he have yielded in those previous conversations, right?

It made sense.

Eric listened to Zac's disinterested account of his 'mistakes' but Eric really didn't see how those were 'mistakes.' Mistakes to Eric were not shutting the fridge door all the way, not completing the back side of his worksheet, not working the math equation out properly, etc. He couldn't pinpoint those 'mistakes' as Zac called it and he decided to just drop it entirely. Zac seemed to be too jaded (or whatever) to give him a straight answer and Eric wasn't going to continue to ask questions that lowered his self esteem. He wasn't high and mighty, but he also wasn't content to play Zac's games (if that was the case here. Which it was, he just didn't know that.)

Eric scoffed when Zac said 'when I was your age' Like it was that long ago. Zac was definitely not ten years older than Eric, which meant he didn't have a right to talk down to him like that. Eric wasn't gonna say that, of course, because well...he didn't want to. He wasn't afraid of the repercussions. Not at all. He bit his lip, though, because it seemed Zac knew exactly what he was talking about. Eric wished he was at that point, and knew what he was doing, but that was no closer to a reality than Eric being able to fly.

He also didn't understand why he had to wait to see what they were. "Can't I just ask her?" He asked in a duh-ish sort of tone. It would seem a lot easier than just waiting and guessing, to Eric anyway. After Zac's question Eric looked around, a little confused. "Uhm? Say what? What words?" He didn't like the sound of that at all, it didn't even occur to Eric that Zac might just be pulling his leg. He looked at the boy in almost a needy way. He needed to know what not to say, right? Especially if it was bad. He hoped he hadn't said it yet already. Maybe--what if he did! What if Autie was mad at him?

Panic officially ensued, when Zac revealed that they were probably what Eric said they were, he calmed a little. So all hope wasn't lost? He hadn't made an ass out of himself without realizing it? He hoped so.

However, when Zac brought attention to his 'battle scar' he winced and shied away from the boy. He had certainly not wanted that to come up. He shook his head. "It's not from training." He said sullenly. "I don't wanna talk about it." It was an end of discussion sort of thing to say, but he had a feeling Zac wouldn't let that sleeping dog lie. He'd probably poke it with a stick and whistle--or something to that effect. Eric lifted a hand and scratched at the pink skin around the stitches in his forehead, because that sucker continued to itch something fierce, especially when his mind was on it.

(gah! Sorry for the wait!)

[Zachary LaRousse]

Aside from the fact that Zac never really saw or thought of Eric as a mature fifteen year-old with enough common sense to help him get through puberty and adolescence without the need for outside help, Zac refers to the two year gap like it was a lifetime already because, well, to Zac, it was really one lifetime already. He’d experienced so much change in the past two years that if his fifteen year-old self was to look at him now, aside from the vague physical resemblance, they’d be nothing alike. Not only was his features more defined and his body more ripped now, he was also a whole lot more arrogant, egotistic, manipulative and generally much more of a butthole than before. Less pleasant, more intimidating, less friendly, more demeaning, less , more materialistic – in fact if his ‘past self’ would to meet him now, he’d probably be scared of himself and think of the man as an insane, unstable creature (not that I’d disagree). Apparently the loss of a best friend and the eruption of an ego change a guy so drastically in a span of two years.

And Zac wouldn’t mind doing the same for Eric. On different grounds, of course.

“Well think of it this way,” Zac answered, leaning on the table, hands together as if an expert or a doctor talking to a patient, “If you ask her and she answered that you were what you think you were, then congratulations.” He rolled his eyes and gave Eric a mocking smile. “But, if you ask her and she says ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ (or a gesture or expression that will portray the same emotion or message), then you’re screw. Very very screwed.”

Now his facial expression turned into those reminiscent of infamous Disney villains: wide eyes, dilated pupils, straight stare and a mischievous grin. “Not only have you made a big mess of yourself, you’ve also made your relationship more awkward. Especially since, I assume, both of you are new to dating, hence the inexperience and lack of maturity in the said field.” He leaned back to his chair, cocky and arrogant as ever. “You’ve made yourself look like a desperate man. She’d think that your friendship was based on the premise that you like like her (yes, I’m using the said childish term so you can better understand) and she like likes you back, and since the latter turned out to be false, she’d think everything was a lie. End of story.” Apparently what Eric just heard was Zac’s life story. That’s what happened between him and a Japanese-exchange student named Mizuki when he was fourteen. Scarred him deeply, even until now. Lucky for him he can easily mask his emotions, hence not sounding like TV characters that seem to give simple wise words but in fact tell them based on experience, usually for comedic effect; Eric was neither his friend (well, not yet) nor was Zac a comedian (or so he thinks).

“And besides, the mere fact that you’re the one who asked the crucial question means you’re unsure of yourself and shows she’s more in control of your relationship than you. Which is a huge huge sign of weakness.” Confidence and control are some of the values Zac lives by, and since he wants Eric to be like him, he’d have to see the importance of those two values too. “Gosh, do I really have to spell out everything to you?” he rubbed his forehead and shook his head. He’s already given the boy too much; Eric’s got to figure out the words himself. There’s one thing to be oblivious, another to be completely stupid. He’s hoping Eric would not turn out to be the latter.

He saw the mild panic in Eric’s eyes and gave him a light squeeze on the shoulder, more caring than mocking. “Don’t worry kid,” he smiled, “You’re not in trouble. I know so.”

So it wasn’t just a black eye. As Zac took a closer look, there were stitches and other cuts around the young boy’s face. Sure it was healing, but it was still there. Battle scars that didn’t come from training? There was no chance in the world that Zac would let this issue drop. “Woah. I didn’t know you were a tough guy,” he smiled, holding Eric’s chin and moving it from side to side, inspecting his marks better. He couldn’t believe Eric’s gotten to a fight without him knowing. He should’ve known Eric’s not a pussy. “So, who’s the lucky kid you beat up? Someone in your class? Or maybe someone older?” He grinned. It seems he doesn’t need to teach Eric fighting skills anymore. Guess the works won’t be that hard after all. “Nice one,” ruffling Eric’s hair one more time, amused and proud.

If only Zac knew.


ooc:
Pshaw. Don't mind it much Nana. I'm enjoying this thread too much to care. Haha. Eric gave me a chance to explore Zachie's younger years. *cuddles Eric*. And Zac's too concerned for Eric to care. HAHA. XD.
-Jam

[Eric Bower]

Eric would curl his lip to Zac not considering him a fifteen year old. He went through puberty just like everyone else! Sure, his parents did their job at keeping him that 'little' boy and it wasn't like he rushed into getting into a relationship and 'growing up.' He liked cartoons and playing video games. They were still fun and held his interest. Sure he was...thinkin' 'bout girls (Autie) and things like that, but he was still that playful goody sorta middle-school person. He hadn't yet (d)evolved into a freshmen of high school.

As Zac propped himself up like he was a doctor, Eric leaned in like he was a patient, his head tilted towards the table and slightly to the right. Then he listened. He did his best to listen, and he even nodded a little because that felt like what he should do. But he didn't get it. He'd look weaker? What? How does asking a question he wouldn't outrightly know make him look weak? And why would she think him weak if he asked a question like that? It was like Zac started talking about college level physics or something. He leaned back and rubbed his chin for a moment. "Uh...ok?" He kinda got the feeling that Zac was talking about something that happened to him, but he still doesn't understand. "You wouldn't have to spell it out if you spoke English," Eric quipped sardonically. Which was quiet surprising to himself, but he couldn't help it. Zac just spent a lot of time talking about something he couldn't even start to grasp. Zac just made asking the age old question 'do you like me y/n?' more complicated than his algebra homework. It was confusing and really not fair.

His jaw muscles clenched at Zac's continued man-handling him (touching his face, etc) and his comments about his 'battle scars'. "No!" He snapped, as he lurched back. "It didn't happen at Hammel! I got jumped going to the mall and these humanteenagersbeatmeupbecauseIwasmetaandIcouldn'tdefendmyself!" He pushed himself back against his chair and pushed against the table with his hands. His voice sped up greatly and rose in pitch, as his face also darkened red and eyes watered. He hated to talk about it, and he certainly hated this moment right now. Everyone else had been sorta nice about it when they asked, but not Zac. Of course not. He had to do it the asshole way.

(Sorry. Eric is a bit defensive)

[Zachary LaRousse]

It was Eric’s little boy aura that made Zac even more “attracted” (for the lack of a better word), to him. Like a moth which just can’t seem to get enough of a bright light, flying closer and closer even though deep inside it knows it’ll only bring danger, Zac can’t get enough of Eric. While he knows that Eric being innocent would bring much good into the world, the thought of him having so much work to do and enjoying it every step of the way was too rare of an opportunity to simply pass up.

And the fact that Eric seems like taking everything he’s saying about love (or one’s love life) as absolute truth makes Zac so much happier. Granted they weren’t really misleading, but the fact that it came from Zac meant it was already stained (not that the staining was bad, but already Zac-doctrines were embedded in it, so to speak). And Eric openly saying/showing his confusion was great; Zac is more than happy to tell him more. “‘Ok’? What ‘ok’?” he asked, unconsciously using the mocking tone once again. He’s trying so hard not to sound insulting, but it’s just too hard.

Under all that arrogance and need-to-show-off is an overtly calculating Zac. He thinks (sometimes even overthinks) almost everything he does – from what he wears to the people he relate with. He tries to make sure that nothing would go wrong for him. It goes without saying that Zac tends to be a control freak at times. He wants people to think he’s perfect, hence the need to control and manipulate everything around him to project the said image.

As such, even in his relationships, romantic or not, he tends to somehow plan everything. He should be the one in control, however that might extend to a partnership. And since he wants Eric to be like him, he should be careful not to be submissive to Autie either. “What I’m saying is that you must be in control in your relationship. True, you’ve got to please Autie from time to time, but don’t overdo it. As a man you must show her that you are the boss.” It may sound so inspiring and all that, but it’s mostly just Zac’s ego talking.

Unfortunately for Eric, Zac is usually the physical type. He knows people don’t like being touched, which means he does it more often. When people are irritated, they tend to think less about what they do or what they say, which is good news for Zac. By lowering their guards, Zac then finds out what makes them tick (or simply what he wants to know).

But this time, his man-handling is more of concern than manipulation really. He definitely didn’t mean to insult Eric or anything. So when Eric went berserk, complete with the tears and the loud voice (that Zac hopes Eli didn’t hear), Zac was surprised. So surprised that he almost fell out of his seat.

“What?! Say what again?!” He was furious. Mad furious. He didn’t know what came in to his mind when he thought Eric had been in a fight and beat his oppressors to dust; he was much of a nice guy to do that. Maybe because at the back of his head, he knew something like this was the real reason, and he doesn’t want to hear it. Asshole-ness aside, he does care for Eric (which he perceives as a sign of weakness if people should know, so he hides it so much).


ooc:
Zac says Eric being defensive is cute (which makes him wanna hug him more). XD

[Eric Bower]

Eric doesn't believe that he has an 'innocent' aura like Zac believes or is drawn too. Eric just figures himself the normal, run-of-the-mill teenaged meta human....he went through puberty same as everyone, and he got powers from it (like lots of people) and he was now at Hammel trying to learn control of it. He didn't see how anything that had happened to him--though it was what hasn't happened to him that makes him innocent--made him look like that little kid Zac sees him as. Eric kinda knew Zac wasn't the only person to look down on him like that--his roommate Ariana acted like he was her little brother all the time. He wasn't that little breakable kid! He was tough! And cut from the same cloth as everyone else in this place; meta!

Though, he could admit he was inexperienced--but that was as far as it went. Now, as much as Zac made it seem completely important for Eric to be 'in control' he knew he wasn't. Autie did whatever she wanted to do, and Eric was dragged along behind her. She had that sort of personality, and Eric was fine with that. He didn't see a good reason for him to do what Zac said (now that it started to make sense), and he also knew Autie probably wouldn't like it. He just wanted to have fun, anyway, doing what Zac said sounded hard. Too hard. He fingered the bracelet Autie made him and he smiled down at the thing. He liked it. He liked Autie. He didn't see why he had to 'control' her, everything was going fine.

However, there was a small part of him that voiced that Zac wouldn't be telling him this if it wasn't important. What if he was supposed to be the boss? What if he'd messed up (like Zac said) by not 'being the boss'? What if it was too late? Eric didn't like that one bit and he chewed the corner of his lip in thought. Either thing could have a bad outcome, either he go on as he had been and the two of them just stay 'friends' or whatever they were, or he'd take Zac's advice and 'be the boss,' and whatever that entailed (though he'd have to continue to get advice from Zac in that field).

Eric ground the heels of his palms into his eyes to will away the little tear droplets. He leaned forward until his elbows touched the edges of the table. He pushed the air out of his lungs sharply through his teeth. When Zac spoke, his head lifted a little to look at him, he moved one hand so he could look him in the eyes. "I got jumped because I'm meta." He said in a defeated tone. Recently, he had been better about recounting the events of that day, but now it just seemed more....intense. It was like Zac was bringing it all back. It wasn't really Zac's fault, however.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Well, Eric just has to face that he has that little boy aura that seems to draw everyone to him, even the likes of Zac. To Zac, he’s like a lump of clay, ready (and quite easy) to me molded into whatever Zac chooses. Unlike some people who’s a bit like Zac already (only in some aspects of course, for example arrogance and general vanity), Zac sees so much work to be done with Eric. And instead of being put off by that, it only fuels Zac to do more. After all, cleaning is much more rewarding when the room to be cleaned is so dirty, as so little progress can seem so much already (compared to cleaning a partially dirty room, in which case progress isn’t that emphasize).

Zac saw Eric fondly playing with the odd trinket and was immediately intrigued. Not really caring if Eric would want him to see it or not, he grabbed Eric’s hand (not too forcefully this time, reminding himself that he’s trying to be ‘friends’ with the kid, not scare him) and looked at the article carefully. It wasn’t really beautiful in Zac’s standards, only filled with little odd stones here and there. He promptly released his hold on the boy and said, looking at the boy with a playful stare, “Let me guess, Autie’s gift? A bit odd. Ok, incredibly odd, but cute nonetheless.” If Zac was younger, he would’ve appreciated such a gesture greatly, just like Eric. But now, he’d just figure that his girlfriend was too lazy to buy him a decent gift and would likely throw the object quickly after she leaves (if he ever keeps it, it’ll be stored at the very bottom of his bracelet chest). “So, have you given her anything yet?” he asked with much curiosity that he unconsciously grinned very much like a Cheshire cat.

Zac couldn’t believe his ears. He heard it the first time (despite Eric’s emotional and rather speedy outburst), he just wants to make sure he heard it right. “Really? Jumped on you because you were meta? It thought such lowlifes vanished ages ago?” Seeing Eric so upset and hurt about the whole thing made him even more furious. (Apparently it didn’t occur to him that asking the boy about the traumatic experience only made it worse). Nobody hurts Zac’s ‘friends’, nobody. And the fact that they’ve beat him up because he was a meta was just atrocious.

He once again grabbed Eric’s chin and carefully looked at his scars. He gently ran his fingers through the stitches, feeling so bad for the kid. “How come I didn’t hear of this?” he asked, but more to himself than Eric. He really didn’t expect the kid to tell him that straight on, considering their rocky rapport with each other, but he should’ve at least heard of it from his lackeys. “Do you have any more scars I have yet to see? If I’d could see those thugs I’d…” he stopped midsentence, extremely frustrated about the whole thing. “I assume you’ve given them quite the beating. After all, you did throw me halfway across the courtyard when we first met,” he smirked, trying to make the Eric (and himself) feel lighter about the whole issue.

[Eric Bower]

To be compared to a ball of clay and a dirty room, Eric would quirk an eyebrow and then put as much distance between Zac as possible. However, he wasn't privy to that odd information and he sat, unknowing of Zac's thought and intentions. He was, however, put off when the guy just reached across the table and grabbed his hand to inspect the bracelet. "Hey!" He voiced his disapproval and then looked around, worried that the desk-guy would be around to tell them to shut up. "Is not odd." Eric shot back as he freed his hand by prying away Zac's fingers with his other hand. He folded his arms across his chest to stop him from doing that again. Though honestly, he had done it once so why'd he want to look at it again.

Eric cherished the bracelet greatly, because Autie liked him enough to make it herself. Anyone can just walk into a store and buy something. Homemade things had more care and thought put into them. Not just that but, he liked her, and her giving him the bracelet was just awesome. However, when Zac asked him if he had gotten her anything he blushed a little and ducked his head. "I--I don't know what to get her."

When Zac grabbed his chin again he grunted in frustration and when Zac actually touched his stitches, he glared at him and shoved his hand away. It hurt. "I haven't really told anyone what happened." Eric admitted to Zac's question, however it didn't occur to him that it was weird of Zac to ask such a thing. He ran his fingers through his hair and tugged at the roots to calm himself down a bit more. He didn't want trees busting in through the wall or anything.

"The cops were called when it happened, but I...I don't know if they got in trouble or not. The people in the cafe seemed to hate me when I told them why the guys jumped me. Why would they hate me 'cause I'm meta? That doesn't make sense." Not to mention the guys jumping him just because of that. Then at Zac's words he looked down at the table. "Mia did more damage than I did." He admitted, which was something he hadn't done. He'd never before told anyone that there was another witness, or someone that had hurt them. "A tree did knock two people out but--but that was after." He looked down at his hands at his lap and picked his nails in shame. He still didn't have any control of his powers, even though he was trying very hard to. He just hadn't yet figured out the...trigger that allows his power to control trees. It always just happens.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac couldn’t stop chuckling as he saw Eric viciously trying to defend the odd trinket. It was a rather weird hodgepodge of garden pebbles and other related stuff, and Zac would be caught dead wearing one. Then again, Eric was vastly different from Zac in terms of personality, hence still giving value to sentimentality and such novel gifts. “Fine. It’s not weird. It was Autie’s gift after all,” he said, carefully eyeing the boy like a lion would his prey once more, “So, have she given you any other gifts? I mean, other than this odd lovely bracelet of yours?” He once again grabbed one of the bracelet’s charms (this time without forcing Eric’s arm towards him; lucky he has a long reach), carefully holding it between his two fingers.

“What? She gave you a bracelet despite you not giving anything to her yet? Are you serious?! That’s awesome!” Zac couldn’t conceal his joy; he gave a light punch on his left arm (clearly forgetting that Eric’s still somewhat injured) and pinched the boy’s cheek. “You sure you haven’t given her anything? Not even flowers, chocolates or any other one of those typical and ever-so-cliché/cheesy/cheap gifts?” He gave Eric another light hair ruffle before remembering that the boy’s so clueless about most of the things he’s telling and he probably should elaborate more before celebrating. “I guess you’re all confused as to why I’m celebrating now, right? Well, long story short, Autie giving you a gift even before you gave her one means you have control over this. She is literally head over heels for you. Hah. I knew I was on to something when I deemed you special.” Don’t ask me how Zac makes all these conclusions, even I don’t know what he’s talking about.

Zac laughed a bit louder when he heard Eric’s worry. “You are one clueless kid really. You want me to help you pick something out for her some time?” As much as he’d like to be an expert when it comes to women, Zac knows Autie’s a bit of an oddball (as shown by her rather interesting wardrobe choice during the dance) and he doesn’t want to compromise Eric’s image by giving him ill-fitting advice (image control is everything, so Zac says). So he figured, the best way in going around Eric’s dilemma is by accompanying him. Zac can tell Eric what he generally knows and Eric can tweak it a bit to fit Autie. And Zac would most likely be willing to be the one to cover the costs. Eric is his ‘buddy’ after all.

“People beating you up because you are a meta? You haven’t done them anything wrong, have you?” Judging by Eric’s reaction, and based on his general knowledge of who Eric is, Zac knows Eric has done nothing willingly to cause such people to hate on him for being a meta. When he first heard of such crimes against meta (hate-crimes, they call it), he was surprised. He grew up in a meta-human household after all, where powers and oddities were all but accepted. And while he grew accustomed to such news, it doesn’t mean he views it as acceptable. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they get what they deserve. I have at least a dozen or so lawyers behind me. They won’t escape.”

“Mia? The karate kid?” Zac never had the chance to talk to her ever since; it seems now she owes the girl a huge favor. “So I guess that means you’re still not good with your tree talking. Are you skipping your training sessions by any chance?” he joked, trying to uplift the obviously shaken kid. “Oh I know, you want me to help you learn basic self defense? I know nothing myself (thanks to my powers, I don’t need it that much), but I can hire a trainer and we could learn together if you want to.”

[Eric Bower]

Eric glared at Zac as he used his reach to take hold of one of the charms. He'd jerk away but that might damage the bracelet, so he was stuck looking down at the bracelet, his expression stuck between a scowl and a fond smile. The scowl was to Zac, the smile was to the bracelet. "No just this." Not that she needed to give it to him in the first place. It was a funny story, actually. Autie had made Alice a necklace and had given it to her in front of Eric. Autie had suggested she make a bracelet for Eric so he wouldn't feel left out, and Alice agreed (sorta), Eric wouldn't have felt bad either way, but she had made him one just like she said she would and now he never took it off.

Zac's joy visibly freaked Eric out a little, he drew back farther into his seat, his brown eyes widened at the guy. He flinched away from being pinched and he sorta flapped his hand at Zac's to knock it away. He needed to quit it but Eric still remembered Zac shoving him against the tree, so he didn't. Yet. He really couldn't see how Zac was so proud or happy, or whatever he was but Zac went on and put it in words he would understand. So...Eric was actually in control? Or something like that? Eric shook his head at the list of things Zac asked if Eric got her anything. He hadn't. That was when the thought occurred to him that he should have given her something in return. He felt bad about it.

Wait. Zac had 'deemed' Eric special? What? A look of utter confusion crossed Eric's face, but as Zac continued to talk, Eric tried to forget about it. "Yeahyeahyeah--wait. I don't know. Maybe? Yes." Eric seemed to go from one decision to the next, finally he decided to nod. "I think. I don't know what to get her." Eric looked down at the table. Autie liked flowers, and dancing, and flowing clothes and stuff. Eric didn't have a clue what to get her. He wasn't sure Zac knew either.

But maybe he did.

Eric shook his head. "I was just walking down the road. I kinda got lost looking for the mall. I was listening to my ipod and then next thing I know these guys were dragging me into the woods." Eric replied meekly with his eyes downcast into his lap. Then Zac mentioned lawyers and Eric lifted his head, a little surprised and obviously didn't understand. "Lawyers? What?" He knew the function of a lawyer, but his impression of them was that they were for adults that did stupid things like spill hot coffee on themselves and wanted to get paid for it. Why would Zac have 'a dozen or so' lawyers?

"Yeah. Her." Eric nodded his head a little. If she didn't show up, Eric probably would have been killed in the beating, or just bled to death from it after the guys got tired. "I don't 'talk' to them." Eric replied, bitterly. He didn't know what he did. "They just move on their own around me sometimes. Me and my trainer haven't found my trigger yet." Eric seemed ashamed of this because he seemed he was being in his training, and Zac certainly wasn't improving his self esteem in the matter. However, he visibly perked up at the idea of getting a trainer. With Zac just seemed like a bonus to him. "Really? You'd...you'd want to do that, with me?" Or for him, either way, it seemed like a huge favor to Eric.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac continued to eye the bracelet even from afar. Now that he has noticed it, it just seemed to pop out every time he looks at the kid. Not that he minds that or anyway. It’s just…odd. That redhead must’ve done something with it (or put something in it) to make it go that way. “Really? Let me guess, that bracelet somehow signaled the start of you being good friends with her, right? So sweetly sickening yet adorable all at the same time.” Oh sweet, innocent love. Zac would tell you that he’s enjoying his bachelor lifestyle right now, that girls are just too much of a hassle to maintain, but really, he’d do anything to get back into a much more serious relationship. He’s been much too flirty lately, and he just can’t find the ‘spark’ that he just once had. True, he was very much clueless with his past relationships, but he could definitely say that the bonds they made were genuine and he treasures every it very much (that he urged for them to remain friends, or frenemies, even after the break-up). Maybe that’s why he’s trying to get involved in Eric’s relationship with Autie a bit too much: he sees what he’s been lacking in the two and would very much like to preserve that cute and adorable ‘spark’.

Not that Zac would admit that to anyone, not even to Eric. (for now at least. Probably).

“With that kind of an answer, you’d definitely need my help then,” he laughed, fighting the urge to pat the boy on the head (as he’s sure he’d get swatted for it again), “Just give me a call whenever you feel like going shopping then.” He tore a blank page from Eric’s notebook, grabbed his pen and wrote his number on it. “I assume you already have a phone, don’t you? Or do I have to buy you one?” Since Eric is now Zac’s special kid, he wouldn’t mind spending on the boy really, even if it’s against the latter’s wishes. “Here. Keep this. Only a few people know that number. Take care of that, I don’t want my stalkers getting hold of my other line,” smirking as he gave Eric the piece of paper.

“Into the woods? You were beat up into the woods? Eric, you should really train more. That is your terrain! Heck if the courtyard was more tree-ified during the day we met, I’m sure I would’ve been pulp by now,” he said, not really understanding that Eric’s ego is actually being hurt by his jabs about Eric’s power. To him, they were normal, healthy teasing, that’s all. “And how could you miss the mall? It’s just a straight 30- to 45-drive from Hammel. Wrong turn at Albuquerque?” he asked, letting out another chuckle.

The kid was obviously more clueless than he thought. He expected him to know nothing about dating and fighting, but lawyers? Oh come on Eric. “You said they were taken to custody. Did the police question you? Or have you gone to the Hammel administrators to tell the tale? I assume you already did, so they probably have filed a case against the people who beat you up,” he explained with a rather nonchalant voice, “The lawyers are the people who’ll ensure they stay in jail. Got it?”

“Seriously? You’ve been here like, three four months already and still you haven’t found the trigger? Wow.” Apparently the idea of not having the faintest clue on how to master one’s powers was hard for Zac. He mastered his fairly easily, so why not Eric too? “I think yours has to do with sparkly unicorns and rainbow fairies,” he mocked.

“Sure, why not? I mean, I need to find something worthwhile to help me stay fit too. I need to maintain these after all,” he said, lifting his shirt a bit to flash his toned abs. Whoever said only Vincent was the braggy one? “And I need something to protect me in case something happens and all metas loose their powers.” Not that Zac would want that. Zac lives on his powers and he’d definitely break down if ever that happens. “So, are you up for it?”

[Eric Bower]

At Zac's guess, he kinda shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't really sure if the bracelet was a 'symbol' like that or not. "I mean, she said she made it for me after she gave a necklace she made to our friend Alice." Eric admitted, he still liked it all the same, even if it didn't mean what Zac said it did. Sure, they certainly spent a lot of time together, but that was because of their work on the Secret Garden, which Eric would keep to himself about because it was their place.

Eric nodded his head when Zac said Eric definitely needed his help. It was more than obvious he did, and Eric could accept that. When Zac tore a page from his notebook, he frowned a little, why not just write it without tearing it out? Now Eric would have to keep special attention to the piece of paper so he wouldn't lose it. When Zac asked if he even had a phone, Eric dropped his eyes to the table, which really was answer enough. "No," he said anyway, "my parents haven't given me one yet." He sighed a little and then frowned, Zac would just...buy him one? Apparently Eric didn't know about the bottomless wallet Zac possessed. "Cell phones are expensive," or so his dad says, "can't I just find you, or something?" When Zac held out the paper, he took it and folded it into small squares and slid his legs forward and arched his hips a little so he could slip it easily into one of his front pockets. After it was stowed away, safely, he sat back down. Eric didn't actually believe what Zac said about stalkers, but he could respect that he didn't want others to get his number, so he nodded. He wouldn't have felt the need to give his number out, anyway.

Eric wrinkled his nose at what Zac said about 'his terrain.' Eric did feel ashamed for not being able to prevent it from happening, but he really was trying his best in his training classes to get a handle on his powers, but no matter what he thought or ordered a tree or branch or twig to do, it just remained lifeless. While he'd been at Hammel, he's only used his power twice; Zac was there for the first one, and the second time was after Mia had shown up in the fight. "I thought the mall was easy to find too, but I ended up being like four miles off." Eric shrugged again, it really wasn't his entire fault he got lost. The mall should be easier to find or have signs on the road to direct him.

"No, I didn't say that. I said the cops were called..." Eric looked down at his lap, a bit disappointed, something told him Zac would be upset by this. "I know a cop went to go look, but the cop took Mia and I to Hammel before they spoke to the guys. I mean, they were still passed out, as far as I know." Eric said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I spoke to Ms. Prideaux, and some other guy, I don't remember his name. But I don't know if they talked to the police about it or not...you could talk to them about it, I guess." Eric shrugged again. He really didn't know if they had or not, they seemed terribly upset about the whole thing at the time, but they weren't keeping him in the loop about it, if they had filed a case or whatever.

At Zac's continued jabs at his power he glared at the boy, it was hardly fair for Zac to continue to make fun of him for it, he was trying. "It's not like there is a light switch in my brain I can flick on and off," Eric replied sourly, "I've tried all sorts of things, and whatever the trainer can think of, but no matter what I do, the trees just hold still."

At Zac's display of his abdomen muscles, Eric looked down at his tummy and gave it a poke. His stomach was definitely nothing like Zac's over their. Eric had a soft and pinch-able tummy. "Er yeah. Definitely." Eric wasn't looking forward to looking like an out of shape...whatever, but he knew that the chance of what happened to him before, happening again was enough for Eric to overlook that. He needed to toughen up (and get control of his powers), and soon.

[Zachary LaRousse]

And so Zac’s thoughts of a cutesy, adorable and ever-so-cheesy tale of childhood love were quickly shot down with a single statement for Eric (good job Eric, I think). Apparently the kid, and Autie, was much more realistic than he thought. “And here I was thinking you two were the romantic type. Guess I was wrong,” he chuckled, pouting like a duck and rolling his eyes in combined delight and disappointment. “So the bracelet wasn’t really that sentimental and you still haven’t kissed her. What have you done really?” he asked, constantly forcing himself not to laugh (as he feels he’s destroying the newly formed Eric!ego every time he chuckles), “Have you held her hand yet? Or do you just walk and talk side by side whenever you’re together?”

“Seriously? No phone? Gosh kid, you really don’t have a life,” he smiled, shaking his head in surprise. He shifted in his seat, now sitting sideways with his left arm resting on the table fully. “How’d you survive these last couple of years without one? You really amuse me Eric,” he asked, resting his head on his left fist. “You can try to find me, but I doubt I’ll be that easy to spot. I do tend to explore a bit. Who knows, I may be in Paris for the week when you need my help and I won’t be able to come home early for you. I don’t want to disappoint you, don’t I?” Zac’s decided that for Eric to be comfortable with him, hence making his brainwashing easier, he has to done a lot for the kid. And while he doesn’t like being nice to anyone, he tells himself it’s just like business – he’s investing on the kid – and it’ll turn out nicely soon. “Fine. I’ll buy you a phone. I haven’t checked the stores in this town yet if they have anything good, so I’ll probably just have one shipped here.”

Zac knew the importance of being in ’your terrain’. Not all powers rely simply on the mind, so one must know really where they are at their best. Water manipulators are helpless in a desert while sand manipulators are nothing in the ocean. Zac himself knows that his connection with the animal world gets stronger if an animal is around (hence his aversion to huge cities with lots of rats and other slimy sewer animals around). For Eric to be beaten up in a forest was just unthinkable. “You could’ve just asked me to drive you to the mall. It’s would’ve been faster and much safer.” Zac apparently forgot that they weren’t in speaking terms back then. “I should order the phone soon then. So the next time you need to buy something, you can just call me.”

Zac made a mental note to make a visit to the lovely school nurse later. He does hope their following up on the case. Zac’s willing to help as much as he can anyway. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure those thugs get what they deserve,” he said, giving Eric a squeeze on both his shoulders. Lucky for those guys the incident happened two or so weeks ago; if he saw Eric so badly beat up, he would’ve followed their scent and give them the beating of their lives. In theory anyway.

“Unfortunately I have nothing else to offer in that aspect,” Zac answered, “All the money in the world and I still can’t give an answer to that particular problem of yours. Guess you’d have to figure that one yourself then.” A little independence won’t hurt the kid, right? Besides, if he babied Eric too much, he might turn too soft, which is definitely not what Zac would want. “You sure you don’t want to try to purple ponies and sparkly mermaids approach?”

Zac laughed as he saw Eric poke himself. So adorable, he thought. “Don’t be insecure. I was around your age when I started working out,” he laughed, reaching out to give the kid a poke too, “You’ll still have the chance to get rid of this baby fat if you want to.” If one could smile so widely that one’s head would fall off, Zac’s head would’ve been rolling down the library halls right now. He was just so happy that Eric agreed. He figured that getting a trainer would be the perfect manbonding time between them. Not only will it ensure Eric won’t be pushed around by just anyone anymore, it’ll even push them closer to each other. What fun. “Good. So, do you have anything in mind? Taekwondo? Boxing? Capoeira?”

[Eric Bower]

Eric blushed a little, but he wasn't terribly sure why. Maybe it was Zac's joined use of the word 'romantic,' and the two of them, and then of course he had to add the death word--kiss--into it. He looked at the bracelet and sighed a little. They had held hands before, yes, but Eric was all of a sudden too embarrassed to tell Zac that, so he nodded his head a little. "We hang out 'nd do....kid stuff." Of course he used 'kid stuff' vaguely because he still didn't want Zac to discover the garden of things they had been growing in the forgotten field Autie found. She'd be so mad at Eric.

Eric wasn't at the point in his adolescent career where he had to have a phone. He was fine with speaking to what friend's he made in his classes and talking with them, in person about any future plans. Eric made a point to always arrive on the time appointed because he didn't have a phone, but it wasn't something Eric needed. Besides, Autie or Alice didn't have a phone and those were the two main people he hung out with, aside from his roommates. However, Zac seemed adamant on providing him one, and if what Zac said was true, about being in Paris or something (maybe there was a town in Vermont called Paris...? He couldn't mean Paris Paris, like the one with pointy tower...). "Okay. If you insist," Eric said, with a small sigh.

When Zac said he should have found him to drive to the mall, Eric shook his head. At the time Zac was someone Eric didn't think of as a 'friend' and when he was heading to the mall, it was because he was looking for some nice clothes to wear to the dance, something he was too embarrassed to bring attention to. He didn't say that, however, because he didn't want to offend Zac, in whatever way the guy could see it as being offensive. Eric wasn't too sure either, but he figured since there was doubt there, he should trust his instinct and just keep that tidbit to himself. "Yeah well...I'm working on it. I don't plan to go off walking again in the future, anyways." He looked at his fingers on the table as he spoke, he'd already bitten his nails down to the quicks, so there wasn't something for him to nibble on, even though he really needed to distract himself. He didn't want to dwell on that day, either in conversation or in his mind.

"My trigger is not going to be mermaids. That doesn't even make sense." Eric scolded Zac like he was the younger one in the conversation, and not Eric himself. His trainer's had been having him doing all these different meditations and stuff to help him look into his mind and body and stuff, and he'd yet to 'find' something noteworthy or different, or something that made trees move. Often they had him sit next to potted plants and ask them to do stuff, but he just felt really stupid doing it. He knew, in time, that he'd figure it out, as everyone did, but he was really frustrated that 'that day' wasn't today. "I'll find it when I find it," he tacked on, to justify his lack of progress thus far.

Eric knew it wasn't necessarily his fault that he was soft where Zac was not. Zac was, indeed older than him and had been working out for who knows long--and shortly after that though, Zac answered him--Eric was pretty sure he'd meat-up after he started working out (and maybe eat less cake and things of that sort) just like his brother did after he went to high school. He was looking forward to looking better, he just wasn't looking forward to be comparing himself to Zac's god-like physique while he struggled. He looked at Zac blankly when he started speaking again, clearly not understanding the guy. "Cap-ohwhat now?" He asked as he leaned forward. "Uh what's that...uh...uhm..." He snapped his fingers as if that would help his thought process. "MMA! That's what it's called, right? The stuff on the Tv. Not wrestling, the real stuff. It's like all of it together, right? I'm pretty sure that's what it's called," Eric rambled, obviously looking forward to it. He was so ready to get started. He didn't want to be the weak little guy he was now. Nope.

[Zachary LaRousse]

"Kid stuff? Like what, hide-and-go-seek and fluffy tea parties? Are you in speaking terms with Mr. Fluffly and Mrs. Higgly then? Is Mr. Snowball angry at his pet cat again?" Zac laughed as he imagined Eric sitting on a small circular table, stuffed animals around him and Autie, drinking makeshift tea and what not in pink, girly cups. And while Zac liked teddy bears (despite strongly denying it in front of everyone), he'd be dead if he finds himself caught in a tea party. "My god Eric, you are really one mature guy, I envy you," he added, teasing the hell out of the little boy.

Being the twisted and dirty teenage kid that Zac is, his wholesome smile turned into something more sinister as a series of ideas suddenly popped inside his head. “Have you played house then?” he asked with a smirk, “Like Autie the mommy and you the big brave daddy? How many kids have you got? Are you enjoying your married life together?” He slowly leaned in closer, his eyes turning into half-moon crescents in sheer delight. “And most importantly, how often do you then do it with Mommy Autie?” It goes without saying that Zac likes making Eric feel embarrassed and flushed. Hopefully Eric wouldn’t suddenly run away from him or make a tree sprout from under Zac’s feet and swing him across the school building yet again.

When Zac was Eric’s age, he too doesn’t need a phone that much. After all, it’s not like everyone in Zac’s class had one. But Zac isn’t really a creature of need; it goes without saying that he’s a creature of want. He’s a spoiled brat in almost every sense of the word. When he was young, he’d make massive temper tantrums until he gets what he wants; only his mother (and eventually, Cedric) can take his incessant crying and shouting (his dad, for all his good intentions, loved the kid so much that he’ll give anything just to make him stop). He stopped throwing tantrums now that he’s a teenager, but that doesn’t mean he won’t sulk in a corner, make his duckbill pout or act very much drained and unenthusiastic if he doesn’t get what he wants. “Great. So, any particular phone you have in mind? An iPhone? A Blackberry? Anything really. Cost is never a problem,” he said, taking his phone out and starting a text message regarding his new phone order.

Zac could sense that Eric is still upset about the whole thing, that the trauma he received from that incident still lingered on. And that means a lot about Eric’s facial expression, as Zac is a bit dense when it comes to body language (specifically those that tell of hurt or sadness). “Hey, don’t coop yourself up in the Institute if ever,” he chuckled, giving Eric a friendly pat. While he wants Eric to stay safe, he definitely doesn’t want the kid to turn into a hermit. “You can always call me whenever you feel like exploring Pilot Ridge and Autie isn’t around to accompany you. Or I can always chaperone your dates,” he joked, knowing full well how awkward it is to have someone look over you when you’re trying to make yourself look impressive (and Zac may just act like a real older sibling in front of Autie, i.e. shaming Eric with real and not-so-real stories). “Don’t be too hard on yourself kiddo. It’s just one incident. It’ll pass.”

“How would you know? You haven’t even tried,” he teased, taking his pen out once more and drawing a rather unattractive mermaid on Eric’s notebook. “Or maybe, Autie in a sparkly mermaid outfit, complete with fairy wings, is your trigger!” Oh yes. To Zac, Eric’s dilemmas can always be solved by something Autumn.

He gave Eric another ruffle on the hair as he spoke. “I’ll help you bulk yourself up,” he said, flexing his right arm, “And I’ll even teach you a few secret tricks of my own if you want to.” Zac would not shy away from any opportunity to show off, not even to Eric. “Capoeira,” he explained, “you know, the art form that combines martial arts and dancing. Like Eddy and Christie in the Tekken game series. Don’t tell me you haven’t played that game before.” While Zac isn’t really the gamer-geek, he does pride himself for being an above average player on the games he’s played. And Tekken was undoubtedly one of his most favorite games.

“MMA? That seems pretty hardcore. Sure you want that?” Zac backed off a bit, surprised at Eric’s choice. He would’ve expected something more tame and popular, like Judo or Karate. Even Zac would think twice about taking an MMA class. Seems Eric’s really determined not to be pushed again. “Let’s see what I can do then. In the mean time, we’ll work on your body building. Autie will have a hard time keeping her hands off you after we’re through,” he said, pinching Eric on the cheek and unleashing another teasing chuckle.