The Golden Rule

Chapter Two: Cotton

JAMES

"ERIC SILVA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" A young woman stampeded over with a scowl that could fry an egg on the sidewalk. She had the same dark coloring, the same heavy eye lids as Eric who stiffened beside James. Her silky black hair was pulled into a high pony tail and as she walked, her hair swung side to side. She wore a tight dark purple dress with long sleeves that attached to her middle fingers.

She barked at Eric, "¡Te pido que hagas una cosa Eric! ¡Una cosa! ¿Y ni siquiera puedes hacer eso por mí? ¿Estás tratando de sabotearme?"

Eric sighed again. He seemed to be speak in a series of sighs and grunts. "Izzy, por supuesto que no-"

"Hey, uh," James interrupted Eric one more time, but with better intentions. Izzy moved in an instant, crushing their personal space. He fumbled under her glare as if she just slapped him. "This was, uh my fault, completely. I knocked into this guy, um Eric and-"

"Then, you'll need to take responsibility too. Fix this." She pointed a threatening finger from James to Eric and back again. "I need a wedding cake. I don't care how, but I need a delicious, made from scratch three teir wedding cake before the reception starts or so help me, I will find you, gut you, chop up your gooey organs, fry them and serve you as appetizers!"

"I'm the caterer!" She huffed, throwing her hands in the air as she stomped away. She revealed her swooping open back, held together by a sliver of silver rope. She grumbled more in Spanish that James didn't understand either.

She left silence in her path.

James fidgeted. He didn't really know what to say. He could try apologizing again, but the vein in Eric's forehead was ready to pop. He decided tossing the cake would be a good idea instead. He gathered the most he could on the tray and let it fall into the trash can. It made the saddest thumping noise at the bottom. Meanwhile, Eric took out his phone.

No, it's cool. Not like James needed any help.

"I'm James by the way," he said, "and I might not be a typical wizard, but I think I whip something up. I mean, baking and potion making are almost the same. Instead of eye newt, I just need to use sugar, right?"

James' awesome joke was lost on Eric.

"Well, James," Eric muttered, still wearing a scowl. It must be his favorite accessory. "Don't worry about it."

He said it like James scratched his car, like James threw his baseball into Eric's window like he was the annoying kid brother who just couldn't take a hint that Eric didn't want him around. He walked back, watching Eric set his phone to his ear.

James whispered, "What are you doing?"

Eric frowned, deepening the line that already made a home between his brow. He hung up his phone and dialed something else. "I'm trying to order a cake."

"But Izzy said to get a cake from scratch."

"There's obviously no time for that." He spoke the way a judge dropped their gavel, final and not to be argued with. James stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Again, this was why he had a golden rule. He could imagine Eric's knuckles turning white because he had such a strangle hold on his control, on the situation and everything else.

Eric explained, "Besides, no one will know the difference. Damn-" He looked at his phone. "They're closed too."

James snorted. "We're at a vampire wedding. Everything is closed by now and you're right. We don't have enough time, but I have an idea."

#

ERIC

Eric wasn't sure what he did to deserve this cruel and unusual punishment.