The Golden Rule

Chapter Twelve: Silk

JAMES

"You were homecoming king, weren't you?" James asked, looking through every window. 

He alternated every few seconds, taking in Eric's home town. There were fields here. Actual fields being used and everything. James could have sworn he had seen this place in a greeting card. Just like this, while all the trees were changing colors, bursting with brilliant orange and red colors. It was a small town hidden between the trees.

Before he could answer, James corrected himself, "Wait, wait, prom king too, am I right?" Eric was busy waving at absolutely everyone they passed. People honked their horns. They cheered. It was like traveling with a celebrity. They even stopped by the grocery store to pick up some flowers and the cashier just offered the bouquet for free. Yet, Eric insisted on paying. James bought wine, technically as a gift but it was really for more selfish reasons.

"Yes. You got me." Eric chuckled, the length of the road trip weighing on his shoulders. Still, he humored James. James who wanted to keep talking. If he kept talking, he couldn't think and if he couldn't think, he couldn't stress over meeting Eric's family and his entire pack and, James guessed, every person in this damn town.

"Oh my god," James fell back against his seat, shaking his head. He reached over as if he'd been doing it his whole life and played with the ends of Eric's hair. He rested his hand on Eric's neck and twisted the ends. He sighed, wistfully. "Eric Silva was a jock."

"No." Eric shook his head, not that he was mad, but he did raise his voice. "No. No."

"Oh, I think you were. Football. Please," James begged as they drove farther from the town. "Tell me you played football."

"No. I was in the student council and actually, I graduated early."

"Ha!" A big laugh escaped James and even he was surprised. He grinned and by this point, his cheeks were aching. He laughed, "You were a big nerd."

"Okay, Mr. Cool, what did you do in high school?" He turned it back on James.

"I don't like to brag, but I was home schooled."

Eric's lips curled. "I could have guessed that."

James' mouth dropped so far down, it detached and it dragged behind the car. James shoved Eric as he laughed and laughed. Heat crawled up James' neck as he continued to hit Eric. "Someone brought jokes today! Is that why you had a spare bag? You finally unpacked all that humor? Have you been holding out on me, Silva?"

These sweet comebacks did not deter Eric from yucking it up all the way off the nice paved road to a gravel road. The car vibrated, shaking everything inside the car. Even the radio was thrown around from Eric's chosen old rock station to static and back. James peered closer out the window. Behind the layers of tree and wood, there were houses.

Finally, he looked forward at the massive rustic mansion approaching. This secret home in the woods was at least three stories and a mix of stone and wood. It was aglow with plenty of warm lighting from the porch and the inside. All the windows were wide and welcoming. There were two entrances from the bottom floor and a flight of stairs. A group of kids were racing each other to the bottom.

"Who are they?" James asked, his hands already sweating.

"Leo, my younger brother is trailing behind," as Eric was explaining the other kids, James took special note of the brother. Leo must be going through that phase every teen went through, wearing all black and a sort of worn out hoodie. He wore a skullcap over a mop of black hair and his arms were firmly crossed.

"I'm sorry," Eric said and James blinked up at him. He made a guilty face as he pulled the car next to someone else's Jeep. He explained and turned off his car. "Looks like they can't wait until we get upstairs." He motioned behind James, who turned and saw even more people coming down the stairs. James' stomach caved in on itself. He was not prepared. Definitely not prepared. James was frozen.