Okay People! This is a first! I have been involved with in a love affair with fanfiction for three years now, never straying from my beloved Sookie Stackhouse/ True Blood stories. I have probably read most stories out there more than once. This is my first attempt ever at writing and if it not received well I will continue to be a faithful reader. The 2012 I write songs contest started this idea in my head last summer and I have finally now grown the nerve to attempt to write it. It is not entered in any contest and is purely for your enjoyment. I have no Beta and no experience so all of my mistakes are my own. As of right now I plan on a series. This story (Eric's story), we have the Bill story, and Alcide, with possible offshoots here and there. It is an all human story. Please review, any help, guidance, or criticism is more than welcome. Thank you for this opportunity ~Leigh~

I have a million thoughts racing through my head as I load the baby in the car. Well he isn't really a baby anymore, as he will be three in November, that right my fat little thanksgiving baby. I finally get him in the car seat and run around the car to climb in and get going. Joshua, my oldest, who is now running late for Karate class, immediately starts talking.

"Mama, I don't wanna go. I want to play my game!"

"But Joshie you love Karate." "I know Mama but I want to go swimming."

"If you go to Karate we can go swimming when we get home."

"But I wanna go now!"

"Joshua buckle your seat beat. Why did you take it off!" Put it back on right now, this instant!"

My 5 year old turns everything into a battle. He starts talking again but my attention goes to the radio: "When I think about you I think about 17 (Eric Church, Springsteen." I turn up the volume while yelling at Joshie to be quiet and I listen to the words of the song. His name comes to find, first as a fleeting thought, than as the song continues and the versus pass….

"Funny how a melody sounds like a memory
Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night
Springsteen, Springsteen"

I am lost in the story not of my first love, but of my first romance, my first soulmate, and my first taste of the love I always read about.

11 years earlier….

Bill and I Had been broken up for 2 months now. He was with Lorena since the day after we broke up, but he swears he never cheated on me. He swears that is the reason he broke up with me… "He feel in love" while him and Lorena worked together over the past summer. He didn't mean for it to happen, but he doesn't want to hurt me and he can't be with me any longer. Blah, blah blah BLAH! I was devastated to say the least. My first boyfriend, my first, anything and everything, the man who I foolish thought I would grow up with had ripped my heart out and lit it on fire. The pain and the emptiness where unbearable. My friends and family we growing concerned. I wasn't leaving my room, or hanging out with anyone, not that I did that before, as Bill controlled every aspect of my life. I am finally beginning to understand that him breaking up with me is a good thing. I no longer have to watch my every step and conform to his expectations. I never realized how slowly he took control of every aspect of my life, in the end I had no friends who I spoke to or saw. However, as soon as Bill dumped me and word spread around the school.

My old best friends were amazingly there to pick up the pieces. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here all nervous about going to this party. Pam, Jessica, and Arlene had come over this afternoon screaming about it being enough. They wanted there friend back and we were going out. I had just gotten my car two months ago so I would drive us. I never really partied so I am the DD. I looked in the mirror one last time. Wow, I look good. My long blond hair was flowing down my back and my brown eyes looked hazely green from the eye makeup. The jeans were low barely showing the hint of the tattoo I had got just a month before (another F-U to Bill, as good southern women don't get tattoos. He never seemed to remember you take the girl our of Jersey, but you can't take Jersey out of the girl.) The top was a short, low tanktop, black lace and almost completely see through, with my black bra pronouncedly outlined. I didn't look like the Susana Stackhouse Bill always introduced me as, a quiet, shy good-girl. Instead, I looked like fun-loving Sookie Stackhouse, hot, smart, blond with the world at her fingertips. Finally deciding I look hot, "Come on girls! Let's go!"

The girls and I load into the car gossiping about who is going to be at the party, who is throwing it, and who do we know that will be there. The party is in the next town and one of the girls' boyfriend's best friend, Sam is throwing it. Sam is a nice guy, he has hit on my anytime we see each other, which is quite a bit, as his best friend is my best friends boyfriend. But I don't want to go there, constantly the four of us doing everything together just then Jessica starts in "So Sam was asking about you today. He must have texted me 5 times making sure you were still coming."

"Ugh! When will that boy get the hint?"

"I don't get you Sook, Sam is cute and he is into you, you need to hook-up with something, you still haven't moved on from Bill!"

"Jess, I am not against hooking up with someone I just don't like sam like that."

"Well why not"

"I don't know. There is no spark, he just isn't my type."

"Since when do you have a type? Bill was the only guy you dated! You need to move one and stop looking for another Bill to date."

"I am not looking for another Bill to date! In fact, I'm just looking. I want to avoid a Bill type at all cost."

"Are you sure you aren't just hoping Bill is going to take you back!"

"Take me back! What the fuck are you talking about! I would never want to get back together with him! Are you crazy? He broke my heart! I could never ever trust him again!"

"Okay, Okay Sook! Jesus calm down."

She yelled at as we pulled into the driveway of Sam's. His house set at the end of a cal-de-sac and although cars were lining the street, I pulled into the driveway when I saw there was room. We climb out and hear around the house to the back deck where we hear the music pumping, and turn the corner to see the party in full swing. The keg was on the other end of the deck, tons of people has red solo cups in the hand, standing around in circle, talking, laughing, and smoking. We through the back slider into the family room, I am following Jessica who is looking for her boyfriend Terry. Meanwhile, I look to see Pam with Arlene by her side, still outside bumming a smoke from a group of friends she knows but I don't recognize. Walking through the part and into the basement where we hear the band Terry belongs to is playing, I scan the faces seeing if I recognize anyone, I don't. I follow Jess down the stairs turning the corner in the basements where the band is set up. Jess runs into Terry's arms, as he sees her is put down the guitar he was tuning. Sam lifts his hand to wave as he is tinkering with the sound board, but I as look at Sam I see him. This guy, well man, is sitting at the drum set. He looks so tall, even just sitting there, long blond hair, piercing cerulean blue eyes, lean, muscular arms and chest. WOW I think I'm drooling. Stop fucking staring Sookie! He is going to think you are weird. I finally force myself to keep moving. I didn't even realize I stopped walking into the room when my eyes met his and I was lost in them. I should have realized then I was done for. I walk over to where Jess is now talking to Terry, he says hi to me and starts making the introductions.

"Hey Sookie! It good to finally see you out. You of course know Sam, this is Lafayette."

He says pointing to the only guy with makeup on in the room. He is at the microphone. Terry than points a few more guys, Hoyt, JB, and Andy. Finally, Terry points to the drummer who I catch is name is Eric. Eric immediate gets up and walks out of the room I can hear him taking the steps two at a time. Jess and Terry start talking about something but my mind is still on Eric. WTF? Why did he leave? Did he leave the party? Who is he? OMG he is so hot! I hear Jess,

"Sook, come on let's go get some drinks"

Jess and I head back on the deck to head to the keg for Jessica. As Jessica pours her beer my eyes go to Eric, he is standing there leaning back against the railing, a Marlboro between his long, slim fingers, his black boots crossed in front of him not wearing a shirt. I see a black tank top hanging on his shoulder and my eyes get lost on that sexy v highlighted by his low hanging black jeans.

"Hey Jess!"

I hear him say, Oh Shit, his voice, is deep and gravely, and fuck he even sounds sexy. As she turns he says

"Who's your friend?"

I am still staring at him when his eyes meet mine. I never made a conscience decision to answer him but suddenly I hear myself say,

"Hey what's up? I'm Sookie."

I am broken out of my memories by Justin screaming.

"mamama bababa"

Ugh Justin dropped his bottle. I grab the bottle, for now Eric leaves my memory, as I pull into Karate and rush to get out. Life, as it does often pulled me back to my reality, and the memory of epic love goes back to my dreams, as I days of 17 has faded by.