Chapter 3: Never Again

Taylor sighed as she sat on the grass in the park reading a book. "You're still such a reader," Eric commented, sitting next to her. Taylor shrugged.

"You know me, can't put down a good book," she answered.

Eric smiled and he laid back on the grass, looking at the sky. "How are you doing today?" She asked.

"Better," he replied.

Taylor smiled, not looking up from her book. "So what are you going to do after high school Tay?" He asked. Taylor let out a sigh and she set her book down.

"I'll be talking to an Air Force recruiter," she replied.

"Oh right…"

She looked over at him. "What about you?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Make a difference," he replied.

Taylor smiled as she leaned back on her hands. "Like how?" She asked.

"I don't know. Do something better with my life. I mean…I don't want to be stuck doing some lame job that everyone else wants to do," he replied.

Eric smiled slightly at the thought. "ERIC!" A voice called. Eric looked up.

"That'd be my foster mom, see you later, Tay," he told her.

"See ya," she answered.

She watched him go and a smile came across her face.

(Three Days Later)

Taylor was walking out of school when three guys surrounded her. "Hey, Earhardt," one guy commented.

"Excuse me, I need to get home," she answered.

"Wait, wait, wait, what's the rush?" The second guy asked.

Taylor glared at him and the other guy forced her to drop her books. "Why don't you hang around for a little while? Have some fun?" The third guy asked. Taylor suddenly felt her legs go numb with fear.

"Excuse me," a voice commented.

The first guy looked over his shoulder and a punch landed on his jaw, knocking him to the ground. A side kick hit the second guy in the stomach and a jump front kick hit the other guy in the chin. "Now get out of here!" Eric snapped. The three guys jumped up and ran away and shocked that they were beaten by a thirteen-year-old. Eric looked over at Taylor to see her sitting on the ground. He walked over and helped her up, hugging her tight. "You're okay," he assured her. Taylor let out a sob and she buried her face into his neck.

"I'm so glad you came," she sobbed.

"Of course I came, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise," he assured her.

(Two Weeks Later)

Taylor looked around the gym at the junior high dance, trying to find Eric. She bit her lip and she pushed her hair behind her ear. "You like him, don't you?" Her friend, Melanie, asked. Taylor looked up.

"Of course I do, he's my friend," she replied.

"You think of him more than a friend," Melanie insisted.

"Shut up Mel. I do not."

Taylor looked up when Eric finally came through the doors and she noticed that he had that familiar look in his eye. Something was wrong. "Eric," she called. She got up and walked over to him. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine," he replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Taylor, I'm fine."

Taylor backed off, knowing that's Eric's way of saying he didn't want to talk about it. "Hey you guys! Picture time!" Melanie laughed. They rolled their eyes. But then Eric wrapped his arm around Taylor's shoulder and Taylor wrapped her arm around Eric's waist. They pressed their heads together and smiled slightly. Melanie took the picture and the picture came out. "You guys look great!" She commented. Eric took the picture and looked at it.

"Well, what do you think Earhardt?" He asked.

"Looks good to me Myers," she replied.

Eric grinned slightly and he stuck the picture in his shirt pocket. "Taylor…I need to talk to you," he informed. He grabbed her hand and led her away.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Eric sighed and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Something's happened…" he replied.

"What?" She asked.

"My foster parents have been saving up to give me the best education out there…" he started.

"And?"

"And they're sending me to some prep school."

"You're going to go?"

"I have to."

"So after five years of wondering where you've been, I'm going to wonder that again?"

Eric sighed and he looked at the floor. "When will I see you again?" She asked. He stared at the floor. "Eric?" She asked.

"To be honest I don't know if you and I will ever see each other again," he replied.

Taylor forced her tears back. She wasn't going to cry, she never cried, not matter what it was. The only time she really cried was when her dad died. Eric sighed as he finally lifted his eyes from the floor and he looked at her. "When do you leave?" She asked.

"The day after tomorrow," he replied.

She bit her lip and she lowered her head. "Don't cry, Tay," he insisted.

"Who says I'm crying?" She asked.

"You're staring at the floor."

Taylor lifted her head to look at him and Eric saw the tears glistening in her eyes. "Come here," he murmured. He pulled her into a friendly embrace and he placed his chin over her head, closing his eyes. She placed her head on his chest and let out a shaky sigh.

(The Day After Tomorrow)

Eric's stuff was put in the back of the car and Taylor stood on the curb with her arms crossed over her chest. "Is this how our goodbye's going to be? You just standing there like a statue?" He asked. She bit her tongue, if she spoke she would start crying.

"Well…how about this? Goodbye, Eric," she answered.

Eric reached out and he grabbed her arm. "Don't touch me," she snapped. Eric made her turn around and he hugged her tight. She fought against him for a second, but then she hugged him back. After a couple of minutes, Eric pulled back.

"See ya in another life, Earhardt," he told her.

He turned and headed to the car. "See ya, Myers," she answered. She watched as the car drove off and she ran back to the house.