Chapter 11

I'm going to be off school for like 2 weeks, so I'll give you some longer chapters! Anyway, this one will probably be short too, but I'll make it as long as I can considering. I just want to get this chapter up!

"Keely?" Eric questioned feebly.

"What? Oh h Eric," Keely had clearly been crying. She looked an awful mess.

"Um, I know you think I'm here to defend Phil. I'm not. I'm here to get you out of this hole you've dug for yourself," Eric held out a hand and a smile. She took it and returned his smile with a tiny upturn of the corners of her mouth.

"Where are we going?" Keely asked. She had changed clothes and washed her face. She looked immeasurably better.

"Uh...where do you want to go?" he asked with a grin.

"Italy!" Keely exclaimed.

"Ha, ha, ha. You're hilarious. Seriously, anywhere you want to go. It has to be in the country though!" Eric laughed.

"Okay, uh...how about...ice cream?" Keely asked with a sweet face.

"To start...right?" Eric asked. He laughed when Keely's face lit up. "Oh, you thought I dragged your happy ass out of that house to take you for ice cream? No, no, no, no, no. We are going anywhere within the state or any close states that you have ever had a desire to visit, see or are even slightly curious about! Can you live with that? Eh?" Eric heaved a huge fake sigh and Keely nodded, grinning.

Eric drove to the Baskin Robbins, and had the two of the biggest ice creams you can imagine. (A/N Okay, so not THAT big...)

"Where to?" Eric asked, pulling the car door closed.

"Shoes?" Keely blinked innocently.

"As you wish, mi'lady," Eric stated.

They pulled into a parking space at a very high-in shoestore. Keely barely waited for Eric to stop the car before leaping out.

"Ooo! I like those!" Keely cried.

"We're not even inside yet!" Eric sighed, exasperated.

"Those too! And those, and definitely these," Keely squealed with delight.

"Aggh," Eric grunted.

"Holy--" Eric started. "Ah, ah, ah. No profanity near the shoes," Keely grinned at Eric's death glare.

"How many shoes can you have?" Eric stared at the quickly growing pile of shoes, amazed.

"Um, about three-thousand...maybe four," Keely replied simply.

Keely sat on the chair next to the pile and tried on every pair. About half of them fit and the others, she sent Eric to find the right size. He found about half of those.

"My God. How can you be a size 6 in these and a size 8 in these? And what's up with this wide or narrow crap?" Eric held up two shoes from separate pairs.

"Sixes are men's and eight's are women's..." Keely explained.

"You wear man-shoes? Ha ha. Man-shoes, that's funny," Eric laughed goofily.

Keely blinked several times and stared laughing hysterically.

They exited the store, both of them laden with bags and bags of shoes. Keely even picked a few pairs out for Eric.

"Hey, these are awesome!" Eric grinned at the bowling-style shoes he was holding up.

"What can I say? I know shoes," Keely smirked.

They stuffed all of the bags into the car and hopped in.

"What now?" Keely questioned.

"You're the boss-lady. I should be asking you," Eric replied.

"Food?" Keely faked a look of starvation.

"You got it," Eric turned the key and the familiar hum shook the car.

"Uh...the John Bacon's Burger," Eric told the waiter with a wink. The waiter blushed and walked away.

"Eric!" Keely glanced at him.

"Yeah, I'm gay. No, just flirting for fun. Dianne thinks it's funny," Eric grinned. (He smiles alot...)

"So anyway, how are you doing Keely?" Eric looked concerned.

"Fine," Keely said shortly. She clearly didn't want to talk about this, but Eric knew he had to get her to anyway.

"Keely," Eric said in a warning tone.

"I am devastated okay? I feel so used and he lied to me. Right in front of me. Smiling like nothing was wrong! I wanted to wipe that look off his face. I feel bad for hitting him, but that--that AGG!" Keely fumbled, frustrated.

Eric had moved to her side of the booth and offered a hug. She cried on his shoulder as he stroked her hair.

"Shh..It's okay," he muttered into her hair.

They ate, without much talking and Eric took Keely home.

"Thank you," Keely looked thankful as well as sounded it.

"Any time," Eric smiled.

Keely walked up her driveway and into the house.

First thing, clean room! Keely thought to herself as she stepped over the pile of clothes and jumk on her floor. She turned on the light and gasped. The bed was clean...and overflowing with notes and flowers. She crept as quickly as was possible with all the crap on the floor and opened the first note. It was a large envelope, right on top. It read:

I'm sorry.

As Eric pulled out of the driveway, he sighed. Shit.

Here it is! I know way too long and way too little. Sorry bout the cliffy but I am an evil empress! REVIEW people please! I'll be back!