Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me…they just lead me around
by my nose!
Pairings: C/E, with little bits of C/W
1 Chapter Four
Eric sat through Chem miserable and angry. 'Who could have done this?'
He could feel someone's eyes on him. He turned to his left and caught Caitlin's eye. She turned away quickly. 'What was that about?'
~~~
"Hey Griff?" Eric called to his lifelong friend.
"Yeah?" Griffin stopped on the doorsteps of the high school.
"Has your dad heard anything more about the guys who killed our field?"
Griffin shrugged sympathetically. "I'm sorry. It's the same story. Grey horse with a black mark on his hind quarters and two guys, one in a red hoodie and the other in a black."
Eric slumped down on the stairs of the school. "Man," he sighed. "First the cattle, then the barley. We just can't cut a break!"
Griffin sat down beside him. "Dude, I'm sure my dad will find out who did this to your field. I'm sure."
"What are you guys doing sitting on the stairs? You're going to miss the bus," Caitlin called from the top of the stairs.
"We're just trying to figure out who did this to Eric's field. There can't be too many grey palmettos around."
Caitlin seemed to be awfully quiet, thought Eric.
"Yeah, well, I'm just trying to make Eric feel better about the cattle and the fields," Griffin explained.
"Yeah," Eric sighed. "I don't think my dad can take much more stress. He's angry all the time now. And if he's not angry he's tired. I've never seen him like this."
Eric hated laying out his feelings like this, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. His head felt like it was going to explode.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Griffin asked.
"Dude, thanks for offering, but I'm just waiting for your dad to catch the guys."
***
Griffin told Eric to meet him outside of the malt shop. "What do you want?" Eric asked, running up to Griffin.
Griffin pointed to Will in the back alley, talking to the cook of the malt shop.
"Yeah, so? What do I care if Will is eating or not?" Eric asked.
Griffin put his finger to his lips, signalling to be quiet. "Do you notice what is behind him?" Griffin motioned with his head.
Eric seemed to gaze past Will. His face seemed to tense. "Man! That's that grey horse! Will did it man! He did it! I can't believe it. I'm gonna kill him!"
Griffin, pulled him back. "We don't know for sure though. I mean, there could be other horses."
"I know it was him! Besides, what other horse has a black mark on his hindquarters? But who's the other guy?"
Griffin spaced out for a second. Or really more like, zone in. Caitlin. She had been missing that afternoon. And she does have a red hoodie. "Eric, I have to go for a second. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Eric smirked. "Of course not."
***
Griffin walked into the malt shop and spotted Caitlin at the jukebox. He tapped her on the shoulder. She had a big huge smile, which meant she didn't expect to see Griffin there. "Oh, hey," she grunted.
"Hey yourself. So where were you a couple of days ago? You missed taping our World record attempt." Come on Griff, be smooth about this. We gotta get some proof first.
"I was out. Look, it's not like you guys would have done it anyway," she dismissed.
"Hey, I happen to know, that Eric could have done it…if he hadn't been feeling well…" his voice trailed off. 'I'm getting side tracked,' Griffin chided himself. "Well, were you hanging out with Will?" he asked, casually. He hoped.
"Maybe. Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"Cuz Caitlin," he let out a deep breath. It was time to confront her. "I know you and Will were the ones who made the crop circles in Eric's field. You have been acting weird with Eric the past couple of days and I just saw Will with his grey palmetto. Caitlin, how could you do this to Eric? He's your friend."
"You don't get it. You don't know anything about it. It was just a prank. It's not like I knew it was Eric's field!" she exclaimed.
Griffin pressed on. "Caitlin, Will is a bad influence. I mean, your head is in a good place now. You don't need him dragging you down. He doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself. I mean, does he even care that he's done over a thousand dollars worth of damage to Eric's dad's crop?"
Caitlin walked away. "Look Griffin, he's a good friend. You just don't know him."
"Yeah, well I know you. And I know you would have never done it, let alone thought it up if it hadn't been for Will. You'd better figure out who your friends are before you lose them all. I don't think Eric will take to lightly to the fact that you helped Will destroy part of their season's crop."
"Griffin, stop it. I feel bad about it. I do. I just…I just can't stop seeing Will. He knows me and I know him."
"I don't think you know him half as well as you'd like to think. And what kind of friend would drag you into something that would put you in jail, or if not jail, make you lose all that you've worked hard for?"
Griffin had nothing else to say and walked out.
***
Please R&R! I hope you guys like it! I've enjoyed writing it!
Pairings: C/E, with little bits of C/W
1 Chapter Four
Eric sat through Chem miserable and angry. 'Who could have done this?'
He could feel someone's eyes on him. He turned to his left and caught Caitlin's eye. She turned away quickly. 'What was that about?'
~~~
"Hey Griff?" Eric called to his lifelong friend.
"Yeah?" Griffin stopped on the doorsteps of the high school.
"Has your dad heard anything more about the guys who killed our field?"
Griffin shrugged sympathetically. "I'm sorry. It's the same story. Grey horse with a black mark on his hind quarters and two guys, one in a red hoodie and the other in a black."
Eric slumped down on the stairs of the school. "Man," he sighed. "First the cattle, then the barley. We just can't cut a break!"
Griffin sat down beside him. "Dude, I'm sure my dad will find out who did this to your field. I'm sure."
"What are you guys doing sitting on the stairs? You're going to miss the bus," Caitlin called from the top of the stairs.
"We're just trying to figure out who did this to Eric's field. There can't be too many grey palmettos around."
Caitlin seemed to be awfully quiet, thought Eric.
"Yeah, well, I'm just trying to make Eric feel better about the cattle and the fields," Griffin explained.
"Yeah," Eric sighed. "I don't think my dad can take much more stress. He's angry all the time now. And if he's not angry he's tired. I've never seen him like this."
Eric hated laying out his feelings like this, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. His head felt like it was going to explode.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Griffin asked.
"Dude, thanks for offering, but I'm just waiting for your dad to catch the guys."
***
Griffin told Eric to meet him outside of the malt shop. "What do you want?" Eric asked, running up to Griffin.
Griffin pointed to Will in the back alley, talking to the cook of the malt shop.
"Yeah, so? What do I care if Will is eating or not?" Eric asked.
Griffin put his finger to his lips, signalling to be quiet. "Do you notice what is behind him?" Griffin motioned with his head.
Eric seemed to gaze past Will. His face seemed to tense. "Man! That's that grey horse! Will did it man! He did it! I can't believe it. I'm gonna kill him!"
Griffin, pulled him back. "We don't know for sure though. I mean, there could be other horses."
"I know it was him! Besides, what other horse has a black mark on his hindquarters? But who's the other guy?"
Griffin spaced out for a second. Or really more like, zone in. Caitlin. She had been missing that afternoon. And she does have a red hoodie. "Eric, I have to go for a second. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Eric smirked. "Of course not."
***
Griffin walked into the malt shop and spotted Caitlin at the jukebox. He tapped her on the shoulder. She had a big huge smile, which meant she didn't expect to see Griffin there. "Oh, hey," she grunted.
"Hey yourself. So where were you a couple of days ago? You missed taping our World record attempt." Come on Griff, be smooth about this. We gotta get some proof first.
"I was out. Look, it's not like you guys would have done it anyway," she dismissed.
"Hey, I happen to know, that Eric could have done it…if he hadn't been feeling well…" his voice trailed off. 'I'm getting side tracked,' Griffin chided himself. "Well, were you hanging out with Will?" he asked, casually. He hoped.
"Maybe. Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"Cuz Caitlin," he let out a deep breath. It was time to confront her. "I know you and Will were the ones who made the crop circles in Eric's field. You have been acting weird with Eric the past couple of days and I just saw Will with his grey palmetto. Caitlin, how could you do this to Eric? He's your friend."
"You don't get it. You don't know anything about it. It was just a prank. It's not like I knew it was Eric's field!" she exclaimed.
Griffin pressed on. "Caitlin, Will is a bad influence. I mean, your head is in a good place now. You don't need him dragging you down. He doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself. I mean, does he even care that he's done over a thousand dollars worth of damage to Eric's dad's crop?"
Caitlin walked away. "Look Griffin, he's a good friend. You just don't know him."
"Yeah, well I know you. And I know you would have never done it, let alone thought it up if it hadn't been for Will. You'd better figure out who your friends are before you lose them all. I don't think Eric will take to lightly to the fact that you helped Will destroy part of their season's crop."
"Griffin, stop it. I feel bad about it. I do. I just…I just can't stop seeing Will. He knows me and I know him."
"I don't think you know him half as well as you'd like to think. And what kind of friend would drag you into something that would put you in jail, or if not jail, make you lose all that you've worked hard for?"
Griffin had nothing else to say and walked out.
***
Please R&R! I hope you guys like it! I've enjoyed writing it!
