Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Nineteen

Will and Eric had been avoiding Caitlin for about a straight month, other than certain strained hellos and glares.  Eric didn't even catch rides with Griffin anymore.  And if Griffin wanted to see Eric, he had to go over to Eric's house or make sure that Caitlin wouldn't be home.  "Eric," Griffin sighed.  "This is getting ridiculous, don't you think?"

Griffin watched his blonde friend strap on his snowboard.  The first snow had come and gone and now there was finally enough snow to carve some decent runs.  "What are you talking about?" Eric asked casually.

"This!" Griffin gestured to Caitlin who was taking pictures of the landscape out by the ski hill.  "You two haven't talked for a month!  And if you think I'm going to your house again or double checking if Caitlin's home so you can come over without seeing her, you can forget it."

Eric shrugged his shoulders.  "Don't know what you're talking about man."

Griffin grabbed Eric by the arm.  "Look she told him.  And Will's acting about as bad as you.  It's not like she did anything to you.  You kissed her, which still gives me nightmares, by the way, but I accept it as a friend, and she rejected you.  Now you've got to get over it.  You guys have been friends for a while now and I can't stand to watch you ignore each other.  What did you expect?  She was dating Will, and they were totally into each other before you left.  I don't know what you have to be upset over."

Eric shrugged off Griffin's hand and all Griffin could do is watch Eric snowboard down the hill.

Obviously not the right thing to say!

***

Caitlin had accepted it.  She'd gotten over her anger at Eric for kissing her and Will's unforgiving attitude at the brief and meaningless kiss.  Caitlin didn't need that kind of grief.  She just didn't.

Christmas was coming fast and Caitlin had begun to let that idea take her focus off the Eric and Will fiasco.  The landscape pictures at the slope would hopefully pay for some of her Christmas presents.  Mr. Bailey, at the hill, said he would use them in his ads for the season if they were good enough.  Caitlin smiled in assurance.  "They'll be great Mr. Bailey!"

"Hey Caitlin!" Griffin called as he stalked over with his snowboard in hand.  "Have you seen Nikki?"

Caitlin shook her head.  The slope was teeming with kids from school and chaperoning adults.  "Nope!"

Griffin fell back onto a snow bank.  "I just tried to talk to Eric about you, but he blew me off," he sighed.

Caitlin looked at him apologetically.  "Sorry for dragging you into this mess too."

"I just don't get it.  What?  Did Eric get hit over the head before deciding to kiss you?  No offense," Griffin smiled.

"Of course not," Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Well I just don't get it.  It's not like you guys were really, really close.  I mean you were friends, but you never told him you liked him in that way did you?  You didn't even like the kiss right?"

Caitlin focused on a couple getting on a s lift, taking a couple of shots.  "Uh, no," she replied quickly.

"So why would he get so mad at you?" Griffin asked incredulously.

Slowly lowering the camera from her face, Caitlin shrugged.  "I don't know.  Maybe he's embarrassed?"

"No, he's not acting like he's embarrassed.  It's like you did or said something unforgivable, or something," Griffin explained.

Caitlin had missed Eric a lot the past month.  There was no BS between them and she loved how he could make her laugh.  Caitlin pushed the thought out of her mind.  "Griff, I've gotta go.  There's a couple of shots I want to get in before it gets dark," she lied, excusing herself to walk down the hill.

"Sure," Griff called.

Caitlin fingered her camera as she wrestled with the memory of the kiss.  It had been haunting her for weeks.

***

Eric had made himself promise to stay away from Caitlin.  First so that both he and Caitlin could calm down from their last talk; and secondly, Eric wanted to see how things panned out between Will and Caitlin. 

He had been stupid to kiss her that day.  She had been dating Will.  If he wanted to have some sort of relationship with Caitlin, it would have to be free from Will-related problems.

Eric felt the crisp snow give way under the weight of his board.  As he carved down the slope, Eric let his thoughts go as he flew down the hill.

How is this going?  Almost finished and I need some input!  Please R&R!