Eric drops in from nowhere.
Literally. One second she's alone in a corner of the library, and the next, there's a boy with shaggy hair dropping into the seat across from her. "Um, hi?"
"Hey." His smile is wide and friendly, a bit at odds with the touch of wildness in his eyes. "You are one hard lady to find, Kelly Curtis….Malcolm."
Her smile slides off her face. Of course, it was someone that wanted to talk about her past. In the weeks since her identity had been accidentally revealed, she had been harassed by schoolmates and reporters alike. It wasn't so bad while she was in class, although she could always feel the looks sent her way. She'd had to endure toy dinosaurs left outside her dorm room, and random kids growling at her as they passed on campus.
She raised an eyebrow, "Can I help you?" Normally her frostiness would be enough to deter even the most determined of people. If not, then the threat of calling her attorney would do the trick.
Except in this case, it seems. The coldness in her voice didn't seem to bother him at all. If anything, his smile got wider, "You sound like Lex when I'm bugging her while she's working." He leaned forward to rest his forearms on the table.
He knew Lex? Kelly's mind whirred, there were only about a handful of people that knew Alexis Murphy well enough to refer to her by Lex. She took another look at the boy still regarding her closely before recognition sparked in her brain. "You're Eric Kirby." Although he was older, his face still looked mostly the same as the pictures that she'd seen while on the rare visits with her father.
"Bingo." He winked at her. "You wanna go somewhere else? It is way too stuffy in here." He started to stand up.
"What? No, I'm still studying!" Kelly spread her arms out to draw his attention to the multitude of books spread out on the table.
"You can take a break, right? Come on." He cajoles. His good mood is contagious and with very little urging, even though she has a final to prep for, and a 10 page paper due, Kelly finds herself packing up her mountains of books in order to go hang out with someone that she barely knows.
It takes her eyes a while to get readjusted to the sunlight outside. Eric takes her book bag and slings it over his shoulder like it weighs nothing. "I'm starving, what's good around here?"
After swinging by her dorm to drop off her bag, she leads him to a diner that is a favorite of hers not because of the food, but because her father loves to go there when he's in town.
"Why are you here?" She asks bluntly after they order.
Eric laughs loud and free, "Straight to the point, just like Tim said."
Her brow furrowed, "You talked to Tim about me?"
"When he said he'd met and talked to THE Kelly Malcolm, I just had to come see for myself." He teased.
She groaned, "Please tell me that he explained why I wasn't in contact. I swear, had I known-"
He waved her off, "I'm just messing with you, he explained it to us." He shifted forward in his seat, "Honestly, I think my parents were thinking of doing the same for a bit. But Doc Grant said it would be a good idea for me to be around kids that have gone through the same thing, and they pretty much worship him, so.." He shrugged.
"That sounds nice." Kelly said wistfully, "It would have been nice to have someone there to talk to about the nightmares."
"Normal shrinks didn't cut it, huh?"
"Not when you can't really explain why you're having nightmares." Kelly said bitterly, "Stupid non disclosure agreement."
Their food arrived and they both tucked in eagerly. She was unaware of how hungry she was until her plate was set down in front of her. While they ate, they talked about what they have each been up to in the years after their encounters. How at first, the nightmares were almost unbearable, but eventually how each of them were able to cope with the sleepless nights.
They also talked about their newfound notoriety amongst their respective circles.
"Oh yeah, initially I was just the kid who ran away for a few months. But of course, someone talked and then I became 'that dinosaur kid'. The name stuck all through school unfortunately." He rolled his eyes.
"I wished I could have hidden my involvement, but my dad was all over the news both times." She pushed her plate away, "I guess that's why my mom thought it would be a good idea take me out of school, move me away, and start using her last name."
"It must have helped, cause unless we spoke to Dr. Malcolm, we had no idea where you were, or what you were up to."
Kelly looked down at her plate, "All I wanted to do was spend some time with my dad, and it led to me being practically forbidden to see him."
"You know he didn't blame you, right?" Eric reached across the table to tap her hand lightly. "It wouldn't have mattered if you were there or not, something was always going to happen."
"Yeah, I know, but it doesn't make what happened any easier."
"Changing the subject now." Eric raised his eyebrows, "International law?"
"I want to make sure that companies like InGen are never allowed to skirt the letter of the law ever again. No matter where they happen to be headquartered." She paused and looked down at her plate, "My mom thinks it's foolish, that people like that will always be able to buy their way out of whatever problems they happen to stumble into, but I don't care."
"Sticking it to the man, I get that."
"Do you know what you're gonna be studying?" She asked as she finished her drink.
"Nah, not yet." He tossed her that carefree grin again, "I've got time before I decide, but I'm leaning towards Paleontology."
"Ugh, just like Tim?" She shuddered. "I can't imagine anything more horrifying than choosing to be around those things all the time."
They paid and exited the diner, still bickering over his potential field of study. "All I'm saying is, after almost being eaten a few times, I make it a point to stay far away from any prehistoric beasts. Alive or dead."
Eric laughed loudly, "So you're telling me that if you were given another chance to go back, you wouldn't? Assuming that they've straightened up their act, that is, and everything is safe. You seriously wouldn't go back?"
"Let me say it loud and clear, HELL NO." Kelly shouted the last two words into the afternoon.
"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much." Eric smirked.
"Think what you want, dinosaur boy."
He clutched at his heart theatrically, "You wound me."
"You'll live."
Kelly was actually a bit sad once they reached her dorms. Meeting Eric was like gaining another younger brother. He engulfed her in a bear hug before he left, "Don't be a stranger, okay? I know where you are, I'll find you." He threatened good-naturedly.
Later that night, she wasn't surprised to see Tim's number flash across the caller I.D. "Let me guess, you were the one who told Eric to come see me." She sprawled out on her bed, ignoring her homework for the time being.
"You don't actually tell Eric anything. The best you can do is point him in the direction you want him to go and let him loose." Tim countered with a laugh.
"Well, whatever you did, thanks. It's….nice talking to others and not having to hold back." She reluctantly admitted.
"Wait till you meet Lex, she will talk your ear off and there will be zero holding back, trust me." He promised.
"Speaking of, are you guys sure it's okay for me to stay for the entire summer? My mom is in Europe, but I'm sure my dad or Sarah won't mind if I drop in for a week or two." The Murphy siblings had offered to host Kelly for the entire summer, and knowing that her mother and other siblings would be otherwise occupied, she had accepted.
"No!" She took the phone away from her ear briefly, "I mean, no." He said, "Lex has been preparing for weeks, she can't wait to meet you. Plus it'll be great to have more people roaming around the house."
"You mean mansion."
"Whatever." It sounded like he was shuffling things around on his end of the phone. "I gotta get going, I've still got tons of papers to grade." His sigh was loud over the phone.
Kelly nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her. "I'll see you in a few weeks, okay?"
"See ya, good luck on your finals!"
She hung up and cracked open her books with renewed vigor, she had a summer of fun awaiting for her.