Last part of part two

Later that day me and Erica were sat on my bed just talking about everything. I watched her as she sat strumming one of my guitar, with the cutest look of concentration on her face, and for about the 14th time that day I was really glad that she'd been the one who gave me the tour that first day. I giggled as she once again failed to do a simple C, and got an evil glare in return.
'Here' I said with a smile as I placed my fingers over hers and guided them to the right positions, 'put your fingers like this'
'Hey, it sounded good, cool' she said with a small squeal before flashing me a smile. 'I'm getting good at this'
'Ehm, yeah, you're doing great for your first time' I said honestly.
'So' she continued and put the guitar back in its stand, 'Why didn't you tell me that you play guitar sooner, you're obviously pretty good at it'
'I don't know, its just something I've always done' I said with a shrug.
'Well, I think its cool, now on to other things, this room is really cool'
'Thanks, I cant really decide what to do with it though, I'm not good at this moving and redecorating thing'
'I can help you, I'm great at that' she replied excitedly.
'You seem to be great at a lot of things' I chuckled.
'Well, it's a curse, but someone's got to bear it' she said absent-mindedly as she walked into my closet. 'Dude, you've got a lot of clothes, and a L O T of three-quarter pants'
'Yeah I know, I like them'

I thought I heard her mutter "me too" but I wasn't sure. As she continued to rummage though my room and all the boxes I lay back on my bed and thought about the day that we'd spent together. I caught myself smiling when I thought about some of the things we'd done. All in all, I was really glad I'd found a new friend in Erica. There was one thing clouding my mind though, the secret I was hiding and how long it would take for Erica to find out about it. She seemed to be able to read me like an open book, and she was bound to read this pretty soon.

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And this chapter is just, well, I don't really know…a filler maybe.. I don't really like it..

Part three

Erica

I walked down the semi-crowded shopping-streak trying my best to avoid bumping into the people surrounding me. I was well aware of the half-smile that was plastered on my face, and it only grew bigger when I thought of the reason for it.

I had spent most of the morning trying to pinpoint the exact reason for my smile, but I simply couldn't. It as just something inside me that forced me to smile.

I let out a small giggle as I realised how weird it must look to everyone around me, but at that moment I couldn't care less. I was just happy.

After looking around yet another store and emerging with yet another pair of shoes, I decided to head for the food-court when I noticed a familiar neck in front of me. I admit that it might seem weird that I recognised Tom only by looking at the back of his head, but it was as easy as that.

He was walking about 10 feat ahead of me, seaming without a goal, but with Tom you could never know. Sometimes he just walked around for a while before heading for his actual goal, as if it was the journey and not the goal, that was of greatest importance for him.

I followed him around for a while, not wanting to intrude on him, when something struck me as a bit odd. He kept looking over his shoulder, and around him, as if looking for someone but more franticly. Suddenly he made a quick turn to the left and before I could follow him he was gone. There one minute, gone the next to say the least.

I remained at the corner for a couple of minutes trying to spot him, but when he didn't reappear I just shrugged my shoulders and kept on walking towards the café I'd decided on.

---

One café latte and one brownie later I made my way out of the shopping-centre and across the car-park over to where the bus-stop was situated. On my way there I looked up and noticed Tom again, a few cars away to my left. Deciding not to let him go this time I quickly walked up to him and placed my hand on his shoulder.

His reaction was the first thing that surprised me. He spun around with such speed it almost knocked me over, and the panicked look in his eyes over-shadowed so strongly the usual happy glint in them. For a fragment of a second he didn't seem to recognise me but then I could almost see his brain spring into action and his eyes returned from their previous frantic state to a more normal, friendly look.

'Oh hi' he said sounding almost out of breath. 'You scared me half to death'

'Yeah I can tell, are you ok Tom? I mean, you're usually not this jumpy' I said as he stood shuffling his feat in front of me.

'I'm fine, really' he answered simply. 'Its just been a long day, that's all'

'Tom, seriously, despite the fact that we haven't known each other for that long, I still know you and I know when I'm being lied to'

'Ehm…I…'

I realised that he didn't want to talk about it and for once, I decided to just let it go. Maybe he'd tell me when he felt ready. 'Don't worry about it' I said and even managed a small smile. 'Have you got your car here? Cause I so don't want to take the bus home, and it looks like its going to rain too'

'Sure, its right over here' he replied and I could see that he was grateful that I let it got that easy.

---

A while later we were both sat, as usual, next to each other on Tom's bed talking about nothing really. Tom always had music on and the choice of the day was Blink 182. I heard him hum along to the music when he wasn't talking and I knew I did the same as well. It was just one of those things that we did, sat there and sang, without really singing, together.

'Tom' I said as he got up to change the CD.

'Yes Erica' he replied in his fake stern voice that he always used when he thought that I wanted to say anything serious.

'I know we haven't known each other for too long but I really consider you one of my best friends and I just wanted you to know that of you ever need to talk I'm here for you' I blurted out quickly before thinking to myself "smooth Erica, really smooth"

'Ehm, well I feel the same way' Tom replied a bit absent-mindedly.

'Good'

'Good' he nodded.

I took him about a minute before I could hear him take a deep breath and turn towards me.

'I know I'm a pretty private person, and don't tell you too much about my life, but I have a reason for that. And I want you to know that I haven't told anyone about this, I really trust you'

'Ok, go on'

'Well you see, back where I used to live, ehm…' he started with a quiet voice. 'I kind of got into a bad crowd I suppose you can say'

'What do you mean by "bad crowd"' I asked carefully.

'I didn't know it at first, when I met them, but after a while it became clear that they we're stealing and breaking and entering and so on'

Tom managed a half-smile when he saw the shocked look on my face. 'Yeah, I don't look like it do I?'

'Well, to be honest with you, no' I replied. 'But if you didn't know, how did you find out about it then?'

'I guess I should have seen it from the start really, but I didn't. They we're always bringing home new stuff, like on a weekly basis, and threw cash around them like it was nothing. At first I just thought that they we're spoiled or something, but then one day two of them got arrested for robbing a house on the same street where I lived'

'And that didn't stop them?' I asked before I realised it was a pretty obvious question.

'No, instead they tried to put the blame on me' he said with a sigh.

'Oh no they didn't!' slipped out of my mouth before I could help it. 'Sorry, just a reflex, but really, they did?'

'Yeah, well they tried anyway. It became pretty clear after the first interview that I had nothing to do with any of it, and that's when the police asked me to testify against them, about their behaviour and things like that'

'And you did it? Wow, that's really strong of you'

'Maybe it was' he continued in a tired voice. 'But that's only where the trouble began, only three of them got arrested after my statement, which unfortunately left another four, that decided to get even on me and my family pretty much'

'And that's why you're here, I guess?'

'Yeah, the police came to the conclusion that it was safer to move all of us, as long as they are still out on the street, so we packed up everything and came here, to start a new life' he finished with another sigh.

I frowned a bit before asking him 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but right now you don't seem to happy about this. Isn't it a good thing to be away from them?'

'It would be, but its never that easy. Somehow they got hold of my email-address and now they've been sending all kinds of threats to me and stuff'

'Have you told the police about this?' I said angrily and started to pace the room. 'You have to let them know about this'

'Of course I have!' he snapped before backing down with an apologetic smile. 'Sorry, its just that all of this has left me kind of tired and worn out'

'Its ok Tom, I get it' I said as I took a seat next to him again. While thinking about what to say next I absent-mindedly put my head on his shoulder. Tom responded by placing his arm around my shoulder and holding me in a kind of half-embrace.

'I really glad you trusted me enough to tell me this' I said finally.

'Yeah, so am I'

Tom

'Lets talk about something else shall we?' I said happily, my arm still around Erica's shoulder.

'Yep, sure, what do you want to talk about then, Tommyboy?'

'I don't know, doing anything fun tonight? I asked her.

'Oh yeah' she said and sat up a little bit, causing my arm to fall of her. 'I forgot to tell you, I have a date tonight'

'Really, a date? With who?' I asked and wondered what the sinking feeling in my stomach came from.

'This guy named Jason, a friend of a friend introduced us last week' she replied with a small smile.

'Does he go to our school then?' I continued, trying my hardest to keep my actual feelings from being heard. I wasn't really ready to admit it to myself, but I suppose it was jealousy searing through me.

Though, as soon as the thought came into mind I pushed it away again. Erica is only a friend, I should be happy for her, shouldn't I?…

'No, he goes to one of the northern schools. And Tom…' she said and turned towards me, 'I'd really like you to meet him one day'

'Oh yeah, I'd like that too' I lied.

After Erica left that day I was on the phone with probably the only other person who knew all about my past, my oldest friend, Danny.

'I don't know what to do about it, I just don't like him' I said with an angry sigh.

'Mate, you haven't even met him, have you? How can you be so sure that you wont like him?'

'I just know it, ok?'

I heard Danny chuckle on the other line before adding, 'Yeah, you're not jealous, not at all'

'I am not' I replied stubbornly, 'I just have a bad feeling about him'

'Well, if you really think something is off with him, which I am not saying there is, and I am not in any way encouraging you to do anything, then meet him and talk to him a bit and then, if you still feel the same way, just talk to Erica about it'

'Yeah, ok, I like that, I'll do that' I said feeling a bit happier.