Eric Marks had volunteered to show the new girl Haley Kain around school so he was waiting in the main office for her to arrive. When she arrived he knew who she was immediately. She had a distinctive limp and she looked a little bit lost. He saw her hair was tied back in a loose pony tail that curled around the nape of her neck and her bangs hung above the largest blue eyes he had ever seen. It surprised him that she was pretty. Later he wouldn't be able to pinpoint the reason why that would seem weird to him.
"Eric come here." Mrs. Kohl called out to him.
"Eric is your assigned guide for the week. He will meet you outside of your classes ten minutes before the bell rings until the doctor says you are released from your rehabilitation on your hip." Haley nodded and when she turned to him and she laid her eyes on him he smiled just a little.
"Come on I'll show you where your locker is." Eric reached over and plucked her backpack from the floor by her feet.
"I can carry that." She protested hotly.
"I know you could. I want to carry it." At that Haley didn't know what to say so she followed the guy. He held the door for her and once in the hallway he seemed to part the crowds of strangers like Moses parted the red sea. After the halls cleared out a little bit he walked next to her telling her where everything was at. It gave her a chance to notice the glances and waves aimed at him and she realized this was not a nerd on newbie duty. It made her a little suspicious.
Like clockwork Eric was at the door after every class ten minutes before the bell every class. After one of her last classes for the day she was limping worse than earlier in the day. He noticed and slowed down so she wouldn't try to go too fast. He could tell she was in pain.
After the last class of the day he wasn't supposed to meet her at her class but he did. He knew how far the bus was.
"Hey, I could give you a lift home. I have a car so it's no big deal but the bus is kind of far from here. Come on, I'll give you a lift home."Haley nodded and didn't say much of anything. He took her bag and when they got to the parking lot he left her at the sidewalk and ran to get his car before the bell rang and the parking lot was full of teenagers. He pulled up in front of her just as the bell rang out. Haley got in and shut the door. She closed her eyes for a moment and wiped the tears that threatened to run down her face away.
Haley gave him directions to her house and she noticed the looks they got leaving the parking lot. Wondering why he was taking her home instead of letting her miss the bus and find her own way home. Haley looked at him as they pulled up to her house. Feeling a little awkward, she didn't know what to say when he opened her door and grabbed out her backpack. She got out of the car and almost fell. She caught herself on the car door as he caught her around the waist.
"Are you okay?" Embarrassed, she wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground. Nodding
"Uh huh, I think so." She didn't really think so but as long as she didn't fall on her face she was good. She felt her face turning pink when he didn't let go of her right away. She figured he didn't want her to fall and make a scene or something so she let him help her up the stairs to her house.
Once there he watched her open the door and he put the bag inside the door and smiled at her.
"You okay to get in on your own?" He seemed to genuinely care that she not take a header down the stairs and she nodded and smiled.
"Yes, I'll manage." She stepped up into the door stoop and turned around to look at him.
"Eric, thanks. I don't know if I would have made it today without you." Eric smiled and nodded.
"What time shall I pick you up in the morning?"Haley was surprised and smiled unexpectedly.
"You want to take me to school tomorrow?""Yeah, I mean you'll have the same walk to the bus stop and the bus itself otherwise. That's a crappy way to start the day. You are on my way home so it's no big deal."