Page 62 (1/2)

I sat down on the blanket box "But you were unfair today You…if you did that to any of your knights, you’d be dishonourably discharged, Mike That was flat-out abuse, and you know it"

He looked at Morg; she shrugged and slinked backward, closing ht But--" He huffed and sat down beside me "Can you blame me, really?"

I folded ht you had more honour than that"

In the reflection ofa little taller,hiue this Jason thing, I--"

"Where is he?" I asked "Did you leave hi room, or did you at least have him moved?"

"He’s in the Medic room"

My heart shattered "Medic room! What did you do to hiained consciousness yet"

"Oh, my God!" I stood up "Mike!"

"He’ll be fine, look--" He stood up and grabbed "

"No I have to go see hihtened on "

"What?" I screeched "What do youand he’s outside, right noaiting for a taxi"

"Why?"

Mike shrugged and openedto tell onna leave"

"Why? Why would he do that?"

"He hates goodbyes, Ara He didn’t want to upset you--or more to the point, have to see you upset"

"No! If he’s leaving, he can daoodbye" I stormed out of the roo up on the front doorstep "What are you doing?"

"Ara?" He looked up at Mike as he caetaway"

"A clean getaway?" I said "Eric, you don’t etaways from your friends"

"I’oodbyes"

"But what about me? What if I wanted to?" I turned away so he wouldn’t see ravel as Eric’s hand caot signed This a great opportu--"

"What?" I spun around

"I--" He toed the ground "We got a contract with a really huge record label, and--"

I cut his words off with !"

"Yeah" He laughed, patting my back "I know So, please don’t be upset I never wanted to leave you, but…this isn’t really ed into all this, and, I mean, I’ll always be a friend, but…"

"You have a life to live" I nodded

"Yeah" His lip twitched on one corner

"Then go" I patted his shoulder and nodded to the taxi "This is why I disbanded the Sets, Eric I want nothing more than for you to have your freedom"

"See, that’s exactly why I didn’t wanna tell you I was leaving"

"Why?"

"Because, you’re such a great girl, Amara, and I…I owe you--"

"You owe me? Eric, I think I--"

"No, seriously" He stopped me "Look at it fromfor a way to escape this prison--watching people rise to faot a sound that could rock the world You’ve given me the freedom to live that dream, Ara I owe you, and I really didn’t wanna "

"Well, Eric, it’ll o--" I gave him an affectionate shove "Go rock the world"

He dropped his bag and wrapped his arround "Thank you, Ara"

"Don’t thank me Just…make sure you send a postcard every ten years or so Okay?"

"I will, I prorinned

"I love you, Eric I’llwith the size of the lu "I’ll see ya ‘round"

"Yeah See ya ‘round" I nodded, slipping my hands into my back pockets as Eric hopped into the taxi, closed the door and disappeared out of my life

Mike’s solid for oodbye" He looked into the distance and waved

TheNot a creature was stirring, not even a ghost of the past I wandered through the open spaces, down lengthy corridors, bare feet over cold ground, carrying a sandwich and a cup of juice When I reached the stairs, the grandfather clock in the coht, and the front door popped open, eyes of surpriseout of bed this late?" Jason said, closing the door

"I could ask you the sa" I stepped back off the stairs and wandered over to him "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah" He wiped his thu a splotch of blood "Notit in his "

My lips fell apart with the drop ofat ry anymore" I shoved the plate into his chest and dumped the cup in his hand