"Are you OK sweetheart?"
"Uh...y-yeah mom...sure..."
"C'mon champ, eat up! Your mother put a lot of effort into that meal, and it's good!"
"Awwww...thanks honey...Muah! C'mon Eric! Eat up!"
Eric sighed. Spaghetti and meatballs. Usually he loved his mother's food - simple, delicious, healthy...but tonight, he had no appetite.
Mr. Wintergreen leaned over and rubbed his son's wrist.
"What's the matter, son?"
"It's nothing, dad..."
"At school..."
Eric KICKED his little brother under the table. NO. Timothy was absolutely NOT allowed to tell their parents what happened at school! They would kill him!
"At school what, sweetheart?" Mrs. Wintergreen asked.
"...Uh, we had a fire-drill today", said Eric, sheepishly.
"Oh that must've been exciting!"
Actually, they hadn't had anything, but Eric wished they did. Anything at all to distract him from what was coming tomorrow.
He finished his spaghetti and headed upstairs.
"We didn't have a fire-drill!" Timothy said, "Jake Howlson was gonna..."
"Don't you DARE tell mom and dad about Jake Howlson!" Eric snapped. The last thing he wanted was for his parents to find out that the biggest bully in school had stolen his iPhone that he'd gotten just a month before for his tenth birthday!
"But..."
"NO!" said Eric to his little brother.
They parted ways at the landing, Timmy going to his room, and Eric going into his room. He shuffled inside, slammed the door and collapsed into his computer-chair next to his bedroom window.
"Y'know, you should give Timmy a kiss or...I dunno...somethin'. He was only tryin' to help..."
"AH!!"
Eric YELPED and spun around!
Slouching casually on the bed behind him, stretched out and looking extremely comfortable and relaxed, was a tall, blonde boy with sharp, strong features and dazzling blue eyes.
"I...Oh God!" he groaned.
"That's m'name! Don't wear it out, bruh..."
"Flavius go away! I'm in no mood for your magic tricks right now..."
"Hey hey hey!" said Flavius, cutting him off. "ONE - I don't do 'magic tricks'. And TWO - Don't forget who you're talkin' to, boy! You don't order ME around! Don't forget who's covered your ass since you were two, and you spilled soup all over the dining room floor!"
"...Sorry Flav, I'm just...I really..."
Flavius shifted on the bed, and picked up a fat, squishy owl named Pumpernickel.
"What's the matter, bruh?" Flavius asked. "Or perhaps I should ask Pumpy here? Yo, Pumpz, what's up with Eric, huh?"
"FLAVIUS!!"
"Hey, you wanna get rid of me, you tell me what's eatin' you up inside, 'kay?"
"FINE!!...I...It's Jake Howlson..."
"Ohhh...OK cool. Who's Jake Howlson?"
"What do you mean WHO is JAKE HOWLSON? He's only been bullying me and beating me up for the last three years!"
"Oooh, that Jake...dude, just ignore him..."
"He's a FOOT TALLER THAN I AM!"
"So am I..."
"Yeah but you don't beat me up if I don't..."
"Hehehehehe..."
"Flavius it's NOT FUNNY! He stole my iPhone! Dad'll KILL me if he finds out I lost it!"
"Y'know I could help you out, right..."
"Oh god..."
"Hey if you don't want me to, I'll just piss off now..."
"NO NO NO NO NO!!! Wait!" said Eric, jumping out of his computer-chair and rushing to the bed, "Flavius no! No I'm sorry! Don't! I...would you really?"
"Sure...if you want me to..."
Flavius smirked and held out a hand. On his middle finger was a large, gold, diamond-set ring with a phoenix on it.
Eric knelt. He bowed and kissed the ring.
"...Yes...Your Majesty..."
"Hehehehe...attaboy!" said Flavius, ruffling his hair, "That's more like it...so, how do you want me to help you out, huh buddy? Do my own thing with him, or just get your phone back, or what...?"