wrapped up tight

Eric hadn't expected a package. It was laying on his bed when he got home from school. It had came in the mail, actually. He never got snail mail.

And then he saw it was from Olivia. He smiled. There wasn't an occasion to be had. Wasn't it Lent? Not that he was on Lent, evidently with all the happenings with Ellie. He sat himself down with the package, wrapped in a grocery bag. Eric ripped it open. She'd sent him a T-shirt with Pepsi on it. He'd been sending her e-mail about how much Pepsi he'd been drinking of late trying to keep up with her online. She'd made him a CD mix too. Nobody had ever done that. He was shocked, yet pleased. Then of course there were lots of Charleston Chews.

Hey you,

You will tell me what's bothering you, won't you?
You just don't seem yourself. My luck, you don't even like
Charleston Chews. Hope you feel better soon. You will have a life
after high school.

Stay sweet. Stay you.

Peace,

O


Eric caught his breath. He felt as if an iceberg was sitting on his chest. What was wrong with him? He knew he was cheating on Olivia. He just knew it. Or was it the other way around? This felt like an awful thing, and it hadn't felt right being back with Ellie. It hadn't. Everything had changed.