I was in bed watching TV when Eric came home-- late. He stayed out in the living room.

The tension was thick. We weren't angry at each other -- but I think we just knew we were keeping things from each other-- again. We knew each other so well, we read our thoughts and they said, "stay away."



So I knew he wasn't busy in the living room, he was simply avoiding me. And I was avoiding him. I felt weird having gotten so close to Rebecca, and Eric not even knowing she and I had ever talked.



I turned off the light. The only light in the room now was from the TV. Eric stuck his head in.



"You still awake?" he asked. I mumbled, yes.



He moved quickly to the bathroom and closed the door. Wow, I knew something was up. Eric never closed the door. He always left it open, even when he went to the bathroom. I heard the shower turn on.



*****



He came out wearing pajamas. Okay...



"Why are you wearing pajamas tonight?" I asked. He mumbled that he was cold. He got into bed, slowly -- almost like he was hurt.



I rolled over and decided to break the tension by giving him a hug.



He yelled in pain.



I was totally shocked. I turned on the light and noticed his lip was cut.



"Eric, what happened? Are you hurt?"



"I'm fine," he said. "Turn out the light."



"Eric, you're not fine... now what happened? Were you in a fight?" I lifted his pajama top and his body was covered in bruises. I gasped. He looked like he'd been in a car accident or something.



"Eric! What the hell is going on here!? Tell me right now!"



"I-- I got in a fight. I had a couple of drinks at lunch and this guy at the bar called me... called me a fag -- so I punched him. We went outside and really went at it -- the good news is, I won."



"Why didn't you call me to come get you?" I asked.



He told me he was ashamed and felt stupid, said he wanted to deal with it alone. I didn't believe him for a second. I didn't know exactly what happened but Eric Lewis hadn't picked a fight in twenty years!



Something was growing inside Eric. I knew it.



I was scared.



*****



"Eric... your parents called. They may come for a visit."



He didn't even seem to hear me. He wasn't the same person. He was someone else.