Sunday Evening, the Mance's place. There's a knock on the door of Eric's room.
ERIC: Come in.
"Hey"
ERIC: Bonnie? (Surprised, laying on his bed with a T-shirt and undershorts on, closing the book he was reading)
BONNIE: What's up? (Closing the door behind her)
ERIC: I'm good... I'm just... oh shit! (He glances at his undershorts, glances back at her then rushes to his closet to grab a pair of pants.
BONNIE: I'm so sorry. I... err, I'll wait outside.
ERIC: Don't worry, not necessary. (Fitting into a pair of ash sweatpants)
BONNIE: Sorry again.
ERIC: It's okay. (He scoffs) You can sit. (Pulling out his study chair)
BONNIE: Thanks. (Sitting down, looking around) neat room.
ERIC: Haha, you're just lucky to meet it after I cleaned up.
BONNIE: At least you remember to clean your room... unlike someone I'm related to.
ERIC: You gonna throw shades at Tyler like that? (He chuckles) Uhm... I baked cookies, may I get you some? I hope Elvis hasn't eaten them all.
BONNIE: Thank you, but I'm good.
ERIC: Okay... so... what's up?
BONNIE: You were playing the piano some minutes ago, I could hear it from my room.
ERIC: Was it too loud?
BONNIE: No, no... it was good, I like it.
ERIC: Thanks... was thinking about my sister so I felt like playing. (He pauses) Three weeks ago it looked like she was recovering, now I dunno what's going on. Could it be that she's dead and the doctors have been lying to us?
BONNIE: Eric.
ERIC: Yeah?
BONNIE: She's not dead.
ERIC: But it's...
BONNIE: Eric... Elena's not dead.
ERIC: She's been in the hospital for too long.
BONNIE: I know. But just a reminder... people stay in a coma for over two years and they still wake. Elena's barely three months. (She goes to sit with him on the bed) All I'm trying to say is... remain positive. I'm very certain that Elena's not dead.
She places her palm on his and their eyes are fixed on each other for a couple of seconds before Eric breaks the silence.
ERIC: Uhm... (coughs) ...thanks for the kind words.
BONNIE: Yeah. (Going back to sit on the chair)
ERIC: Sorry for bothering you with my problems, you obviously came here for something else.
BONNIE: Yeah, about that... my boyfriend and I recently set up a band.
ERIC: Music band?
BONNIE: Yeah, everything is set... so far. We've got a manager, Louis. Social media handler which is Laura...
ERIC: I dunno the people you're mentioning.
BONNIE: Haha, right! Sorry.
ERIC: Wait, Laura? Your best friend?
BONNIE: Yeah, you know her?
ERIC: I remember her from my sister's party last year and she was around during Halloween.
BONNIE: That's true, I guess she remembers you too. As I was saying... we've got songwriters: my boyfriend and I...
ERIC: Couple goals, huh? (Bonnie chuckles)
BONNIE: We've got a guitarist, still my boyfriend.
ERIC: Splendid.
BONNIE: And we've got a drummer.
ERIC: Your boyfriend?
BONNIE: Haha, no that's Dylan. But we need one more member or candidate.
ERIC: You missed the chance to day 'Bandidate'.
BONNIE: Perfect word. (They share a laugh)... we need a keyboardist.
ERIT: I see where this is going.
BONNIE: Would you like to join Faded Flames? Oh yeah, that's what our band is called.
ERIC: Would you be mad if I said no?
BONNIE: Nope, but it would be disappointing.
ERIC: Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you.
BONNIE: Hmm... okay. Can you at least tell me why?
ERIC: I'm not interested in any band stuff, at least not right now.
BONNIE: I understand, you've got a lot going on.
ERIC: Talking about my sister's condition? Nah, I'm not gonna use that as an excuse. The thing is, I don't fancy musical groups, no reason in particular, it's just not my thing. I'd rather sing, play the piano and rock my guitar on my own... solo.
BONNIE: Wow. (Glancing at his guitar leaning on the wall, a few inches from the piano) You're a guitarist as well? You'd be our best candidate... I mean candidate. Think about it, Eric.
ERIC: I'm sorry, Bonnie.
BONNIE: Alright. It was nice talking to you, have a nice day. (She gets up and walks out of his room).
ERIC: Okay, that ended awkwardly. But she said she wouldn't be mad. (Talking to himself after she had left) Perhaps that's how she reacts to disappointments. (He exhaled, going back to the book he was reading)
Three days later, Cleave Hills High.
MR DERING: Let's take the value of pi to he 3.14, calculate the volume of the cylindrical shape if the diameter is 13cm and the height is the square root of 81. Leave your answer in the nearest whole number...
ERIC: 1,201cm cube. (He answers before the teacher is even done talking)
MR DERING: You need to be theoretical, Eric. Explain how you arrived at your answer.
ERIC: My bad... okay, first of all, the formula for calculating the volume of a cylinder is pi radius square H. Pi is already given as 3.14, the radius isn't given but there's a diameter of 13cm, meaning that the radius is simply the diameter divided by 2 which is 6.5cm. The height stated as the square root of 81 which gives us 9. Now that all the values have been gotten, the straightforward equation would be 3.14 multiplied by 6.5cm multiplied by 6.5cm again and then multiplied by 9... which gives us 1,201.05. But rounding it off to the nearest whole number like you said, the appropriate value would be 1,201cm cube.
The class applauds.
MR DERING: Awesome, Eric. Awesome.
GWEN: Keep making me proud, babe. (She whispers from behind him, he turns around and winks at her)
ELVIS: Yeah, he's awesome because I taught him. Right, Eric?
ERIC: Right. (He smirks while Gustavo fakes a cough, laughing silently)
MR DERING: You don't say? You must be an awesome tutor.
ELVIS: That, I am. (He grins)
MR DERING: Why don't you help us out with the next awesome problem.
ELVIS: Wait, what?
ERIC: Haha, 'awesome problem', nice oxymoron.
MR DERING: Calculate the volume of a dome with radius...
ELVIS: Oh shit.
GUSTAVO: Guys, watch him fuck this up awesomely in 3... 2... 1...
ELVIS: Alright, uhm... the radius, huh? Uhm... to calculate the uhm...
GUSTAVO: It's showtime!
Later, the cafeteria.
ELVIS: So tell me, man... how do you see this school so far?
DAVID: It's great, honestly. My classmates are cool, everyone's cool... except my homeroom teacher, she's quite grumpy, always yelling. And yeah, I made a new friend.
ELVIS: Great! (Taking a mouthful of pasta)
ERIC: Don't choke.
ELVIS: So who's she?
DAVID: Who?
ELVIS: Your new friend.
DAVID: It's a guy, name's Tobias.
ELVIS: Oh... great.
DAVID: Your reaction says otherwise.
ELVIS: Really, it's great but I'd like you to know more girls.
ERIC: Dude, he just got here, it's barely a week.
ELVIS: I know. But it doesn't hurt to start early, does it? David, why don't you join one of the school's sports teams? Basketball or.. football! Just like me, you know, I could help you...
ERIC: Slow down, dude. This was how you persuaded me to try out for the football team when we newly got here, remember? And then I made a big fool of myself.
ELVIS: Oh dudeeeeee... it's been ages since this milk spilled, why you still crying over it?
ERIC: I'm just saying. David shouldn't make a fool of himself just like I did.
ELVIS: Are you saying you don't think that David would make a good teammate?
ERIC: I'm saying he doesn't need us influencing his every decision. He's got the right to make his choice.
DAVID: I understand, but I think I'd give it a shot, it doesn't hurt to try.
ELVIS: You think like a man! (He hi-fives David)
ERIC: Meaning?
ELVIS: If the shoe fits, then put it on. (Sticking out his tongue)
ERIC: Dork.
ELVIS: So what team would you like to try out for?
DAVID: Maybe basketball.
ELVIS: Come on, man. Try out for the football team so we could... (He pauses, catching Eric's eyes fixated on him)... okay I think I'm being a little pushy. Just do what makes you happy, David.
DAVID: Of course.
ERIC: Hey, did I tell you that Bonnie and I talked on Sunday?
ELVIS: Nope. You two talked? That's unusual.
ERIC: I know. I was surprised when she came into my room.
ELVIS: I dunno where this conversation is headed but I'm loving it.
ERIC: Shut up, dork. She came to ask me to join her music band, they need a keyboardist.
ELVIS: Okay, so you agreed?
ERIC: I told her no.
ELVIS: Why?
ERIC: Exactly. Why would I join a band filled with folks from a different school?
DAVID: Something tells me that's not your main reason.
ERIC: How dare you read my mind?
ELVIS: Haha. Speak up, Dude. You're a great keyboardist, why did you reject the offer?
ERIC: First of all, it was a plea, not an offer.
ELVIS: What's the difference?
ERIC: An offer has benefits.
ELVIS: Okay... (He looks at him, waiting for him to say more)
ERIC: It was her boyfriend's idea to start up the band. And while we talked, she kept mentioning him like "my boyfriend is the songwriter, my boyfriend is the guitarist, my boyfriend is Kanye west, blah blah blah" (David laughs)
ELVIS: She didn't say the last part, did she?
ERIC: Obviously not.
ELVIS: So what's your problem with her boyfriend?
ERIC: I don't like the guy.
ELVIS: Why you hating on him?
ERIC: I'm not hating!
ELVIS: Okay okay... don't eat me. What's his name again?
ERIC: Anderson.
ELVIS: You still remember? Wasn't that over a week or so?
ERIC: Two weeks, three days and twenty three hours, to be precise.
ELVIS: At times you freak me out, man. So why exactly don't you like him though?
ERIC: I dunno, he's got this aura, he feels like he's the most handsome... like he's Denzel Washington or something.
DAVID: Dude, you're hilarious. (He chuckles). He just sounds like a confident guy and there's nothing wrong with that but I don't quite understand your inferiority complex towards him, why are you bothered? Are you jealous of their relationship?
ERIC: Excuse me? I've got my girlfriend.
ELVIS: Yeah... Gwen... so why you being a fucking hater?
ERIC: I said I'm not hating!!!