Eric's morning had gone well and he figured he was well squared away for his meeting with Martin Stovall in the afternoon. He was heavily amazed by how fast things were moving since his family had moved to Moon Lake, particularly with regard to his relationship with Julie Stovall. They had made friends and she had helped him get used to Moon Lake and that had helped him get used to everything and was now even comfortable with the fact that his father was a werefox, his mother a werecat, and his brother a werewolf. But things had gone further in that regard between him and Julie than just that. The two of them were dating and Eric had realized that he'd fallen head over heals in love with the blond blue eyed weremermaid, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. That meant that he would have to become a were himself eventually.
The real question for Eric was really what kind of were to become. That was one that he really had a hard time answering on his own. A good part of him figured being a merman wouldn't be too bad, and it was something he'd been dreaming about, not to mention that it'd make him and Julie a matched set. Though, beyond being able to breathe underwater and being an excellent swimmer, he really didn't know what the species specific benefits of being a weremerman would be. The handbook didn't really mention anything on them other than how their pod system worked. It didn't get into anything specific, which was why he had called to talk with Martin Stovall, as if anyone knew about being a weremerMAN, he'd be the one who could answer Eric's questions and let him come to a decision that he felt worked best for him.
He also had to consider Julie's promise to her mother. While he knew he was in love with her, even if he couldn't fully define love, he also knew that forcing things wouldn't be right. He also didn't want to be responsible for Julie doing something that her parents would disapprove of, and if that meant waiting until the two of them were eighteen and high school graduates to actually transform, that would be fine. Now, all he had to do is tell Julie that he couldn't walk her home that afternoon, which he knew wasn't likely to go well, which left him a bit nervous as he entered the cafeteria for lunch.
He noted that Julie was ahead of him in the line, but couldn't cut in line to stand with her. He figured it was best to tell her while they were seated anyway. He went through the line and calmly took a green plastic tray and slid it along the metal counter to get lunch from the cafeteria staff. The day's lunch was chicken nuggets with macaroni and cheese and with some fruit slices as an extra side. He took one carton of milk and then made his way to the lunch cashier, and essentially paid for his lunch through the account that his mother had set up for both him and Nate on their first day at the school. With that done, he then turned and looked for Julie in the cafeteria. He found her at the same table that the two of them always been using. No one was with her at the moment, but he did notice a couple of other girls nod to her as they walked by and then seemed to tilt their heads back toward Eric.
"Has she been setting things so that "our" table always only has just us?" Eric though to himself as he approached the table. He watched Julie look to them and then toward Eric as he approached. She smiled as he did so.
"What were they up to?" Eric asked curiously as he sat down and slid to a spot across from Julie.
"They who?" Julie asked.
"The two girls who just nodded to you and pointed me out to you," Eric answered, "You aren't try to isolate me? Are you?"
Eric hoped his tone was playful enough to let Julie know that he was largely joking.
"They're friends," Julie answered, and gave a chuckle, "and they have kind of noticed how I've felt about you."
Eric remembered from the day before how his thoughts on Julie had distracted him during class to the point where a classmate had actually asked him about it. He supposed it made sense that someone else had noticed something with Julie as well. Shoot, they might be weres as well and caught some of his scent on Julie from when they kissed the night before, forgetting for the moment that if Julie showered between the kiss and coming to school, most of his scent would have been washed off.
"So... how's your day gone?" Julie asked him as Eric chewed on a nugget began trying to think of a way to explain why he couldn't walk her home today.
"The day has been interesting," Eric answered, "though much of it has also been influenced by some things I realized last night after I got home..."
"Oh..." Julie wondered, "Nothing bad, I hope...?"
"Nothing bad," Eric gave a weak smile, and reached out to hold Julie's hand, even with the oddness of her also holding a fork in that hand, "more like a realization... I mean... I know this is all fast... but I really think I love you. And not just high schoolers playing at it and saying "I love you" because that's what people dating. It is real... or at least it feels real to me."
Julie's eyes twinkled back at him and she gave an understanding smile, "It feels real to me to."
"And it's made me realize that despite how fast things are moving... I want to be with you for the rest of my life," Eric said to her.
"Ohhhh... Eric..." Julie actually swooned softly in reply.
They resumed eating and in rather good spirits. Julie had actually smiled as she ate the school macaroni and cheese, which naturally tasted as though it had more cheese than macaroni. Eric, however, knew he had to tell Julie that he wouldn't be able to walk her home.
"Though if we do stay together... it'll mean I'd have to become a were in order to give you everything you'll deserve in a future husband," Eric told her, "which only has me thinking on what to be and the best choice... I mean, my mom was curious on cats and thus her decision to become a werecat... and Nate... he's loved werewolves since he saw "American Werewolf in London" and made his decision obvious. I, however, don't know on what would be the best choice for me... I never had a great interest into were-beasts before and wouldn't have believed they were real before moving here."
Julie gave a nod and then spoke, "well...you have plenty of time to choose... and the love I feel for you is very real as well."
"I'm sure," Eric nodded, remembering their date and figured to be honest, "but I want have more information in order to make that decision. I mean... Moon Lake's handbook is helpful, but seems to be more designed to be for people like my brother. People who are already interested in were-beasts and have a good idea on what they want to become. But it doesn't go into real detail..."
"They do that just in case someone takes the handbook outside of Moon Lake," Julie explained, "less detail allows the city to make it seem like it's just a fictional guidebook."
Eric nodded, "I'm sure, but I would like more information in order to make that decision well informed... and... well, to get to that decision... I..."
"It's okay," Julie offered, "You can tell me..."
"I can't walk you home today," Eric said carefully, and decided that he'd keep the fact that he was meeting her father secret for the moment. For, becoming a weremerman for Julie was a very real prospect and a good part of him was already leaning that way a bit, and if he made that choice, he wanted to be able surprise Julie with the promise that the dreams he'd had of marrying her and becoming her merman was his choice for his future. He figured that would be a happy surprise that Julie would like. " I have an appointment to speak with someone who could answer some questions that I have."
"And this is scheduled after school?" Julie asked, sounding half confused half puzzled.
"Yes," Eric nodded, "but it'll help me with the ultimate decision and when we graduate... we can be together."
"I see," Julie answered slowly and finished the macaroni and cheese on her tray.
Julie did understand that Eric had plenty of pressures to put up with, and she would love him and stay with him no matter what kind of were he became, but she did want him to become a weremer. The fact that Eric had made the decision to become a were at some point, partially made her heart want to sour, but he hadn't made any commentary on what kind of were he wanted to become. If asked, she was more than willing to show Eric everything a weremer could do. Like all weres their senses were enhanced, particularly when under water, quite like sharks and in their full mer forms they could pick up vibration through a lateral line that ran down their spinal cord, like sharks. Their eyes could easily see in the darkest or murkiest water without irritation. And while she didn't look it, Julie knew that she was physically stronger than Eric was and he would be slightly stronger than her as her weremerman. And weremers had full control over what stage of transformation they were in. Simply getting wet wouldn't turn her from her human form to stage one, stage two, or stage three, so the "Splash" idea for exposing weremers wouldn't work.
But Eric didn't ask her and hadn't made any commentary on what his decision would be, and that left her curious as to what was going on. She wondered who Eric could be meeting with for answers to his questions.
"Is he meeting one of the other were leaders?" Julie wondered to herself.
"You wouldn't want me to come with you?" Julie asked as Eric finished his lunch and drank the milk.
"No," Eric answered, "It'd likely be out of your way."
That only left Julie more curious, but couldn't do more as the bell rang to indicate they only had a few moments before their lunch period ended and they were to be at their next class.