Many youngsters often grow up to be intelligent, understanding adults who either accept the phenomenon that their childhood fantasies were fictitious or sought out to accomplish them. But then there are those bad apples, the antagonists who only choose to stand on the sidelines and laugh as their fellow citizen's fail miserably or are simply the cause of the misery they swim in. Eric van der Woodsen was neither of those types as he was constantly regarded as the sweetheart by his mother and dear sister, even their friends softened at his gaze. That part of him still dwelled inside his soul but there was a new character budding inside there as the boy was soon becoming MAN. He already had a lady friend he desired to please and slowly make his own one day and he only persued her because he truly felt for her, despite her family's financial income, or lack there of. Eric developed a school boy crush on Jenny ever since they first locked eyes and he felt that she was the best girl he's known, a spitting image of his sister, she even had the heart to match. Since Dan and Serena had long parted ways, it was time for Eric to rekindle the long line of romances the Van der Woodsens had with the Humphreys. But whilst he was trying to live in a world of peace, much like his siter did prior to her fleeing for Belgium, there were many intruders who just wouldn't let him have his way. One of them was Georgina Sparks, a woman whom plagued the mind of his sister and is now trying to get inside his long time friend Jolene's head. It seems as though these two had yet to meet and Georgie was yet to experience the wrath Eric felt towards her, unexpectedly of course. Another potential, or obvious, enemy lay still in a bed, half asleep, as Eric watched on from the glass that seperated them. He wasn't as cold hearted as some would assume judging by his recent actions of trying to prevent Serena from knowing about the accident Nate got into. Eric did feel a little sympathetic towards Nathaniel as NO ONE deserved to be on the verge of croaking simply because they chased a certain sibling out of the country. But at the same time he couldn't say that Nate got what was trying to catch up with him. He was simply a fool for love who needed to stop chasing Serena and then end up ruining her life and somewhere out there God agreed with him and blindsided Nate putting him in the car accident he was currently enduring and not on a plane to go and raise hell in Belgium. "Eric," his mother's voice called out from behind him but only in a soft whisper as she did not want to disturb the peace that surrounded them. "You don't look too good," mentioned a concerned mother as she shifted her arm from his shoulder to his forehead. It was hot but he certainly wasn't feeling feverish. Perhaps the anger and frustration was what got his head heated up so quickly. "I'm not feeling too good," he corrected. "Perhaps I shall head home much earlier than I anticipated but just give me a few more minutes, I guess I just want to update poor Serena about Nate's condition. Tell her a little white lie that he's feeling better to ease the headache she's probably enduring." "That's a brilliant idea," stated Lily with a smile upon her face. She handed Eric her cellphone as he mysteriously forgot his at home. Eric took the phone and began to walk down the hall till he found a door and quickly exited. He was now outside and with a simple push of a few keys on his mother's blackberry, got Serena on the phone. "Mom?" she asked assuming it was because of the phone he was using. "No it's me," Eric quickly corrected with a smile upon his face, one that was fake of course. "How are you Serena?" "ERIC!" she exclaimed, obviously excited to hear from her brother again. "I'm a little tired, I just got home from shopping with Sophia and Jessica but other than that everything is going good. I'm really digging life in Belgium. It's so much more fun with dad being here and everything. We have a dinner planned for today at Hof van Cleve, it's the best restaurant in Belgium." Eric smiled at that though, and sincerely this time, he was glad his sister was having so much time bonding with their dad he missed so much. It even made it easier for him to lie now as he felt he was doing it for all the right reasons, his sister's happiness. Although Nate literally knew him since he came out of the womb, Eric always put family first and Nate's problems were secondary. "That's wonderful!" he exclaims, happy for his sister and her progress. "What about you? Smooching with Jolene yet?" she asks jokingly which causes Eric to laugh only because it was so unexpected. "Actually, it's Jenny that I'm trying to romance," he admitted whilst blushing. "I'm taking her out for hot dogs today, meeting her in a few minutes actually." "Hot dogs?" Serena asked surprised. "Yes," declared Eric knowing exactly what she was thinking. "I considered taking her somewhere better for lunch but I didn't want to take her out of her element. I think she would have felt threatened if I took her somewhere expensive and she felt she wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise. I don't know," said Eric suddenly stopping. "Would that seem right?" "Aww Eric, that is so sweet. I'm sure she will enjoy it, no matter where you guys decide to hang out. I really wish I could be there to see my little brother grow up." cooed Serena from the other end. Sighing to himself softly, as he wished it too, Eric paced around the outskirts of the hospital. "I think that would have been wonderful but I still have a lot of growing up to do so you won't miss anything when you come back," he joked causing her to giggle. "I will be back soon and you know it," she assured. "But I have to go now. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" "Please do." "Oh, and one more thing," she added. "You're the only person I keep in contact with now and it's only because you're family but PLEASE tell Blair that I miss her too and I'm not bailing on her." Eric smiled, "I sure will." "Okay, Eric. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye." "Bye." he responded and heard her hang up from the other end. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he placed in it his pocket, casually forgeting to give it back to his mother in hopes that she won't somehow call Serena and break the news to her. He didn't head back to the hospital but instead caught the lady of the moment standing outside just a few steps away from him. Life was going pretty good for her at the moment as she had made some new friends, namely Jolene and Tallulah and of course, she had a friend in Eric but he had plans to take it a step further. Somewhere at home, he probably had a notepad lying out with tips from Chuck Bass on how to romance the ladies. "Jenny," he called out, the volume of his voice was enough for anyone within a 5 feet radius to hear and it definitely caught her attention. He approached her and she smiled, looking ever so radiant. "How are you feeling?" "Good," she responded immediately and quite inappropriately as well judging by the event that brought them here together but then she immediately corrected herself. "I mean, I feel bad for what happened to Nate, he was such a good guy but other than that, on a personal level I feel much better than I did weeks ago." Eric scoffed before placing a hand on Jenny's small hip, quite smoothly actually. "Nate will be fine, don't worry about him," he assured her sweetly. "I think in the main time, it'll be wonderful for you and me to go and celebrate your newfound victory over last week's bad luck. Aren't you feeling hungry?" he asks coyly and Jenny nods. Slowly, he grabs her hand and whisks her away from the scene that is all but delightful, to go have some hot dogs on what seemed like their first date. Quelle Romantique!