Color Me Softly (EDIT)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

                I take a slow step further in the room, holding back my tears.  What have they, no we, done to deserve this? 

                The door slams behind me making me jump.  I swirl around but the guard is gone and I’m left by myself.  They’re human too.  They’re human too.  I repeat over and over my head as I try to steady my breathing. 

                “Hey,” a familiar gruff voice says from behind me the same time a hand squeezes my shoulder.

                I yelp, flipping around again.  I look up to Tristan’s scarred eyes and I let out a breath of relief.  “Oh it’s just you,” I mumble rubbing my temple as a headache starts to make itself known.

                “Are you alright?” he questions, frowning at me.

                I snort, “Just freaking peachy.”

                “Ah, sarcasm, such a wonderful thing,” he jokes around but I just give him a dead look.  His smile slips again and he clears his throat, awkwardly looking around.  I glance around the room, also, but everyone went back to their own thing.  “Well, do you want me to introduce you to some people?” he asks, and I sigh.

                “Why not?”  They’re humans too… I repeat again in my head as Tristan tugs me over to a corner with other teens.  I bite my lip as my heart flutters like an impaired bird in my chest.  They won’t hurt me.  Tristan will protect me if they try anything. 

                “Guys, this is Isabella,” Tristan says, gesturing to me.  I give them an awkward wave and they smile in return.  “Isabella these are the guys,” he says motioning to the three boys and one girl.  One of the boys and the girl looking frightening similar with their sunflower hair and warm honey eyes.  Maybe they’re twins?  Thankfully, they are lacking in the scar department- just small scratch like scars around their temples.  The tall boy, on the other hand… I move behind Tristan a little.  He has dark hair and eyes to match which are, coincidentally, glaring in my direction.  His eyes are like Tristan’s, scars galore.  My eyes quickly shift to the shorter boy, who smiles at me welcomingly.  He has bland pale dirt hair, and a mixture of the sky and the ground for eyes.  He, too, has scars, just not as bad as Tristan, but much worse than the twins.

                “Hi!” the girl says in a squeal.  “I’m Marcie, and this is my brother, Marcus,” she says, nudging the boy next to her.  Ha!  I knew they were related!  “Mr. Doom and Gloom over there would be Luke,” she says motioning to the intimidating boy.  He huffs in response, sending his glare over to Marcie before looking at the wall.  “And the one at the very end is David.”  David sends me a smile and wave and I smile back at him.  I slowly step from behind Tristan.

                “Um, you can just call me Ella,” I say smiling a little as the girl-I mean Marcie nods excitedly. 

                “Of course!  I’m so glad to have another girl in the group!  There’s only so much boy a girl can take,” she says giggling.

                I raise an eyebrow at her but nod slowly.  How is this girl so happy?  Is she on drugs or something? 

                “Ignore my sister,” Marcus says as he leans back in his fold out chair.  “She’s the optimist of the group,” he says, earning him a punch in the gut from the said optimist. 

                “Well would you like me to be Miss. Moody?” she asks rolling her eyes.  I can’t help but smile at them.  I’ve always wished I had a sibling.  “Oh where are our manners?  Pull out a chair!” she says, yanking a chair from another table, earning her a glare from a girl who was probably going to sit in it.  I smile at the group before walking around and taking the seat next to Marcie.  Tristan pulls out another chair from somewhere and sits beside me, giving me a wan smile.