Say you love me

Ten

POV KAIDEN

Chapter name: I don't know why

I wake up to the sun shining through the blinds and the sound of a blender going in the kitchen. There's a weight on my shoulder and a snake-like object lying on my stomach.

I open my eyes to reveal a sleeping girl laying her head on my shoulder, her arm wrapped around my arm. I look at her long black lashes and plump pink lips. Freckles lightly scatter her nose, and there's a few on her cheeks.

Under her eyes are dark purple circles, showing that she doesn't get enough sleep. I lightly brush a strand of blonde hair out of her face as I admire her.

"I won't tell her as long as you give us a ride to school." My attention jumps to Chloe, who is on the opposite side of the bed, on top of the covers.

She stares at me silently as she sits up, yawning and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Tell her what?" I ask her. Suddenly as if on cue, Tivelly's sleepy eyes flutter open. I hold my breath as Chloe tries to suppress her giggles.

She blinked a few times before sitting up, eyes wide as she looks at me. "W-what?" She asks, shocked as she shakes her head in hopes of waking up.

"Good morning?" I sit up beside her, standing up as she tries to process what she woke up to. Chloe falls backward off the bed, finally letting out her laughs.

"Stop laughing!" Tivelly scolds her friend, throwing a pillow at her face. "I CAN'T HELP IT!" Chloe yells back, throwing the pillow on the bed.

My eyes go straight to the door opening, revealing Reece with a smoothie in her hands. Her eyes go wide, and her mouth drops open.

"Oh my God! What the heck is this?!" She looks at me in confusion and shock.

"A sleepover." Chloe sits up, smiling at my sister.

Reece's face softens as her eyes fall on a freaking out Tivelly.

"You're the girl that was over here last time." Reece smiles, walking towards Tivelly. She climbs onto the bed, sitting in front of the blonde.

"I... what?" Tivelly asks shyly. "Since when did my room become the alive room in the house?" I rolled my eyes, watching the two girls as Chloe stands up, dusting herself off.

"She was here before?" Chloe asks suspiciously, the lighter on her face gone.

"No!"

"Yes!"

Reece and I look at each other with wide eyes.

"No, she wasn't." Reece finally understands. Chloe eyes us suspiciously as Tivelly awkwardly avoids eye contact.

"Anyways, you're so pretty!" Reece takes a sip of her smoothie, her eyes lighting up.

"Oh! You are!" Tivelly quickly turns it back onto Reece as if she's scared to take the compliment. "As much as I love your morning talks, we have to go," I tell Reece, pulling Tivelly off the bed by her wrist.

"I've decided we should be school friends... since we are friends outside of school." Tivelly plops down next to me as the teacher begins her lesson.

"I thought you would've avoided me all day," I reply with a smirk. Her face goes red, and she immediately looks down.

My heart flutters, and I immediately look away. What the fuck. Am I sick? I place my hand on my forehead in concern. It feels normal. Maybe I'm dying.

"Shut up!" She playfully glares at me, looking away as she crosses her arms.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. You didn't have nightmares?" I ask, leaning forward to look at her. "No," She gives me a shaky response, her voice low as she looks away.

I gently place my hand on her shoulder. Her small body flinches before she looks at me, her eyes wide.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask, taking my hand away from her. Was I bothering her that much?

I scan her. Her hair cascades down her body in a wavy fashion. Her gray eyes always seem so dull, so lifeless. Her face is washed out, and she looks exhausted.

"N-no, you didn't..." she stutters slightly as she tries to force a smile. Her smile is fake, I've seen her real smile, but this one is just a facade.

"Oh, hey, Tivelly." I look up to see Phoebe standing in front of us, her eyes set on Tivelly. The girl shrinks in her seat before slowly looking up at her sister, "H... hey... Phoebe." Her voice is quiet, barely above a whisper.

"Hey, Kaiden." She turns her attention to me, smiling her sickly sweet smile at me as Tivelly drops her head down.

"Hello," I reply coldly, as I always do to her. "Why are you talking to my dear sister? Is she bothering you? Should I get her to leave?" She tries.

"No. We are having a conversation." I look over at Tivelly, who seems to be slightly shaking, her eyes wide.

"About?" She prodded, glaring down at her sister.

"Phoebe Cooper, Tivelly Cooper, Kaiden Rivera, since you like to disturb my lesson, you can have detention today." Mrs. Cannon spoke up, sending us a painted-on smile.

"What?!" Phoebe shouts, whipping around to face the teacher. "I think you heard me. You have detention. All three of you." Mrs. Cannon demands.

"Tivellys, the one that was talking to me! This isn't fair!"

I furrow my eyebrows, glaring at her.

"Pheobe, you must be mistaken, as I recall, you're the one demanding a conversation with us," I say with a fake smile plastered on my face. She whips her head back around, glaring at me in malevolency.

"Why don't you just leave them alone, bitch." Chloe speaks up, scrunching her nose. "CHLOE, DETENTION!"

"That's fine with me, teach." She leans back in her chair, placing her feet on the table.

She reaches behind her, smiling at Jayce as she takes his water bottle, placing it to her lips, and taking a gulp. She continues to stare at his dumbfounded face as she places his water back down on his desk.

"That is highly inappropriate, Chloe!" Mrs. Cannon pushes her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose.

Pheobe rolls her eyes, moving past Cannon and sitting back in her chair at the front of the class beside her posse of friends.

"Your sister seems nice." I lean towards Tivelly with a sarcastic tone laced in my voice as Cannon walks back to the front.

"I...I got... m-myself and P-P...Pheobe in... detention. I'm... g-going to be I...in so much t-t-t-trouble." She struggles to get her shaky words out.

My eyes widen with concern as I realized she is absolutely terrified. Has she never gotten in trouble before? Is this a sister feud? Why is she so scared? My mind begins to wonder what goes on in her life.

"Are you ok?" I ask gently, resisting touching her to calm her. At this rate, my touch would only scare her more.

She trembles as strands of hair falls in front of her too-pale face.

She doesn't answer, almost like she didn't hear me. At this point, I have no other choice. I gently place my hand on her shaky one.

She tenses up as she looks up at me. Her hand is cold and tense. "Are you ok?" I ask again

She quickly shakes her head, getting her out of her enchantment. She takes a deep breath and brushes her hair out of her face with her free hand, "It's... I've just never been in trouble. I... I... don't really want to get in... trouble. Or Pheobe to be mad at me..."

She takes a few more breaths, taking her hand out from under mine and placing it on her chest, feeling her heartbeat.

"If you say so," I reply, the feeling of something off staying in my system, worrying me deeply. Why am I worrying so much? I've never felt the need to get wrapped up in someone else's life before. What's so different about Tivelly?