Blue's Purple

Chapter 11

~~~Penelope's POV~~~


Justin pauses, arms length away from Tyrian and I, his eyes wide, "Ty, please. I'm sorry, okay man?" Ty looks away, scared and confused. I start to think that maybe it isn't because his best friend is in love with his sister, but maybe, just maybe, it's because his best friend is in love with his sister, who doesn't want to be his sister. Justin steps forward and Ty stops him, "It's cool man," Ty whispers, flexing his hand open and closed. Something he does when he tries to relax. I watch them both; I can tell that they love each other. I just wish I knew Grey enough to know how she felt about Justin. Maybe she felt the same way. Maybe even as guy, she'd like Justin. Ty glances sideways at me, and I can tell he thinks the same thing, but doubt leaks through his fake eyes, and I know; that Grey may not. 

There's something else there as well. Ty is worried, but not just because of this new problem, but because of me. I look down at my feet, "I'm going to school." Ty begins to object when I stop him, "No really, you two need to talk." Hopefully; Tyrian would tell Justin something he'd want to know. Though, Ty was very clear that Grey's secret, was her secret alone. 

~~~

I stop at the bottom of the cracked, old, school steps. I hate this school. I hated this school when I was child and I hate it now. Looking back I remember Damien coming here, I remember him and my other brother running down the street to pick me up from the old middle school. I sigh, a deep longing embedded into my whole being. My mother would always be waiting for us when we got home, and we'd run to the park. Where my brothers would do homework and mom and I would lay on the slide looking up at the sun, talking about a new life. An alternate universe, where good things could happen.

I roll my head back now, breathing in, the cold sharp air scratching my nose. The sun behind my lids bright. I remember my mother like it was yesterday. beautiful. My brothers got her looks. The lightest brown eyes, dark brown hair and natural blond highlights that'd appear after being outside for hours, in the sun. My eyes start to sting; she loved the sun. 

I open my eyes once I hear the bell. I look around and see classes piling out into the hallways. I run up the stairs and push through doors, walking to my locker. I open my locker and something spills out. My eyes widen and tears begin to sting at the back of my throat. I squat slowly, holding onto the locker door as hard as my hand will let me. I shove the picture into my pocket and stand, grabbing my books and slamming the locker shut, walking away calmly. 

I slip into class only to see Jackie smiling at me, her eyes light and her lip twitching. I bite my tongue and head to the back of the class, falling into my seat quietly. I take a shaky breath when Ty slips in when the bell rings, taking a seat next to me, his eyes questioning. I shake my head slightly, as if to say not now. If I were being honest with myself I'd say not ever. Though I knew Tyrian deserved the truth. Deserved to know that I may have put him and his entire family in danger.

While in class we were put into pairs. I was put with Justin, whom had showed moments after the bell rung, having had to park his car. As luck would have it, Ty was chosen to be with Jackie, whom seemed all to eager to be paired with him. "Piggy," Justin said, I started, and slapped his hand away, "What?" I snapped. He jumped, his hands in surrender, "Sorry, my bad. You didn't answer me," I roll my eyes, but internally sigh with guilt, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Because Justin is smarter then he leads people to believe, we got our assignment done twenty minutes early. "I said," He whispered, "Do you know anything about Grey?" I look at him with great pity. Setting a hand on his, and flinch away once I see Jackie's smirk and Ty's eyes. 

"He didn't tell you anything? Ty?" Justin sighs, "Not anything that I didn't already know. I know she's different. I just don't know why he thinks that would stop me from loving her." Him, you mean. I want to ask, but don't. Different could mean so many things. "What do you mean?" I ask instead. Justin leans in, "She has no friends, but she's not a loser. She's smart, beautiful, talented, everything a guy would want; yet she steers clear. Ty and I are the only people she hangs out with. It's like she's one of the guys." I shrug, "An if she were?" I ask, taking it too far; I know, I know that I'm taking it too far. 

He sits back, thinking, "You mean if she were a guy?" I nod, "Yeah. I mean would you still love her, him?" He shivers in disgust. No, I think; not disgust: confusion, "I don't know, honestly. I've never been attracted to guys before. If she were one..." He looks around, sitting up again, his feet accidentally hitting my leg and before he apologizes I shrug it off. "Before my aunt died, she'd tell me this story," He started. I look at him, not having known that he had an aunt who died. I wonder if they were close. "She told it to me three days before she died actually," He laughs, but it shows no humor. "She said that the Greeks believed that people were born with four legs, four arms, two heads, with four ears, four eyes, two noses, two lips etc, but only one soul." He was twirling his thumbs. Something Ty did when he was thinking of something he didn't want to think about. I wonder if Justin did the same. "She said when the gods split people, they gave them everything equally. One head, two arms, two legs, everything. Except the soul," He looks up to me, his eyes dark and his soul open, "They split the soul in half." I close my eyes and nod, "I've heard of this. The people wander, until they find their soulmate." He nods, his eyes shining. I can't help but wonder if he's trying not to cry. "So you see, if soulmates are, in fact, real; then," He stops, looking at an empty seat; where Grey would be sitting. "I can't help but think that if she were a guy, I'd still have to love her," he closes his eyes, smiling lightly, "Him." I inhale, and quickly look at Ty, who's watching Jackie. "I uhm," I open my mouth to tell him, but stop. 

Shit, I can't. 

I can't tell him. I look at him, and he's looking at Grey's seat. "She'll be home tonight." His eyes jerk to mine and stare, "Where has she been?" I shrug, "Ty didn't tell you, you think he'd tell me?" He shrugs, "He likes you more then he likes me, so yeah," He smiles lazily, "I sure as shit do." I eye him warily. "Yeah. Whatever, but anyway. You should come over, you know; for dinner." He nods, "Yeah. She won't think anything of it. I'll tell her then." Him, you'll tell him then. I just nod along, until the bell signals our leave. 

"Hey piggy," Before I register the voice my books go flying. I sigh in annoyance, falling to my knees to pick them up. "Bitch," I say back. She scoffs, twisting her ankle against my paper and ripping my homework. I drop my head, my back aching. "Thank you very much." I say to myself. A hand wraps itself around my arm and hauls me to my feet. "Justin," I gasp, I don't need him telling Ty any of this. His eyes follow Jackie, and harden, "How long has she been like that? To you anyway?" He falls to one knee and picks the rest of my stuff up. Is Tyrian the only one who doesn't know who she is? What she's like. "Ohh I don't know," I flick my wrist, flipping my hair over my shoulder, "Forever maybe." His eyes shine, handing me my things, his eyes softening, "Forever? You just got here." He observes. I nod, "Right," Of course he wouldn't know, no one would.

No one but her.

I shake my hand, indicating my stuff, "Thanks," He shakes his, "Don't mention it, really." He looks down. I look around the emptying hallway. "Is there a reason you're here? Or did you forget to mention that you were in Women's Fitness and Health?" He smiles sadly, "What you said, about Grey, back in class," My eyes soften. He means what I whispered to him before I ducked out, losing Jackie; or at least, trying to. "What about it?" He leans in, "What did you mean by it?" I shrug, "Listen, the things that happen in other peoples families. Their secrets, their problems." I look down at my homework and chuck it into a near by trash bin. "They stay where they are, until," His eyes widen, "Until?" I breath in, "Until someone brings it out of them. Until someone," Pointing at him, "Reveals them." I step forward, "Look Justin. What you look for, digging through someones life," I start backwards, towards the gym, "You may not like what you find."