The Heart of Nine

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Alex and I are now sitting in homeroom. We got our schedules and found out that we only have homeroom and English together. Two classes together only, this is going to be a long lonely year.

“Look on the bright side, at least we have lunch together,” Alex says to me.

I shrug and say “Yeah, I guess.”

Our teacher starts to take roll.

“Tammy Jenkins?”

“Here”

“Christopher Kirk?”

“Here”

On and on the list goes I tune her out until it’s my turn to respond.

“Mikayla Parker?”

“Here” I answer and then go back to tuning her out.

Just as she passes Alex’s name, the door swings open and in walks one of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen.

He’s tall and lean with tousled jet black hair and sparkling green eyes. He’s wearing dark jeans with a black T-shirt and a pair of black Converses.

I hear all the girls around me sigh with longing.

Hell, I don’t blame them.

He walks up to the teacher and gives her a piece of paper to sign. But before he can walk away, she tells him to introduce himself to the class. He stands there awkwardly and looks around the classroom nervously, before he clears his throat and says,

“I’m Tristan Dunne” he says in a deep husky voice. And with that he makes his way to the empty seat in the back of the room.

***********************

“I think I’m gonna ask him out.”

“Do you think he likes blondes?”

“Have you seen the new kid? He is soooo yummy!”

I’ve been hearing comments like that ever since homeroom. All the girls and even a couple of guys can’t help but the new guy. Yeah ok he’s gorgeous, but come on, let the poor guy settle in before you attack him with your slutty attitude and short skirts.

It’s finally lunch and I finally get to be with Alex, even if it is only for an hour. We meet up outside the cafeteria.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I ask him.

“It’s ok, I never thought school could get so boring, but apparently it can.”

I laugh and say “You’re just now noticing that?”

We buy our lunch and sit at our usual table alone. I watch as my sister, Kim, walks into the cafeteria followed by the people she calls ‘friends’ and a bunch of boys who probably just want to get in her pants. I watch as she makes her way to the lunch line, buys her food, and makes her way over to the ‘popular’ table. As I’m watching her I can’t help but worry about her when it comes to the people she hangs out with. I mean, they’re all so fake. They’re just trying to fit an image that’s expected from the typical popular crowd.  I’ve had these thoughts before and like always I push them aside, she’s a smart girl she knows what she’s doing.

I watch as the rest of my siblings come in. Jason, the jock of the family, grabs his lunch and also makes his way over to the ‘popular’ table. Ben walks in a few minutes later; glances over at me, nods his head in acknowledgment, and then turns back to hear whatever his friends are saying. Lastly, Seth walks in with a bunch of other freshmen including his best friend since birth, Riley. They all make their way to sit at various tables.

Alex and I are talking about all our different classes when the entire cafeteria suddenly stops talking. We both look up to see the new kid, Tristan, standing in the door way looking extremely uncomfortable under all the stares, some scrutinizing, some hungry, and some curious.

Everyone watches as he makes his way to the lunch line and buys his lunch. The stares and silence continue as he makes his way over to our table.

Wait, OUR table?!?

Suddenly all those stares aren’t curious anymore. They now range from offense, to jealousy, to simply boredom.

He takes a seat across from me and next to Alex who’s just staring at him in wonderment. I kick his leg under the table to get him to stop staring, I mean the poor guy has probably been stared at all day he doesn’t need anymore. Alex gives me his what-the-hell-was-that-for? stare and I just look at him like it should be totally obvious.

Alex turns away from me to look back at the new guy, the cafeteria is thankfully back to its normal volume, if not louder.

“Hey,” says Alex.

The new guy, I guess I should stop calling him that I mean he has a name. Tristan looks up realizing that Alex is talking to him and says “Hey” in response then looks back down at his food.

“Why are you sitting here?” Alex asks him in a very blunt monotone voice. I kick him in the leg again but he just ignores me and continues to stare at Tristan waiting for him to answer.

“I didn’t want to sit anywhere else,” Tristan responds just as blatantly as Alex. I stifle a giggle when Alex glares at him. He hates being mocked and I guess that’s what he thinks Tristan is doing.

“I’m Alex and this is my friend Mikayla”

I wave in response to Tristan looking up, we make eye contact and my heart does a little flip in my chest.

“I’m Tristan” he responds still looking at me, holding my gaze with those piercing green eyes that seem like they can see right through my soul.

But then the moment ends when Tristan looks back down at his food.

***********************

The rest of lunch was uneventful and silent, which is odd because Alex loves to talk. Now Alex and I are making our way to English in silence lost in our own thoughts.

I’m pretty sure we were both thinking of Tristan, but while my thoughts were about his eyes, Alex’s were probably about how Tristan didn’t say a word even though he sat at our table.

We make it to English and sit in two seats close to the back. Tristan also has this class with us apparently, since he walks in and takes a seat in the back row. Ben also has this class. Once again I get a nod in acknowledgment thrown my way before he takes the seat in front of me.

“Okay class I know it’s the first day but I want to get started on this as soon as possible. We’re going to be doing a project on a novel that I will be assigning. This project is due in three weeks because there’s a lot that I want you to get out of each novel. You then have to present your project to the class. You will be in pairs but I will be assigning them.”

Groans sound around the room.

The teacher ignores them and continues with calling out the partners he assigned.

“Tia Grace and Christopher Kirk”

The list goes on.

“Benjamin Parker and Angela Holt.” Hmm that’s nice I like Angela.

“Alexander Williams and Alyssa Clark.” I can’t help but laugh silently when I hear that. Alex has had the biggest crush on the shy and quiet but pretty, Alyssa Clark. I sneak a glance at him to see his face beet red and he turns to look at me with a pained expression on his face. I just smirk, until I hear the next pair of names.

“Mikayla Parker and Tristan Dunne.”