The Heart of Nine

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

DEDICATED TO CoolerThanYouBabe!!! For being my 20th FAN!! :D :D :D

The three of us fall silent, Alex and I just staring at Tristan’s face and Tristan trying his best to avoid our gazes. When I sit back down he finally looks at me, embarrassment and discomfort written all over his face. I finally get over my initial shock and I reach over and pull his hood back over his head so it covers the bruise. He gives me a confused but grateful look. I give him a questioning look in return, thinking he’s going to answer the obvious question but he doesn’t. He just sighs and turns away from me, so I decide to ask straight out.

“Tristan, what happened?”

No answer.

I shake his arm gently to get him to at least look at me, “Tristan. Who did this to you?” I ask again.

Still no answer.

“Tris-”

“Just forget it ok?” he snaps at me, anger and embarrassment burning in his eyes.

I shrink back from the anger in his voice. He notices this and his face immediately softens. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

I hold my hand up to stop his apology. “Don’t apologize, I shouldn’t pester you like that,” I tell him firmly. I sneak a glance over at Alex to see him glaring at Tristan. He catches my eye and I send him a warning look. He looks back at me in disbelief as if he’s asking ‘you’re seriously asking me not to say anything after he snapped at you?’ but doesn’t say anything. I shake my head at him, he’s so overly dramatic and protective sometimes.

I turn back to Tristan about to ask him, again, how he got that bruise when I’m interrupted by someone clearing their throat. I look up and see a really pretty girl, with light brown hair and blue eyes standing behind Alex holding her tray of food. It takes me a minute to realize that it’s Alyssa Clark, Alex’s English partner and long-time crush.

“Hey Alyssa!” Alex says enthusiastically, motioning for her to sit down.

She takes a seat beside Alex and across from me. She sends a glance my way and gives me a small smile. I smile back at her warmly. Alyssa is one of the few girls at this school that I actually like. She’s really quiet and shy but really sweet. We’re not close friends, but we’re friends all the same.

“Hey Mikayla” she says to me quietly, “Hi Tristan.”

“Hey Alyssa” I say and Tristan just nods back at her in acknowledgment.

Deciding it’s best to drop the subject of Tristan’s face I’m about to start eating my lunch when I remember that I was supposed to be buying lunch for Tristan. I grab my wallet out my pocket again and gesture for Tristan to follow me. This time he doesn’t argue and lets me lead him to the lunch line. The line’s a lot shorter now so he chooses his lunch quickly, I pay, and we head back to the table.

“Thanks,” he mumbles quietly when we sit back down, obviously still embarrassed.

“You’re welcome” I say back to him with a small reassuring smile, trying to let him know that he has nothing to be embarrassed about. He sends a small smile back and then turns away to eat his lunch.

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

The rest of the day passes by uneventfully. Tristan agrees to follow me to my house so we can work on the English project. So I’m waiting by the car for Alex, Seth, Tristan, and apparently Alyssa, because Alex invited her over to my house to work on their project. When, out of nowhere, Tyler, Alex’s brother, materializes next to me.