How to (Unsuccessfully) Get Over a Guy | Tyrus

Part 10

TJ's POV

I've lost track of how many letters there are stuffed in my nightstand drawer at this point. The latest one stays in my pocket as it always does, but I don't pull it out today, for I get distracted by the sight of a face that was missing for the past couple days. Heart notices only a second before me, and she runs up to hug the girl. Strands of Trinity's hair fall out of her braids and over her face, but she doesn't even care to blow them away. Heart stays crouched down even after she lets the girl go. 

"Where have you been?" Heart asks. 

"I was moving!" Trinity squeaks. 

"What do you mean?"

"My mommy got a new house for just us," Trinity explains. 

"Just you and your mom?"

Trinity nods. "My daddy isn't going to be mean to us anymore. I even got a Toy Story blanket for my bed!"

Trinity runs up to me next, and Heart's eyes follow the girl to her new location. Trinity's chin rises to the sky as she looks up at me. 

"I missed you!" she tells me. 

"You too, Trinity," I say. 

When I kneel down, I am immediately engulfed in a hug. Eventually, she lets go and scurries off to talk to her friends. 

"So I guess she's okay," Heart says, coming over to me. 

"Yeah," I respond, but my mind stays on something she said. "Her dad was mean to her?"

Heart takes in a breath as her smile fades. "She's okay now."

"But I should've said something. I thought something was going on—"

"TJ, you didn't know," she reasons. "Neither of us knew. Yes, we should've thought deeper into some things that seemed off, but we can't redo it, and she's okay."

She gives my shoulder a pat of reassurance, then her eyes fall away from me and toward the door which I hear opening behind me. I spin around to see Cyrus standing at the door with a shy smile. As he steps over to me, Heart doesn't hesitate to introduce herself. 

"You must be Cyrus. I'm Heart."

"I'm—" Cyrus stops, realizing now that Heart already knows his name "—yeah, Cyrus." He looks at me. "Hi, TJ."

"Hey," I say. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just passing by and wanted to say—well—hi."

I find myself smiling at the boy involuntarily. Even though I've moved on, it's hard to deny how cute he is. 

"On that note," Heart says, "my shift is over. I'll see you tomorrow. Or maybe tonight, depending on if Amber wants to go out or stay in."

She grins and whips around to grab her belongings before leaving through the door. Cyrus gives me a confused look.

"She's friends with Amber?" Cyrus asks. 

"Actually, she's girlfriends with Amber," I correct. 

"Oh, that's cute," Cyrus responds. "Anyway, what's up? How's it hanging?"

I smile at his use of slang, saying, "Pretty good. How about you?"

"Well, I just ate an entire basket of baby taters, so I'm feeling both accomplished and kinda of gross at the same time."

He laughs. Suddenly, one of the kids recognizes Cyrus and approaches us with a smile. 

"Cyrus?" Lynas chirps.