The Heart of Nine

Chapter Sixteen

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Chapter Sixteen

“Okay guys I could use some help!” I hear Jason yell from downstairs, followed by some fighting and scuffling noises. Dropping my math homework on my bed, I leave Tristan, Alex and Alyssa upstairs in my room.

It’s been about three weeks since I woke up in Tristan’s arms that first Sunday morning. I have to admit, seeing his face first thing in the morning is kind of nice. At first I was kind of confused as to why there was an arm around me and I was unusually warm, but then it turned to giddiness as I realized Tristan was spooning me from behind with an arm around my waist.

After that first day, he pretty much stays over every weekend. He’ll spend Saturday with my brothers and me, along with Alyssa and Alex, and then Saturday night and Sunday it’s just the two of us. Well, until he has to pick up his siblings that is. Apparently, he drops them off with their grandparents every weekend. But of course, when I try to ask more about his family, he’s quick to change the subject.

That seems to be the only issue in our relationship, otherwise we’re still going strong. It’s scary how much this boy has grown on me.  I haven’t even known him for very long, a few months tops, but every day we spend together I find myself falling for him more and more.  

Things at work are super awkward now. That Monday I told Danny that Tristan and I are going out and he still hasn’t gotten over it. I guess it’s better like this than for him to think he still has a chance, but I do miss my happy-go-lucky friend.

I’ve been trying to watch Kim and Nick. It seems like he comes out of her room every morning, but usually I’m too preoccupied to notice. Sometimes I feel like I should take the time to talk to him, but I honestly don’t want to. He’s not as much of a jerk as he was but I still hold some resentment toward him.

Zach’s still hardly ever around, I don’t know what’s gotten into him. On the rare occasion that he his home Jason, Ben, and I try to talk to him but he either gets really mad and leaves again or just draws away from us and more into himself. I don’t want to think of him as a lost cause yet but I don’t know what to do for him.

Anyway, I head downstairs to answer Jason’s call for help only to see him struggling to hold the twins away from each other. The twins, who look very intent on hurting each other in some way, actually have to be restrained by Jason, one in each arm. By the looks of it, he’s about to lose this battle.

I quickly rush over and grab Michael by the shoulders, holding him away from his brother while he struggles to get out of my hold. They’re both yelling things at each other that I can’t understand because they’re both yelling at once.

“Jase, what’s going on?” I ask Jason over the yelling of the two boys.

“I don’t know I was in the living room when they started yelling at each other and when I came over here to see what was wrong they were both going for each other’s throats.” He answers, exasperated.

I pull roughly on Michael’s shoulders and smack the back of his head, “Hey! What the hell is going on?”

He doesn’t say anything, neither does Aaron. Instead it goes completely silent while they glare murderously at each other. Then, Michael pulls roughly out of my hold and runs upstairs to his room and slams the door. A minute later Aaron does the same.

“Okay… Do you think we should go after them?” Jason asks.

I think about it for a minute, “Nah, let them cool off first. We can talk to them about it later.”