All Those Words

Chapter 12

Asa

"Are you still not going to tell me your side of the story?" I ask Calysta on Friday night.

"Are you still not going to leave me alone?" she asks back and I can't help but smile. "I have assignments to finish."

Since Monday when she lectured Trixie's friends, she's been more talkative, at least in the house. I kind of like it. She seems like a different person from the girl I had met when I first arrived. Also, the more I get to know her and spend time with her, the more I'm starting to like her. I'm starting to notice how her hair is exactly the same shade as Mr. Harmon's, her eyes that are green and the gold specs that come to life within them when she's happy or excited. I notice how she purposely spends Friday evening in her room to finish her assignments so she can spend the weekend with her foster siblings. I notice how she avoids coffee and processed foods because they make her anxiety worse. I notice how she looks cute with her hair messed up in the morning when she comes down to use the bathroom.

"Stop staring at me," she says suddenly. "You're making me nervous."

I chuckle and look at the books spread out on her table instead. She looks like she's almost done with her assignments but I'm not the most patient person in the world. And I've been waiting for weeks to know her side of the incident with Sydney.

"Should I make you more nervous?" I tease and scoot over closer to her. "Cal-"

I lean in to brush her hair off her shoulder and I heard a sharp intake of breath. Her body looks frozen in place again and I feel bad for teasing her when someone knocks on the hatch of a door.

"Cal," Trixie says from the other side. "Mom and dad gave me permission to go to the party that those juniors are hosting."

"That's great, Trix," Calysta says, shoving me slightly so she can get up to open the hatch. "What time do you need me to drop you?"

"There's a catch," Trixie says when she comes into view. "They won't allow me unless one of you go with me. They think I'll lose it all over again."

"You might," I point out and Calysta shoots me a disapproving look. "Alcohol makes kids do funny things."

"I'm not drinking," Trixie frowns. "One of you need to come and look out for me or they won't let me go."

I chuckle, unable to stop myself and Calysta sighs. Then she looks over at me as if I'm going to go to some random junior's party to baby sit Trixie. I raise an eyebrow and point to my chest as if to ask her whether she expects me to do it and she nods. I shake my head violently.