Grey Testament ✓

Nine | Revelations

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SOTC: Don't Let me Down by The Chainsmokers

"Oh, Kol-zin!" Ms. Ziegenhorn exclaimed. She made a chuckle and then a, "Ok, croquet." As she peered to the right.

Kolzyn only blinked at her. Although I still peered around without moving my head, I didn't have to look around to know my classmate's eyes were about to dislocate.

Shock weaved into my chest, my hands becoming fists on the table. Had I manifested this?

"So today, with these new students, we're going to learn about our table partners, whether we know them already or not with question sheets I'll pass out," Ms. Ziegenhorn said, clapping her hands for the millionth time. "Peep and Scarlett, sit at that empty table in front of my desk. Ariana go with Ellie, Tessa with Molly, Kolzyn with Daphne—"

My jaw fell to the Earth's core.

"Let me know if you have questions!" she finished. "Or if your dad is single!"

The chatter of classmates began when Kolzyn sat down at what was now our table. I pressed my lips together, conducting myself for the moment I prayed the stars would grant me with a lack of preparation.

Now, how to talk to the two-faced evil who saved my life?

Kolzyn interrupted my thoughts when he slid one of two green papers to me.

I took a look at it. The slip contained a long list of questions in small print, instructing us to ask them to each other. Oh god, how was this man going to respond to these?

If he'd even respond at all...

"Favorite movie or tv show?" Kolzyn read off of his.

Holy Moon Goddess, he still spoke to me!

Now keep it cool, Daphne! "Gossip Girl," I answered. I looked down at my sheet. "What's your favorite color?"

"Orange."

"Why orange?" I blurted out.

"Sunsets."

All I could manage to say was, "Oh." Orange. Kolzyn liked orange for sunsets.

I would've preferred it was the first thing I knew he liked.

Kolzyn looked at his sheet. "Your age?"

"I'm sixteen. Um—" My eyes went to the paper. "You?"

"Nineteen."

My eyebrows shot up for a moment before I brought them down. "Ni— you're nineteen?" I had tried stabilizing my voice, but some of my shock escaped my lips.

"Mhm-hm."

Okay, math. Kolzyn Bishop was only three years younger than Ms. Ziegenhorn. He could've been a high school graduate for a year now. Or maybe he was, and Creed or Vanessa made him pose as a student so he could act as a bodyguard to Vaughn, Garrett, and Cody.

If that were true, then that would've meant they knew he–

"Favorite friend." The very person twisting my head brought me back to reality.

All current thoughts vanished as a smile curved my lips. "I love all of my many friends. But believe it or not..." I pointed across the room. "You work for him."

Kolzyn grasped his chair with one hand and twisted his body in the direction I pointed to. He surveyed Cody, who was laughing with his table partner, before turning back to me and making a, "Hm."

Particularly nice his single sound wasn't.

I felt my eyes gape at him. "What?"

"What?"

"You made a 'Hm'." My vocal cords made the best imitation I could of his deep voice. "What is that supposed to mean?" Dear god, how beastly I sounded. More than him. My sweet mom would've scolded me.

"I despise him," Kolzyn responded despite my unladylikeness.

"How dare you sa—" I stopped, swallowing my rant. "Sorry, why do you despise my best friend?" And crush! And literally the only Baron triplet who doesn't beat him!

Kolzyn's pastel eyes took in my expression before continuing. "Because Cody and I will never drink together."

Um... that's the strangest vague answer I've ever heard. "Why?"

"I had to accompany him while he attended a rave with this chick. He got drunk off his ass and.." He discontinued, deciding to watch himself doodle on his paper.

"Tell me. And what?"

He didn't reply.

"And what?" I repeated.

Kolzyn tilted his head upward, placing his elbows on the desk. "Cody made me stand by him while the chick rode the dick like Earth exploded in an hour."

I choked on air.

"I averted my eyes."

"Sorry I—" A sword of utter destruction of my mood sliced me open. "I did not want to know that."

"Don't ask questions you don't want answered," Kolzyn sighed.

Hearing that Cody would do something like that shocked me, but it never surprised me.

Cody started dating Madeline Spear Sophomore Year. She was the most rebellious in our grade, sneaking out to parties and ingesting various types of drugs. When Cody caught eyes for Madeline, his friends warned him about her– even Vaughn and Garrett. I bawled my eyes out the day they got together.

Cody wasn't a mean drunk from what I heard since I rarely went to ragers, but I watched him throw up every weekend. Every weekend. Those parties were Madeline's oxygen, and she insisted on always having her boyfriend by her side. Cody hated them. Finally, that hate grew stronger than his love for her, so he broke it off four months ago.

I guess they did a little more at those parties than I imagined.

To kick myself out of my head, I cleared my throat. "How many siblings do you have?" I asked.

"None." He looked at his paper. "Favorite food."

Food.

"What days aren't you working for the Barons?" I said suddenly before I could stop myself.

Kolzyn's eyes squinted for a brief moment. What was with him conveying his surprise or any emotion through his eyes? Or what I thought was surprise, I guess.

"Friday and Saturday." His gravely, monotone voice professed it as he folded the edges of his green paper. "I'm released from the Barons on the other days at five."

"So Friday?"

"Friday for what?"

"Oh, I've become orally challenged! I meant for the first dinner," I said.

"Hm." A nice 'Hm' it was, not sounding like a bad one.

"Is that a yes? Perhaps for... six-thirty?"

He nodded. On this occasion, however, he didn't wait to do so.