The New Girl

Chapter 16

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Tristan

"Lily, sweetie, were here." I shake Lily awake as we near my aunt and uncle's house.

Liliana stretches in my arms before rubbing her eyes.

I help Lily out of the car and I turn to see Elizabeth looking up and wiping her palms on her dress. She's a spitfire around people our age, but I notice she clams up around adults. I make a mental note to work on that with her.

We let ourselves in and I can already hear my aunt walking down the hall. "Hello everyone!" Mary calls down the foyer. She come over and hugs everyone. When she turns to me she looks surprised. "Oh hello, Elizabeth. It's so good to see you again!"

"Thanks, you too." I say as she hugs me.

"Well dinners on the table, everyone to the dining room."

We follow her to the dining room.

I sit and Elizabeth takes the seat next to me. Next to my grandmother.

"Hello, dear, and who are you?" my grandma asks.

"I'm Elizabeth, Tristan's fr-"

"She's my girlfriend, grandma." I cut her off.

"Oh, darling that's wonderful!" she says excited. She turns to look at Elizabeth. "Come closer, dear, let me get a better look at you." I smile. Grandma's known for her intuition in reading people. Elizabeth gives me an uneasy look before leaning in for my grandma. Like everyone else she takes her face in her hands and studies her face. "I like you." she says smiling. My smile broadens knowing that she has my grandmother's seal of approval.

"How do you know that just by looking at me?" she asks.

"Old lady's intuition, my dear." she says as my attention was taken away by my cousin across the table.

As everyone shovels food down their throat, I notice Elizabeth has barely touched her meal.

"Is the food alright, Elizabeth?" my aunt has a concerned look on her face. She's the ultimate hostess, and likes everyone to be happy.

"Yes it's wonderful. I'm just not used to eating a lot of food."

"Are you anorexic, honey?" my grandmother asks, concerned.

I feel my heart clench. Is that what this is? "No I'm not. It's just that... money's... tight at my house." That should make me feel more at ease, but it doesn't. It only makes me more frustrated. I think back to all the times I've seen her eat the same thing at lunch. A peanut butter sandwich. That's it. And this morning? A yogurt was all she had to eat since dinner.

"Oh sweetheart." my grandma whispers gently.

"It's okay, really it is."

My father changes the topic quickly to something I could care less about. I just can't get the thought out of my head that she could be. I look at her. She's is thin. I've always noticed that, but she doesn't look unhealthy. Still, I need to know for sure.

When dinner is over I pull her away from the crowd to talk to her. She jumps at the touch but relaxes when she sees it's me.

"Come with me." I say and take her to the basement.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She rolls her eyes and says, "Tristan I'm not anorexic!"

Okay, so it's not that. But she's still not getting away with this. "Not that. That you don't get enough food! How much do you weigh again?" I interrogate.

"130." she mutters.

"Yeah and that's a healthy weight of someone a half foot shorter than you." I say.

"Tristan I'm fine. I go to the doctors and they say everything's okay. I just have to watch my BMI."

I run my fingers through my hair. I just want to make sure she's healthy. "I just don't want you starving. Just tell me you'll try to eat some more? Please?"

"Okay." she finally says.

"Thank you"

I hug her. "I just don't want anything to happen to you, ya know? I wouldn't know what to do without you."

"I'm sure you would be fine, Tristan." she scoffs.

Oh no way. I look at her in the eye and say, "Elizabeth I don't think you understand. I'm not just saying shit to say it. I mean it I love-"

Oh shit, oh shit. Why the fuck am I such an idiot? I look to see at a gaping Elizabeth. Great, I've scared her.

"What?" she whispers.

"This don't how I wanted to tell you. Forget I said anything." I say quickly.

I hear the blood pumping in my ears when she starts to walk up to me. "I don't care." she says and wraps her arms around my neck, and I can't breathe. "Because I love you too, Tristan Blake." she whispers.

Nothing can keep the smile off my face. Elizabeth Scott is in love with me. I push her against the wall and bring her in for a frantic kiss. God I could kiss this girl forever.

I pull back to talk to her. "God Elizabeth I'm so in love with you it's crazy." I say.

"The feeling's mutual." I did a mental fist pump.

"So..." I say. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Well you did tell your grandmother that I was." she laughs

Oh right.

"So is that a yes?" I say hopefully.

"Duh" she says and I swear I could've died a happy man.