Tristan
"Run!" Millie, my little sister, shouted as I charged her and my little brother, Colin, with my dragon form. I flew through trees and my wings flutter up and down as a tree left on the ground create a mini typhoon. My dark crimson scales glowed from the small rays of the sun.
"COLIN, RUN!" Mollie shouted to Colin. He forced his legs to move faster and I sped. I released a loud growl and they squeaked in surprise. As I moved closer to them, Mollie stopped and turned. She waved her hands while Colin shouted to her to keep running.
"STOP! YOU WON!"
I dropped with a loud thud and shifted back to my human form. Mollie turned around before she saw me naked and Colin opened his backpack and pulled out some clothes. He came towards me and handed me them and went next to Mollie. I quickly changed and headed to where Mollie and Colin stood. "I told you; I will always win when we play chase," I said to them and ruffled each of their hair. Mollie giggled and Colin groaned in annoyance.
"We were going to win. You just cheated. That's all." Colin said as he fixed his blond hair. He was a lot shorter than me and his green-grey eyes followed our path to our home. "Yeah, yeah. I saw it." I said and Mollie giggled. She was the same as Colin, except her blond hair was curled and her eyes were dark green.
"I saved your butt back there. If I hadn't stopped Tristan, he would have probably burned you alive." I nodded and turned around.
"Hop on." She locked her small arms around my neck and legs to my waist and I stood. We continued our walk back home when we caught some glimpses from the trees. We passed the lake in front of our backyard and I examined it. It was a big white house with a lot of windows and we had created a small park for Mollie outside. I placed her down and we took the small stairs and opened the kitchen door. Immediately, the smell of my mom's cooking came to me. I sniffed. Chicken. Mom was not inside and we steered to the living room. I plopped myself to one of the big couches and opened the TV. I took my phone out and saw no messages.
"Will Monica come to stay?" Mollie asked me and I lifted my head. Her eyes were pleading and I groaned in frustration. My sister always liked Monica from the first time she saw her, including my brother. I knew that Monica had gone to fight. But I couldn't stop her, nor the guys. She had always been like this. After Ethan died, more and more, she stopped telling us about the attack and she didn't take us with her. I know she wanted to protect us especially Noah because he's younger but she can't do it anymore. We can protect ourselves. We had been trained to be her guardians and warriors. We know how to kill someone. These past few days, I had been training with Dad and I had gone with him to some meetings. It wasn't anything special but okay.
I remember when we were kids and we had formed a small band and played music. I was playing the guitar, Monica the drums and Ethan was singing. Noah and Logan were recording everything from the moment we started to the moment we finished. It was so much fun. I wished Ethan was here. We were buddies and I admired him as my big brother. All was amazing. Then he died. My blood ran cold from the memory. It was an advantage that my siblings weren't born yet. It was like yesterday.
I remember my tattoos flaring and screaming in agony. Then Monica's grandma said that something bad had happened. When we got to the house it was too late. There wasn't a house. The second floor had almost collapsed and the house had burned. The forest was the same. Tress burned; the grass had disappeared. It was like it had never been there in the first place. As we were walking, we could see dead animals and different things from the house, scattered around. But the most horrifying thing, it was next to a tree. Ethan was there. His clothes had been burned; scratches were covering his body along with his face and his eyes were staring somewhere. His dead eyes. Then it was a blur. I remember shouting and crying along with Noah, Logan, and Monica's brothers. As for Monica, she was unconscious next to Ethan.
A hand interrupted me from my deep thoughts and I turned. I stared into my sister's eyes and I forced a smile. "I think she will come later. She had something to do." I took my phone and started to scroll down to Instagram. "Have you confessed your feelings to her?" Colin asked opposite from me and I started to cough. Mollie patted me on my back and Colin smirked.
"How do you know that?" I asked him. He rolled his eyes. "It's obvious." I turned to Mollie and waited for her response. She signed. "It's all over your face." I ran my hand through my head and took a small breath.
"Please, don't say anything to her. I want to say it to her somewhere else and not now. We have many things in our heads." They both nodded. My phone rang and I saw Parker's name on my screen. I clicked the green button and immediately I heard his chuckle. "Hey," I spoke.
"Hey, whatcha doing?" He said.
"Fine. I'm at my house, relaxing. You?"
"The same. Hunter had some business with Dad and I'm left with the maids at the house." I laughed. "Why don't you go outside or take one of them for a drink?"
He signed. "Just to know, they are grandmas and even if they were at my age I still wouldn't."
"Yeah, I know," I said and Mollie took my phone. "Hi, Parker."
"Put him on the speaker so I can speak too," Colin says and I shake my head. "Hi, you two."
"What are you doing, man?" Colin said and I smacked his head. "Tristan, what the hell!"
"First don't curse and second "What are you doing, man?' what are you eighteen?" Parker laughed. "I'm fine. I just sit here alone. Nothing special." Mollie seemed pensive for a moment and then said "Do you like Monica?" He fell silent and I knew the answer before he said it. "Yeah. Did Tristan say anything?"
Mollie turned to me. "You like the same girl." She said excitedly. "Yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck. "We talked about it before."
Colin smirked. "So, you will share her." Parker chuckled. "We won't do anything if she doesn't agree but I know that Monica feels the same. And for the rest of the guys." I spoke.
"How can you tell?" Mollie asked me. "I know her since she was a baby. When she comes closer to people, she gets attached to them. Also, you can see it in her eyes."
"Damn those eyes," Parker spoke and Colin laughed. I stayed silent and thought about it. I didn't have a problem sharing Monica with the others but not with others. Just these. I didn't know why I couldn't be jealous over thinking Monica and Parker or Ian hooking up. For others, it would be cheating or I don't know, but for me seems normal. "You sure about this?" I asked Parker.
"I'm sure as hell, Tris." From the speed he said it I understood that he was okay about it. "Is Monica there?" He asked. "No, she will come later. She has some things to do."
"Monica seems to have a lot of work. What she's doing exactly?" Colin asked. My siblings didn't know the details about Monica and what she was doing. They only knew that she hunted creatures or rescued people. They didn't know about the monster inside her. 'It's best for them' Monica had said to us when we had asked her. "She has dancing classes and she has to visit her own family. That's why and don't ask many questions."
"Guys! The food is ready. Let's eat." Mom shouted from the kitchen. Mollie turned to me. "But she wasn't there." I laughed. My mother and her hobby spells. "Go and I will come after I finish the call with Parker." They stood and said in unison "Bye, Parker."
"Bye, guys." I laughed and said "My siblings like more my friends than me." He laughed. "What are you laughing you bastard." The bastard still laughed. I signed. "What am going to do with you?"
"Bullshit. But let's talk seriously. Is Monica really, okay?" My face turned serious and I answered "She's okay but she has a lot of work."
"Yeah, she hasn't responded to our messages." The guys didn't know about Monica and am afraid how they will take it because if Monica cares about them, she can't keep lying to them. I knew Parker will be okay but I think the others will freak out. Until then we will see. "When she will come here, I will call you to talk to her. That's why best friends are."
"Yeah, but you like her too. Don't you feel... I don't know jealous or something?"
"No. I don't know why. It feels normal and intimate. But only with you guys." I spoke. "Tristan! Get your ass here!" My father shouted from the kitchen.
"Wow. Mr. Aaron seemed kind at school. Now I think he's like the devil." I laughed. "He's okay. It depends on who he is with." "I know." He said. "I will let you eat and call me when Monica will be there. Good appetite and give your dad and mom a 'Hi' from me."
"Okay. See you." I spoke. "See you." I ended the call. I stood and walked into the kitchen. Mollie sat next to Mom and Colin beside her. Dad sat opposite and I sat next to him. I took my spoon and took a bite from the chicken with potatoes. I moaned from the sweet taste of it and my mom chuckled. "You are the best, mom."
"I know." She said. "So, how was your day, Dad?" Colin asked.
"It was exhausting. I went to the government and had some business to attend again. But some of them were acting weird. I'm afraid they are preparing for something."
"Is it about Monica?"He shook his head. "I don't know. I will ask around and see."
"Maybe is about Aiden. We haven't seen him since." Mom spoke. "I don't know. Has Monica said anything to you?" Dad asked me. "She said that he continues the attacks but he hasn't shown his face. When we talked, she said that she will take care of the attacks."
"I can't believe this girl. She's doing it all on her own. I'm worried about her." Mom said. "I know. Me too." I announce. I took my last bite and sat back against my chair. The bell rang and Dad turned to me. "Why don't you go and open the door?"
"Okay." I stood and walked to the door. I opened it and I smiled.
"Hey, big head." I crossed the distance and took her into my arms. Monica hugged me too and I lifted her from the ground. "Hi, Shorty." I put her down and examined her. She wore pink pants and a matching pink top. Her hair was in a high ponytail and she wore her favorite sneakers. "Are we going to get inside or we will stand here?" She asked and I laughed. I took her hand and close the door. I led her inside as two figures emerged into the room. "MONICA!" Moline shouted in excitement while Colin followed behind her. Monica opened her arms and Mollie jumped to her. They laughed and she placed Mollie to the ground and went to hug my brother. I turned to the kitchen door and saw my parents standing there. "You knew," I said with a smile. My dad chuckled and Mom walked to Monica. She embraced her in a big hug. "Hi, Emelia."
"It's good to see you, darling." She stepped back and my dad took her place. "You came early." My dad said. "Yeah, because I finished early. How are you, Aaron?"
"I'm fine as you can see." Millie bounces to her toes and I chuckle. "How long will you stay?" Monica turned to her. "I think I will leave after the gather."
"Yeah! Let's go and-" she started but Dad placed his hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go and help Mom with the flowers? I think Monica and Tristan have to spend some time together. She will play with you after. You have time." Mollie's smile fell but Monica pinched her butt. Mollie yelled in surprise. "Go help your mother and later we will do our girl talk and then we will watch a movie." A smile formed on Mollie's face and she nodded. "Okay." My mom took her hand and together they walked out the front door. Colin navigated to the stairs. "I will go and play video games." He called over his shoulder. "Let's go," I said to Monica and we headed to the back door. I walked to the lake and sat on the grass and Monica sat beside me. "Now tell me. How are you? Really." I said and she formed a small smile.
"We had a big attack when the school ended. We didn't have any other massive attacks. I think they are reconstituted. But I had some people with fire burns and some of them didn't have some parts of their bodies." She clenched her jaw and I wrapped my arm around her. She relaxed into my touch and I signed. This was bad news. Something big is coming. "Everything will be okay. But the next time take us with you, okay?" She opened her mouth and I added "Cut the bullshit, Monica. We will come whether you want or not. We won't break, we fought before." She dropped her eyes to the ground and whispered "I'm sorry."
I kissed her head. "Don't say sorry. I know, you don't want to happen the same accident with Ethan but we can't leave you alone fighting so many monsters. What happens when they found you vulnerable?" She didn't answer and I rubbed her back. Then I changed the subject. "A bird said that you sung in a club and danced with someone." With my other hand, I rubbed my chest. I know. Jealousy doesn't suit me. She turned to me and smiled. Her eyes sparkled from excitement. "Tristan Scot, are you jealous?"
I turned my head and stared at the lake. She laughed and when she controlled her laughter she said "He was Ian."
I abruptly turned to her. "What?" She signed. "That night, I came across Ian and Jensen. We danced and drank. The next day we hang out at the beach. That's all." The feeling went away immediately from Ian's name and I signed in relief. "Okay."
She stared at me, bewildered. "You are not jealous?"
"No. It was Ian and I know what kind of guy he is." She nodded and I stood. I extended my hand and she took it. She stood and I walked some meters away. "What are you doing?" She asked. I took my place and got in a position to fight. "What do you see? Preparing for the fight which I will win." She smirked and she mimicked my position. "When you're ready." She called to me. For some minutes, I watched her like a predator and then I stroked. I ran towards her and she did the same. I punched her and she punched me in my ribs. I swung my leg under her so she would lose balance but instead, she did a front flip and landed behind me. I wrenched back but she wasn't there anymore. I turned around and searched for her. I laughed. "Did you give up so easily?"
I felt a stare from behind me and I turned as she tackled me to the ground. We rolled and she punched me in the face. I grabbed her arms and forced her to the ground. I brought them behind her back and I sat on her back. "I won," I said triumphing. She giggled. "Am not finished yet." She brought her head back and it collided with my face. I dropped her arms and touched my face. Then I realize my mistake. "Shit," I said before she turned her whole body and stared into my eyes. Sharp nails dug into my neck but didn't draw blood. She smiled wickedly. "I won." I raised my hands into surrender and she dropped them. I stood and offered her my hand. She stood and I said "Next time." Her smile widened and she steered toward the house. "MONA!" I shouted to her. She stopped abruptly and I realized that I called her by her nickname. She slowly turned and offered me a smile.
"Yes?" I walked towards her. "Nothing," I answered her as I passed her. She rolled her eyes and smacked me on my shoulder. I chuckle. "Let's go. We have a girl talk and we don't have to lose it." I said and she laughed. I wrapped my arm around her and we headed inside.
••••••••••
"Omg! You are getting more annoying!" My cousin said to me. I laughed. "I'm not annoying. I'm hot as hell." He rolled his eyes. I wore a dark blue suit and matches shoes. My hair was free so I could run my fingers through it. "If you are, why you haven't become a model or gone to the Next top model?" I shrugged. "I went but they didn't take me."
"That's so sad." He teased and I smacked his shoulder. I looked around. The living room was decorated with Christmas decorations and it was packed with all my relatives. My mom and dad were talking with my uncle and aunt and all my cousins had come to say hi. Mollie was playing with our little cousin near the Christmas tree and Colin was standing near the buffet, laughing at something my other cousin had said. I shook my head. "Where is Monica? You said she's here."
"She hasn't come down yet."
"So, how are you holding at school?"
"It's fine. I made new friends and my teammates are cool as hell. I think they will send us on our first mission soon as we get to school."
"That's great." Silence fell between us and my dad started the music. Some of my relatives started to dance at the center of the room and I stood there, laughing, as my mom took Colin by his hands and dragged him to dance. He glared at me and I turned my gaze away. Yesterday went smoothly. After the small game with Monica at the lake, she had gone to Mollie's room and I had gone to play video games with Colin. Later, I called Parker, and I and Monica had talked to him for one hour. We ended the call because we wanted to see a movie. We all watched 'Finding Nemo', including my parents, in the living room.
After it had finished, I slept with Monica in my room. And no, we didn't do anything. We just slept. I still remember her slow breathing and her smell on my sheets and pillows. I had wrapped my arm around her waist and she hadn't said anything. Instead of pushing me away, she relaxed into my arms. Then she slept. Well, except for me. I had a really hard time controlling myself yesterday from the urging to touch her and the feel of her bare skin against me. "Damn, girl!" My cousin half whispered half shouted. I turned my gaze from him to the hallway behind me. There she was.
She walked straight with confidence while her eyes showed her embarrassment. I slowly took her form. She wore a red dress which ended to her knees. Her hair was half up half down in small waves. Her black heels clinked to the floor. She smiled when she spotted me and my cousin closed my mouth with his hand. I turned to him. "You left that open." He said and I glared at him. "What I missed?" Monica asked and I turned to her. Her green eyes shined as she took my form. She wore only mascara, concealer, and red lipstick. She started to talk but I couldn't focus on what she was saying.
I cupped her cheek. She stopped and her eyes found mine. "You are beautiful." Her cheeks flushed and I chuckled. I took her hand and moved her to the center of the dance floor. She stared around with wide eyes and I placed my hands on her waist. "Oh, we are going to dance?" She asked. "Yes. So, wrap your hands around my neck, and let's show them how people dance." She smirked and placed her hands around my neck. We started to make the first
steps, left and right, up and down. I made her twirl and she smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"Amazing. Free. Embarrassed." She spoke. I chucked. "You are my Shorty." She stared into my eyes like she wanted to confirm something. The music stopped and we came to a halt. She released my neck and cupped my face. I shivered from her touch and stared into her intense gaze. "And you are my Big head." I nodded while she took my hand and navigated us through the crowd. We stopped in front of the buffet and she licked her lips. I watched the gesture in slow motion and imagined something that was very inappropriate for best friends. "I'm afraid my best friend became a wild hungry animal." She smacked my shoulder and I laughed.
She grabbed a plate with molten chocolate lava cake and chocolate-covered strawberries. I grabbed a large plate with vanilla buttermilk pie and two cupcakes', one with caramel flavor and Oreo with the other one. I took a small bite from the pie and I moaned in pleasure. Monica started to take small bites while she swung her head left and right, with brightness on her face. We ate while our gaze scanned the people around us. When we put down our empty plates my aunt passed with a tray on her hands, with glasses of red wine. Monica snatched two glasses and handed me one. I smirked. "What a naughty girl." she giggled and I took her arm and guided her outside. We walked in silence when we slowly approached the lake. The weather was cold and I took my jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
She smiled at me and together we stared at the lake. The night was long. A cold breeze blew her blond hair and her green eyes shined as she stared on the surface of the lake. The night had fallen and the stars were dancing in the sky. The moon, more visible than anything was reflected on the surface of the lake. A warm hand slipped into mine and I squeezed it. She rested her head on my shoulder and signed. "It's so silent and calm. I want it to last forever but...." She didn't finish the sentence and I rested my chin on her head. "What can I do?" I asked.
After some heartbeats, she answered. "Can you come with me tomorrow? I have to go to a refugee camp and you know that if I see that the situation is really bad, I would hunt them down alive." She took a breath and continued. "I want you to be there but on the other hand, I won't. I don't want you to see me like this."
I took some steady breaths from my nose and turned to her. I grabbed her face. "Don't ever say that again. I know that monster and I don't care if it lives inside you or if you are a part of it. Even if you were a creature with big dark eyes and saliva dripping from your mouth, I would have chosen you. You are my best friend and I cherish you with my heart." Tears gathered in her eyes and slowly started to fall. I brushed them with my palms and I hugged her. Later that night, after we changed and the party was over, I curled in my bed, still thinking about her.
••••••••••
Something purred into my back and I cracked my eyes open. "Wakey wakey, big head." I groaned and two other voices sounded and my bed shifted as my siblings came beside me. "Tristan, wake up," Mollie said.
"Let's splash him with water," Colin suggested. I jerked awake and jumped to my feet. "I'm awake," I announced and walked to the bathroom. After I finished peeing and changed into a clean red hoodie and black trousers, I walked back to my room. All the others had gone down so I headed to the chairs. When I emerged to the kitchen, they were all sitting and eating breakfast. I took my seat next to Monica and started to eat. We talked while Mollie talked about school. The time passed so quickly and now it was time to leave. I walked with Monica to the front door and paused.
"Why can't we come?" Mollie asked. I picked her up and kissed her forehead. I ruffled Colin's hair and he grimaced. I kissed my mom, hugged Dad and answered her while Monica greeted them goodbye. "We have some boring business to take care of and it's not a place for you. In a short time, I will return. I promise." She nodded and I opened the door. We steered outside and when we were finally at the garden I turned to Monica.
"Let's go." She said, smiling wickedly and black smoke erupted over us. This girl and her adventures.