Chapter Three
I can’t believe this. I thought she was smarter than that.
“- caught them behind the bleachers during their gym class. This kind of behavior is not going to be tolerated at this school” Principal Mast says to me, “Two weeks out-of school suspension.”
I nod my head in understanding, surprised that it’s not longer.
Kim got caught for PDA. Really Kim, really? Just yesterday I was thinking that she knows what she’s doing.
Obviously she does, just not in the way I thought.
I can’t really say that I’m mad at her; I’m too shocked right now. But the one thing running through my mind is how she’s going to explain to our brothers why she got two weeks out-of school suspension because I am sure as hell not doing it for her.
God, they are never going to let her live it down.
We walk out of the principals’ office about to go back to our classes when I stop her. She looks at me with tears in her eyes. I feel my heart crack a little at seeing her upset but I remind myself that she brought this on herself.
“Who was it?” I ask, no doubt she knows what I’m talking about.
She hesitates. She obviously doesn’t want me to know. Is it that bad?
“Who was it?” I ask again.
“Tyler Williams” she says in a quiet voice.
My breathing stops as I take in the name she just told me not sure if I heard her right.
“Who?” I ask, praying silently that I did hear her wrong.
“Tyler Williams” she says louder this time.
Tyler Williams? What the fuck was she doing with him?!? First of all Tyler is a senior; too old to be doing stuff like that with a sophomore. Second, Tyler is Alex’s older brother! The one he hates!
I just stare at her with my mouth hanging open. She stares at her feet standing awkwardly for a minute before she walks away to her next class. I still stand there for a few minutes after she’s gone, then walk back to class.
***********************
The ride home is silent. The only noise is the car’s engine running. Alex is in the passenger seat looking out the window; Seth and Kim are in the backseat lost in their own thoughts. I’m driving trying to not let my mind wander about everything that happened today. It’s only the second day of school and one of us was already in trouble. It’s only the second day of school and I think I’m developing something like a crush on a guy I barely know. It’s only the second freaking day of school! Damn, what is the rest of this year going to be like?
I pull up in the driveway next to Ben’s car. Good, he remembered to get Liam and the twins. I kill the engine and we all get out of the car and head into the house only to be greeted by a very angry Zach, Jason, and Ben.
“Got a call from the principal today” Zach says looking at Kim. He looks…….. sick. He has big dark bags under his bloodshot blue eyes. His face looks a little sunken like he hasn’t been eating, but I know for a fact that’s not the case. I tear my eyes away from him only to look into Kim’s panic-stricken face. She’s silently asking me for help, but I have no idea what to do. I didn’t think the principal would call home.
I look back at my three angry brothers and catch Jason’s eye. He raises an eyebrow at me as if he’s asking me to explain. I shake my head at him and nod my head towards Kim indicating that she should be the one to tell. He nods his head and gives me a reassuring smile as if to say that everything is going to be ok. I just nod back, ending our silent conversation.
I turn back to look at Kim, who’s looking back at Zach, wondering what she’s going to tell them.
“I- I got in trouble for…. getting into a fight” she says quickly “Yeah, this girl pissed me off and I slapped her and then we went at it. That’s why I got in trouble today.”
All three of them just stare at her trying to see if she’s lying. Principal Mast obviously didn’t tell them what she got in trouble for; he probably just called so we could make sure she stays here for the next two weeks.
“Oh. Ok well, don’t do it again. It’s only the second day and you’re already suspended,” Zach tells her.
“Ok, I won’t I promise.”
I just stare at her and she’s looking anywhere but at me, I can’t believe she just lied to them! I wonder if I should tell them the truth but I decide against it, it’s her thing to tell and I’m not a snitch.
Now I’m mad at her. I thought she was going to handle this like a mature person and take whatever consequences she was going to get but I guess I’m wrong. I’m starting to think I don’t know my sister as much as I thought I did.
“Hey” I say to Alex once I reach my room. He’s lying on my bed staring at my ceiling with his hands behind his head.
“Hey” he says back.
I lie down next to him. I suddenly remember my thoughts earlier today, about how Alex doesn’t like Tristan. I decide to ask him about it and get this discussion over with.
“Alex?”
“Yeah?”
“Why don’t you like Tristan?”
He’s silent for a minute before he says “Who said I didn’t like him?”
“It’s just that you ask so aloof around him.”
He laughs at my choice of words.
“I don’t mean to” he says quietly.
“Why do you?”
“’Cuz you like him.”
“I don’t like him, I barely know him. Even if I did why does it matter?”
He hesitates debating if he should tell me.
“C’mon Alex you can tell me.”
He sighs and sits up. I get up to sit in front of him and wait patiently until he’s ready to tell me.
“I just…….it’s always just been me and you. No one else, and him being around so much……. I just don’t want to lose my best friend. I don’t think I could handle that.”
He thinks he’s going to lose me?
“Alex, how can you even think that I would ever pick someone over you? I even pick you over my brothers. Do you think that I’d be able to handle losing my best friend? My number one supporter? My soul friend? How can you think that? I promise I will never give you up just for some boy. Even if I do like someone or I’m together with someone you’ll always be my number one.”
“Thanks Micky. You’ll always be my number one too.” He kisses my cheek then lies back down.
(a/n: touchy moment, I know, but I had to make their relationship clear. They are not in love with each other just super close best friends.)
“Alex, I have to tell you something” I say hesitantly.
“What is it?” he asks anxiously, he can probably hear the uneasiness in my voice.
“Did you hear what happened with Kim?”
“No, just that she got in trouble. Why?”
I sigh, knowing that I should tell him what happened.
“She got caught for PDA today in gym.”
“What?!? But she told your brothers she got into a fight.”
“Yeah she lied, I guess she really didn’t want them to know, and I sure as am not saying anything……… but, Alex, it’s who she was with is what I need to tell you.”
“Ok. Who?”
“Tyler.”
He’s silent. I look at his face but he has it cleared of all emotion.
Shit. He only looks like that when he’s feeling too many emotions at once and doesn’t know what to feel.
“Tyler?” he asks me in almost a whisper.
“Yeah”
“I can’t believe him. Wait what were they doing exactly?”
I hesitate. Should I tell him? I mean that’s a little embarrassing for Kim. Why should I care? She lied and Alex is my best friend it’s not like he’s going to say anything if I ask him not to.
“She got caught giving him a bj.”
“WHAT?!?”
“Shh, Alex! Please don’t say anything, this wasn’t my thing to tell.”
“Ok ok fine I won’t say anything but still…. Ugh how can she stand to even be that close to him with his di-”
“Ok! That’s enough I don’t think either of us need that mental image.”
He laughs, his good mood back. I smile back at him then I remember something.
Tristan wanted me to call him.
As if reading my thoughts Alex turns to me with a teasing smile and asks “So what were you and Tristan talking about today?”
“He was kind of upset that I didn’t call him yesterday. So he wanted to make sure that I did today.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he just wants to start on the project early.”
“Or maybe he just wants to talk to you. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that just wants to get in a girls’ pants.”
“Yeah I guess, but I don’t even know him so how could I know.”
“Call him”
“What?”
“Call him, get to know him.”
“Why?”
“Hey you never know, maybe there’s more to him than what you see on the outside.”
***********************
“Hello?” his deep sexy voice answers.
“Hey Tristan it’s me Mikayla.”
“Oh hey. You called!”
I laugh a little “Yeah how could I forget?”
He laughs too and says “So, what’s up?”
“I don’t know you tell me. You’re the one who wanted me to call.”
“Are you saying you didn’t wanna talk to me?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
He laughs again “Calm down Mikayla I’m just messing with you.”
“Ok good. So what did you wanna talk about?”
“Nothing really I just….”
“You just..?”
“I guess I just wanted to hear your voice.”
My heart skips a beat then goes into overdrive again when he said those words.
How am I supposed to respond to that?
“Mikayla? You still there?”
“Yeah I’m here.”
“Oh ok. I thought you hung up.”
“No, I’m still here.”
“TRISTAN!” I hear a male voice yell in the background.
“Shit” Tristan mumbles, “Hey Mikayla I’m sorry but I have to go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow okay?”
“Yeah of course, see you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Well that was nice.