A/N: For those who get my email notifications, yes I am nocturnal and yes it is 3 in the morning. But for some reason, my mind is great at this time so here it is.
Also before you start reading this chapter can we celebrate first how
TONGUE TIED IS OFFICIALLY THE #2 MOST-REVIEWED AND #2 MOST FOLLOWED MY CANDY LOVE FANFIC ON !
YES I HAD TO APPLY ALL THE FONT EFFECTS ON THAT SENTENCE BECAUSE WOW
I am just feeling so overjoyed right now. Have you ever felt so happy you felt like jumping up and down and hugging your puppy and then screaming at the top of your lungs and pouring water on yourself? Yes that is currently me.
Also, this has been great because my personal life isn't doing so well. This is just a great reminder that maybe things are taking a turn for the better.
On another note, some Guest here left a review saying that if I put Castiel and Deborah together threatened to stop reading Tongue Tied because they've been following it for years and I've just been dragging it out so much. WELL, yknow what, that's fine. It is my story and if I decide to make Castiel go bald and adopt 22 children with Alexy and Lysander move to the mountains of Tibet to be a caveman, I will do so. I don't understand your point. What I'm trying to say is people who feel like this should *ahem* fuck off. There's no nice way to put it. Comments like that may affect authors that aren't as strong willed and might just force them to produce a story shaped to your demands and that is just sick. Writing is a form of expression and just because you feel a certain way about a text, it does not meet you can impose it on an author. Like NO ONE wanted Jack to die on Rose in the Titanic BUT GUESS FUCKIN WHAT HE DIED. And Titanic would not have been such a great movie if he hadn't but if people like you tried to coax the writer into changing the story, you're going to get a shitty product. So take your unproductive and dumb comments and shove it up your butt.
Ahem.
Alright, now I'm back to nice Nikki! Yay! Sorry about that. Things just piss me off sometimes.
Okay no more stalling, here it is! Enjoy!
+nikkasa on tumblr
+lostconcoctions on mycandylove
Thirty Five: Make You Feel
Ainsworth Residence. 8:45PM.
Poison of the day: the three Ws namely wine, weed and whiskey.
The black long-sleeved top I was wearing, extremely hugging against the top half of my torso, had a little band on the back that reached up to my nape then attached was another circular band that was meant to be worn around the neck to give the illusion of a choker. High-waisted maroon jeans that were even more fitted on me only seemed to accentuate my slim, doll-like legs and the lack of a big curvy butt as opposed to my hourglass-framed best friend.
Compared to Rosalya though, who—though it was just another Saturday night spent with friends—dressed to impress everyone that laid his or her eyes on her. Sure, tonight she opted for something much simpler than the last time we had gotten together, but it was without a doubt that if her and I decided to walk around town, I would just be a mirage in the background to her. Her round, full bust was bandaged in a tight bustier-style dress that cinched perfectly at her waist. The rest of the skirt was flowing, falling perfectly against her curves and very-present backside. It made the outfit much more casual, as did the little accessories she seemed to have swiped from her boyfriend's store. Her long, stark white hair only made her stand out even more.
"Stop that." Rosalya said sternly. "Just. Stop."
I raised an eyebrow in response, unmoving from my position. Sitting on one of the barstools by the marble counters of the Ainsworth residence, half of me was slumped over the countertop; my elbow propped up to support my sluggish posture; my cheek squished against the base of my palm.
"Stop what?" I asked lazily, my words coming out somewhat muted against the skin of my hand. It was still early in the night but sobriety didn't seem to sit well with how I was feeling.
"Don't act dumb, Skye. You know what I mean." She said, sighing, rolling her cat-like, golden eyes at me. "You're being all sad and it's bumming me out. So…Stop it."
"I'm not being all 'sad.'" I pushed myself off the counter to yawn and stretch my arms out. There was a soft click from my upper back. "I'm just tired."
Rosalya didn't seem at all satisfied.
"I think you're forgetting that I'm one of your best friends too, babe." She said.
"I haven't forgotten." I replied. "Never."
"And you still insist you're just tired, yes?" She had her hands on her hips. Uh-oh.
My eyes flicked from one tile on the countertop to another. "Erm…Yes?"
"I can tell when there's something wrong with you and not just when you're 'tired' or whatever."
I closed my eyes and exhaled. Rosalya was right. The sinking, empty feeling in my stomach wasn't exhaustion. It was something completely different.
"And I thought I was getting good at hiding it."
"Hiding what?" A pair of hands warmed my skin to the touch on both my shoulders.
The black top I was wearing left a lot to the imagination, despite it being close-fitting, except for my collarbones and the top of my shoulders—only making a bubbling heat start at my stomach when he touched me. I turned my head and Lysander came into view, his glinting eyes obviously curious as to what Rosalya and I were talking about.
I swallowed. How long has it been since we had kissed?
Even I stopped counting the days.
Lysander wasn't looking at me anymore. His attention had shifted to the bowl of mini cookies on the table, though he kept his hands where they were, his thumb gently kneading my shoulder blades. The beer bottle in my hand clacked down to the counter. Only when his tongue quickly licked his bottom lip did I look away and feel my mind cloud with thoughts that shouldn't have been there.
Not your boyfriend, not your boyfriend, not your…
"Nothing!" Rosalya giggled, an immediate smile appearing on her face and a tinge of a blush. She's always had a soft spot for Lys even when Leigh was around. "Cookie?"
"Please." He replied. Lysander tipped his head back just a little then opened his mouth, letting his tongue poke out. Rosalya picked up the a little cookie and chucked it into his mouth. An a quick jerk, Lysander had his mouth shut and crumbs falling slightly, but hey, he caught it and that's what really mattered.
"Mmmph…" He chewed away, his mismatched eyes glassing over with the pastry.
"Enjoying yourself?" I asked, smiling.
He nodded, obviously too busy with his mouth to answer my question. Instead, he just flashed a content, full, smile and nodded, his silver locks bouncing with his movements. He needed a haircut.
"So, you guys need to explain this to me." Rosalya leaned over the counter to near us. "What's going on with you too? News is, it's over."
At that, my eyes widened and I nearly choked on the non-existent cookie in my mouth while Lysander actually did begin to cough on his. We both were obviously not braced for that question.
"Uhm—" I started at my hands.
"Rosa—Ugh—You—" Lysander cleared his throat.
"What?" Rosalya asked harmlessly. Cluelessly. Tactlessly, as usual. Not that I minded. It was one of the things I loved about Rosa. Her gold eyes went from Lysander's to mine then back to his, expecting an answer. "It's been a week and you guys have been insanely hush-hush about your relationship. But word gets out fast and I do not appreciate being one of the last to hear about it!"
Lysander and I both just exchanged confused glances.
"Don't look at me, I didn't tell anybody anything!" I raised my hands in surrender.
"Me neither…" Lysander frowned, wiping off a stray crumb with the back of his hand.
I raised my brow, doubting him when I know I shouldn't have. If anything, Lysander never lied and neither did he like to spill about his personal life to anybody.
"Don't give me that look, Skylar." He cocked his head to the side at me. "If there's something I have to say, you're the first one I go to. Even you know that. And I'm not one to talk much anyway, I'd much rather be writing on my…note…oh."
It dawned on the both of us.
I pressed the pads on my fingers to the space between my eyebrows and sighed.
"Lys, you lost your notebook again this week, didn't you?"
"W-Well…" He started to fumble. I was right. "T-That really depends…I have dozens of notebooks, I don't keep track of each of their whereabouts…"
I shook my head, but smiled to myself. It was just a typical Lysander move, and maybe one of the sides I had been drawn to other than his intriguing side. And it counted for something that we had still managed to keep things on the down-low. A minor slip-up wasn't too bad.
"I-I'm sorry, Skylar." He ran a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of guilt and embarrassment. "After we agreed to keep things between ourselves."
"Oh, stop it, Lys." I chuckled, lightly jabbing his arm. "It's alright. I know you didn't mean to."
"I'm going to have to take you up on that offer though on buying me a tracker for my pesky belongings." He looked playful again. It was easy to get lost in his eyes when he was like this. Too easy and if I didn't watch myself, I no doubt would have.
"Right." I rolled my eyes. "Because it's your stuff that gets away. Not the owner that loses them."
"I'm glad we're on the same page."
"We're totally not!" I broke into a laugh.
"Okay, enough lovebirds!" Rosa interrupted. "Your flirting has not gotten me anywhere. Fill in the blanks now, please? I deserve that much, I think?"
Rosa was right. We both turned broke away and calmed down for a bit. God, I hadn't even realized the way our positions had changed. How he had begun to face me, or how my chair swivelled in his direction. But Rosa was waiting for us. And she hated waiting.
"Well, it's really not all that simple…" Lysander was obviously trying to reach for the right words as to not step on anyone's toes. Particularly mine on the issue of…a certain Statham…
I cleared my throat, going off on his prompt. "Yes, it's complicated. But long story short, Lysander and I are starting over again."
"Starting over again how?" Rosalya frowned, looking confused. "Like you made him ask you to be his girlfriend again?"
"N-No, Rosa, the very start…We're back to being friends." Lys said.
"Why?" she demanded.
"It's hard to explain." I replied.
"Then find an easier way!" Rosa sighed exasperatedly. "Before the news gets to everyone except me!"
"Does anyone actually know what's going on?" I asked her. "Like…is it going around school?"
"No, not really." She replied. "Peggy hasn't gotten a hold of the information if that's what you mean."
"So how'd you find out things were different with us?" Lysander asked, taking a bite of another cookie.
I sipped on my beer and prodded Rosa with an answer.
"I heard Li celebrating that you were single." Rosalya nodded over at Lys. "She found your notebook."
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Hell, Lianne is still on to me, huh?"
"Everyone's on to you." I shrugged.
"You're not threatened, are you, doll?" Rosalya asked me.
"Threatened?" I scoffed. "Why would I be?"
"Well, now that Lysie-baby isn't your boyfriend anymore…It's a fair game for anyone."
"I had no idea that boys were prizes to be won." Lysander murmured. "The female world is a strange one."
"You can say that again." Leigh came into view with Bridgette by his side. "What's going on here? And why did the music stop?"
"Skye should do the music." Bridgette winked at me. She already knew that I wanted to do it anyway. I nodded, fishing out my phone.
Bridgette was in a pastel purple dress.
"Not on your phone though." Bridgette said, snatching it out of my hands. "You should be banned from this thing!"
"H-Hey!" I nearly fell out of the stool. "Give that back!"
"Lys, you need to control my sister!" Bridgette raised the phone to dangle up in the air. "I swear to God—"
"Bridgette Whitman, if you drop my phone again I will shave your eyebrows off and—"
"—she shops like a maniac!" Bridgette giggled, enjoying herself. The only reason I hadn't even been able to reach it was because of the massive heels she was wearing that gave her a temporary height advantage. But my God, if we were on fair ground…
"Mason's texting me!" I groaned,leaping up and grabbing the phone away from my sister. "Ugh, Bridgette…"
"So you've been shopping a lot, huh?" Leigh asked. "For what? Clothes?"
"Ugh…" I shook my head. Yes, clothes.
"You should stop by my store once in a while." He said cheekily. "I promise to leave it open for you and Lys, maybe to uhm, fold clothes out back?"
"L-Leigh!" My eyes widened and my face heated up. Leigh just cracked up and patted my shoulder, muttering about him just joking though no one in the room believed him.
"Where's the music?" Rosa asked, impatiently.
"It's coming." I frowned, scrolling through my music library while finishing off my nth beer of the night. Old school Kanye began to fill the room with 'Good Life.'
"You always seem to surprise me." Lysander rounded up next to me.
"Are you making fun of my bad shopping habits or how dependent I looked scrambling over my phone like that?" I asked him.
"I think I'm pertaining to your vast choice of music for the night and how you could be showing signs of alcoholism."
"Very funny." I set down my bottle.
"Hey, neither of what I said were flaws." Lysander said. "At least not to me."
"Are you trying to flirt?" I chuckled. "Because I thought that's not allowed."
"I lost the notebook where we wrote down those rules. I forgot what's allowed and what isn't." He smiled. His cheeks were pink. God, I loved when his cheeks turned pink.
"Play 'Good Morning' after this one." A voice cut off my thoughts from Lysander.
My heart jumped.
That only meant one thing.
"So he decides to show up." Leigh snickered, walking over to take the coat from Castiel's shoulders. He was here, with the usual scowl on his face and the bite in his tone. But he didn't seem to have that usual mood about him. He almost looked…I don't know. I wouldn't go as far as to call him happy, he wasn't smiling. But his shoulders were relaxed and his eyes looked calm.
And now he had caught me staring.
"Something wrong, Whitman?" He said to me, a smirk on his lips. Now, it was my turn to gulp. And it was also my turn to recover myself.
"You requested the next song?" I asked.
"Oh good, you heard me." He nodded, shaking his hair out. He must have ridden Harley here. "So I don't have to repeat myself."
"I don't recall ever telling you I was deaf." I replied with a snarky tone.
But Castiel didn't shoot back with another smart comment.
I swallowed again.
Where are you Castiel? The Castiel that I knew?
I had no time to think because another familiar voice reeled me back to reality.
"Kitten, I didn't even know you listened to Kanye." A low-sounding squeal came from behind Castiel's tall frame.
She stepped out from the shadows and into the door with her long auburn hair that looked wild and all over, her bun with loose strands coming off and a braid that just looked stupid on her.
God, what was I thinking? She looked just fine with it…
The easy-going atmosphere in the room seemed to have completely dissipated in a matter of seconds with that girls presence. And it was impossible to ignore too.
"That's not who I think it is, is it?" Rosalya whispered from behind me. She was talking to Lysander, who looked over his shoulder at her and just nodded solemnly. I wanted to know what exactly she meant by that, what was wrong with her, what was up with—
"Deborah, you know everyone." Castiel said, his hand leading her forward in her skimpy fuchsia blouse and grey pleated skirt, breasts basically spilling out for everyone to see.
"Hi everyone!" She greeted cheerily, waving a gloved hand.
"I don't think we've met." Bridgette pushed past me, sticking her hand out to Deborah. "I'm Bridgette."
"Bridgey. Can I call you Bridgey? I like giving nicknames like that." Deborah winked a heavily made-up (albeit very well made) eye.
"Sure, why not." Bridgette smiled.
"Deborah, it's been forever." Rosalya beamed, pulling the taller girl into an embrace. "I…I'm still in shock…It's you, isn't it?"
"Yes, I'm here!" Deborah squealed.
"But, but I haven't seen you in school. You're not in any of our classes? Were you delayed?"
"Oh gosh, I'm not a returning student, Rosa." Deborah shook her head. "I'm just here on vacation before I leave for my tour next month."
"You're going on tour again?!" Rosa exclaimed. "Does that mean you just released a new album with…"
"…Yes it's super exciting, can you believe…"
"…That's amazing, Deb, wow…"
Rosalya and Deborah launched into a full blown conversation. Just like that, the tense feeling that fell over everyone disappeared just as quickly as it came. More drinks were brought out, Kanye West's expert lyrics from years ago spewed out from the speakers. A week had passed by since the squabble between Cas and Lys, and whether it seemed like a short amount of time or a long one, the fight looked to already be in the past. Any damages Castiel had gotten had quickly faded, Lysander's knuckles fully healed, their friendship already crossing the bridge and going back to the way it used to be. The pair were talking about something in low voices, something between the two of them that I couldn't hear and never would.
All this noise and energy around me and I felt like a wall. A plant, at most, if I was lucky.
I felt a lot like Kanye's music. Fleeting and becoming less about substance, more about mandatory existence.
But here I was making the most of this fading feeling. All I did was watch from the sidelines as my friends stayed oblivious to this sinking feeling that consumed me. From the midst of the crowd—well, crowd wasn't the right word for it but I felt so isolated that I might as well have been in one—a flash of red flickered past my eyes. Castiel was rounding near me.
But he wasn't approaching me.
He passed me like I was air. He made his way to the kitchen, fishing out through the cooler for a drink. I watched him intently and I didn't even really care anymore. My eyes traced his long legs in his jeans, the curve of his back and the red of his locks. I watched the parts I already knew of him do what he normally did as if it were interesting as hell, like his fingers tighten around the bottle opener, or the way his arms flexed when he popped the cap off. My mouth felt dry and my mind, empty.
He came back and spun around, his silver eyes meeting mine for the second time that night since he arrived.
The racing inside my chest picked up again.
Time didn't slow down like it did in the movies when our gazes locked, but God, did I wish that it did. But instead of time stopping, Castiel was the one that paused in his tracks. He didn't look away from me. Instead his mouth curved slightly, into a smile maybe? Sort of? Then he tipped his glass to me like a silent toast. Shakily, I raised mine too. We drank in silence with a distance that felt like miles between us. But he didn't speak or say anything after that.
He exited the kitchen and swept past me.
The energy was there, I felt it. But with how he walked away, I already knew that he hadn't.
My eyes followed to where he had gone and I shouldn't have been surprised. He was next to Deborah again. This time he had on a smile, one that I didn't doubt. This time words were exchanged, their bottles clinked audibly.
Their exchange looked, sounded, and seemed so real that I second guessed whether he noticed me at all.
Something nudged me out of my reverie by my arm.
"What's with the long face?" A low voice asked me. I turned my head to see Leigh with his arms folded, calm eyes and a contented look.
"Huh?"
"Everyone looks happy here except for you."
"I could use another drink, that's all." I shrugged.
"Another beer? Corona?"
"Hennessy, thanks."
Leigh poured me three fingers of the dark liquor into a short glass and slid it over to me. Two cubes of ice bobbed inside the liquid before I knocked back half of it.
The burning sensation that ran down my throat was the only physical reminder that no, Skye Whitman had not just evaporated and disappeared. She was still very much here.
"You haven't answered my question." Leigh came back with his own glass, taking a sip as he watched me with his dark eyes. It was hard to believe that him and Lysander were brothers. While Leigh had jet black hair, eyes to match, tanned skin and a thin frame, his younger brother's silver hair and multicolored eyes, rosy complexion and more muscular build provided the stark contrast nicely.
"I'm not sure what's wrong, Leigh." I swirled my cup around, looking down into it. "That's the stupid part."
"Yes you do." He said firmly. "You just don't want to admit it to yourself. That's why you think you don't know the answer."
There was a pinch in my heart.
Fuck.
With that, I finished the rest of my drink.
"Looks like I hit the spot." Leigh said, leaning an arm on my shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You can talk to me, you know. I know Lys is my brother but he's not my hand and foot."
"You're saying if I say anything you're not going to tell Lysander?" I asked him.
"Sure, if that's what you want."
I sighed.
"I'm just lost, that's all."
"In what way?"
"In…every way…" I admitted.
"You have to have some direction." Leigh frowned. "If you didn't, then you wouldn't be lost. Because you wouldn't even know that you wanted something."
I let out another breath. Another drink would be nice.
"I'm lost in a sense that I want to be happy but I don't know how to. But that sounds so selfish of me. That's why it's stupid too."
Leigh paused. The glass in his hand was empty too.
"It's not stupid." He said. "I think everyone's looking for that. Though in your case…it's obviously not simple."
I snickered. "Simple is the last word I would use."
"Do you love my brother?" He asked me.
It was a simple question with a simple answer.
At least one thing was simple enough for me.
"Yes."
Leigh raised an eyebrow. "You were fast to reply."
"It wasn't a hard question."
"Okay, here's another one: are you in love with him?"
There it was. The pinch in my heart again.
This time it was stronger and my craving for another drink urged me on.
"Leigh, I already answered that." I laughed nervously, tucking my hair behind my ear and smiling.
"No, you haven't." He said. "You're sharp, Skye. You know I wasn't asking the same question twice."
Of course he was right.
Even I caught on to something like that.
"We're getting there again." I said. I hoped. "I was in love with Lys then I lost my way. We're fixing it now."
Leigh nodded, looking satisfied with my answer.
"Take care of him, Skye." He said in all seriousness. "He won't show it, but there's more to it than meets the eye."
"L-Leigh…?" I turned to him.
His voice quieted down. "Lysander. He needs you."
It was later on that Iris arrived, when I had managed to drink myself in a conversational state. Sure, I had managed to finish all the food laid out for everyone and the cookies, as well as three fourths of the Hennessy, but hey, I was feeling way better.
Bridgette and Iris had begun to spend more time together, and I couldn't complain. At first, I had thought she was just Miss Goody-Two-Shoes. But after her hanging around with us, I only noticed that she was probably just sheltered. That she probably just hadn't gotten the chance to be anything other than the good girl. But leave it to Bridgette to get Iris to take two shots of vodka the second she walked in the door. And leave it to Iris not to even question it.
Though she probably did mistake it for water…
"I…H-Hey, guys…" She coughed, her face still twisted in disgust from the raw spirit she had just downed. "I b-brought a f-friend…"
"Someone get her some water." Rosalya called out loud. "Iris, honey, hello!"
"Hi Rosalya!" Iris smiled at her, looking like she had recovered. Good because I wasn't about to fetch water anyway. Iris' eyes peered over Rosa's shoulder. "Oh my gosh, is that…"
"Iris?" Deborah squeaked, jumping up from the couch she had been sitting on with Castiel for the longest time that night.
"Deborah? Is it…Is it really…"
"Yes, it's me!" Deborah jumped on the girl and her black tights to go with the simple white dress she wore. Iris hugged Deborah back, smiling like an idiot. The two must have been close. God, was everyone close with this chick? "How have you been?"
"I've been good! Actually, I came here with someone…"
"Ooh, a boy? You're dating someone now? Spill! Now!"
"No, no you've got it all wrong!" Iris blushed. "He's a new student. Or a returning one. He's come back from military and—"
The footsteps spoke for themselves.
Standing at the doorstep was the boy.
The boy I had seen a week ago, who had spoken to me once but never again. I never saw him enough after that. I saw flashes of him running here and there, talking to girls, numbers and numbers of them. I even saw him talking to Amber. He knew my name, or he seemed to. But if he was a friend of Amber's then he must have been mistaken…She must have bashed about me to him and he recognized me. Something. I didn't know. I was as confused as the first day he arrived.
He looked neither confident nor shy, neither excited nor bored. He looked like he had something on his mind instead. His chestnut hair fell down over his forehead, sweeping over his brilliant green eyes. Green eyes that even from across the room I could see clearly.
I stayed where I was, meters directly across from the front door, leaning against the wall next to the sleek black piano. My eyes scanned the room and how everyone seemed to be busy with either Deborah, drinking, grabbing snacks and shaking hands with the new guy. Bridgette introduced herself first again, but he didn't seem to be surprised when he met her. In fact, he just greeted her as if he had seen her recently. Like a long-time acquaintance.
Deborah too was intrigued by the new guy, but not as sucked in as she was with Castiel. She had quickly introduced herself then made her way back to him, whispering in his ear and giggling her little high giggle. Iris was talking to Lysander—the first time I had ever seen that—but it wasn't surprising me either. Iris seemed to be able to strike up a conversation with anyone and actually maintain it.
But the boy just looked around and seemed to be going through the motions of meeting everyone. He looked nice. I could even go as far as to call him sweet. But there was something about him that I just couldn't put my finger on…
I dug through my brain but came up with more questions than answers.
Who was this boy?
And why, why were those eyes looking at me like they knew me?
Oh. Because they were.
His movements seemed to know exactly where he was going. His footsteps didn't waver, his expression solid. His green eyes looking like bright jade, and his sealed lips staying shut as he put one foot towards another. My mind was blurry and clouded from the drinks, but I could see him. I could see his figure. What used to be far away was suddenly getting bigger, larger in my field of vision. He was walking.
He was walking to me.
Before I could even look away, push myself off the wall and find my sister or Lysander, maybe even Castiel, I came face-to-face with him. The jade in his eyes seemed to be glowing even more intensely. And it made me nervous. My palms began to sweat. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating and boyish, a mix of pine and that smell that I couldn't place.
I opened my mouth to speak, my drink still in hand. My breath must have reeked of alcohol.
"H…Hello?" I raised my eyebrow.
"Hi." He said. That's all.
"Uhm." I looked around me awkwardly. Setting the glass down on the top of the piano, I wiped my hands on my jeans then offered them to him. "Nice to meet you. P-Properly this time. I'm—"
"Skye Whitman." He finished for me. I blinked. It was then that his serious expression broke into a charming smile. Was he blushing? Was that a nervousness I sensed in his tone? Or was I just drunk and imagining things?
"O-Oh, yeah, that's me." I nodded slowly. How…?
"You really don't recognize me?" He asked, looking a little dismayed. But that look was quickly replaced by relief. "Well, I can't say that's a bad thing."
"I-I'm sorry, I think you might have the wrong girl…" I slurred.
"No, it's me. Kentin Eyck."
Kentin…Eyck?
I didn't know any Kentins…Or Eycks…
"They used to call me 'the Stickler' back in middle school." He scratched the back of his head. "Stupid, huh? Even the teachers caught on…"
…
Did he just say… Stickler?
Ken…Stickler?
The Ken Stickler?
Ken Stickler that brought me cookies everyday? Ken Stickler that walked me home after class even if we lived in opposite directions? Ken Sticker that offered to do my homework even when I wanted to do it myself? Ken Stickler that wore the big chunky glasses and an over-sized sweater that smelled like a retirement home?
I blinked again harder this time.
This boy did not look like the Ken Stickler I knew.
It was just impossible.
I reached for my glass and began to drink, avoiding the expecting eyes from Kentin Eyck.
Kentin Eyck.
Eyck.
Stickler? Eyck?
Ken? Kentin?
"Skylar, I know this is weird and you probably don't remember me…I understand. No one really does…But. But that's okay." He sounded rushed. I looked over his shoulder with a glance. No one seemed to be paying us any attention. Not Lys, not my sister, obviously not Cas, and not even Iris who brought him here.
"Skye Whitman, I left for military school but. But now I'm back. And now I'm here to make you fall in love with me."
My head was reeling and my heart seemed to stop. My eyes must have widened because my vision seemed to expand, become clearer. I was in shock. My body didn't seem to respond to how much I wanted to speak. Move. Anything. But it just refused.
"Skye?" Kentin asked. "Can you hear me?"
Finally after holding in a breath for too long, I involuntarily exhaled and seemed to jump back to the here and now.
Did…Did I just hear that right?
Did he just say what I think he said?
"K-Ken, I—"
"Kentin—" He supplied.
"Kentin, yeah, I…"
I didn't know what to say anymore. He was hanging on to the words I was saying even when they weren't much of anything at all. For the first time that night, I felt queasy and not from the alcohol.
Kentin…you've always been so sweet…the sweetest, but…
But no matter what time you come into my life, it has never been right…
I'm sorry…I'm sorry that…
That you can't make someone fall in love with you when that someone already fell for…
His expression went from determined to sinking, slowly… Guilt washed over me, and I had to look away.
"Stop." Castiel's voice broke off our conversation. My head jerked up.
He towered over Kentin with his height, but even more with the finality in his voice and the strong, pressing aura that followed him everywhere.
"C-Cas…" I breathed.
"If you're trying to make her fall in love with you, you're going to have to fall in line." He said. No smugness, no bite in his voice. He spoke like it was a fact.
Our eyes locked again. Cold silver with warm brown pools.
Kentin's eyes flickered over his shoulder at Cas. "Is he…your boyfriend?"
No, Kentin. He wasn't.
"No."
I took my eyes away from the floor and looked at the ground.
Castiel cast his eyes to the side too.
Soon after, Lysander seemed to have caught on to what was happening. He came in behind Castiel, but didn't speak. Like he knew his best friend already had this under control.
Kentin turned to where Lysander was standing with his arms crossed, watching the scene unfold.
"Is he?"
I bit my lip.
No, he wasn't either.
"No."
With that, Lysander cleared his throat. His expression darkened. Castiel, on the other hand, jerked his head upwards. His mouth had fallen open and confusion seemed to wash over his face. His eyebrow arched, asking me a silent question.
Right.
What a perfect way for him to find out that Lysander and I were no longer together.
"Skye," Kentin said under his breath like he didn't want Cas to hear, his eyes closing. "You look like you're in a mess."
Oh he had no idea what exactly the kind of mess I was in.
"But I'm not like that. I can make everything simple, if you like."
Then, just like that, Kentin had turned around away from me and walked out the door. He disappeared and no one stopped him, and I stood there staring out to where he had gone.
"O-Oh…" Iris sighed. "So maybe that's the reason he wanted to come with me so bad…"
"Are you alright?" Lysander approached me, placing a gentle hand between the crook of my neck and shoulder. I closed my eyes and let out a heavy breath.
"I'm fine, Lys…I…"
When my eyes opened again, they flickered to the other side. But Castiel had his back to me. And now he was facing Deborah, his own hands on her too, on her arm, on her waist. I looked away.
What had just happened?
A/N: That review box down there is legitimately calling you to leave something in it. I think.
Please?
Hoho anyway, thanks for reading everyone! See you on the next chapter! Oh and if you're feeling like it, I'm going to start making drawings for Tongue Tied on my tumblr! Check it out if you like!
Reply Time: (reminders = I can't reply to reviews left on older chapters anymore or to most guest reviews)
1. zella787 - Aw thank you so much bb! I'm getting better, I promise! But yes Deborah is just ajsdhfjsdgfsdf and Skye and Cas's friendship is really just breaking my heart. I'm a terrible person for doing this to them. But I'm really enjoying it and I hope I see you on my reviews again soon! Thank you!
2. Spark Firebug - *sobs* I'm sorry...
3. Blueberrytears - oh my yes I would LOVE to blow your mind! ahahaha in a good way. Though I would love for Skye to totally shit on Deborah's parade, I don't know if I can do that with Lysie! And how she obviously loves that boy. And then there's Cas. ahh what a mess this is. But hey that is a cute idea, I'd love to bring Mason in again though I don't know where he'd fit! In an alternate ending (If I ever possibly made one)... do you picture Skye and Mason together maybe? Hohoho thank you! Mwah
4. Madellane - YES! Maybe. OR IS HE? I don't know! You'll have to keep reading to find out! But it sure looks like it's taking a weird turn, I think. Ahhh Skystiel or Skysander?! I don't know. Honestly even for me it's getting painful. I don't want to hurt either of them! Though with Lys and Skye finding a way to patch things up and Castiel finding Deborah again... dun dun dunnnn as much as I wish I could just have a random murderer stab Deborah in the face or maybe get her hit by a truck, I can't. Just gotta see how this all plays out, yes? And thank you! *kisses* mwah
5. BeautyOfSunlight - So. This review. I just. I've never cried. And then now I did. You have successfully made me cry. I want to hug you. THANK YOU! God, this long review made my whole week up until I was writing this. I mean it. Was this your username years ago too? Gosh I'm sorry, my memory escapes me. But knowing you've been around following Tongue Tied for so long...I just couldn't be happier. And YES. Yes I do agree that people underestimate reviews and I think it sucks because they're such a huge driving force for writers. But gosh, the fact that you've left such a beautiful one has made up for everything. I feel like a million bucks. Also I'm really really glad that you don't think my "fillers" are dumb... I wish more people thought the same. I get a lot of shit for making dragging chapters like fillers, but I'm glad that you understand that it's my way of building a story! And wow. Thank you so much for coming here to read my writing. It means the world to me, it really does! I owe you so much right now for making me this happy. And your very extensive review is not at all a bad thing, it's the best! Ahh thank you again!
6. ANinjasGirl - OHOHOHOH Cas and Deborah though...but hey if you're reading this chapter, well, I don't really know! Is Cas still there for Skye? Is he moving on slowly to Deborah?! I can't wait to write and get this going even more!
7. Carlitiable - Ahh can I just say before replying to your review, THANK YOU! You've been so consistent in giving me feedback whether it's just a small little line or a paragraph, I'm just glad you make me know that you're there reading this! *hugs* How did you find the US by the way? I just moved here myself less than a year ago! Hope this chapter made you even a bit happier as much as you've made me with your reviews! Thank you again, mwah!