Chapter Four
Unique
"So, here we are." I gestured towards the giant playground. Tons of kids were running around laughing and playing.
"Whoa, nice park." Christina commented.
Tristin let Crystal down and she hurried down the path to the giant wooden play structure.
"For someone quiet and shy, she's got a lot of energy." I said.
"You have no idea." Christina shook her head and headed towards the swings.
"Twistin! Rory!" a voice called. Crystal was at the top of the play structure waving her hands around frantically. Tristin and I waved back.
"Okay, she has a lot of energy and for someone quiet and shy she can be really loud."
Tristin chuckled, "Yes she can."
"So, you're called an assortment of names at home I assume, there's Tristin, Triscuit and Twistin. Anything else I left out?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Positive?"
"Yes."
I gave Tristin a suspicious look. " You're not lying."
"No, why would I lie to you?"
"Because you would."
"Have I ever lied?"
"Yeah, you told Paris I was going to the PJ Harvey concert with you."
"But I didn't think...I thought..."
"You thought I was going to go to the concert with you."
"Yeah. Sorry. She knows we didn't go."
"You told her?"
"She asked if I was still going out with you and I told her we didn't go the concert together and I took Christina...they were at the country club with me. She walked away muttering something about Louise and not her not covering music."
"Looks like I won't be talking about the parking lot landscaping."
"I did that?"
"Yep."
"Sorry."
"Apology accepted." I sat down at an empty bench.
"So...what's with the people and the cell phones?" Tristin pointed to Miss Patty and Kirk.
"Oh that, that's normal. They're gossiping about you."
"That's normal?"
"They always gossip about new people and since you're with me there's more gossip." I paused. "They always gossip doesn't have to be about new people, since I'm not new."
"Right."
I scanned the park. Crystal had now moved from the play structure to the sandbox. She was standing in the middle of the sandbox tossing sand in the air. Christina was sitting at the swings and a few kids her age had slowly made their way towards Christina. "So, is Christina one of those people people?"
"People people?"
"Is Christina a people person?"
"Yeah, I guess she is. Do you know the people by Tina?"
"Yeah, the dark haired guy is Howie, he's really sweet and nice, I used to baby-sit him. The blonde guy is Adam, he's kind of weird. The brunette is Jessica, she's the person that stands out in the group, the one that's unique. Earlier this summer she had green streaks in her hair. And that other girl the blonde is Lily. She's a bit of a know-it-all...in a gossipy girly way." I pointed to each of the teenagers.
"A original group then."
"Yeah, at the least." I nodded my head in agreement. "They're all nice though."
"Did you baby-sit them all?"
"Just Howie and Jessica."
"Funny, Howie's like you but then Jessica's not." Tristin chuckled.
"What?" I propped my head in my head and my elbows were on my knees.
"You said Howie is really sweet and nice like you and Jessica stands out, she's unique. I'm not saying you're not unique, you are just not like Jessica."
"R-i-g-h-t." I looked Tristin in the eye and raised my eyebrow. "How unique am I?"
"Probably the most unique person that has ever walked through the doors of Chilton."
"Really?"
"Probably not that has ever walked through the doors...but the most unique person in our grade. You stand out, too. I think you're the only person to ever yell at Paris. And you did it more than once. I also believe you're the only girl that has ever turned me down, twice. But I like ya anyway. You're by far the most unique person I have ever met." I was surprised at Tristin's words.
"Thanks."
"Don't thank me, it's you that's unique." Tristin said quietly averting his eyes to Crystal, who was now playing with another little girl.
I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. So, I closed it. Tristin was really being nice for a change.
