By the end of the day, I was seriously considering skipping going to the triplet's house all together. I was still ticked from being scolded in History first period when Kim thought she'd stop into the classroom and ask why I wasn't answering her texts. Tyler didn't appreciate that much.
Still, I had nothing better to do. Paul wasn't in any of the classes we had together, instead he sat in the councilor's office for most of the day. God knows what they were talking about, and I didn't want to care enough to ask.
I stopped home to grab a tray of my moms cupcakes from the fridge, but didn't stay around long enough for her to come home and catch me in the act. I drove to the triplet's house faster than usual. Sitting in the car outside a while, I finally stepped out into the snow and rushed up to the house, the cold air biting my legs.
Tyler answered the door. His hair was pushed away from his face, he was still wearing the button down he wore in class today, but the tie that was tightly secured around his neck was now untied and resting lazily around his collar. "I'm going to fucking kill him." He grunts out, but lifts the tin foil cover of the cupcakes. After taking a look, a frown forms on his face and he snatches the tray from my hands before waving me inside. "She can't stay long." He says to Damien as they pass each other on Tyler's way into the kitchen with the cupcakes.
"Chase, what a surprise!" Damien says, says, acting shocked as if he had no idea I'd be coming. "I'll make coffee." He says with a grin, waving me into the house and closing the door behind me. We sit in the kitchen, and Matt joins us seconds later. Set up with a hot cup of coffee and a cupcake, we sat at the table and I watched them talk. They seemed casual, laid back and friendly. Even Tyler seemed to be able to forget my presence and gulp down two more cupcakes. It doesn't take me long to remember why I came. It was so easy to lose myself around these guys. They were so captivating. So hard to figure out.
"D'you make these?" Matt asks around a bite. I explain about my parents, and the business, and how I had no skills. They seemed interested though, and when I was done, I felt like I should keep talking, like I should keep contributing to the conversation.
A knock at the door startles me, saving me from the awkward silence that was about to start. "I have to pee." I state, looking at Matt.
"Up the stairs, first door on the right." I don't ask if he means my right, or his right, instead I just head for the steps at the same time they all get up to go answer the door.
I pause at the top of the steps, listening when I hear my name. "She can't stay here. She's not as stupid as you think." Tyler was saying to Damien, his voice rough and angry. Was that a compliment? Or an insult? Why did it sound like such a bad thing?
"I like her. We finally have something different to talk about these days." Damien defends, as Matt opens the door.
I peek behind me, and all breath leaves my lungs as I see who's on the other side of the door. It's Nathan. But his hair is chopped off, his chest exposed, as well as his feet, despite the cold weather. At first I'm expecting Matt and the rest to cry. To pull him in and hug him and give him the shirts off their backs. But instead, Matt's harsh voice assaults him, scaring me.
"Get out of here, Nathan." He seethes, his body squaring to block the door way.
"And take your friends with you. You can't have her." Tyler growls out. For a minute I'm taken back, were they talking about me? That couldn't be it. Why would they want me? Why would they refuse Nathan if he wanted to see me?
My legs move forward, and I distance myself from the scene down the stairs. I push through the closest door to me, and stop short. The room is mostly white, with a small bed, decorated with pink covers and stuffed animals littering the floor. My eyes catch the mop of brown hair that faces away from me, looking down out the window onto the front lawn. My mouth opens, but nothing comes out.
The girl that turns towards me is small, no older than eight. Her face is calm, and beautiful, and I feel my heart stop at the sight of her. Her dark hair frames her soft face, the her skin so pale that it almost matched the white night gown she wore. Her eyes were so brown they almost looked red. She made no advance toward me, only narrowed her eyes, her deep red lips parting as her head tilted slightly.
"Are you for me?" Her voice is like chimes, soft and calm, and it reminds me of the snow. I can't speak. Can't think straight. She takes a step toward me, a smile creeping up onto her face. "You smell…" She trailed off, taking another step forward.
"What are you doing?" Tyler's voice assaults me rough and hot and hard. He grabs my forearm, yanking me away and reaches into the room, pulling the door closed without glancing at the girl inside.
"Who was that?" I ask, and I realize I'm shaking. I take a breath and hold it. Why the hell was I so scared all of a sudden? It was just a little girl.
"Get her the hell out of here!" Tyler screams in Damien's face, shoving me into him. His arms lock around me, his eyes wild as they analyze Tyler. Color seems to drain from his face, and he looks down at me, all humor gone from his expression. I'd never seen him so serious before, and I could tell I'd done something seriously wrong.
"I'll take you home." He says, and I can't think of anything to say until we're sitting on his motorcycle pulling out of the driveway.
"I don't want to go home." I admit, but I'm not sure if he hears me over the roar of his bike. He makes a sharp turn onto my street, and I feel my stomach sink at the thought of being alone in my house again, alone to think about what just happened. It seemed to be a new hobby these days.
"Come on, I'll come watch you." He says, and catches himself, and looks at me, "I mean with you. I'll go in with you. We can get a pizza or something." he says, and helps me off the bike. That sounded good.
Anything sounded good, as long as I didn't have to be alone.