-T

Another apology.

A sudden urge made me dash in the direction where he was headed. My pulse was be ating faster at each step I took. He was there in the distance; the guitar was n ow strapped to his back, and he was still walking away. I finally stopped a coup le feet behind him, panting. Tristan turned around.

"You... you should really consider yourself lucky," I managed to say between gas ps. I glared at him. "You know what? I wanted to knock you out with that guitar. I wanted to stuff rocks down your shirt. Spray pepper in your eyes. Rip up that note of yours..." A pause. "I would do those things, Tristan, I really would. I f... if only my conscience hadn't been eating me up," I continued in a low voice .

"Does that mean you're...I mean, I'm finally-?"

"We know that no one's perfect, but when you say sorry, at least make an effort not to do the same stuff all over again."

"I'm not promising anything, but I'll do my best."

"Yeah, I know you shouldn't promise, because even 'abracadabra' won't save you f rom being a jerk."

He shook his head, but his dimples showed that he was smiling.

"But after what you've done today, I admit I'm...quite confused now. I-I don't k now whether I should hate you or not..." I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. "I mean, you just-you just did that stuff where a lot of people could see!" I wailed and then lowered my head, embarrassed.

 

He laughed; there was a huge relief in his voice that I sensed after quite a lon g time. "You really don't like surprises, do you?"

I lifted my head. "It's not like that! Just try to make it a little more reserve d, because a lot of people are already making up rumors about-" I quickly bit my lip, but it was too late now - he was pulling up his eyebrow like he'd figured out what I'd been saying.

"You and me going out, right? All sorts of stuff..." Feeling a little uneasy, Tr istan looked away, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I already heard that, I'm s orry. I understand."

This reconciliation was somewhat awkward, and I hadn't expected it to turn out t his way.

I twiddled my fingers behind me. "Forget about it; it won't last that long, anyw ay. You know how gossip runs around in this school. But, um, by the way, I must say-" The corner of my lips turned up uncontrollably. "What you just did was rea lly cool, huh? I never thought you could sing like that."

He snorted. "I have the potential for the X-Factor, right?"

"No. Just for Laughs." I laughed, really laughed, and it made all the worries in my chest gradually fade. At this point, I was surprised at myself-after all tho se things that had happened, who would've thought that everything would be like this right now?

Maybe this had to happen like it should.

Despite the fact that some part of me was still reluctant about him, I was start ing to think this was the start of something good.

Tristan stepped closer to me until there were only a few inches between us. My h eartbeat was racing so fast I could barely breathe.

"Kylie..."

I was quite unprepared for what he was about to say. My brain raced on, my throa t went dry. I was honestly impressed by what he'd done just to make me forgive h im, but I would never be more impressed with anything else he did; that is, unti l he took another small step and said:

"I miss you."

He brushed the top of my head in a playful way, smiling warmly.

I tried not to frown, but I couldn't help it, since I was curious about what he' d meant. "It doesn't make sense. We see each other, like, every five seconds and now you say that-"

As I looked into his eyes, finding a deep stare that might be hiding something, I stopped myself from saying more, and my face turned seven shades of red.

"You are so dense." He emphasized each word, lifting his hand off my head. "I kn ow it's hard for you to understand when I say that. But that's cool. I'm still g lad the old Kylie's back."

"What? I really don't know what you're talking about. Why won't you at least exp lain it to me? Jeez." I puckered my brows and brushed back my disheveled hair. H e was the only person I knew who would give me a pat on the head like that.

"Nope."

"Tell."

"No."

"Tell."

"Still stubborn to the core, I see."

"You, sir, have tickled my fancy." I grinned as I remembered those words he'd us ed back in the ball.

He chuckled, seemingly remembering them as well. "They say curiosity killed the cat."

I put my hands on my hips and raised my head higher. "But I'm a unicorn."

He sighed. "Look, I don't know how to say it without making myself sounding ridi culous. You might think I'm pulling your leg."

"Try me." I crossed my arms across my chest.

"You sure?"

"I'm all ears."

Well, that was the first time.

-Tristan-

Sometimes when you take a turn, everything falls apart, yet when you take anothe r, things start to bloom.

Sometimes, although I'd thought everything had already been hopeless, I'd still carried on because I loved her. Then I'd thought, "Maybe there's still hope some where." And yeah, there definitely was.

Wait, did I just say I loved her? Whoa. I simply couldn't imagine I'd ever say t hat to myself - that step by step and little by little, I was falling harder for this bittersweet girl who could be insane most of the time, who always seemed t o enjoy my pain, and who might even wind up killing me someday.

There was really something about her.

Now here she was, waiting for me to speak the words I'd held back all this time. Her eyes examined me as if she were putting a puzzle together. I attempted to s peak, but the words didn't seem to come.

What if the answer I want isn't the answer I receive?

"Earth to Tristan."

I blinked twice.

"You're zoning out," said Kylie.

"Sorry, I was just uh..." I was just trying to figure out how to say it to you.

"Nah, actually you don't have to answer that, because it seems like you're going to get sick." She tapped me on the shoulder, laughing uproariously. It was good that she was laughing her heart out now. I didn't want to see her face all blue .

I simply smiled at her, even though I was a little dismayed at myself.

"Well, uh, I think I should get back to the other two now. I still have stuff to do." She started to step backward, giving me a small wave.

"Yeah, they were already waiting for you."

With a satisfied nod, she turned her back to me on just as I turned in the oppos ite direction. I should've run up, called her name, picked her up, hugged her, a nd told her I loved her. There had been so many chances. But everything was only reeling in my head; I didn't want to mess things up now.

I continued to walk to the place where the guys might be chilling out. Those idi ots had just stayed on the sidelines after they'd shit bricks about me doing the plan.

"Tristan?"

A smile appeared back on my face; I faced her with an anticipative look.

"Yes, Kyles?"

"Friends?" she asked from a distance.

Friends, huh? She really has no idea.

Even though I wanted us to be more than that, I just sucked it up, nodded, and s aid, "Yeah, friends."

She smiled again, and I was so damn happy.

Someday, in some way, I would tell her what I felt for her, and hopefully, she'd be able to accept it. I knew it would take some time, but for now, I would take advantage of this miraculous success. I knew, somehow, that every step I took n ow would be the first steps towards reaching her.