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ღ Finding Cinderella- 35 ღ

-Kylie-

"There they are!"

Tristan and I were peeping through an artificial bush while catching glances at one another through the plastic shrubbery as we stalked our prey. The mall was p retty crowded since there was a sale on. So there was a fat chance Lacey or Clar k could spot us.

Those two lovebirds had surely been enjoying their day. Lacey was practically sk ipping in her step as Clark dragged her to each store... while holding her hand! I couldn't believe it, my eyes felt cheated.

Okay, so maybe getting Tristan to spy on her with me was a bit of an overreactio n, but I only wanted to make sure my sister was safe.

As they rounded another corner, I quickly spun around to Tristan, who looked exh austed, and grabbed his sleeve. "Hurry, before we lose them!"

We dashed into yet another secretive corner and poked our heads out cautiously.

Several teenagers were walking around, texting on their phones, obstructing my s ight so I had to concentrate on the target's location. Clark was ordering an ice cream in a booth, and Lacey was smiling gratefully at him. Her actions had been awkward and panicky at first, but as time went by, she'd become more relaxed as if she'd finally found some courage.

The whole idea sounded unnatural when I thought about it, though as long as Lace y was happy, I couldn't really complain.

"Can't believe my baby sister is finally growing up," I said reminiscently. It h adn't been that long ago since Mom and I had had a terrible time getting her out of grass-stained play clothes and sneakers.

"Yeah," murmured Tristan. "Why don't you try it yourself?"

I elbowed him punishingly but with a bizarre affection that felt almost brotherl y. "Shut up, T."

Clark could be seen handing an ice cream to Lacey before they made their exit fr om the food court. I chanced a curious look and stepped out from our hiding plac e. At that moment Lacey suddenly turned, her eyes pointed in my direction. I aut omatically sprang back and the back of my head hit something hard. I cursed, as did Tristan.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

Brushing my swollen cranium, I inspected the object I'd head-butted.

"God, Kylie. First my feet, now my nose." His face scrunched up in pain as he pr essed the bridge of his nose. "I think it's broken."

"What? Come on. I barely touched you."

He leaned closer. "Well you fractured it or something, look."

I blinked a couple of times and gulped. Crap, he was doing it again, wearing tha t particular smile that thawed out my frozen heart. The shy, boyish look he rare ly made was teasing me, intimidating me. And before I knew it I was magnetizing toward him with no control over my hands; or lips...

"Hey, get lost you nosy brats! Go find your parents."

I snapped up in alert to the sound of Tristan's voice. Refocusing my eyes, I saw a pair of kids stood watching the once intimate scene, giggling at the sight of what must have resembled "a couple" to them. Oh God...

My face burned with shame as they ran off into the crowd. What had just happened ? Had we almost... No, it couldn't be. I shook my head, trying to erase the dist ressing and confusing thoughts.

Tristan heaved a sigh and faced me again. "Stupid kids," he muttered, shaking hi s head in frustration. "You okay?" he checked with me as if those two twelve-yea r-olds had posed some kind of threat.

I couldn't look straight at him.

"Uh... yeah. I'm fine," I mumbled, brushing the hair out of my face. Then I real ized how much precious time we've just wasted. "Darn, we've lost Lacey!" I excla imed, disheartened by this unexpected turn of events.

Tristan shook his head. "Really, I thought we were taking a break due to injurie s."

"Huh, that's what you think. Believe me; I won't rest until I find peace of mind ."

"You're not gonna get any of that if you keep following her around, learn to let go."

"Whatever! Come on."

I dashed in the direction they'd last been sighted with Tristan traipsing behind like a sulking child. He was kinda cute in that-blah, blah, blah, eeehh Macaren a! Stop thinking like that about him!

It took us several minutes to find them sitting beside the fountain, talking and laughing with each other like they were already married.

"Seriously, did you think you could hold her back forever?" Tristan asked behind me. "A bird's gotta leave the nest at some point, right?"

"Shh! Stop distracting me."

He let out a small laugh. Its succulent tones infected me and even I began to lo se the enthusiasm, which had felt so strong half an hour ago.

"You're right," I said in defeat. "I don't know. I... I just wish that the three of us could always stick together. Lacey's like the peacemaker of the group. I don't want her to leave me or Julianne."

"Who said anything about leaving?" Tristan demanded. "Sure you might not hang ou t as often but it's not like she'll disappear from your lives."

I smiled. "I hope so. I wonder if they'll ever get together. Now what would that be like?"

We fell into a momentary silence as the rhetorical question washed over Tristan.

A long time later, I heard him clear his throat. "Um... Kylie?"

"Yeah?"

I was still looking ahead, at Lacey. I made the difficult decision not to go aft er her as they popped their dimes in the fountain and made their wishes before f ading away into the pressing mob of bustling pedestrians.

It was then when Tristan's hand wrapped around mine. He looked serious, but as h e swallowed, I could tell that he was trying to hide his anxiety. The fact that his fingers were intertwined with mine was undoubtedly going to make me faint. I gave him a questioning look but he ignored it, squeezing my hand tighter.

"Are you ready to tell me the real reason you're so worked up about Lacey having a boyfriend?" he began to say, running his spare hand through the tufts of his hair.

 

I was trapped in a speechless loop, stupefied in horror.

"You don't have to hide it you know, everyone gets lonely."

What was he doing? What did he think was going on? Was I about to pay for my one moment of weakness?

"So... I've been thinking about, uh- well, actually I-I've wanted this to say to you for a while... I know this might surprise you, but well..." He gulped; his eyes couldn't look straight to me. "Kylie... will you-will you-?"

"Kylie, Tristan... hi!" called a familiar voice.

Through the front door of a gourmet store walked Ronnie. She's with a tall and g orgeous brunette whom I assumed was her older sister. Both of them carried huge shopping bags.

Ronnie's smile slowly faded when her eyes fell crestfallen, on our hands. I thou ght I heard Tristan mutter something furiously under his breath but couldn't be sure. I quickly tugged my hand away and forced a grin.

"Hey, good to see you around here, Ron," I said, trying to sound as casual as po ssible. "And...?"

"Mackenzie," said the other girl with an aristocratic smile playing on her gloss y lips. I noticed that her jaded eyes were gazing intently at Tristan as she spo ke.

Gag me.

"So..." Ronnie said in a superficial cheerful tone. "I didn't know that you two were dating, huh? Why am I always the last to know these things?"

Uh-oh.

 

"Oh no! Tristan and I aren't dating or anything like that." Crap, why did it hav e to be this time? Such ridiculously bad timing. "We're just friends right, T?" I nudged him in desperation, praying that he would agree.

"Actually..." was his answer before he trailed off, perhaps sensing the grave wa rning in my beaming expression.

Damn, I needed to get out of this situation as fast as I could.

"Oh." Ronnie gave a vain smile. "That's okay; I don't wanna force you guys into anything."

I forced a laugh and slapped Tristan's back hard. He shot me a look, which I ign ored. "Ha-ha, why? There's nothing there to force. I mean, we were just shopping ."

"Right..." Mackenzie crooned. "What for?"

I quickly looked around for inspiration. Let's see, chemists, florists or hardwa re store? Tampons, roses or handsaws? Well didn't I pick the wrong part of the m all for ideas?

"Flowers!" I blurted out.

Both of the girls exchanged weird looks. "Really?"

"Yeah, you know, as-as a gift!" More weird looks... "Oh! But not for each other. They're, they're for our Moms because um, Mother's day is right around the corn er and all. Ha-ha!" I felt like such a goon. "So! Can't be lollygagging around a ll day, come on Tristan." I stressed a fleeting grin, grabbed Tristan's arm and waved a lofty goodbye.

Before we could get out of earshot, I heard Mackenzie say to Ronnie: "There's no way that weird girl could be his girlfriend."

Well, I guess that's how it seems... That's the way it should be, right?

I was grinding my teeth for the whole ten minutes we messed around pretending to look at dandelions while we waited for the girls to get tired of the repetitive hiss of the fountain and finally leave.

Once out of their sight, we cut the charade to a slightly confused cashier and m ade our escape in the opposite direction.

"Really, Tristan," I snarled. "Thanks for being so cooperative back there. Could n't you have just kept your mouth shut? Now Ronnie's gonna get the wrong idea. I 'll be a walking target next time I see her."

"Sorry, I just want to make it clear that I'm not interested in her, or in any o ther girls," he replied, glaring at me.

I crossed my arms. Leave it to Tristan for attracting dozens of girls even by ju st standing there and doing nothing.

"Then why do you hang around with me?" I wanted to know. "When there are so many girls coming up and talk to you..." I glanced at him and looked away, frowning. "Don't you think it's embarrassing to have me beside you?"

He heaved a sigh. "Why are you saying something like that? Listen Kylie... if I had thought of that, I would've gone a long time ago."

Time slowed to a glacial drip inside the mall. The people froze in their stances , everything ground to a halt. All I could see was this moment stretching on for ever.

"What-?" I murmured, barely audible. My heartbeat was racing. "You... Did you me an that?"

I couldn't keep up with the frown anymore. I opened my mouth, shut it, and did i t all over again, not knowing what else to say. I was completely flabbergasted w hen he nodded timidly.

A smile slowly spread across my face.

"I need a drink," I said flatly, trying to take the edge off the situation.

"Kylie..."

"Really, my throat feels like sandpaper. Stop with the drama and let's go alread y! You can buy me a drink."

I took his hand and dragged him to a booth that sold all kinds of beverages. He rolled his eyes at my indecision when I was confronted with endless choice.

He had that tired look again, that unguarded, vulnerable look that only made my smile grow wider.

As time gradually returned to normal speed, I discovered a new feeling forming i nside me. It was a feeling of insanity, worry, bliss-I didn't know how to descri be it perfectly, but it felt amazing.

Sometime later when I'd well and truly robbed Tristan of his wallet's contents h e was left checking his wristwatch, telling me that we'd been here for a whole t wo and a half hours. Wow, hadn't time flown?

"So..." I said quietly, "I guess it's time to go home, huh?"

Tristan looked uncertain. "Well..."

"What?"

"May I ask... what are you going to do after this?"

"Oh, well, not much really. Why?"

There he went looking awkward and edgy again, which never failed to make me amus ed.

He's really the most confusing person I've ever known.

"I was wondering if we could stay a bit longer." He rubbed at the back of his ne ck nervously. "Like, what do you say-uh-wanna go somewhere else?"

He's starting to make me melt just like ice.

I grinned. "Sure. I'd love to."

The words had rapidly come out, but whatever.

Maybe I need to start believing... He's the one who always keeps me on my toes, the one who makes me happy and nervous at the same time.

What happened to me saying no? Why is it so hard to deny him this time? Why do t hese conflicting feelings blossom every time I think of him?

And more importantly...

...how am I okay with it?