CHAPTER 3
~TRYSTAN~
The rest of the day passed sluggishly. The clock seemed to tic slower, like it was stuck in tar. Trystan leaned back in his seat after taking a verbal beating for being late, like it mattered. He was out of there in a few months. These last few weeks were fluff, filled with busy work. Trystan hated busy work. It was a waste of time. He’d rather have a test than do another bunch of worksheets and endless essays.
Trystan’s mind drifted back to Mari, the way her lips felt against his. Trystan got that far off look in his eye and totally missed that someone was talking to him.
“Mr. Scott, will you please share with the class your thoughts on the matter.” The teacher was already beyond irritated with him today.
Trystan straightened in his seat like he was going to answer, but after a moment, he smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “I’m sorry Ms. D’Miagmo, but I don’t know.” There were a few sniggers from the girls behind him, but Trystan ignored them. He also ignored Brie. Her gaze was burning a hole into the side of his face.
“Mr. Scott, please take this class seriously or I will ask you to leave. You must have an opinion on the matter, and since opinions aren’t right or wrong, I want to hear yours.” She arched a gray eyebrow at him and folded her arms over her chest. The woman could have been a schoolmarm. She just needed a wooden ruler and permission to beat kids over the head with it.
Trystan smiled at her, but knew it was pointless to try and get any sympathy. D’Miagmo had it in for him. There were some teachers that decided on day one that they didn’t like him. He had no idea why, but there was always one teacher who thought he had an easy life and needed to be taught a lesson. Ms. D’Miagmo was that teacher.
Trystan opened his mouth, but Brie cut him off, “Ms. D’Miagmo, I think it’s obvious that Trystan feels uncomfortable answering this question because of his religion. Isn’t it against school policy to discuss faith issues in the classroom anyway?” She flipped her golden hair over her shoulder and blinked her big blue eyes at the teacher.
Ms. D’Miagmo sucked in air through her nose like a horse. Now Brie was in the line of fire. “Brie dear, and what religion does Trystan practice that he can’t discuss this matter?”
Brie looked up from her nail like she was thinking about getting a manicure. “He’s a conservative Baptist,” she said with utter certainty, and then added, “and everyone else here is Catholic or Jewish so it’s not right to press him on this. Faith issues aren’t open for debate in public school.”
The teacher arched an eyebrow at Trystan. “So let me get this straight? You can’t discuss women’s rights because it makes you uncomfortable… because of your religion?”
Trystan smiled once like he was uncomfortable and nodded, “Yes, I don’t want a pack of rabid women to attack me in the hallway because you forced my conservative beliefs out of me.”
D’Miagmo looked like she might cry… or scream. She looked down her nose at Trystan, not breathing or blinking. Trystan couldn’t tell if she was having an aneurism, and had never been so glad to hear the bell ring. Trystan knew not to stay another second. Scooping up his books, he bolted for the door, but Brie was right behind him. Trystan pushed his way into the crowded halls.
“Don’t I get a thank you?” Brie said, chasing him down the hall.
Trystan wove through the crowd, stopping at his locker. He didn’t look at Brie. Gripping the lock, Trystan spun the dial, and opened the metal door. “What for? You made me look like a sexist jerk. Some crazy chick is going peg me with a stiletto in the parking lot later, you know.” He tossed in his books and slammed the door shut.
Brie grabbed Trystan’s arm, and twisted him toward her. “Nah, a woman likes to be owned sometimes. If you were handing out...” her voice trailed off.
At that moment, Seth rounded the corner. Trystan’s shoulders tensed at the sight of him. Brie stopped talking and turned around to see what made Trystan respond that way. “What the hell was that?” Her gaze followed Seth, noticing an equally tense look from Trystan’s best friend.
“Nothing,” Trystan said after Seth passed. They both glared at each other like old enemies. It made Trystan’s guts twist. Why couldn’t Seth be happy for him? Why’d he have to hate Mari so much?
Brie muttered, “Could have fooled me.” When Trystan didn’t respond, Brie stepped in front of him. “Well, I just wanted to say that rehearsal yesterday was fun. I’m looking forward to it later.” She wrapped her lips around each word, saying them with such a sexy voice that Trystan forgot to glare after Seth.
Instead his head snapped back toward Brie, eyes wide. “What?” he tried to step away from her, but Brie had other plans.
She lifted her hands and draped them over his shoulders, playing with the hair at the base of his neck. “I know that kiss yesterday was real, and it’s okay. I’m willing to pretend that we’re not into each other, but I know the truth.”
Trystan shook her off. “What are you talking about? That was acting and nothing more.”
Brie’s ruby lips pulled into a smile that said she disagreed. “I know what’s real and what isn’t, and I’m saying it’s okay. We don’t have to let anyone know.” She winked at him before turning on her heel, “It’ll be our little secret. See you later.”
With that she was sauntering away from him, her hips swaying as she walked. The bell rang and several guys just stood there, staring at Brie’s ass as she walked down the hall. Trystan stepped back and leaned against the row of lockers, slamming his head against them. She thought it was real; she thought that kiss was hers. Crap. Brie had the potential to make nothing look like a whole lot of something. Trystan took a deep breath and decided to deal with the fallout when it came. There was no point in trying to figure out what move Brie was going to make next. He’d have to wait and deal with it then.