His Eyes (15 page)

“Um, I don’t think so.”

“But, I
need
to go,” she complained.

I shook my head, again, and kept my eyes on the road. “No...we’d lose our momentum.”

“Our
what
?”

“Momentum,” I repeated and gestured with my hand. “Forward motion.”

“I
know
what ‘momentum’ is,” she snapped.

I decided to play dumb. “Then why’d you ask?”

The Creature rounded on me, looking murderous. “
Because
—”

“Amy, maybe you should stop.” Tristan’s voice cut through her argument. “We need a break.”

“Fine,” I said shortly and roughly whipped the Cabriolet onto the next exit. I spotted a Gas Fast just off of the ramp and I swung the car into the station. Bypassing the pumps, I parked in front of the convenience store and looked expectantly at The Creature. For someone who was supposedly in such need of a bathroom, she sure was taking her sweet time getting out of the car. “Well?”

She huffed and quickly undid her seatbelt, her hand already on the door handle. She hissed, “I’ll be back in
just
a minute,” and sprinted into the store.

I shook my head. I knew she was worried about leaving me alone with Tristan, but she didn’t have to be with the mood I was in. All of the driving with her was really getting to me and I was tired. I turned off the car, briefly giving the CD a break, and bent forward, my forehead resting against the steering wheel. Finally, a moment of peace.

“Can we get out and walk?”

I sighed. After how Tristan had taken her side, I wanted to tell him to get out and walk by himself, but I knew that wasn’t a good idea with all of the cars driving around. Sitting up, I undid my seatbelt and climbed out of the car. I walked around and opened the passenger door to help him out. When I felt his fingers close around my arm, my stomach jumbled itself into hundreds of knots.

I swallowed and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, while we began to walk.

“I’m glad you stopped; we haven’t been alone in a while,” he said. When I didn’t respond, he frowned. “I’m sorry you have to be here, Amy.”

Shocked, I stopped short and gasped, “You don’t want me here?”

Tristan’s grip tightened and he fumbled, “I didn’t mean—with Lexus being—I thought you’d feel—”

“You don’t know how I feel, Tristan,” I said and yanked my arm from his grasp.

“I’m baaack!” The Creature cried while she lurched through the gas station door. I hadn’t known it was possible for her to pee that fast. She still had a piece of toilet paper stuck to her sandal and she tried to scrape it off on the cement. However, her foot got caught on her curb and she fell into the arms of a large truck driver. He laughed when she leapt away, looking disgusted at being touched by a man who probably hadn’t showered in several days.

“Great,” I said sarcastically and took a step toward the car before remembering that I was leaving Tristan behind. I reached back and took his arm, pulling him along. “Come on. The fun with your
friend
isn’t over yet.”

I helped him into the backseat, before climbing behind the wheel. As I pulled back onto the highway, I eyed the buttons on the dashboard. I smiled a little, thinking that the only thing that could salvage such a car ride was an open convertible. I pressed the button and, with a whoosh of air, the roof folded back. I shook my head, letting my hair fly free where the wind took it. The Creature, in turn, hissed when her hair flew into her face, “What are you doing?!
I
spend a lot of time on my hair!”

“That’s too bad,” I said unsympathetically.

The breeze was refreshing and just what I needed. I looked in my rearview mirror to see Tristan smile and hold up his hand to feel it rushing by. The sound of the music was now thankfully drowned out by the sound of the wind whistling in my ears. I could feel the warm sun shining down and that taste of summer reminded me that I was going to a lake, after all. I relaxed and wondered what it would look like.

The next hour of driving passed by with ease. I was soon leaning into a turn while the car hugged the smooth curve of Wind Song Lake. The pine trees were sparse along the shore and the bright water could easily be seen in-between them. The lake was wide and the dozen “cabins” around it were unlike anything I’d seen on the cover of a Laura Ingalls Wilder book. They were all two-stories tall, full of picture windows and large porches. The Edmunds’ had at least attempted to keep to a rustic theme by making the outside out of logs, even though they were all polished to the point of shining. It was the thought.

The moment I turned off the car, The Creature grinned and threw off her seatbelt, announcing, “The water looks perfect, Tristan!” She curled around in her seat and whispered seductively, “Let’s go swimming.”

Tristan pulled his fingers through his wind-tossed hair and sighed. “Do you want to come, Amy?”

“No.” I rolled my eyes and, punching the button to close the convertible, climbed out of the Cabriolet. Reaching into the backseat, I pulled out my duffle bag, along with Tristan’s, and threw them over my shoulders. I looked up to see that The Creature had taken Tristan’s hand and begun dragging him along a sidewalk that led around the oversized cabin. Feeling like a pack mule, I trudged behind.

From the house, the ground sloped down to the lake. A steep staircase was carved into the hill and she jerked Tristan down it at a speed dangerously quick for such a decline. As soon as she reached the dock at the bottom, The Creature shed a layer of clothing, revealing the string bikini she was wearing underneath. She turned to see that Tristan was standing, fully clothed, at the base of the stairs where she’d left him. She whined, “
Tristan
.”

His face was still as he said, “It smells the same.”

The Creature huffed, “Of course; we’re in the woods. Come on. Swim.”

Watching them from halfway down the staircase, I opted to sit on the grassy hill instead of joining them. Dropping the bags, I could see that Tristan was bending to her demand. I tried not to stare when he pulled off his shirt, again revealing the abs I’d admired. To distract myself, I rifled through my bag, pulling out a notebook and pen; it was about time I wrote Charlie another letter.

I looked up to see The Creature slide into the water, until only her green eyes were visible above the blue. I tensed while Tristan carefully stepped up to the edge of the dock and sat down, his legs hanging over the side. Nervously, I began to chew on the cap of my pen as he braced himself and then jumped in. The Creature had no thought of any discomfort Tristan was feeling; her arms were like snakes—rising from the water, and slithering down, and up, and down. She finally surfaced a few yards away from Tristan and splashed him.

Tristan froze, his expression tight. He splashed in her direction, but The Creature ducked out of the way. Laughing cruelly, she again showered him with water. He laughed too, but it didn’t carry to his face. I felt like I was watching a sick game of Marco Polo and, seeing Tristan’s expression, I remembered why I never liked being “it.” The Creature, like some wicked siren, splashed him with her kick as she swam toward the middle of the lake.

Free from the taunting, Tristan began to float on his back.

Looking down, I uncapped my pen and began to write: “Hey. It’s been a few days since I’ve written. Guess where I am? In Wisconsin. I’m at the Edmunds’ cabin because Tristan’s ex-girlfriend is visiting. She’s almost made me obsolete. And she’s not even a Clarencite; she’s worse. She makes quitting sound tempting, but what about paying for Evanston? And what about... Never mind. If you find a silver lining, please send it my way. Love, Amy.”

Chapter 13

“Come on! Catch me!”

I rolled my eyes and, pushing the notebook back into my bag, looked up to see The Creature bobbing in front of Tristan. She had evidently gotten bored with swimming alone and wanted to give Marco Polo another shot. At the sound of her whine, Tristan stopped his peaceful floating and stood up in the water. I could see from his expression that he wasn’t eager to start Round Two, but she didn’t care. She slapped the water, beckoning, “This way!”

The moment Tristan began to swim toward her, she dove under the water and appeared a few feet away. She slapped the water, so he adjusted his swimming, and then she dove under again. She continued this pattern several times, until I could see that she was leading him in a circle, disorienting him. Tristan began to swim slower each time The Creature slapped the water, always far away from him and always in a different place.

He looked almost ready to give up the game, when The Creature climbed onto the dock. A canoe was tied to one of the posts and she hit her hand against it. The hallow aluminum gave a clear, recognizable sound and Tristan immediately shot toward it. I stood up on the hill, my hands on my hips while I watched him swim toward the dock. I pushed my hair behind my ear, waiting for The Creature to move, to give some indication to Tristan that he was almost there.

The yards turned to feet, the feet to inches, and I finally screamed, “
Tristan
!”

Tristan stopped, his head coming out of the water a breath away from the edge of the dock.

Furious, I stormed down the hill when The Creature turned to face me, her features maddeningly calm. Toe-to-toe with her, our height difference was obvious, but I stood straight and demanded, “What were you thinking? He could have hurt himself!”

Tristan, now aware of his location, was climbing onto the dock. The Creature looked down at me and said condescendingly, “
I
was right here. He wasn’t going to hit the poles. He was just going to swim underneath.”

“He was ‘just’ going to—!” I threw my hands up in the air. “Fine! I’m crazy.”

I turned and began to climb the hill. Grabbing my bag off of the grass, I pulled out the key ring that held the key to Tristan’s car and the cabin. Behind me, I heard The Creature huff as she was forced to follow my lead. I didn’t bother to look back, but continued up the stairs and didn’t stop until I’d reached the back door. Opening it with the key, I stepped inside and found myself in a kitchen.

Shouldering my bag, I looked around. Everything was made of pine—from the floor, to the walls and the cabinets. Despite the fact that the building had been empty since the previous summer, it smelled fresh and clean. The cabin was an open design, like the Edmunds’ house in Grayfield, and I could see through the kitchen to the living room. A flight of stairs in the living area led up to the second floor and what I could only imagine were generously-sized bedrooms.

I heard the back door open and shut and then a bag smacked into my leg. The Creature clicked her tongue and said unconvincingly, “Oh. Sorry.”

I sighed and walked further into the kitchen, asking over my shoulder, “Are either of you getting hungry?”

“I’m starved,” Tristan said quickly.

I opened the silver refrigerator, but it was empty, which I should’ve expected. I paused, thinking, and saw that a cordless phone was hanging on the wall next to the cabinets. I turned to face them, offering, “I could order a pizza.”

“Yeah.” Tristan nodded. “Whatever kind you want.”

The Creature scowled while she perched on one of two stools under the counter. “
I
only eat thin crust. It’s low in carbs.”

I shrugged. “Well, I usually get Hawaiian—ham and pineapple.”

“That sounds disgusting,” she spat.

“No,” Tristan interjected, “that sounds good. Order it.”

Though a bit surprised that Tristan was siding with me, I reached for the phone. “Okay.”

“Get me a cheese,” The Creature commanded.

“Plain and boring. Got it.” Just when my fingers closed around the phone, it began to ring. I jumped, looking suspiciously at Tristan and The Creature, as if one of them had scared me on purpose. Of course, they appeared as surprised as I did. I turned back the phone, picked it up, and asked tentatively, “Hello?”

“Hey. Is this Tristan’s assistant?”

I hesitated, wondering why the male voice sounded familiar. “Uh, yeah?”

“Thought so! This is Nick, from Clarence. We met at the graduation dance.”

I nodded, remembering the redheaded boy and his perky girlfriend. “Oh, hi.”

“So, Melissa and I are up at my parents’ cabin on the other side of Wind Song,” he continued. “We thought we saw you two and...was that Lexus?”

I frowned. “Yup.”

Nick laughed, “She has balls! How’d she manage to get back up here after dumping Trist last summer?”

“Hypnosis,” I deadpanned.

“Heh. You’re probably right.” Nick paused, like he’d forgotten why he’d called. I heard a girl whisper something to him. “Right! I’m having a party tonight. You guys should come.”

“A party?” I repeated skeptically.

The Creature shrieked, “A party! Tristan, we
have
to go!”

Tristan’s voice was weak and unconvincing. “Sounds like fun.”

Disgusted, I turned my back as she threw her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. “I guess we accept.”

“Awesome! Come by any time after eight.”

“Great. Bye.” I hung up the phone and turned around to find that Tristan had somehow freed himself from The Creature’s clutches. His expression looked so distant that I wanted to ask him he was thinking, but I changed my mind when I saw her victorious grin hovering obnoxiously over his shoulder. She said sweetly, “Weren’t you going to order pizza?”

Right after I wipe that smile off your face.

“Oh yeah.” I grimaced. “Plain and boring. I remember.”

“
Thin
crust,” she hissed. “I’m going to go get ready. Trist, I’ll be upstairs.”

She kicked at her bag and her lip pouted at the thought of carrying it up a flight of stairs. The Creature looked up, her eyes latching onto me, but before she could open her mouth to whine for my help, I snatched the receiver and mouthed, “On the phone!”

The Creature glared and dragged the bag toward the stairs. She huffed every step of the way, clearly trying to attract Tristan’s attention. He ignored her and stood dripping onto the wood floor. I said, “Careful, you’re going to leave a watermark.”