Chapter7~~~~~
I was still in shock, like full on shock, Travis was standing right there and it almost looked like my eyes were decieving me for a second,
It hit me like a ton of bricks that Travis was her older brother she had told me about,
They were like night and day, so different, Celia with her oversized glasses, nerdy style and also quiet nerdy vibe she was the kind of girl who was always reading and then there wqas Travis, the emo guy that I knew, he had this aura around him, like he didn't care about anything, and that was exactly why everyone noticed him, if anyone told me they were siblings I would bet a hundredd bucks they weren't,
Celia walked up toward him with this huge smile on her face, practically tackling him in a hug,
What the fugde?
I watched, blinking a few times, trying to wrap my head around what I was seeing, there was no way, no way it was super hard to believe but its the truth in plain sight,
They hugged for a second before Celia pulled back, her smile wide and bright,
"Travis!!! I missed you so much!" She confessed,
Travis looked down at her, a small, rare smile tugging at the corners of his lips, but there was something about it that felt off, it didn't quite match the cool emo vibe he usually gave off,
"How was your first day lil sis", His voice was rough but still smooth, like he hadn't used it much that day. It was a surprise,
"It was great big bro, thanks to Mercedes" she pointed at me, her cheeks were pink, like she was still glowing from whatever warm exchange they'd just had,
My heart did a little weird flip, she was really grateful to me? Not exactly sure why, but I gave her a smile back,
Travis's eyes shifted from his sister to me, and I could feel the weight of his gaze. He seemed surprised to see me standing there, almost like he wasn't expecting it,
"Didn't expect to see you here, girly" His tone was as smooth as it was disinterested, but there was a slight hint of something else maybe curiosity or ust surprise,
"Thanks for being nice to Lia" he added,
Lia.
I almost couldn't believe my ears.
That was probably the nickname he gave her, and Lia sounded so cool,
I was still processing the fact that Travis was her older brother, and now I was learning about her cool nickname,
"Of course, no problem she's great, but why didnt you tell me about her before" I said trying to sound casual but this whole situation wasn't messing with my head,
"You never asked about her" Travis shrugged and his voice dropping into that calm too cool for this tone, it almost made me roll my eyes,
I mean, of course, I never asked cause he never really talked about his family,
"Guess you're right", I replied and my voice a little sharper than I meant, I couldn't help myself. It bugged me a bit that I was just learning about this now,
"Anyway, I gotta drop Lia home, I'll call you later", his words were like a swift change of subject, cutting through my questions like a knife,
I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out, I didn't know what to say, I nodded cause words weren't able to come out,
I wanted to say more, but before I could find the words, Celia waved me goodbye, smiling warmly before turning back to her brother,
"Bye Mercedes see you tomorrow" She called,
Travis gave me this quick smirk, my spine shivered, that look of his always get me, his gaze flicked from me to his sister, and then he nodded at Celia as if giving her permission to hop onto the back of his motorcycle,
"Lia, let's go" he said in that low cool voice, and I noticed the way his hand lingered on her shoulder, a silent gesture that seemed to show his protectiveness in the most subtle way possible,
I wasn't sure what it was, but something about the whole scene felt. different now,
I stood there, watching as they pulled away on his bike, the engine roaring as it rumbled down the street, their figures growing smaller with each passing second,
It felt strange cause it didn't fit with the Travis I thought I knew, it felt like there was a side of him I'd never seen before, a side that had nothing to do with the emo vibe persona he wore like armor,
I wanted to ask him so many questions, but I knew it wouldn't matter,
I felt a strange curiosity settling in my chest, something that made me want to understand them more, but also something that made me question why they were so different and why I didn't know half of the story,
But I was definitely going to find out.
I was still standing there, staring off into the distance, my mind spinning with everything I'd just witnessed,
That's when I heard heavy footsteps behind me, followed by a familiar voice that yanked me out of my thoughts,
"Well, well, look who's got her head in the clouds, my bestie", Miley's voice was full of that teasing energy, and I turned to find her standing there, a mischievous smirk on her face. I rolled my eyes just as she dropped her backpack on the ground and practically collapsed on the grass next to me,
I didn't need to ask where her boyfriend was, the lipstick smudge on her cheek and the dazed expression on her face told me everything I needed to know, her mouth-to-mouth session with Josh was probably the reason she was out of breath,
"Let me guess, he's on his way home" I asked with a knowing grin,
Miley of course didn't even try to hide it,
"Of course, he's always in a rush after.....well, you know" She chuckled, clearly proud of herself, "But anyway" she straightened up and looked me over with a raised eyebrow,
"what happened with him?" She was clearly curious,
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck, still processing everything in my head,
"Travis is Celia's brother, I mean its shocking, they are so different" I blurted,
Miley's lips curled into an amused smirk as she nudged me with her elbow,
"Well, that's not exactly shocking, sometimes siblings can be totally different and not just siblings I mean look at you and me", She gave me a quick wink, and I couldn't help but snort,
That was kinda true I guess, Miley and I were about as different as night and day too but still besties,
"Yeah, I guess you are right", I ran my hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up again, ", I can't stop thinking about him I mean..." I trailed off,
Miley's eyes lit up as she leaned in closer, her voice lowering to a teasing whisper,
"Ooooh Mercei!! Are you finally gonna admit you do have a crush on him" She winked,
I groaned, rolling my eyes,
"Serously Mi, common he's my friend and about your advice I still dont know" I looked at another direction,
She crossed her arms, her smile turning sly,
"That's the problem with you Mercei, You always hestitate to do stuff" she then frowned at me,
I frowned too staring at the ground, she was right in some way, I was the resistant type but I had a reason this time, I didnt want to lose his friendship, Im afraid if I pushed too far it would I mess things up,
"I don't know Mi, I don't want to mess things up with him, I mean, I don't even know if he likes me like that" I felt this knot in my stomach as I said it aloud. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin what we had my weird friendship with Travis,
Miley didn't seem phased by my hesitation, she just raised an eyebrow and nudged me again, this time more insistently,
"So what if you don't know? You'll never know unless you kiss him" she pressured me,
I was totally still unsure,
She nodded, eyes sparkling with mischief,
"I'm just saying, you'll never know how he feels until you take that step, I know you like him so you need to make that move, no more waiting around, besides, I'm sure you'll find out pretty quickly if he likes you back" she said confidently,
I bit my lip, my mind swirling with doubt, kiss him? Was that what I was supposed to do now? It seemed so risky, if things went well, maybe I'd get to know a side of Travis that no one else had seen but if it went wrong, I might end up ruining the friendship I had with him and even worse, that's the last thing I wanted,
Miley could see my hesitation, she put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently,
"Mercei I get it, you don't want to mess things up, but if you don't do something, you might lose your chance entirely and you might lose him, if he starts thinking you're not interested" she added,
I let out a slow breath, trying to calm my racing heart. She was right about one thing ans that was if I didn't make a move soon, I might never get the chance, but the risk was just so... much. I didn't want to lose his friendship, so I might find the perfect situation if Im sure and ready,
"I'll think about it" I said finally, my voice a little shaky, "But I'm not making any promises Mi" I folded my arms,
Miley gave me a wide grin,
" Think about it well Mercei but if you ask me, I think you know what you want already" the grin still glued on her face,
I wasn't so sure about that but I didn't say anything else as we walked home together, the weight of her words settling heavily on my shoulders. I didn't know what the future held with Travis or even if there would be a future but I knew one thing for sure, I wont lose him.
*****
Next day of school was normal as usual and surely days go by fast, but today was something unexpecting cause right outside school I couldn't believe what I was seeing,
Celia her small frame practically shrinking in front of a group of taller, older boys, my heart dropped when I saw one of them snatch her art book, holding it up out of her reach, I could see the fear in her eyes, the way her shoulders hunched, she was scared, vulnerable, and I hatee seeing her like that,
I didn't think cause there wasn't time to think, I just felt this rush of anger take over me and without even hesitating, I walked right up to the guy holding her book,
"Give it back to her right now!" I said as my voice wa shaky but steady, I wasn't about to let him take something so precious from her,
The guy looked at me, amused but not moved at all,
"Andddd....if I don't? What are you gonna do about it" she smirked as he held the book high out of ny reach,
Before I could say anything else, a familiar voice cut through the air,
"You're gonna have to answer to me",
I whipped around to see Travis standing there, he must have come home early to pick up Celia He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking every bit like the brooding, emo guy he was, his red hair hung over his face, but his eyes were hard, his expression one I had seen before it was dark, intense, and completely unbothered by the group of guys towering over us,
The bully took a step back, his grin faltering,
"Ohhh Im so scared" the bully said mockingly,
Travis didn't even flinch, he straightened up, his voice low but full of authority,
"Yeah listen, you don't want to find out what happens if you don't give that back", there was something in his tone something that made the guy hesitate,
The bully shot us both one last angry look but after a tense moment, he shoved past us, muttering something under his breath. His friends hesitated for a moment before following, clearly not wanting to be the next target of whatever kind of fury Travis had in him,
I breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in my chest finally easing. Celia was still clutching her art book tightly to her chest, but I could see the fear start to fade and I thought it was over, boy was I so wrong,
The bully came back and hit Travis on his shoulder from behind, with a stupid grin and both me and Celia gasped at the same time,
"I just realized why should I be scared of you and I can do whatever I want" he sounded proud,
For the first time I saw something different in Travis eyes, he was clearly mad and he clutched his fists hard, and the bully gave him the stink eye as his friends cheered for him,
Travis lost his cool, jumped on the guy and started punching him, a fight broke out, Celia immediately started crying and mini crowd started to form, I knew it was a signal to stop him at once,
"Travis!!!!! Stoo please, you'll hurt him, I know he deserves it but its causing a big scene, please stop!!" I yelled out loud trying my possible best to stop him,
Seems he understood the situation and stopped and got off the guy,
"You psycho!!!!!" The guy yelled as he injured with a purple bruised eye from Travis punches, he walked off as his friends trailed behind him,
I immediately comforted the still scared and tearful Celia, while Travis was getting a grip of himself then he offered he took her home quickly and I suggested I go with them to calm her down, she was my friend, he was refusant though but I was stubborn and insistant, he gave in and agreed cause as a girl I know how to calm my fellow girl,
I texted Miley that I wasnt going with her today and I also know she was with Josh so its cool, I guess, we strolled down to where Travis parked his black car and it amused me cause I didnt know he had a car, he was always a motorcycle typa guy.
The tension in the car was thick, and I could feel it hanging in the air like a heavy weight, Celia was still sobbing softly as I was with her at the backseat, her shoulders were shaking with each breath, I kept my focus on her, trying to comfort her as best as I could, but my mind kept drifting to Travis, he hadn't said much since we left the school, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly, I could tell something was bothering him, even though he was trying to hide it,
I glanced at him with worriness,
"Hey Travis, you alright?" I asked keeping my voice soft, not wanting to push him too hard, but needing to know if he was okay,
He didn't answer right away, he just kept his eyes on the road, his jaw clenched, a few moments passed before he nodded, but the gesture didn't feel convincing, something was definitely off,
I could still hear Celia's quiet sniffles,
"Im sorry big brother, you always get hurt or in hard situations cause of me" she sounded really down,
Immediately I focused my attention to her, trying to make her feel better,
"Celia" I said gently, "you don't have to apologize for anything, alright? This wasn't your fault, Travis cares about you, and sometimes things get out of hand when people just don't know when to stop" I added,
She shook her head, sniffling between her tears,
"I just don't want him to get hurt because of me, I love my brother so much" she whispered, her voice thick with emotion,
"I love you too lil sis, Im fine, Ill do anything to make sure you're safe" he said with a soft tone,
I sighed softly, as his words touched my heart,
"See he loves and cares for you Celia, he's fine and he will make sure youre fine too" , I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, trying to give her something to hold onto in this mess of emotions,
I glanced up at Travis again, his eyes kept flicking toward us, and I could tell he was battling something inside too, I couldn't help but soften, he was trying to protect Celia, but I could tell that he was also questioning his own actions,
"You know Travis, youre actually a great big brother for looking after her okay" I said trying to ease the weight of tension at air,
He sighed, looking over at me through the mirror, and nodded slowly, though his expression didn't change much,
We drove in silence for a few more minutes, the sound of the engine filling the quiet space, Celia's tears had finally stopped, but her eyes were still red, swollen from crying, the neighborhood was quiet as we pulled up to their house,
"We're here," Travis said softly,
"You're going to be okay, alright?" I reassured Celia once more,
She nodded, but it was a slow, hesitant movement, I could tell she wasn't entirely convinced, but at least the tears had stopped,
I opened the door, stepping out to let them get out of the car, But before they could, I turned to Travis, offering him a warm, understanding look,
"Thanks for letting me come with you" I said to him keeping my voice gentle, "You're not alone in this, okay?" I added,
He didn't say much, he just nodded again, and for the first time since we left, there was a flicker of something in his eyes, maybe it was relief, or maybe it was just exhaustion from the mini fight earlier, suddenly I saw a hint of a smile as he looked at me, and that was enough for now,
As we were all out of his car, I couldn't help but be taken aback by the size of their house, it was huge, nothing like I had expected, from the outside it seemed more like something out of a movie, really spacious and modern and incredibly kept,
I followed them up to the front door, still processing how unexpected it all was, I had always assumed they were just like any other family, but this place felt different,
When we stepped inside, the house was eerily quiet, no sounds of anyone else present and I looked around wondering where their parents were, but maybe at work or something I wasn't sure, but the silence made the place feel a little emptier than it probably should have,
Celia, now much calmer, gave me a grateful smile,
"Thanks for being here today, Mercedes, I don't know what I would've done without you" she smied warmly at me,
I smiled back, relieved to see her doing better,
"No problem, I'm just glad you're okay" I revealed,
She nodded and then, as if trying to lighten the mood she offered,
"I'll make sandwiches for us, you guys must be hungry after all that" still upholding her smile,
I nodded gratefully as she headed toward the kitchen, leaving Travis and me alone in the living room, he sat down on the couch, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it onto the armrest, I noticed right away that something was off. He looked a little more worn out than I had realized his face was a little pale, and there was a faint cut on his side face just below his cheekbone,
Without thinking, I instinctively moved closer to him,
"Hey, you've got a small wound on your face let me help you with it" I said gently,
Travis quickly shook his head, his usual deflection kicking in,
"I'm fine" he muttered as his voice was low and calm as if trying to convince both me and himself that everything was okay,
I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what he was doing, he was trying to act like he didn't need help, he always acted so cool and collected, like nothing bothered him but I wasn't buying it,
"I'll be right back," I sighed, and before he could protest again, I went to the kitchen where Celia was checking the fridge,
"Hey, do you guys have a first aid kit?" I asked, my voice quieter now, as I opened a cabinet in search of something to treat the wound,
Celia glanced up, raising an eyebrow in confusion but quickly understanding,
"Yeah, it should be in the top drawer", She pointed to the cabinet, and I grabbed the first aid kit from it, nodding my thanks to her,
I rushed back to the living room, eager to treat Travis's small injury, when I returned he was sitting with his phone in his hands, his posture relaxed as if he were trying to pretend nothing had happened, but the moment I walked back into the room, he looked up at me, and I could see the slight tension in his shoulders,
I sat down next to him, not saying a word, and opened the first aid kit, I pulled out the ointment and a cotton ball, then gently took his chin in my hand to get a better look at the cut, I could tell it was sore and as soon as I touched it, Travis hissed sharply, I gasped at his reaction but kept my focus on the task,
"Sorry, I'll be careful," I said quietly as my fingers were gentle as I applied the ointment to his face,
For a moment, Travis didn't say anything, but he didn't pull away either, his green eyes were locked on mine and there was something in his gaze that caught me off guard,
This was different deeper, almost as if he were seeing me for the first time, and before I could stop myself, I felt my cheeks turn all red,
I couldn't tear my eyes away from his face, his jawline was sharp, his features were perfect and his lips, ohh Gosh I couldn't help but notice how perfectly shaped and pinkish they were,
Suddenly, Miley's words popped back into my head, 'Kiss him to know if he likes you',
My breath caught in my throat, and before I could stop myself, my hand that had been holding his chin slowly slid to the back of his neck, pulling his face gently toward mine, Travis's eyes widened, he was clearly surprised by my sudden action, he didn't say anything, his lips parted in silent shock, and I felt the space between us shrink as I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest,
He was speechless, frozen in the moment, the air between us seemed to crackle with tension and time seemed to slow down, and all I could think was that this could actually happen,
I could KISS him!!!!!....