and before Ryleigh knew it, it was lunch. She meandered through the line picking a hamburger, no bread, and a soft drink.
Ryleigh woke up with her stomach complaining. She was ravenous. For breakfast, she downed four eggs, eight pieces of bacon, orange juice, six sausage links, and two glasses of milk. She attributed it to starting her running regimen and going to school. She decided to take it easy on lunch, although she felt she could eat an entire cow and its calves.
She saw Tristan waving at her from across the room motioning for her to come to his table. This time she didn’t walk away.
Walking over to the table she passed by the usual conglomeration of cliques. The gorgeous, the geeky, the inept, the socially awkward, the artistic, etc… She wouldn’t have anything to do with any club or group. Ryleigh was comfortable being herself and didn’t feel as if she needed to project any outward façade to incorporate into any group or clique within the social order of high school. Today, she wore her favorite pair of dark blue jeans; band t-shirt, and black combat boots. Regardless of where anyone thought she “belonged”, she never gave into the stereotype. She dressed and did things her way.
“Glad you decided to sit with me today,” Tristan remarked with his winning smile.
“Yeah well, you said you had something to tell me,” Ryleigh replied hoping this wouldn’t take too much time and she could eat and get out of there.
“I am not going to tell you here,” Tristan motioned around the cafeteria. “Eat your lunch and then we’ll go.” Ryleigh looked at Tristan as if he were nuts.
“What do you mean go?” Ryleigh asked.
“Off campus.”
“I am not skipping school,” Ryleigh replied adamantly. “I have plans to graduate early and there is no way I am jeopardizing that by cutting class.”
Tristan leaned in across the table, “You need to know what happened to your mom and dad. You need to know who you are.” Ryleigh stilled. She was as a stone gargoyle forever guarding a chapel. Swallowing her pride and realizing the information could be more important than an early graduation date, she agreed. “Fine,” she said. “I’m done now. Let’s go.” Ryleigh grabbed her tray as she stood up and walked to dump it in the garbage. She turned expecting to see Tristan behind her, but he was still sitting at the table. “Are you coming or what?” she asked as she continued out the cafeteria. Tristan, a little surprised, followed suit.
Ryleigh waited for him outside the cafeteria doors. “So, where are we going and how are we getting there?” Ryleigh asked impatiently.
“We are getting away from this school and from prying ears,” Tristan said. How aggravating. Ryleigh wanted answers. Now would be her chance to finally get them.
The pair walked off the school campus and into the surrounding neighborhood. Ryleigh followed Tristan until he stopped beside a golden toned mini cooper. He pushed the button on his key ring disabling the alarm and unlocking the doors, “Hop in.”
Ryleigh was hesitant. She hardly knew Tristan, even if he was family, but she had an internal whisper that said he wouldn’t harm it. That it would be okay. She knew that no harm would come to her because she trusted him. She knew in her core that she would be alright. She opened the door and got in.
*~*~*~
Tristan jumped in and started the car. “We are going to just go for a bit of a drive. We’ll be back in time for Siegfried to take you home. He will never know you left and Aunt Vera will assume you’ve been in school this whole time.”
Ryleigh woke up with her stomach complaining. She was ravenous. For breakfast, she downed four eggs, eight pieces of bacon, orange juice, six sausage links, and two glasses of milk. She attributed it to starting her running regimen and going to school. She decided to take it easy on lunch, although she felt she could eat an entire cow and its calves.
She saw Tristan waving at her from across the room motioning for her to come to his table. This time she didn’t walk away.
Walking over to the table she passed by the usual conglomeration of cliques. The gorgeous, the geeky, the inept, the socially awkward, the artistic, etc… She wouldn’t have anything to do with any club or group. Ryleigh was comfortable being herself and didn’t feel as if she needed to project any outward façade to incorporate into any group or clique within the social order of high school. Today, she wore her favorite pair of dark blue jeans; band t-shirt, and black combat boots. Regardless of where anyone thought she “belonged”, she never gave into the stereotype. She dressed and did things her way.
“Glad you decided to sit with me today,” Tristan remarked with his winning smile.
“Yeah well, you said you had something to tell me,” Ryleigh replied hoping this wouldn’t take too much time and she could eat and get out of there.
“I am not going to tell you here,” Tristan motioned around the cafeteria. “Eat your lunch and then we’ll go.” Ryleigh looked at Tristan as if he were nuts.
“What do you mean go?” Ryleigh asked.
“Off campus.”
“I am not skipping school,” Ryleigh replied adamantly. “I have plans to graduate early and there is no way I am jeopardizing that by cutting class.”
Tristan leaned in across the table, “You need to know what happened to your mom and dad. You need to know who you are.” Ryleigh stilled. She was as a stone gargoyle forever guarding a chapel. Swallowing her pride and realizing the information could be more important than an early graduation date, she agreed. “Fine,” she said. “I’m done now. Let’s go.” Ryleigh grabbed her tray as she stood up and walked to dump it in the garbage. She turned expecting to see Tristan behind her, but he was still sitting at the table. “Are you coming or what?” she asked as she continued out the cafeteria. Tristan, a little surprised, followed suit.
Ryleigh waited for him outside the cafeteria doors. “So, where are we going and how are we getting there?” Ryleigh asked impatiently.
“We are getting away from this school and from prying ears,” Tristan said. How aggravating. Ryleigh wanted answers. Now would be her chance to finally get them.
The pair walked off the school campus and into the surrounding neighborhood. Ryleigh followed Tristan until he stopped beside a golden toned mini cooper. He pushed the button on his key ring disabling the alarm and unlocking the doors, “Hop in.”
Ryleigh was hesitant. She hardly knew Tristan, even if he was family, but she had an internal whisper that said he wouldn’t harm it. That it would be okay. She knew that no harm would come to her because she trusted him. She knew in her core that she would be alright. She opened the door and got in.
*~*~*~
Tristan jumped in and started the car. “We are going to just go for a bit of a drive. We’ll be back in time for Siegfried to take you home. He will never know you left and Aunt Vera will assume you’ve been in school this whole time.”
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