the menu because they give you double guacamole.”
“Will do,” he said. “Thanks. Um… would you care to join me?”
Taken aback, I tried to find any clues in his voice or face that would tell me if he thought it was a date. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, though, and with his scarf pulled up and only little curls of his dark hair sticking out comically around the edges of his hat, there wasn’t much to go by. I didn’t see the harm.
“Sure,” I said brightly.
We crossed the street together.
There was a part of me that wanted to believe it was a date, and another part that felt guilty for that. I hadn’t seen Vince in two weeks, though, and he hadn’t said goodbye or tried to make plans before he went. I didn’t know what was going on with him, and the part of me that really loved being a student didn’t understand why I kept the drama around. As much as I loved Vince, being with him meant that the magical world would always be a part of my life, but Tristan…
Tristan was as normal as anyone. And just for a half an hour, it was nice to feel like a normal girl.
We ordered, and paid separately, and sat down to eat. And like a switch, he went from discussing school assignments to more personal things.
“No one in my family eats vegetarian,” he said with a nervous smile. “I hardly know anyone brave enough to even try the vegetarian options.”
I shrugged. “Like I said, it’s mostly about the double guac. The turkey isn’t bad here, either, but stay away from the chicken. I think not enough people order it, so it tends to hang around a day too often sometimes.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the menu, and then back at me. “You come here a lot?”
“I live around here,” I said. “It’s cheap and convenient.”
“Oh, are you from here?”
“Yeah,” I smiled. “I grew up in Bellmoral, and then came here for college. My dad moved away just recently, but my sister lives nearby…” I paused, frowning. “She used to, I mean. But she’s still around a lot.”
“Must be nice.” He stared at me a little too long, and I worried I had gone too far into my personal life. Then he shook his head and sighed. “I’ve got five brothers and sisters, I mean, and I’ve never gotten along well with any of them. They’re all extroverts, and I’ve never been able to really get why they’re so concerned with what other people think of them. I mostly hide in the kitchen with my mother at family gatherings.”
“Making the non-vegetarian dinner,” I joked.
“Yeah.” He breathed a smile. “I only have one brother, and he’s kind of a jerk. So, that’s all I mean. It must be nice for you to have a sister you get along with.”
I pursed my lips, and I started shaking my head without meaning to. Tristan caught my eye again.
“Mostly,” I said. “Sometimes. We kind of have different belief systems, and she can be a little preachy with hers. That’s all.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re not… Sorry, that’s rude. I shouldn’t ask.”
“She’s kind of a modern witch,” I said with a little laugh. “And I’m kind of not. Agnostic, I guess.”
He laughed, nodding. “A preachy witch. I’d like to see that.”
If he only knew. “What makes your brother such a jerk?”
Tristan coughed, and I saw his smile fall a little. I wondered if I shouldn’t have asked, but talking this much about our personal lives was new to me. I didn’t know where the boundaries were.
“He thinks that he’s better than the rest of us,” he said. “He married into a wealthy family, and he’s kind of lorded it over me since I was little. He’s the eldest, and I’m the youngest, so he’s got ten years on me.” He smiled at me sardonically. “He keeps trying to set me up with these socialites he meets, because I’m an academic and I’ll never be able to earn enough to feed myself, and it’s just… Forget it. If we keep going this way, I’m going to get bitter.
“Will do,” he said. “Thanks. Um… would you care to join me?”
Taken aback, I tried to find any clues in his voice or face that would tell me if he thought it was a date. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, though, and with his scarf pulled up and only little curls of his dark hair sticking out comically around the edges of his hat, there wasn’t much to go by. I didn’t see the harm.
“Sure,” I said brightly.
We crossed the street together.
There was a part of me that wanted to believe it was a date, and another part that felt guilty for that. I hadn’t seen Vince in two weeks, though, and he hadn’t said goodbye or tried to make plans before he went. I didn’t know what was going on with him, and the part of me that really loved being a student didn’t understand why I kept the drama around. As much as I loved Vince, being with him meant that the magical world would always be a part of my life, but Tristan…
Tristan was as normal as anyone. And just for a half an hour, it was nice to feel like a normal girl.
We ordered, and paid separately, and sat down to eat. And like a switch, he went from discussing school assignments to more personal things.
“No one in my family eats vegetarian,” he said with a nervous smile. “I hardly know anyone brave enough to even try the vegetarian options.”
I shrugged. “Like I said, it’s mostly about the double guac. The turkey isn’t bad here, either, but stay away from the chicken. I think not enough people order it, so it tends to hang around a day too often sometimes.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the menu, and then back at me. “You come here a lot?”
“I live around here,” I said. “It’s cheap and convenient.”
“Oh, are you from here?”
“Yeah,” I smiled. “I grew up in Bellmoral, and then came here for college. My dad moved away just recently, but my sister lives nearby…” I paused, frowning. “She used to, I mean. But she’s still around a lot.”
“Must be nice.” He stared at me a little too long, and I worried I had gone too far into my personal life. Then he shook his head and sighed. “I’ve got five brothers and sisters, I mean, and I’ve never gotten along well with any of them. They’re all extroverts, and I’ve never been able to really get why they’re so concerned with what other people think of them. I mostly hide in the kitchen with my mother at family gatherings.”
“Making the non-vegetarian dinner,” I joked.
“Yeah.” He breathed a smile. “I only have one brother, and he’s kind of a jerk. So, that’s all I mean. It must be nice for you to have a sister you get along with.”
I pursed my lips, and I started shaking my head without meaning to. Tristan caught my eye again.
“Mostly,” I said. “Sometimes. We kind of have different belief systems, and she can be a little preachy with hers. That’s all.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re not… Sorry, that’s rude. I shouldn’t ask.”
“She’s kind of a modern witch,” I said with a little laugh. “And I’m kind of not. Agnostic, I guess.”
He laughed, nodding. “A preachy witch. I’d like to see that.”
If he only knew. “What makes your brother such a jerk?”
Tristan coughed, and I saw his smile fall a little. I wondered if I shouldn’t have asked, but talking this much about our personal lives was new to me. I didn’t know where the boundaries were.
“He thinks that he’s better than the rest of us,” he said. “He married into a wealthy family, and he’s kind of lorded it over me since I was little. He’s the eldest, and I’m the youngest, so he’s got ten years on me.” He smiled at me sardonically. “He keeps trying to set me up with these socialites he meets, because I’m an academic and I’ll never be able to earn enough to feed myself, and it’s just… Forget it. If we keep going this way, I’m going to get bitter.
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