Splinters: Part One

Part One | 10

Chapter 10

Told You So

"We don't have orange down here!" Edaline whined. "Dera, you go get it."

Odera scoffed. "No! If you want the orange so bad, you get it!"

I laughed lightly. "I'll go get it. Where is it?"

Edaline clapped. "Under my bed in a tote! The pink one! With the butterflies on it!"

I nodded. "Okay. Don't use my brush." I said, handing Edaline my paint brush.

"Okay!"

I turned and headed up stairs, hearing her faintly tell Odera not to tell me that she was going to use my brush while I'm gone. I chuckled. My mind was solely set on getting the orange paint, but I stopped when I heard my name in Ursanne's room. Stopping just before her door, I waited.

"I think she likes him."

"You can't be serious. Her? Of all people?" I could recognize Bella's flat tone.

"I am serious. I've seen her literally go out of her way to talk to him. Not to mention that she practically begged me not to tell Brayden what she did."

"It's an act. I know it."

"I don't... think it is..."

Bella laughed. "You mean to tell me that Collie seriously has a thing for Brayden?"

Ursanne's voice suddenly became defensive. "He's not that bad looking!"

I lowered my gaze, feeling my neck heat up in embarrassment.

"That's not what I meant, Ursa. I'm just saying, of all people, it'd be your brother? The new kid? And a Pierson? I think it's weird. Maybe... maybe she's just trying to get back at you."

Ursanne sighed. "That's not just it."

I could imagine her looking at the door, then I heard her footsteps come toward it. It closed, making me jump. Her voice was muffled as I pressed my ear to the white wood.

"Okay, promise not to tell anyone?"

"Promise."

"I think Brayden likes Collie, too."

She burst into laughter. "Seriously, Ursanne."

"Yes!"

"Zech would kill him."

"I know..."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"No."

"Ursanne!"

"I don't want to embarrass him!"

"You'll be embarrassing him anyway if he keeps thinking he can be with her! You have to tell him that Collie's off limits."

"I don't want to hurt him though."

Bella sighed. "This is how I see it. You're hurting him more if you don't tell him than if you do."

"Really?" Ursanne sounded nervous.

"Really."

Ursanne groaned in frustration. "I was going to tell him that he can be friends with her."

"What?! Why?! He's just going to get hurt. Don't you remember what you told me about that party he went to?"

I sucked in a quick breath. Ursanne told Bella about the party? I slammed the back of my head into the wall.