[The Trybid Chronicles 1] Fated at First Sight

Chapter Three: Night to Remember

Dylan

I sat on the doctor’s stool in Justin’s hospital room. He was awake but was unusually silent. I hated to admit it, but I was worried about my older brother. I heard talking in the hallway. I could hear my parents talking to Dr. Chloe. They were talking about how Justin claimed he had found his mate. He didn’t tell us who, though, and Ethan and Macy stayed quiet.

“So you have no idea what happened?” My father questioned.

“No.” Dr. Chloe sighed. “Even if he found his mate like he claims, he shouldn’t have fainted. Unless…”

“Unless what?” My father demanded.

“Tanner please calm down.” I heard my mother say gently.

“I am not entirely sure what caused this, but I think he will be safe to go home.” I heard Dr. Chloe say quickly. “I will go start on his discharge papers and be back in fifteen minutes.”

I had a feeling that she knew something but was keeping it to herself. I heard her footsteps recede and then turned to look at Justin. He looked like a kicked puppy. I wanted to say something, but before I could, he spoke up.

“I’m sure you want to know what happened?” Justin asked me.

“Of course I do.” I snapped. “Did you really find your mate, or are you just saying that to get out of trouble?”

“I found her alright, but it wasn’t good.” He said. “Dylan, she’s here.”

I almost fell off the stool. “Here, who’s here?” My mind was racing. I knew who he was talking about, but I didn’t want to think about her. He had to be lying. “How do you know?” I snapped.

“I saw her, plus I talked to her before she realized who I was and ran away,” Justin told me.

“You talked to her?” I asked incredulously. “How? Why?”

“She’s my mate Dylan.” Justin sniffled.

That made me pause. Justin was crying. I looked at him and saw his head in his hands. His whole body shook while he sobbed. This was awkward. I hated him for what happened, but he was clearly in pain. “Justin?” I asked cautiously.

“It hurts Dylan. She basically rejected me when she ran away.” He didn’t look up at me. “She has every right to hate me, but God, Dyl, it hurts so bad.”

“Justin-”

I didn’t finish my sentence because I suddenly felt like my world was spinning. I felt myself fall, but Justin caught me. I heard him shouting, but it was muffled. Everything felt like it was fading out. I fought to stay awake. Squeezing my eyes shut, I forced them to open, but when I looked around, I was my nine-year-old self. I was looking at a younger Niky and Justin. I knew this scene. This was five years ago when our family moved to California.

“I promise we will call every day.” Justin said seriously.

“Pinky Promise.” She replied, looking innocent, extending her right hand.

“I pinky promise.” Justin swore, hooking his left pinky finger with hers.

I extended my pinky as well. “Me too.” She hooked her other pinky with mine. This was our triple promise.

Niky, Justin, and I hugged, and then I heard Mom call for us. Telling us that we needed to get on the road. We said our final goodbye and began the long drive to California.

The scene changed. I knew that I was eleven in this memory. I had kept these buried as deeply as possible, but now they were returning. I could feel my face wet with tears. Justin had made me call Niky to tell her that we couldn’t be friends anymore. I felt like the worst person on the face of the planet, and I didn’t even know why.

“Why did you make me do that?” I screamed.

“Because our friendship can’t continue, it won’t work.” Justin told me calmly.

“But why?” I was getting angrier.

“It just won’t be okay.” He said and turned to walk away from me. Selfish bastard.

I launched myself at him. I threw a punch, and we began to roll around the floor. I heard my parents run in, and my dad pulled me off of him. Justin’s nose was bleeding, and my bottom lip was split. I wiped the blood away and screamed, “I hate you Justin.”

The memory faded out, and I was back in the hospital. I jumped up and slammed my head into Justin’s nose, which made him cry out in pain. I wiped my face to stop the tears, the flashbacks pulled me into a dark place, and I needed to get out of there. I tried to stand up, but Justin held onto me.

“Let me go!” I yelled at him, slamming my fists into his chest to push him away, but he wouldn’t let go. When did he get so strong? After fighting for a few minutes, I gave up and just cried. I know I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help it. That was my best friend, and now she was back in my life. This was not going to end well.

Justin finally let me go, and when I stepped away from him, I saw my parents staring at us in confusion. Justin’s face was tear-stained. He gave me a small smile. “I’m okay.” I said.

“We have to fix this.” Justin told me.

“No, you need to fix this.” I snarled. “You f****d everything up. I will not take responsibility for anything that has happened.” Then I stormed out of the room and headed for the elevator.

I needed to get out of this hospital. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. I got down to the main floor and saw three people standing out front. Probably waiting for a cab. I pushed through the door, and all three turned to look at me. When I saw who it was, I staggered back.

“Dylan?” The girl with brown hair asked. “Dylan Omsford?”

I looked for a quick getaway, but there wasn’t one. I wasn’t ready to face her, but I guess I had no choice. “Hi, Niky.”

She looked good. Her long chocolate brown hair fell in waves down her back. Her honey-brown eyes sparkled in the light, and my breath caught in my throat. She had grown up, if you know what I mean. Niky took a step towards me, and I braced myself for her reaction. I was frozen in my spot as she approached me, wrapping her arms around me. I stiffened slightly but forced myself to relax. She stepped back and looked me up and down.

“Dylan, it’s so good to see you.” Niky grinned. “You got big.”

I laughed nervously. “Um yeah, so do you. I mean-”

Niky laughed. “I know what you mean.”

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m not mad if that’s what you are wondering,” Niky told me. It was like she was a mind reader. “I know Justin forced you to make that call. I just don’t know why.”

“He was going through something,” I said. “I’m not trying to make excuses for him. Trust me, I hate him too.”

“I don’t hate him, Dylan,” Niky said softly. “You shouldn’t either. He’s your brother.”

“You don’t hate him? But why not?” I was shocked.

“It’s complicated, but I had to let go of the hate at some point.” She told me. “How is he doing?”

“He’s in a bit of pain, but I think he’s mostly okay,” I told her.

“Did he hit his head or something?” The blonde girl next to Niky finally spoke up.

“Dylan, this is Chelsea, and this is her mate Jason. They are my best friends.” Niky told me, and that hurt just a bit. Niky looked worried, waiting for my answer.

“No, he didn’t hit his head, but erm, he’s in a bit of emotional pain.” I said while staring at Niky.

“Oh cause the mate bond is strained by the fact that Nik ran away from him.” Jason said, seeming to understand.

Niky bit her lip anxiously. “Maybe I should go see him.”

“No, you need to go home. You need to sleep. It’s been a long day.” A voice said from the shadows.

We all turned to see Justin stepping out into the light. He had snuck up without any of us noticing. “I snuck out the back; Mom was being insufferable. I am sure they will be down any minute, though.”

Then he turned to Niky. “I don’t deserve your concern or forgiveness. I can’t forgive myself, so neither should you.”

“I don’t think that’s up to you!” Niky snapped. “I am my own person.”

“I know that!” Justin snapped back. “I am just warning you that I am not the same person you knew five years ago.”

“And you think that I am?” Niky yelled. By this point, they were standing face to face, and I didn’t think they could get any closer. Oh, how wrong I was.

At that point, my parents had come outside with Ethan and Macy in tow, but Niky and Justin didn’t notice. Justin groaned. “You need to step back right now.”

“Why?” Niky asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Because you smell like heaven, and it’s killing me,” Justin said. “Move back before I do something that we both regret.”

“Like what?” Niky asked, moving closer. Her hand was on his chest, and her face was mere inches from his.

This trainwreck of a situation escalated, but I couldn’t look away. I knew that I should stop them, someone should at least, but it was like I had been glued to my spot. I heard Justin suck in a breath, his breathing became labored, and his eyes turned pitch black. “What the f**k?” I thought. Justin shouldn’t be able to react that way; he’s not a wolf. Before anyone could stop him, Justin slammed his lips into hers. I was horrified, but at the same time, I also wanted to see him dig himself a bigger hole. NIky was the first to pull away, her cheeks were flushed and they were both breathing heavily. I was sure she would light into him. Everyone in attendance waited with bated breath, unsure of what to do.

“I have to go; my ride’s here,” Niky said. “I will see you at school, Justin.” Then she turned to me. “Bye, Dylan.”

She wrapped me in another hug, and I heard Justin growl. What is wrong with him? Pulling away, Niky glared at him. “Don’t.” Then she spun on her heel and disappeared.

“I have no idea what the f**k just happened,” Jason said. Chelsea’s mouth was hanging wide open. “Babe, let’s go.” Then they disappeared as well.

“WHAT THE f**k WAS THAT?” Ethan yelled.

I looked at Justin. He was frozen in place. He looked like he was about to pass out again. My mind was reeling, and I felt myself becoming irritated again.

“Justin, honey.” My Mom waved her hand, trying to get his attention.

He blinked. “Where am I?”

“Let’s go home.” I growled. “What the hell is happening?”

*****

I lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling. I couldn’t stop thinking about the night’s events. Sighing, I rolled over onto my side and looked at the alarm clock on my desk. 1:04. We got home around ten, but I couldn’t sleep. Thank God it was spring break.

School was going to be hell when we went back. Tonight was probably a fluke. The stress was really high. There is no way Niky was thinking clearly. I kept replaying everything in my head. They kissed. I shuddered at the memory. I really didn’t need to see that. Gross.

Rolling onto my back, I closed my eyes, trying to force myself to sleep. I heard Justin’s door shut loudly and then him making a hissing noise. I listened and heard him make his way down the stairs. Slowly I got up, following him, making sure not to make any noise.

When I reached the last step, I saw that the living room light was on, so I snuck to the doorway and peered in. Justin was sitting on the couch with their head in his hands. He sighed loudly before looking right at me. “Hey, Dyl? What the f**k happened?”

“I don’t know,” I said. I debated if I should go in and sit with him, and finally, I decided it wouldn’t hurt. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Justin stated. “How would I be okay? So much s**t happened tonight.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean, man.” I didn’t know what else to say, so we sat there. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t easy either. I may be mad at him, but Niky was right; he is still my brother.

Finally, we both decided it was time to get some sleep, but when I laid back down, sleep did not come. So instead, I just stared at the ceiling. I must have fallen asleep at some point because when I opened my eyes, my clock read 12:03. I got up and showered, then went down for breakfast. My parents’ cars were gone, and Justin was nowhere to be found. Good, I have the whole house to myself. I didn’t want to deal with anyone at the moment.

As I was settling into the gaming room with my xbox controller, I heard a knock on the door. I groaned and got up. I wondered who it could be. I opened the door and then just stood there in shock. “Meghan, what are you doing here?”

“You didn’t show up for practice. I was worried about you.” Meghan told me.

She didn’t know this, but I have had the biggest crush on her for the past two years. Meghan Sohmers was on the cheer squad, and this might be the only conversation we have ever had. Normally her boyfriend swoops in before I get the chance. Her bright blue eyes stared into mine, making my stomach do flips. “Macy was going to come, but I-I volunteered instead.”

“Why?” I mentally slapped my forehead. “I mean, um yeah, I’m fine. You didn’t have to come all the way over here to check on me.”

“It’s no bother, really. I live behind you so it was on my way.” Meghan told me. Her face was bright red. “Um, can I come in?”

“Sure!” I yelped, clearing my throat. I tried again. “Come on in.”

She followed me inside, and that’s when I realized that she was staring at my chest, so I looked down. This time I actually slapped my head. I wasn’t wearing a shirt. No wonder she was acting so weird. Don’t get me wrong, I am not super ripped, but years of football and being a wolf has made me toned. “Give me just a sec. I will put a shirt on.”

“Don’t do it on my account.” Meg mumbled. She slapped her hand over her mouth.

I laughed nervously. This was getting awkward really fast. I ran upstairs and pulled a shirt on before returning to the living room, where she was sitting on the couch. “So, is there another reason you are here?”

“Yes, actually.” Meg finally looked at my face before blushing and looking away. She began twirling a piece of her shiny blonde hair in her finger. I wondered if it was as soft as it looked. I had to force myself to focus on her face and not her hands. “The Sadie Hawins dance is next Friday, and I wanted to know if you would be my date?”

My mouth fell open. “Me? Why me? What about Trent?”

“We broke up. I wasn’t feeling it anymore.” Meghan muttered. “I realized that I am interested in someone else.”

“Then why don’t you ask him?” How stupid am I? The girl of my dreams was sitting on my couch asking me to a school dance, and I was acting like a moron. I opened my mouth to say something else, but she beat me to the punch.

“Why do you think I’m here, Dylan?” Meghan huffed. “I like you, and I have for a while. Trent and I broke up a month ago, and since then, I have been trying to work up the courage to ask you to the dance. I know it’s last minute, but I have the tickets, and I thought maybe you liked me too. Sorry for wasting your time.” She stood up and made a move for the door.

“No!” I yelped, grabbing her hand to stop her. I felt sparks ignite across my skin, but I ignored them. Her hand fit perfectly in mine. “I do like you. I have for two years now. It would be my pleasure to go to the dance with you..”

She squealed and hugged me. “Thank You, Dylan.”

Damn, how does this girl smell like the sweetest strawberries? The sparks lit up my skin again, and then it hit me. “Oh no!”

“Oh yes!” A voice said in my head.

I tightened my grip on Meghan’s small frame. “You’re my wolf, but how?”

“You will know soon enough, but you can call me Jackson.” My wolf spirit told me. “Talk to you soon.” Then he was gone.

“You okay?” Meg asked, pulling back.

“Never better,” I told her. “We should exchange numbers.”

Meghan nodded, and then we hung out for a couple hours until my family got home, and she excused herself.

*****

The week flew by fast. I barely saw Justin or my parents the whole week. Friday came too quickly. I was so nervous. I still couldn’t believe that Meg had asked me to the dance. I texted Macy to ask her about it after Meg left, and she told me that everything Meg said was true. Around 6, there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, Meg stood there looking like she had just walked out of heaven. Her purple dress stopped right above her knees. She held a boutonniere in her hands. She also had a purple tie that matched her dress exactly.

“Hi.” She said, blushing.

“Hi.” I smiled. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks.” Meg beamed.

Just then, Justin came bouncing down the stairs. He was dressed for the dance as well. “You guys need a ride.” He had gotten his license earlier this week.

“You have a date?” Meg asked.

“No.” Justin smiled. “I am going stag.”

“She will be there,” Meg said. “If you are wondering.”

“What?” I asked.

“Macy made sure that Justin’s mate, Niky, will be there.” Meg said.

“Mate? What’s a mate?” Justin panicked.

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Meg told him. “I know what mates are.”

“How?” I stuttered.

“Macy told me about a year ago when she learned that Ethan was hers.” She said plainly. “I also know she’s a witch. I may be human, but I am not dumb.”

“Ethan and Macy are mates?” Justin gasped. “How the f**k did I not know this?”

“They didn’t tell anyone.” Meg shrugged. “Now, let’s go.”

The dance was a blast, but I couldn’t find Justin anywhere when it ended. I found Chelsea and Jason and asked if he went with Niky, and they said they didn’t know. I found Ethan and Macy next. They didn’t know either. Ethan offered to give Meg and me a ride home. Which we accepted.

I stood with her at her door. Macy and Ethan were waiting in the car for me. “This night was amazing.”

“It was.” Meg agreed. “I guess this is a good night.”

I heard Macy yelling from the car. “Kiss her!” It made me smile because I knew Meg couldn’t hear her. “Yes, I believe this is goodnight.”

Meg looked disappointed as she turned to the front door. Macy yelled again, “Kiss her, dammit.” I had to stifle my laugh, but I followed her instructions. I grabbed Meg’s hand and spun her to face me. Then I kissed her, guiding her back against the door. I heard Macy cheer and Ethan whistle, and that made me smile.

“Now it’s a goodnight.” I grinned.

“Not yet.” She said before pulling me into another kiss, and we stayed like that for a little bit before she had to go inside.

“You have no idea how amazing it felt to finally do that,” I told her. “Goodnight, Meg. I will see you on Monday.”

“I think I might.” She teased, and then she went inside. I did a little happy dance before climbing back into the car. “Awe, look, Macy, he’s all grown up now.”

“Shut up!” I laughed. Ethan and Macy then dropped me off at home.

I was getting ready to fall asleep when I saw headlights in the driveway. I looked out and saw Justin climbing out of a car. Followed by Niky. What the hell? They said something to each other before Niky hugged him. I watched her climb back in the car and listened as Justin entered the house, and I was waiting for him. He had some explaining to do.