Love Triangle? No, It's More of a Line...

Diana waited outside the gates of the school watching the doors for Tristan. Students were flooding out of the large double doors on each side of the stairs anxious to get home. She fussed with her hair and hat and then smiled when she saw him push the doors open skateboard under his arm, headphones around his neck, a bright smile on his face. She took a breath of awe; her sweet lover in all his brilliant glory. As quickly as she felt the happiness, as fast it was gone. His friend was there again, right on his heels like a little dog. She really hated him; like how she hated that she-witch Ellie. Just thinking her name made her angry. Even so, Diana patted out her skirt and then jumped out in front of the two as they passed the gates.

"Hey Tristan!" She grinned widely, "Where are you off to? Home I bet right? Mind if I tag along?"

The two were clearly taken by surprise by her sudden appearance because they jumped and stared at her like she was diseased or something.

"Pleas?!" She begged, "I know everything about you already just not your address! Principle Oroa wouldnt let me have it."

Their principle, Ms.Fallon Oroa, was well liked among the students of Hellion High because of her fair judgement and easy going nature. Tristan especially liked her because he'd already talked to her about Diana and she understood and agreed to keep his after school activities or theater practices off the school's public roster keeping it to the groups only. Though Diana always found out somehow...

"Look, can you just, like go away?" Tristan said holding his skateboard between him and her as if she'd disease him if she touched him, "I gotta go. ROTC's got some...stuff to do."

"You mean that training up in the mountains?" Diana followed as they backed up, "I know all about that."

"Of course you do..." Tristan muttered.

His annoying friend stepped between them, "Look Di..."

"Will you stop calling me that?!" Diana hissed angrily, "I dont like you so stop acting like we're friends!"

"Well then cut out the creepy stalker act and leave my bro alone." He said.

Diana glared at him, "As if! Tristan and I were meant to be together! It's destiny! Fate! Whatever you believe in! Isnt that right Tristan?!" Her face beamed when she looked at him.

"No way in hell!" Tristan said, "I dont want anything to do with you!"

"You're just playing hard to get!" Diana laughed, "I love when you do!"

"Go man go!" His friend said pushing Tristan forward.

The two turned around and darted off up the street. Diana raced after them.

"Wait! Tristan!!" She shouted, "Why dont we go to your house?! I can help you get ready for the ROTC thing!"

"No!" Tristan shouted over his shoulder, "Dont you have like, someone else to stalk?!"

Diana shook her head wildly, "No way!! You're my only true love Tristan!! You and you only!!"

"You're relentless!" Tristan hissed, "Just give up already! I am NEVER going to go out with you!"

"Its okay!" She shouted smiling, "We dont have to go out! We can just skip right to getting married!"

Tristan let out an irritated yell as they all raced down the street.
...
Ellie had come out of the school doors with Hanna, Brock, Josh, and Kelly; they were the top populars, the five of them. People smiled at them as they walked by, wanted to be in their circle of friends, made way for them in the hallways, it was like being royalty. Hanna absolutely adored it, Kelly loved it, Brock and Josh had a tendency to abuse it, and Ellie simply flowed with it. Half of her felt it was a right since she was so popular, but another half saw it as something kind of silly.

They were standing in the courtyard talking when she caught eye of those two again. They looked happy. Maybe it was that ROTC trip all the cadets were buzzing about? She watched them for a moment and then saw that girl, uh...Diana, stop them. Apparently she was stalking that boy from this morning now. Poor guy... why couldnt she think of his name? She was sure she'd heard it before...

"Hey, Ellie?" Hanna shook her from her thoughts.

"What?" She looked at her.

Hanna followed her eyes, "Who you lookin at?"

"Nobody, just lookin around." She shrugged.

"You lookin for a boyfriend yet?" Josh asked a smug grin on his face.

Ellie gave him a look, "Yeah, right. Get over yourself Josh you're not that good looking."

The other three laughed as Josh turned a little red.

Ellie rolled her eyes as she watched the two dart off down the street Diana in pursuit. They were shouting at each other, but she couldnt hear them over the rest of the school's population.
...
Once again, Tristan found himself running away from his oh so persistent stalker. Normally he'd love it if a girl was this interested in him, but he didnt want one that knew every little detail about his life and wanted to practically move in with him. Besides, he wasnt interested in a relationship unless it was with Ellie. It was what Finch liked to call, "a hopeless wish that shalt never been accomplished". In all honestly he was probably right and he found himself agreeing with Finch's statement from their conversation in ROTC where he'd said, "Look at it this way T, you're ice, she's fire, you're trying to mix the unmixable!". He knew he was right, but he just couldnt not love Ellie. She was just so perfect to him, everything about her made him happy...

"She's relentless!" Finch said as the two of them ran.

"Is she still following us?!" Tristan asked.

Finch did kind of a little spin as he ran being as coordinated with his feet as he was with his hands, and then faced forward again, "Yes! But my house is right here!"

They took a turn and then hurdled over the iron gate that lined Finch's yard. He already had his keys out and as they both slammed into the door it blew open and they went tumbling in. They slammed the door shut and locked it quickly. God he couldnt take it any more, it was like they were running for their lives now! Though it was probably mostly him, Finch just got dragged along into everything. "I'm you're wing man! If you go down, I go down, its a best friend package!" Finch had said on multiple accounts.

They could hear Diana outside, "It's okay Tristan! I'll just wait here until you're ready to come out!!"

"She's insane..." Finch said breathlessly.

Tristan gave him a "No duh Sherlock" kinda look as they leaned against the door gasping.

"At least...I can, get my stuff...for the trip..." Finch said in between breaths, "We'll ... get...yours later..."

"Alright." Tristan nodded quickly, "But, I need...water right now..."

Finch wondered off down the hall and disappeared through a door and then came back with two water bottles. He tossed one to Tristan and then they drained them almost at the same time.

"What did Sargent say we needed?" Finch asked as they walked up stairs to his room.

Tristan fished out a piece of green paper from his pocket, "Here."

Finch took it as they walked into his room.

Unlike Tristan who's room was tidy, organized, and his closet was sectioned off by seasons, Finch's room was covered in papers, posters, boxes of who knew what, and his clothes were sectioned off into three piles; dirty, clean, and semi-dirty (his closet was full of comic books and army issued crap he bought off Ebay and the internet). Tristan fell back on a bean bag as he watched Finch dig through boxes and piles of clothes looking for items on the list.

"Sargent was really specific this time." Finch said glancing quickly at the paper.

Tristan shrugged, "Well remember last time? Boice disappeared for like a day because he got lost. Sargent wants to make sure that doesnt happen again I guess."

Finch nodded, "I guess. If he lost one of us for good he'd never hear the end of it from the parents."

"Exactly." Tristan said leaning back into the bag.

Finch threw his dog tags around his neck, shoved military gear and supplies in his Army Grade Surplus Backpack. Finch was determined to get himself into either the Air Force or the Army despite how small he was. He'd already conditioned out his life to the Army ways, knew how to shoot, knew how to use a knife, and he was in great physical condition. Tristan was just looking forward to moving to the city when he was done with school.

When Finch had packed and dressed himself (he looked like an urban punk commando ready for WWIII. He was wearing camouflage pants tucked into actual Army issued boots, a leather jacket, and all this extra metal and leather.) they looked out his room window.

"She's still there." Tristan said flatly, "How are we gonna get to my house without her following us?"

Finch leaned back on his heels his chin in his fingers, "Let me think..."