I Don't Bite

Chapter 2: Schedule Buddies

    The bell rang and Ryan and I stood together to leave, but Zach's fingers brushed my arm and Ryan's gaze snapped straight to the gesture.

    "I believe we have the same next class." He held out his schedule to me and sure enough, period three with Mr. Cruz, Spanish.

    "I guess so." I looped my bag over my shoulder. "I can walk you there, so you're not late again."

    He smiles. "I appreciate that, Violet."

    Ryan grabbed my hand and pulled away from Zach.

    "What's wrong?" I whispered.

    He dipped his eyes, flickering a glance at Zack, who stood patiently by the table, a faint smile angling his lips.

    "I don't want you to walk with him."

    I take my hand back. "That's kind of too bad because I'm not going to be even more rude to him after you were already such a jerk."

    He glances over me at Zack. "What if I apologize?"

    "Apologizing doesn't fix it; it just acknowledges that you did something you shouldn't have done." My phone buzzes in my pocket. "I'll see you later." We have lunch and fifth and seventh period together and I'll hang out and watch your boring practice."

    "Fine, just..." he glanced at Zack for what felt like the hundredth time. "Be careful."

   "Careful of what? It's the middle of the day in school."

    "Violet." He groaned. "Just say you'll be careful or I'm walking you both to class."

   "All right fine, geez." Rolling my eyes, I gestured for Zach to follow me. "Come on."

    Ryan followed us to the door. He paused, and he and Zach stared each other down. Ryan lifted his chin, looking down at Zach as Zach smirked up at him. Ryan patted my shoulder before splitting off to head to his own class.

    Zach and I turned down the next hall. He walked a few steps ahead at first but the second he noticed I was behind him; he adjusted his stride.

    "So, Ryan is your boyfriend?"

    "Absolutely not." I laughed. It had been a while since that confusion had been made. "We're best friends. We've known each other since we were like six."

    "I see." he nods. "So, he's just protective."

    "To put it lightly." I internally cringe. Zack would not be the first, and I doubt he would be the last guy Ryan went into bodyguard mode for.

    "He sounds like a good friend," his smile softens around the edges. Heat blossoms from my collarbone and climbs up my neck. "Looking out for you like that."

    "He is." I adjust the strap on my bag. "So, I'm sorry about how he acted, it's just... there is a reason, but he won't do it again. I promise."

    "I'll take your word for it." He stepped aside and gestured me into the room first.

    "I'm serious. He won't be so bad tomorrow."

    "And I won't hold my breath?" He trailed behind me as I walked to the back corner of the room to find my seat. Unease prickled at the nape of my neck as I claimed my seat for the year, and he slid into the seat beside me.

    "Ryan isn't a bad guy." I tried again. Of course, he would think that, though. I would think the same thing if that's how he acted when I met him.

    His gaze swept over the room before returning to me. "To you, I'm sure that's true." He turned around to face the front of the class as Mr. Cruz walked in and set a cup of coffee and a box of donuts on his desk. "But your bestie is not going to be my friend."

    "Grab a donut, take a seat." He sat in his chair with his coffee and waited.

    "But you could." Zack walked to the front of the class and grabbed a napkin and two donuts. "Thank you, Mr. Cruz." He offered a smile, but Mr. Cruz didn't return it. He stared at Zack with his coffee halfway to his mouth as turned and strode back to me, offering me a chocolate-covered donut.

    "You seemed the chocolate type." He wiggled the donut in front of me as he fell back into his seat.

    "Thank you."

    "Of course." He bit into his glazed donut and leaned back in his chair. "So, what do you say?" He asked. "Want to be friends?" He offered a dazzling pearly smile, deep burgundy eyes holding me in place. "Or will your friend not let you have anymore?"

    "Ryan doesn't control who I hang out with." I snapped.

    "Perfect, then it's settled." He reached a hand toward me. I flinched back but he tucked some hair behind my ear. "Look at that. My first new friend."

    I smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me without permission again."

   He withdrew his hand and sat up.

    "We can hang out and maybe we'll be friends, but don't try to fix my hair or try to touch me again without asking."

    He glanced down at his hand, and his smile shrank. "You're right, I'll ask first next time."

    I untucked the lock of hair that I used as a barrier whenever I needed a moment and tore my donut in half, the chocolate frosting smooshing between my fingers.

    Mr. Cruz walked across the room in front of the class and closed the door. Zack leaned across the little space between the desks. "Would you say yes?"

    Heat crawled over my skin as he inched closer. The hair on my arms rose as his hand rested on my desk. I glanced at him, immediately meeting his burgundy eyes.

    Mr. Cruz clapped his hands together, making me jump. "Welcome students. I'm so glad to see such a full class and a few familiar faces." His gaze scanned the room, resting on a few students who he'd taught in the past few years, including me.

    Zack's finger tapped against my desk two times. "That's not a no."

Since this is the first day of posting, there will be three chapters posted tonight and then regular friday posts.