HAUNTED || chris sturniolo

𝟎𝟏𝟒. not this again

CHAPTER 014 -
╰┈➤ ' not this again ' ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧
「 real life 」

─ real life ᥫ᭡

THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN FILTERED THROUGH CHRIS'S BEDROOM WINDOW, casting a warm glow over the mess of clothes and basketball equipment littering the floor. zayn leaned back in the chair by the desk, his feet propped up on the edge while chris bounced a basketball on the bed, the rhythmic thud filling the otherwise quiet room.

"you know, it's a miracle your room doesn't spontaneously combust from all the shit you leave lying around," zayn said, grinning as he watched chris bounce the ball.

chris shot him a look, not bothering to answer. the words were familiar, zayn had been making fun of him for years about his terrible habit of letting his room look like a tornado had hit it.

"so, seriously, man," zayn continued, his voice dragging out in a playful tone. "you're just gonna keep laying here, or are we actually gonna talk about something?"

chris shrugged and tossed the ball up again, catching it with a casual flick of his wrist. "what's there to talk about?"

zayn tilted his head, looking at him like he could read the layers of frustration behind chris's laid-back demeanor. "i don't know, maybe how you're still trying to fix things with adriana, even though she clearly doesn't give a shit?"

chris's grip tightened on the ball, but he kept his gaze on the ceiling. "not this again."

"i'm just saying, dude," zayn continued, spinning in the chair a little. "maybe you should stop chasing after someone who doesn't even want you back. it's gotta hurt to keep putting yourself out there when she's clearly over it."

chris shot him a glare, his jaw clenching. "don't start, zayn."

zayn raised his hands in mock surrender, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "alright, alright, i'll back off. but, uh... i did see her last week."

chris froze, his heart skipping a beat. he turned slightly to face zayn, narrowing his eyes. "what do you mean, you saw her?"

zayn casually leaned forward, resting his chin on the back of the chair. "at the café. she was there with cecelia."

chris felt a strange tightening in his chest, like he'd been hit with a gut punch. his mind raced, trying to piece together why zayn was bringing this up, especially so casually. he swallowed hard. "okay... and?"

zayn smirked, not missing the tension in chris's voice. "and they were just, you know, hanging out, drinking coffee, chatting. typical café stuff."

"uh-huh," chris muttered, his hands suddenly gripping the basketball even tighter. "that's it?"

"well, they were talking," zayn continued, now clearly enjoying the fact that chris was on edge. "and i was, you know, just observing. i didn't eavesdrop or anything."

chris frowned. "what were they talking about?"

zayn let out a slow sigh, rolling his eyes as if it wasn't anything important. "nothing major. but you know, cecelia looked really cute. like, she always looks cute, but that day? wow. black sweater, curly hair, real chill vibe."

chris wasn't sure why he was getting frustrated at the mention of cecelia's appearance, but it hit him hard anyway. "stop being a dick. i asked about adriana."

zayn chuckled, clearly amused by the irritation creeping into chris's voice. "alright, alright, calm down. adriana... well, she didn't look too happy, if i'm being honest."

chris's heart dropped into his stomach. "what do you mean? she was pissed?"

zayn dragged his feet along the floor, spinning in his chair again, his tone growing a little more thoughtful. "well, she wasn't exactly smiling. kinda looked like something was on her mind, if you catch my drift. didn't look like she was in the best mood."

chris felt a wave of guilt wash over him. he wanted to know more, but he didn't know if he could handle hearing what happened between adriana and cecelia.

zayn hesitated, clearly trying to decide how much he wanted to share. he dragged his hand through his hair and glanced up at chris. "look, i'm not trying to make this worse for you. i'm just saying... she did mention you."

chris's head snapped up at that. "she did?"

zayn's grin faltered slightly. "yeah, but not in a way that would make you feel great. she didn't exactly say anything nice, though. she was pretty... frustrated, i guess."

chris stood up, the basketball forgotten on the floor as his anger flared. "what the hell did she say about me?"

zayn shifted uncomfortably in the chair, his playful demeanor suddenly gone. "i'm not gonna get into it. i don't think it's something you need to hear."

chris's voice was sharp. "if she said something, i need to know."

zayn looked like he was debating whether to spill the rest of it. "all i'm saying is, she didn't look happy, and i think it's more than just the whole cafeteria thing. but, uh... that's all i know."

chris's frustration was building, but something in zayn's tone told him there was more, he just wasn't being honest about it.

"yeah, you're really not helping, man," chris muttered, running a hand through his hair as he paced around the room. "so, is that it? that's all you've got?"

zayn shrugged, as if he had done his part. "you know, if you want to know what's really going on, maybe stop hiding behind this bet."

chris froze at the mention of it. his stomach churned. "what the hell does the bet have to do with anything?"

zayn sat up straight, suddenly serious. "i don't know, man. i just... i don't like it. it feels wrong. i don't like how this is all going down."

chris clenched his fists, his anger mounting. "you agreed to it. don't act like i'm the only one involved in this."

zayn sighed, his eyes softening. "i know. but i'm not stupid, man. i know it's gonna hurt her, and it's starting to make me feel like shit. i don't know if it's worth it anymore."

chris turned away, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling gnawing at him. the bet was still on, but everything about it felt wrong, especially now with the way things were going with adriana.

"i'm not giving up," chris muttered, his voice hard. "i'm gonna fix this."

zayn stood up, brushing off his hoodie. "just don't make it worse, man. that's all i'm saying."

as zayn left, chris stood there, his heart heavy with frustration and confusion. adriana's words, the way she looked at him... it all seemed like a mess he couldn't fix. and now, with the bet hanging over everything, it felt even worse.

evie speaks
they'll have another interaction soon i swear