Splinters: Part One

Part One | 7

For the first time ever, I saw Collie blush. It was cute, in a way. It made her look a lot more... innocent. She was... really cute. 

"Or so you said," Zech finished. 

Everything Ursanne said about Zech was starting to settle in. He really was a jerk. And sarcastic. And rude. 

"Things came up."

"Are you sure it's not a certain someone that changed your mind?"

"No." Collie was quick to answer as she gave Zech a pointed look. 

He held up his hands in surrender. "I was just wondering."

"Well you're wrong."

"So in that case," Zech began. "You're available?" He winked. 

I sucked in a quick breath as jealousy swept over me. I was really beginning to not like Zech.

Collie looked to be very agitated. She threw a chip at him. "Shut up, Zech."

I let out a small breath of relief, thankful that Collie would never say yes to a guy like him. She deserved much better than that.

Zech laughed with his friends and shrugged. "Worth a try, right?"

Collie shook her head and rested it on her left fist. I sat up straighter and leaned toward her.

"You okay?" I whispered.

Collie looked over at me and mustered a small smile. Nodding, she told me she just hated Zech. I didn't like him either. He was annoying and arrogant. I didn't like him sitting at this table, nor did I like him being friends with Collie.

At some point during lunch while she and I were talking, we managed to scoot closer to each other so our arms were touching. I felt Zech's angry gaze on me and was proven correct when I looked at him. He rolled his eyes and looked away.

Maybe he liked Collie or maybe he didn't like me stealing her attention. Whatever it was, it was beginning to really get on my nerves, and I was starting to think that I didn't want to go to his stupid party.

...

At the end of the day, I was setting some of my things in my locker when a loud bang was heard left from me. I jumped as I turned to see Zech with his large hand on my neighbor's locker.

"Hi, buddy," he smiled.

I stared at him, a little confused and then closed my locker. "Um, hi?"

I turned and was hoping to be left alone, but he didn't budge.

"So I see that you and Collie are getting along great. She's a real peach, huh."

I glanced at him and kept walking. "Yeah. She's... nice."

He grinned and slung an arm around my shoulder. "I can see that. I can also see that you've got a terrible crush on her."

My eyes widened. "What? N-no I don't."

Zech laughed. "Sure you don't. C'mon, Braxton-"

I narrowed my eyes at him and pushed him off of me. "Brayden."

"Whatever." Zech continued. "Look, we both know that you've got a thing for her, which is why I'm letting you have her."

"L-letting me... have her?" I didn't like the way he said that. He made it sound like Collie was an object. Was he stupid?

Zech nodded. "Me and Collie have been having a thing ever since like grade school, and to be honest with ya, I'm glad to say that it's over between us."