Babysitting The Bad Boy

Chapter 38 - The Asshole and the Nerd

"Well Zeke, me and Isaac put up with you moaning and being depressed over Marnie for months and we didn't say shit so go fuck yourself." Cole says and everyone except Zeke is surprised at his outburst.

"Isaac and I." Zeke corrects which only infuriates Cole even more. "Now, you guys can do whatever the hell you want. I am taking Marnie somewhere. Just us. Not you guys." He leans across the table, whispering the words.

"You are?" I question, having no idea what he's talking about or where we would be going.

"I am," he nods.

"The only place ya'll will be going is to his bed," Cole scoffs. "Just hang out with us instead, Marn. We're better."

"Let her spend her birthday with her boyfriend, Cole. The world doesn't revolve around you," Zoey crosses her arms.

Cole growls at her. Yes, growls. Like an actual dog. Maggie laughs while everyone else just ignores him.

Zeke walks me to my class after lunch, and I listen to him talk about the time he caught one of the cooks smoking weed in the kitchen, and how he suspects that they use dog meat.

"I don't know," he continues. "I just would rather not eat a cute little puppy."

I roll my eyes as I stop at the door to my history class. "Zeke, I love you, but you have got to stop criticising the cooks. They're actually really nice pe-"

"You just said you love me."

I mirror Zeke's frozen expression, not realising the words had come out of my mouth. I didn't say it back to him last week at the cliff, but I do. I love him.

I step closer to him, my heart suddenly racing, and he places his hands on either side of my face. When he leans down and kisses me, I forget where we are. I forget everything for that moment.

"Get a room," a girls voice scoffs. Zeke and I part and are met with Aubrey.

"What, like, the bathroom?" I question, recalling the time I caught Zeke and Aubrey in the bathroom, about to do some business.

She gives me a disgusted glare, as if just looking at me makes her want to vomit. Before she can hit back with a snide remark about how she's better than me, Zeke says something.

"Hey," he pulls me closer, looking at Aubrey. "Stop looking at my girl. She's mine."

Aubrey goes red. "Shut up."

"Oh, you don't want the secret to get out that you like chicks-"

"I said shut up!" She pushes past us and walks into our class. My jaw drops.

Aubrey is bisexual. Yet I recall her bullying other kids for being gay. I guess it's true that when you hate a person, you really hate something in them that is part of yourself.

"See you after school," Zeke says. He leans in and kisses me one more time. "We will continue this later." He winks, sending a shiver through my body.

+++

"Remember to tell me where Zeke takes you! I need all the info," Zoey calls to me as I get out of her truck.

"I will," I promise and say goodbye, then close the door and walk to my front door. There is a pink birthday banner on the door that displays the words BIRTHDAY GIRL! It's the kind of thing meant for 4 year olds birthday parties, but my mom puts one up for me every year. I wonder if I'll still see this on my door when i'm 90. Except my mom most likely wouldn't be alive when i'm 90. Heck, she'd still find a way to put this bastard up.