Peripheral Vision | ✓ [NOW PUBLISHED AS HUNTINGTON AVENUE]

Chapter 24

I replaced the expression on my face to anger, realizing she was referring to Zach.

"Nobody that I hang out with is weird, Amelia," I replied. "Leave me alone."

"Oh please," she laughed while pinning both my shoulders against the lockers. "Like I would leave the biggest loser in school alone just like that?" she snapped her fingers metaphorically, both of her friends closing in as well.

"I'm not a loser," I stated, my confidence fading away quicker than I had anticipated.

"Stop lying to yourself," Amelia said, faux politeness dripping from her lips, which were covered in red lipstick. "You'll feel better."

"Stop treating Kelsey like she's a mirror," a familiar voice exclaimed angrily out of nowhere. "She's not a loser and you know it."

I recognized that voice immediately as Zach's. I'd know that voice anywhere. Hesitantly, I turned around, and sure enough, there he was with Luke at his side. I flashed them both a quick, grateful look as Amelia and her posse quietly backed away a little. Amelia released her grip on me and rolled her eyes.

"How would you know if she looks like a creep or not?" Amelia scoffed. "You're as blind as a bat."

"Firstly, bats don't rely on echolocation all the time, since they can see quite well, and second, I'm not blind," Zach replied cooly, pointing to his clear, blue eyes. "That got fixed last weekend."

"Well good for you," Amelia exclaimed sarcastically giving Zach the death glare. "Not like I care."

"Do I look like I care about your petty opinions which are clearly untrue?" Zach inquired, taking a step closer to Amelia and I. "She told you once to leave her alone, so I suggest you do it."

"Oh, and your hair looks crooked," Luke cut in as Amelia stepped back in horror.

Amelia cares about her looks a lot. I could tell since she instantly ran off in search of a mirror. It's quite pathetic how self absorbed she is.

"Seriously, Luke?" Zach antagonized playfully. "Her hair looks crooked?"

"What?" he asked with innocence in his eyes. "It's the first thing I could come up with."

"In all seriousness though, you okay?" asked Zach, turning the conversation towards me. "You've been awfully quiet."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, my gaze lighting up a bit. "Thanks, you two goofballs," I added on jokingly.

"Who are you calling a goofball?" inquired Zach with a playful smirk as he stepped closer to me.

"You, who else?" I replied while shooting him an amused look.

"Um, hello?" Luke exclaimed teasingly from Zach's side. "I'm here too."

"Sorry, Luke," I mischievously symphasized, a smile creeping across my face. "I'm not purposely trying to make you seem like a third wheel."

"Wait, what?" he asked, clearly confused, but then he got an idea of what I was trying to say. He immediately got excited "Since when?!"

This time, both Zach and I burst out laughing while Luke just stood there with a bewildered look on his face. I discreetly took Zach's right hand out of his pocket and clutched it gently. There was an important detail I had forgotten to explain to Luke.

"This morning," Zach replied with a small smile appearing amongst his lips. "Kelsey's my girlfriend now."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his words, which still seemed foreign to me. Before our classes started, Zach literally pulled me into a janitor's closet and popped the question. Needless to say, I wasn't really surprised.

Both of us had already said we liked, no wait, loved each other, and this was bound to happen. Zach's my first boyfriend, and I'm lucky to have him.

"It's about time," Luke announced in triumph. "You two literally act like an old married couple fighting over the tv remote sometimes."

"No we don't," I quickly retorted while Zach was still laughing.

"But seriously, congrats," he added genuinely, giving us both a satisfied look, the kind of look like he's saying 'I knew it.' "You two are perfect for each other."

"The goofball and the loser," Zach mumbled under his breath so we could barely hear it, mocking Amelia's insult towards me.

"Hey!" I exclaimed a bit loudly while playfully pushing him aside.

Zach looked up and asked innocently. "What? I didn't say who I was referring to when I said loser," he snickered, his smirk back on his face.

"Aww," Luke cut in, giving us both puppy dog eyes. "That's adorable."

Zach quickly snapped his gaze towards Luke. "Zip it, Luke," he teased while giving him a friendly shove.

"What?" he asked ingenuously. "It's cute."

"I know it is, but stop it," Zach replied while staring him right in the eyes, laughing a bit. "We get it, it's cute."

The same thought replayed over and over in my mind for the entire day, and I couldn't make it go away no matter how hard I tried.

Zach's my boyfriend now....and I didn't want it any other way.

~~~

It's official! Zach and Kelsey are now a thing!! :)

This chapter just made me love Luke even more. He's just too funny in my opinion, and honestly, my personality is kinda similar to his, being the third-wheel and all! Hope you enjoyed! :3

~Eclipsityy <3