✧❦Popularity❦✧ ➳ skephalo

.20.

A/N: this chapter isn't the most interesting, but it's important to the plot :) it's more of a set-up chapter though

Darryl's POV:

I think I was falling for him too fast.

Ever since that night at the movies, I can't get Zak out of my mind. Every single thing reminds me of him. The peanut butter I put on my toast in the morning. The sticker on my fridge that's the color blue. The library pass that's tucked in the outside pocket of my backpack.

I sighed, letting my face sink into my hands. I've never zoned out in class before, normally I paid great attention, and that's how I kept my grades up so perfectly. But today... it was a real off day. Not only was it a Monday, but the boy sitting next to me used the same smelling shampoo as Zak.

Yes, I know what shampoo he uses. I find it quite hilarious actually.

I remember it so clearly. It happened a couple of days ago, I went to his house again, except this time it was pretty empty since it was later at night. I walked into his bathroom and spotted the Suave Kids Watermelon Wonder bottle sitting on the edge of the bathtub. When I confronted him about it, he said "it's cheap, it has shampoo and conditioner AND body wash, and it smells really good". He wasn't wrong, the scent of Watermelon Wonder was very pleasing.

The point is, he uses children's shampoo, and I find it adorable.

"Darryl?" My head snapped up to see the teacher staring straight at me. I looked around to see the students in their seats were all watching me with small giggles.

"Uh..." I swallowed nervously, never being caught in this situation. "Could you ask the question again? I didn't quite hear you.."

The teacher frowned, then proceeded to sigh. "I asked if you were paying attention, I guess you weren't. Stay focused, please."

The class laughed, I just sunk into my chair with embarassment. I tried my best to pay attention to the rest of the class. It's my final class of the day, I can get through this. I bit my lip, watching the numbers that the teacher scribbled across the whiteboard. My eyes landed on the number 14. Zak's baseball jersey number.

That number sent me spiraling back into thoughts of his baseball career. Techno and I had spent the morning walking around the school getting signatures for a petition to let Zak back on the team. We had collected around 100 so far, since practically everyone wanted him back on. Love him or hate him, he's the best at the sport, and our team would fail this season without him.

Our goal is around 500 signatures, since that's nearly half the school. It should be enough to at least let the school board think about letting him participate again.

The bell ringing interrupted my thoughts. I joined everyone in stuffing my math folder and textbook into my backpack, zipping it up and hurrying out of the classroom. Zak was joining me after school to work on community service hours.

Technically, Zak didn't have to do any, but since I was already doing it and it could help let him back on the team, he's decided to join me more often. Today we were helping out the cross country team set up for a meet later in the week. They're the most complicated thing to set up, since there has to be a three mile course mapped out with flags and paint in the grass.

They pretty much just needed a bunch of helpers and it worked for service hours.

I walked down the hall, stopping at Vincent's locker. "Hey dude, Zak and I are helping set up the cross country meet after school today, wanna join us?" I asked him, wondering if the French boy had anything to do this afternoon.

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Where are they hosting it?" He questioned. Since the school had to prepare for the meet several days ahead, they can't host the meet on school property, since other sports need to practice until then. Plus, the school needs a place that has enough room for several big school teams to race in.

I smiled. "It's at The Wells." The Wells was a perfect place. It was a huge area of underground wells, so all of the land above was private property. But since there's nothing above ground, and it's owned by the government, our school was able to get permission to host the meet there this year.

"Oh, I don't think so," Vincent replied. "I have to study for English. That class is so difficult."

I just laughed. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."

I kept making my way down the hallway, spotting Zak standing there with a grin. When I approached him, I felt something in my chest twist up into a knot. I smiled when I smelled the Watermelon shampoo. "You ready to stick six foot stakes into the ground?" I asked him.

He raised his eyebrows. "Huh?" He questioned.

I rolled my eyes. "The metal flag poles we have to put in, they're like an inch wide but six feet tall. We have to use a super heavy knocker to slam them into the ground. The knocker is like... 30 pounds I'd say?"

Zak's eyes widened. "Damn," He stated, running his fingers through his hair. I bit my lip when I watched the motion. "I'm totally using the knocker, it sounds sick."

I let out a laugh. "Let's go."