[Excerpt] Safety in the Friendzone (the Friendzone Book 1)

Chapter 1: Charley

"Look out, arsehole alert," Jett muttered, elbowing me in the side.

Penny and I turned to look in the direction he was glaring and there they were. St Michael's College's popular jerks, strutting down the corridor like they owned the place. Students ran out of the way so they didn't get steamrolled as The Pops cruised the middle of the hallway like they were about to drop a late 90s boy band album, if my mum's collection was anything to go by.

In the very middle, right at the front, was Zane Lindon. Steel grey eyes, light brown hair, and a grin that apparently sparkled. He'd been at the top of our year level's Pops since I'd started in Year Eight. And, now we were in Year Twelve, that put him at the very top of The Pops for the whole damned school.

Under his arm, as she had been for the last few months, was Thea Green. Blonde hair and blue eyes, she was the typical sort of bimbo Zane always dated. I'd lost track of what number girlfriend she was. Calling Zane a player wasn't strictly true but, in the three and a half years since he'd started dating, he'd barely been single.

A step behind and to his right was Cody Bleeker. Who was, probably conveniently for him, not as his name would imply. Guy was a little slow, but at least average on the hotness scale. He considered himself Zane's closest friend, for whatever that was worth.

A step behind and to Zane's left was Jory. Self-proclaimed jock, he was the guy who thought he was God's gift to all female-kind. He was arrogant with a touch of creep, and a heavy dose of self-entitled. The very best kind.

And to Jory's left was Harvey. The least popular Pop, Harvey was the scapegoat to their shenanigans, their jokes and their constant designated driver. Of course, he took it all in his stride lest he be booted from the team. Bless.

As they got closer, the surveying of Zane's kingdom brought his glance to me. I gave him the usual sort of superficial nod. The kind that told him exactly what I thought of him while not making a big thing of it in front of his sycophants. I didn't much care if they liked what I had to say or not, but it was best I limited my confrontations to what was absolutely necessary.

"Charley," Zane smirked as they walked past.

"Zane."

Someone across the hall turned and accidentally ran into Zane, the books in the poor kid's arms tumbling to the floor. Zane paused and every Pop stopped with him with their arrogant, smug glares trained on the poor unfortunate.

"Tell me, Butterfingers." Zane looked him over. "Did you leave your brain at home today? Or were you just born that way?"

"N...no..." he stammered. I was pretty sure the poor thing was only in Year Seven.

"N...no?" Jory laughed.

"Tell me, Zane," I called, crossing my arms as I took a step forward.

Zane turned his charismatic grin on me. "What can I help you with, Charley?"

Now, I know the whole standing up against the mean kids should make me want to rise above their petty insults, to be a better person than them, to not stoop to their lows. But I wasn't a saint, I was just a teenage girl pissed off at the patriarchy.

"Did an accident cause this desperation to overcompensate? Or were you just..." I held my hand up, bringing my thumb and finger to almost touching, "born that way?"

Zane's smirk grew more rueful as he huffed a laugh and nodded.

"Clever, Baines," Cody sneered and I nodded at him proudly.

"Some of us aren't just a pretty face," I told him.

Cody just kicked his chin in my direction as an acknowledgement as though lest I forget it, but didn't say anything more. See? Little slow.