Things weren't settled for either party as Aaron stormed up to Aubrey absolutely pissed off with him.
"You messed everything up, do you know that?" Aaron rolls his eyes as he approaches Aubrey who is trying to take out large textbooks out of his locker.
"What do you mean what did I do?" Aubrey asks side eyeing him but not putting too much attention on him.
"Too much. What did you say to him? Do you know now he wants nothing to do with me and has no trust in me?"
"Sure he doesn't. It's pretty clear you're one of us. You're friends with me. I'm your best friend. He would be stupid to not pick that up yet."
"Well he did and now it's over. Happy?"
"Of course not but he has no use anymore so I don't really care." Aubrey laughs to himself as he looks at the post he made earlier. "What were you getting attached? That's stupid. He's no one special and he's pretty boring. Stop synthesizing and forget about him." Aaron couldn't help but feel like feeling regret someway inside him. "It's over anyway you don't have to interact with him anymore. Pretty much after this he's just gonna fade into the background but I'm pretty annoyed now. Did he mention anything to you? Cuz he knows about you and Saintclair dating."
"No! Why would you tell him that? That wasn't agreed on. We just said for you to say I liked him."
"Well... I did but that's not enough so I told him Saintclair was jealous and you guys played it up but it turned out to be true. Yikes." Aubrey proceeds to slam his locker after stuffing his textbook into his bag he laid on the floor. "He didn't care, he didn't judge. To be honest he seemed interested in you that's why I mentioned it but that doesn't matter if you don't like him right?"
"Right." Aaron mumbled as he felt so much guilt run over him. He felt like a pawn in a game. He didn't enjoy this game anymore, he didn't hate Zayn anymore. He actually enjoyed interacting with him.
"You know what I'm not done yet. Since you seem like you're catching feelings you're out I'm bringing in someone else. If I need you I would tell you but I'm telling you Aaron do not interfere with my shit." Aubrey poked Aaron in the chest as he threw his bag over his shoulder and disappear down the hall to a class they didn't share.
"I need a favor from you."
"How big?" The girl with honey brown braids asks as she flips it over her shoulder to give the boy her full attention.
"Nothing big, well in my opinion. I feel like things didn't go to plan cuz Aaron was both too good and too obvious. I need you to interact."
"I'm the most obvious if you're telling me to do what I think you are. Aren't I the one that's supposed to give those orders?" He tells the girl as she creases her face in confusionion and amusement towards him.
"All you need to do is approach him and apologize on the behalf of everyone. Nothing hard."
"That's all." It didn't seem hard at all because she was already up on her feet making her way towards where she knew he would be at this time.
"I'm sorry," She started and the boy looked over at her confused until her face clicked. This immediately made him annoyed. He didn't want anything to do with her. Her of all people, the worst. Renee Welsh was the rumored not confirmed creator of the chronicles and her approaching him felt like trouble. He wanted to run far away. Renee was a parasite just like Aubrey so he didn't want to associate with her. The only good thing he thought of the girl was the fact he saw her as quite pretty but he wouldn't mess with crazy. "They shouldn't have done that to you and I'm sorry."
"I don't accept apologies from other people for other people. I like direct things. If it's not directed, it's not accepted." He placed his head back down. He was aware class was over but he needed a minute. Renee was a parasite just like Aubrey so he didn't want to associate with her.
"I know how things are right now so let me he-"
"You don't know me, you don't understand. Just leave me alone." Zayn breathed. He didn't want to choke up in front of another person again today. He scraped his things off the table into his bag and stepped around Renee.
"I'm just offering a shoulder." Zayn rolled his eyes. Renee seemed okay enough but he didn't like her personality. He hated her nosy personality, if she minded her business maybe he may just look over her past actions.
She watches the boy grumpily leave school. She felt sorry for him. Outside of the school setting he had nothing, it was known by everyone. She used to think he rode on the coattails of his richer friends for popularity and notoriety but it was quite the opposite as she learned. She shakes away her thoughts and walked over to Aubrey's desk who still sat in the empty classroom.
"You heard what he said, if it's not directed, not accepted." Aubrey scoffed as the girl repeated the words back to him.
"Do you have the video?" The video, relating to Zayn smashing his phone.
"I sent it on the group chat already." Aubrey nodded with his eyes on his phone.
"I feel bad cuz maybe he did think of Aaron as a friend." Renee pouted just thinking about it.
"I don't think so. He always hated him and had no trust in him so I don't think so." If Zayn was that offended he definitely thought of him as a friend.
"What if he thought of you as a friend and he felt betrayed."
"Nonsense. He was annoyed by me and hated my presence. I mean I purposely did and said stuff too but he doesn't like me." Aubrey laughed about it but Renee felt differently.
"I kinda feel like you two were sorta friends so I feel bad."
"If I had to choose between him and Aaron. I'll choose Aaron in a heartbeat. It was never really about being his friend but protecting Aaron. I mean at least they won't hang out anymore so, problem solved but my friendship is strained and I think I might need your help to get back in the group's good graces." Aubrey giggled as ideas swirled in his head.
"Question, if you had to choose between me and Saint, who would you choose?" Aubrey giggled but this was a serious question.
"You're kidding right?" She blinked, waiting for an answer. " How do you answer that? Is she really making him pick? Saintclair and her were both his friends. Does she still hold resentment towards him? They were always civil toward each other so Aubrey didn't understand what was going on. Aubrey chuckled trying to take it as a joke but when his eyes met with hers she was serious. The difference between his relationships with Zayn and Aaron was one saw him as a nuisance and the other as a true friend. The one between Her and Saintclair's didn't differ. "There is no reason to choose."
"There is and the fact you can't see it is the answer." She left him in the empty classroom thinking about where or not he should have placated her and chose her.
Renee walked out into the parking lot to see if she could spot Zayn before he left. She ran across to where he was just staring at his door handling, startling him in the process.
"What do you want now?"
"I just wanted to say... it's not your fault you have shit friends and it's not your responsibility to look after anyone but yourself. Take care of yourself and if you need someone I'm around." Renee smiled at him but he didn't return it.
"I don't need your help.
"I'm not here to be friends, I'm here if you need a shoulder."She grabbed his hand and pushed a piece of paper into his palm. "Call me anytime I'm always reliable." She was gone as quick as she came. Reliable my ass. Zayn huffed at the tiny piece of notebook paper. He crumbled the thing up and stuffed it in his pocket. He didn't trust anyone from the Chronicles. Yet 2 days later he finds himself taking advice and listening to Renee.
Even as he listens to her he could hardly hear her as the only thing he could think is damn we should fuck. That was completely inappropriate as she was spilling out her feelings to him. He couldn't help but feel like she put herself in that position. If you hate Saintclair so much why would you still stick around him, talk to him and regard him as a friend. Why would she be in a group with Aaron when she absolutely resents him. She seemed so weird to him.
What if he got his revenge through her? It seems cruel but it would cut deep. It kept playing in his brain the play he should do on the Chronicles.
"What if we did it?"
"I'm sorry?" Renee squeaks, almost dropping her phone. Zayn rolls over in his direction, his signature smirk spread across his face. "I'm not sure about that..."
"Wow you're still held up on Saintclair. From what you described it sounds like he treats you like absolute shit. He shouldn't care and you shouldn't care what he thinks. "Renee, if you don't get the hint yet, I don't invite just anyone into my room, it suggests I wanna go further than chatter." The girl felt like her mouth went dry. Bad idea all around. For some reason even getting this close to Zayn felt wrong and she felt guilty. She still had feelings for Saintclair even if it was so long ago, she never moved on. She had no outside experience with nobody else. "What do you say?"
"I feel like I can't do that." he stands up, walking calmly over to the chair where she was seated in and leans down, lips so close she could feel his breath on your ear. She tensed up as one of his hands came to rest high up on your thigh.
"The only thing holding you back is your mind." He kissed down her face and the girl made a small squeak at the contact. "If you don't want to just say the words." She gazed into his eyes which were so close to her. She took a deep breath digesting this idea. She could turn anything around in her favor so this isn't too bad.
"I Um... don't know..." She pushed one of her braids behind her ear. "Yes?"
"Oh my god. I need clear answers Renee. Say the words. We could leave things right here or..." Her mind and thoughts were muddled. "You know the first time I decided to venture out with someone other than Daniela, I felt sorta bad, like I was guilty but it was part of growth. Maybe we can be part of each other's growth." She pushed all doubts in the back of her mind and pulled Zayn in.