A/N - (edit) I just posted a new book! It's called Meme Girl and is going to be just as cool (or cooler) than this one. Take a look!
The doorbell rings, and I look up, surprised. Seth didn't say he was coming. I jog down, wondering why he's come.
Instead of him, I open the door to see someone I was not expecting.
"Nate?"
I take a step back and slam the door shut in fear.
"Open the door." He calls from outside. "I just want to talk, serious."
I lean against the door, trying to calm myself down.
This means Nate saw. He definitely saw. They've realised something's up with Seth.
Oh my god, he's going to kill me. He's actually going to kill me.
They've done something to Seth. Please say they haven't hurt Seth. He's their friend, come on-
"Zerd, please." Nate repeats. "There's something we need to talk about and you know exactly what it is."
I don't reply, sliding down until I'm sitting on the floor, leaning against the door. There's no way in hell I'm opening. I don't even notice that I'm sliding across the parquet floor as the door is slowly pushed open.
I try to close it again as I realise I didn't lock it and it can therefore be opened from outside, but in vain. He stands between the door and the frame, and as much as I hate him, I don't dare try and slam it on him.
"What do you want?" I mutter finally, getting up and trying to stand as tall as possible. It's kind of hard next to him. He's buff and tall and I probably look like an ant to him.
"You've been seeing Seth, haven't you?" He asks.
I reel back. There's no trace of malice or anger in his voice. To be perfectly honest, he sounds curious.
"No, I haven't-"
"Come on, I saw it." He says. "I come here in peace, I swear."
"How come?" I ask.
"Well, I figured if Seth is sneaking around with you then I should at least get to know why." He says, this time a little snappily. "What are you two doing?"
"Nothing, I'm not-"
"Cut the crap." He pushes the door open further, stepping into the entrance and closing it behind him. I gulp. He's now in my territory, yet I still feel threatened. Hell, threatened hardly describes my feelings right now. They're more like mortified.
"Nothing's happening between Seth and I." I say drily. "Except the usual, you know."
"That's not true, come on." His tone softens again. "I'm being serious."
"Well, I'm being serious when I say get the fuck out of my house." I snap. "The fact that you even think I'd see Seth is disgusting. The fact that you're here is probably making your skin crawl, so I suggest you leave right now."
He touches his skin discreetly, but I notice it. I smirk a little. Nate's not exactly smart. Luke's astute, and Seth's intelligent, and they're all socially smart (if you call what they do to me socially smart, anyway) but none of them are actually intellectually smart.
"I swear, you two-"
"I don't even know why you're here." I snap. "Get the fuck out of my house. I may be the Zerd at school, but you are currently trespassing on private property and I can call the police on you."
"Do you honestly think the police give a shit?" He snaps back. "I came here because I want to know what's going on between you and my best friend."
"Why don't you go ask your best buddy, then?" I say sarcastically, feeling my hatred for all of them bubbling up to the surface again. Even for Seth. "He'll throw up if you so much as suggest this to him."
"Seth doesn't have a cousin called Zoe, and you're the only one in the school."
"Excuse me?" I say, pulling a bewildered look. "My name's not Zoe. My name's Zerd." I shoot him a triumphant look as he rolls his eyes. He's obviously not here to apologise for anything. "Now, please, do me a favour and get the fuck out of my house."
"Zoe? Is someone there?" I hear my mum call from the living room.
"No!" I call back quickly. "Get out." I say to Nate. He stands his ground.
"Well, my, Zoe, you didn't say anyone was coming." She squints at Nate. Oh, god. Please don't say anything about Seth. Please don't say anything about Seth. Please don't say anything about Seth. "Is this the boy we were talking about the other day?"
"What boy?" Nate pounces.
"Jean." I think quickly. "He, uh, visited."
"No, no, his name wasn't Jean." My mother continues. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. "Seb, or something like that."
I groan. It's time to go throw myself out of a window.
Nate shoots me a triumphant glare.
"Do come in." My mother continues. "Zoe, you could offer him something to drink."
"I'd like some Coke." Nate says, crossing his arms. My jaw drops. I can't believe this is happening.
"He was just leaving." I hiss, and actually shove Nate.
"Don't touch me." He snarls, flicking my hand off him effortlessly. "I understand you can't keep your filthy hands off Seth, but this is another matter."
"Get out." I repeat. "For the last time, I'm telling you-"
My mum has by now gone back to the living room, obviously assuming we're just bickering friends. If she knew...
"I'm not leaving until you explain what's going on."
"I don't owe you any explanations, Nate." I spit. "So if you want to do the right thing for the first time in your life, just turn around and leave my house this instant."
Surprisingly, he actually obeys.
"This isn't over, Zoe." He hisses.
I catch the door before he can slam it, watching him stomp down and walk off, probably to the basketball court down the road.
On one hand, I'm terrified.
On the other hand, he just called me Zoe.
¬
I pace around my bedroom. Seth's not picking up. It's the third time I've called him with no answer. I drop on my bed with a sigh. Maybe he's busy. Maybe Nate's visited him, too.
My phone starts ringing, and I pounce on it in excitement.
"Seth?"
"Are you okay?"
"Seth, something's happened." I stammer out. Nate left exactly seventeen minutes ago, and I'm still shaking all over.
"What's wrong, Zoe, are you okay? Did Luke or someone-"
"Nate." I gulp. "Nate came to my house."
"Oh my god, are you okay?" He gasps. "Zoe, please, tell me he didn't-"
"He knows about us." I sniff. "He knows about us."
"Shit." Seth says. "But you're okay?"
"Physically, fine." I gulp. "Mentally, rather distressed."
"What did he say?"
"He wanted to know what I'd been doing with you."
"What do you mean?"
"He asked what I'd been doing with Seth."
"No." Seth gasps again. "No, Zoe, oh my-"
"The thing is, I'd convinced him that there was nothing between us- by saying some pretty nasty stuff about you." I smile slightly, but my smile fades as I think of the pure hatred I felt towards Seth when I was talking to Nate. "But then my mother came in, and she said something- God, it's all her fault."
"What did she say?"
"She said something about "some boy", and I tried to tell Nate it was Jean and get him out of my fucking house-"
"Wait, he was in your house?"
"I didn't let him in, but I kind of panicked and didn't lock the door so he was able to open it. I couldn't exactly get him out once he was inside."
Seth sighs.
"Anyway, I tried to tell him my mum was speaking about Jean, but my mum obviously thought he was a friend or boyfriend or whatever and she said that it wasn't Jean she was speaking about, it was Seth." I groan as I tell him.
He groans too, and there's silence.
"I'm sorry, Seth, but I couldn't get him out."
"This isn't your fault, if anyone's, it's mine." He sighs. "This isn't good, Zoe. What else did he say?"
"He told me that "this isn't over"." I tell Seth, then smile slightly. "But it wasn't that bad- He called me Zoe."
"He said "this isn't over"? For fuck's sake, does he think he's in a film or something?"
"This is all pretty cinematographic, Seth." I sigh. "But he called-"
"For fuck's sake."
"Seth, he called me Zoe."
"And?"
"He called me Zoe." I repeat.
"Oh." Seth says suddenly, and there's another long pause. "I guess that's a good sign." I nod to myself. "Listen, Zoe, is it okay if I come over?"
"Yeah." I grin.
"Okay, I'll be there in fifteen." Seth says, and I hear a door close on his side of the phone. "Don't open the door again, just in case he's not gone. I'll text you when I'm outside."
A/N - 31k. Woah. Can't believe it.
Hope you liked this rather interesting chapter.
What do you think will happen next?
The person who guesses the closest will have a dedication in the next chapter.
Thanks for reading!