A/N: This chapter is going to be a little longer as well. I tried to add too much stuff to it I guess, sorry!
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Zach's POV:
"so, as I assume you know since you're Brian's friend, my son has a birthday soon," Rosa says.
'Of course' I would know since we're 'friends' and all.
"and I assume you know he's gonna have a birthday party, and I'd like to have him a special birthday cake since he's turning 18!"
"F-fun" I mumble.
Fun? Really?
"mom, I already told you I don't want any cake though..." Brian glares at his mom.
"Nah-ah! What Rosa wants, Rosa gets! And if I said I want to buy you a birthday cake, you'll have a decorated birthday cake if you'd like it or not!"
I smile at her. Brian gives me an evil look.
"Umm so... what do you like?" I ask him.
"what do I like?" Brian askes confused.
"A-as in flavors... C-colors... for the cake, Y-you know...?'
I stutter. Every time I'm near him or any of my bullies I start stuttering. I can't help it. I used to stutter as a little kid till I started the first grade, and that's about it, but ever since I've started high school and started getting bullied, it seems to come back again.
"Um... chocolate, I guess?" He signs.
"C-Cool... our chocolate fudge cake is a big hit"
Just like the one he gave me earlier...
"sure..."
"Oh, I know!!" Rosa suddenly interrupts.
"how about you make one of those numbers cakes!! I see them all of the time on my Facebook feed, they must be so popular right now!"
"yes, yes they are actually"
I smile. His mom seems so nice. I wonder how such a terrible kid came out from a woman as sweet as her.
"so, it needs to be ready for this Friday, please! We'll come to pick it up at 4 PM!" Rosa says.
"Oh, nonsense! Zach could bring it to the party itself since it's his friend after all!" my mom says without even blinking.
"that would be amazing! Thank you so much for such a kind service!"
"for my son's friends, I'll give my best service and then some!" my mom says cheerfully.
I can't believe I'm going to make my bully a cake.
I can't believe I'm going to deliver him the cake personally.
What a joke. My mom can be so annoying sometimes.
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I woke up way too early, but that is because I need to refill the air of my bike tires.
I hate them so much. Why would they even do it?
I didn't even do anything to them, ever.
As I was riding to school after I finished refilling my tires at the gas station (which with all my love for the smell of gasoline, is a bit too early in the morning for that smell) I notice a shiny red car driving next to me.
Olivia.
"good morning Zach! You went to school a bit early than usual, what happened?" she asks through the rolled-down window.
"the bunch of idiots deflated my tires yesterday Olivia! Can you believe this? I had to wake up at 5:30 this morning just so I could have enough time to refill the air!" I told her.
"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry! Maybe if I wasn't skipping biology yesterday it wouldn't happen!" she answered.
"it's ok Liv, just drive off, I'll see you at school in a couple of minutes" and with that being said, Liv pushed the gas paddle and drove off to school.
As I reached school, I tied my bike and entered the building. I was heading to my locker, to grab my math books.
If there's one thing that is worse than early mornings, it's early mornings that have math as the first period. I'm so not gonna survive this day...
As I'm grabbing my books, I noticed a certain smell. Brian's cologne.
There's no way I'll ever say it out loud but man, does he smell good.
I mean, if we were friends and you know, he wasn't my damn bully, I might even ask him from where he bought it and might get one myself.
"Yo, dumbass," he says while slamming my locker shut.
"good morning to you too, Brian" I look at him
I got to admit, at first, I was so scared of my bullies, but after years of being tortured by them, sometimes I don't even mind coming off as a smart ass when I talk to them.
"you better keep my little visit at your stupid bakery yesterday to yourself, understood?" he says aggressively.
"and not sharing with the entire school how your favorite cupcake if our rainbow unicorn one, with an extra glitter on top? Damn it." I smirk.
"do you think this is some kind of a joke?" he grabs the collar of my shirt.
"I-I don't see anyone laughing, so I guess not" I shove his hand away.
"Whatever, see you after school, Zach" he smirks at me as he starts to walk away to his class.
Fuck me.
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"so, I know I skipped biology yesterday, and you said your bike has been deflated, and I was thinking maybe I could repay you somehow, how about milkshakes at the diner after school? My treat!" Olivia said as she arrived at our table.
"it's ok Liv, it's not like they wouldn't do it even if you were near me, they'd hit me anyway"
"and I would be screaming at their ears so loud and scratching them so hard they would bleed to death, so I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you!" she rambles.
I laugh. This is why she's my best friend. She has more balls than all the guys at school and she won't hesitate to start a fight if needed.
Not that I'll ever let her. Ever.
"it's ok. really. And I can't though, we have a special cake order due to this Friday, and I must start working on it since I only have two days left to finish it up. But maybe next week you could repay me with a milkshake."
"ok, ok. At least let me give you a ride back to the bakery after school."
"and what about my bike? I can't leave them here, they'll probably get deflated again, and there's no way I'm waking up at 5:30 again tomorrow!"
"look, we'll hook them up at the back of my car, I'll drive slowly so they won't fall, hopefully, and I'll drop you both at the bakery!"
"fine... I guess... but if anything happens to them, you'll get me a new pair of bikes! And I'm not joking! That Brian bitch smashed my phone yesterday and I already spent all my saving last time I got it fixed, I can't afford a new pair of bikes!"
"sure, I'll just tell Daddy. Are you sure you don't want me to get your phone fixed for you? My dad wouldn't mind, it costs about the lunch tip he leaves every day at Pablo's Pizzeria..."
"no Olivia. I can't ask him for this, not again."
"of course you can, you know you're like the son he always wanted to have..."
"don't start it Liv"
"I'm just saying, instead of spending all your paycheck every month since your phone gets smashed every week, learn to accept my dad's love for you." She says.
"Ew, that sounds gross!"
"ZACHARY! I didn't mean it like that!!!"
I start to laugh.
"Anyway, don't pretend like you're not into guys anyway..." she teases.
"OLIVIA!!!" now it's my turn to get pissed.
"OK, ok, let's call it even and stop here. I'll meet you after P.E"
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I try to shower as fast as I can after P.E,
No time to waste.
The football players just train regularly as their P.E period, but they usually like to spend a little more time on the field outside.
So, when they'll come back to the showers, I won't be here anymore.
I mean, it's hard for me anyway, quite literally, to be in a room full of naked boys, who most of them take a part in some school sports club and looking like some Greek god.
And then there's me.
A skinny, pale, gay loser.
I can't even lift my spirit, so to lift weights?
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"Zach! Over here!" Olivia waves her hands.
"Hey, ready to roll?"
"yep, I already hooked your bikes, I asked a favor from Thomas and he was more than happy to help"
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When I arrive at the bakery, I spent no time and start to bake the cake, while I let it bake in the oven, I start to make the stencil for the numbers. A 1 and an 8, as Rosa wanted.
As I keep on working, my mom enters the kitchen.
"so, about your friend's birthday party..."
"what about it?"
"I hope you didn't forget to buy him a gift. You know there's no such thing as to come in empty hand!"
"a gift?! Mom, he's already getting a discount for his cake, he doesn't need a gift, we're teenagers, we don't care about gifts anymore, just about money, and I'm giving him money as the discount he gets for the cake!" I said, pissed.
"oh Zachary this is nonsense, just get him a gift! What kind of friend you are?"
Oh, mom. If only you knew.
"let's just go to the mall tomorrow after school, I'll help you to pick out a nice gift," my mom says.
"it's ok mom, just leave me some money, I'll go with Olivia, I swear I'll pick him something nice".
What can you even get for your bully? A book about manners maybe? Maybe a punching bag that could replace me? Yeah, that sounds nice.
I didn't get him a punching bag though. I got him an astronomy book. I remember how he liked astronomy so much when he was younger and nicer, I mean, he was like, 11? But hey, I don't care if that love of his has faded away together with his kindness.
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As I'm adding the final touches of the cake, I'm looking at the clock on the oven, it's 3:30 PM. I should probably get going into that dumbass house.
I tie the cake box to the basket of my bike (yes, my bike has a basket), attaching the gift bag to the handlebar, and start to ride slowly.
After I reach his house and park my bike next to his fence, I walk to the door and knock twice. I'm just praying that Rosa will open the door. I can't deal with him right now.
But of course, he opened the door. It's his party after all. His parents probably aren't even at the house. His smile drops as soon as he sees me.
"H-hey... I-I brought the C-cake..." I say quietly.
"Whatever," he says as he takes it from my hands and walks away to put it in the kitchen.
"anything else? I thought my mom has already paid you when she first made the order" he says aggressively.
"U-Um... I... I got you this... M-my mom said I should buy you a gift for your B-birthday..." I stutter.
"A gift?" he sounds surprised.
"H-Happy birthday, Brian," I tell him as he's looking at the book.
I start to walk back to my bike.
"Wait!" he calls
I turn back at him.
"do you... do you want to come inside maybe?" he asks.
"Uh... It's ok. I wasn't invited, and besides, I have a lot of homework to do till Monday..." I smile at him as I'm climbing back to my bike.
That was a lie though. I didn't have any homework left, I finished them all even before I started to bake his cake.
But it's not like I was gonna get inside.
Why would I want to party with my bullies? That sounds absolutely terrible.
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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I hope I could update again next week, maybe at the weekend.
Don't forget to vote and comment, share your thoughts with me!
xoxo