Syokau_ sent me the cover, don't know who designed it
We were all panting and coach looked too happy to see us with our tongues hanging out. Our final game is in three days and we have been practicing our asses off.
‘That was a close one tigers’. Coach said
‘Close one? We can barely feel our lungs’. Pokello flared.
‘If you feel your lungs Poks then you have more issues than I thought’.
Most of the girls laughed as Pokello glared at coach’s back.
‘We have to win this and definitely not because I made a bet with the other coaches. Practice at all times, I mean it and for those of you who haven’t, you still have enough time to get some, you know. I heard it helps relaxes….’
‘Ehm coach, I don’t think that is very appropriate for you to say’. I stepped in before he cost himself his job.
‘Whatever. It’s not like you don’t hear it every day in biology, God knows that teacher of yours is a pervert’.
Pokello opened her mouth to say something but shut it immediately as we began filing out of the changing room.
The practice had lasted an hour longer so it had to be a little past 5pm and I was supposed to be on a date with Travis. I hit the showers and was putting on my regular clothes when a message came into my phone. Rereading it was torture but I couldn’t stop even as it made my pulse rise and not in a good way.
‘Are you okay?’ Pokello asked as we stepped into the hallways.
‘You will not believe it’.
‘I’m sure I will’.
‘Your brother is a selfish ape who will rather bath his dog than go out with his girlfriend. Who gives a fuck if the Dane stinks for a day longer?’
I couldn’t wrap my head around it; Travis actually cancelled on me to spend time with his dog.
‘Well, I do. That dog stinks you won’t believe it but I will feed Trevor 30mils of honey I promise. How dare the asshole?’
I knew she was going to do it and I was too angry to call her off.
‘You’ve heard from Katie?’ I asked.
‘She’s at the movies with Daniel’. She replied with a huge grin.
Who’s the man? Danny’s the man.
‘And Queenie?’
‘Majestically third wheeling. It’s the only way Katie agreed to go’.
I couldn’t help but groan. What’s her problem?
‘Queen just sent me a pic’. She handed me her phone. Queenie was sandwiched between Kate and Daniel and had her I-give-up look, Katie appeared to be engrossed in the movie while Dan was smiling weakly. Poor dude.
‘Eh... It’s not that bad. Baby steps’. Kello said and I raised a brow at her.
‘Okay, Katie sucks’. She confessed.
‘When is Newt picking you up?’ I asked as we walked to the parking lot but he was already there, leaned against his car.
‘Meghan’. He cheered, tossing me a free smile.
‘Don’t smile at me dude, I’m still mad’.
He chuckled.
‘I know but there’s nothing to worry about’.
‘Then let me tell my mom’.
‘No, that will only make her unnecessarily worried’.
‘Unnecessarily?’ I scolded and he sighed in frustration, looking to Kello for help.
‘You going home from here?’ Pokello questioned in a flimsy attempt to divert my attention but I humor her.
‘Well, my boyfriend dumped me for a dog so yeah, might as well take my undesirable ass home’.
‘Your competition was a dog, you obviously didn’t stand a chance. Don’t beat yourself up’. I rolled my eyes at the familiarity of the voice.
‘Shouldn’t you be home, Zayn?’ I said as I turned to face him. I couldn’t miss the warning look Kello cast him as she and Newt got into his car. He watched them drive away before speaking.
‘I should but I had to stay back for a few hits’. I was now aware of Jake sitting atop Zayn’s car at least six cars away. Why there were still so many cars here baffled me. I glared at him and he smiled nervously before waving.
‘Is there a reason you are here right now?’ I realized how harsh I sounded but he didn’t seem fazed.
‘Do you like hate the entire male population now coz your boyfriend left you for a cat?’ The amusement in his eyes begged to be slapped off.
‘Dog and can you not make it your duty to taunt me?’
‘Fine. I was thinking we take this friendship of ours to the next level’.
‘Oh really? What’s this next level? Friends with benefits?
‘I was thinking ice-cream buddies but yeah, that sounds better’.
‘Ice-cream buddies. What are we? Twelve?’
‘I knew you’d love the idea, let’s go’. He grabbed my arm and began pulling me to his car.
‘Are you insane? I’m not doing that sixth grade shit with you and your douche friend’. I whined but he just dragged me on.
‘What about my car?’
‘We can come back for it’. He casually stated.
‘I’m not leaving my baby out here for the world to devour’. He groaned and muttered something about not knowing girls to be attached to their cars.
‘Fine. Hand Jake the keys and he can ride it there but you are riding with me’.
I tossed the keys to Jake and got into the car as Zayn held the door open with a triumphant grin amplifying his handsome features. Why the hell am I even agreeing to these?
‘I fucking feel like I’m being kidnapped’. I said as he got in.
‘Don’t worry. I’m sure Pokello will behead me in my shower if anything happens to you’.
He pressed play on the CD player as he pulled out of the lot and Omarion’s Distance rang out.
‘Really, Zayn. Really?’
‘What? It’s a great song, nice lyrics’. He glanced at me and bursted out laughing.
‘You look like a puppy… with angry brows’.
‘Don’t make me kill us both’. I warned.
Jake was already at the café when we got there, standing at least five feet away from my car like his clothes will ruin the paint job. I gave him a plastic smile and grabbed my keys from his hand. He ordered a scoop of all the flavors he could name while Zayn got plain vanilla.
Sitting next to my peanut butter and chocolate goodness and Jake’s bowl of everything, Zayn’s bowl looked lonely so I scooped some from Jake’s onto his and lent him some of my rainbow toppings, it was the best I could do.
Hanging with them was kind of fun, definitely better than moping in my room over my anthropopathic boyfriend. If Zayn could hear my thoughts now, he’d make a snarky comment about advanced English.
‘I need to get home, you guys ready to leave? I don’t have a ride’. Jake said. He had eased up a bit after he managed to convince himself that I wasn’t going to melt his balls.
‘No. you can always run’. Zayn spoke up, smirking at his friend.
‘Take Zayn’s car, I’ll give him a ride home. You can drive him to school tomorrow’.
‘What?!’ Zayn exclaimed but Jake had already grabbed the keys from the table and was on his way out.
‘Get your fucking car out of the garage, dickhead’. He yelled at Jake who was now swaying his hips almost as good as Queenie does.
They were at least six kids around but it didn’t stop him from throwing out profanities so I didn’t let it bother me.
‘Can you calm down? It’s just a car’.
‘So you can love your car and I can’t love mine?’ He shot back and I raised my hands.
‘Let’s go, I’m driving’. He stated and got up.
‘You couldn’t have said that before he left?’
‘We are not going home’.
‘Is that so? What other sixth grade activity will you have us do?’
We were at the cemetery at 6:55 though this section was almost tomb free. I looked to the boy beside me but his empty eyes were fixed on the tombstone before us.
‘Why was she buried in your family’s land?’ I finally grew the balls to ask.
‘She didn’t have anyone else and she was family. Mom said she’ll be comfortable here but it feels lonely’. His voice was steely and I refused to read any meaning to his statement.
‘How often do you come here?’
‘This is my second time’.
‘Since her funeral?’
‘I wasn’t at her funeral’. I was surprised that the news didn’t surprise me.
‘I came after everyone left but it felt wrong so I left’. He sounded foreign, like the Zayn I have encountered just once.
‘Is that why I’m here?’ He nodded.
‘I was afraid I’d run away if I came alone and I can’t keep doing that’. His eyes screw shut and his jaw tensed. I wanted to hold his fisted hand but this was private for him, being here was intrusion enough.
‘She doesn’t blame you’. I found myself saying and he let out a low breath.
‘I don’t either’. I added
When he looked at me, my heart reached out to him. He looked vulnerable in a way I never want to feel but he blinked and the moment was gone.
‘Okay missy, take me home’.
‘Ew’. I said and heard him chuckle as he walked behind me.
When I dropped him off, he ordered me to go immediately before his mom saw me, then it’d become a family gossip and wedding bells would be ringing regardless of our age.
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I really hope you guys know you are one of the reasons I write, all of you.
So, a lot of people tend to confuse this book for a fanfic coz of our precious Zaynie's name so I was thinking about changing it... Not immediately, maybe after the book is completed but please, suggestions??