Song: Scared To Be Lonely by Dua Lipa and Martin Garrix

Chapter Thirty-five: I used to be infatuated with belly dancers

"My first kiss was a duck." 

I was lying on my bed on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Zane showed up unexpectedly just to spend time with me. I would have called him out for it, but I could see the puffy eyes, and could already tell he hadn't had enough sleep. I wanted to know why so bad, and I also wanted to ask what he didn't get to say yesterday, but he was smiling and had said, "How about that thought for a thought?" So I just smiled back and played along.

It was Anastasia who had opened the door for him, and she thought he was here to see her. She smiled so hard I thought her face would fall apart. I was watching with amusement from the stairs as Zane practically pried her off him and walked around her. 

He had said, "This..." He gestured between them. "Can't keep happening."

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't know you made jokes, silly. You're the one who came to see me."

As if on instinct, Zane turned to me. Anastasia trailed his eyes. "You came to see her?"

"Yes." He left her standing there and followed me to my room.

Now back to present, "My first kiss was a duck." My thought for a thought.

He was lying at a good distance beside me. The bed wasn't too big, so we were closer than arm's length. Our heads were at the foot of the bed, our legs resting against the headboard.

He turned his head to mine. "Really?"

"It was more like it attacked me and started biting my mouth of once I got too close."

He laughed.

"Stop it. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone and yet I told you so I don't expect you to be laughing." 

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He muttered between laughs.

"You're still laughing."

"I'll stop. I'll stop."

"Good. Now your turn."

"I used to be infatuated with belly dancers."

What?

I choked and sat up. "Did I hear you right?"

"If you heard 'I used to be infatuated with belly dancers', then you heard right." He continued lying down like what he said made sense.

"Wha- Why? How? When? Huh."

He smiled. "So many questions."

I rolled my eyes and lay back down. "Answer one of them, at least."

"Fine. If I answer the when I think all questions would be answered. It was when I was in middle school. Just part of a bunch of horny bastards."

I cleared my throat.

He didn't even need to turn to me before he said, "Just part of a bunch of aroused rascals."

I raised a brow. "Rascal?"

He shrugged. "You're the one who wanted me to rephrase." He paused. "I just don't get that no cussing and profanities thing. I mean, you say asshole."

"Part of a body."

"You also say dick."

"Also a part of the body."

"What about bitch?"

"Female dog."

He turned to me with a quizzical look. "Really Cherry?"

"Yes. Plus, I don't actually say the word. It makes me feel so vulgar."

"Nothing weird there." He murmured sarcastically.

I punched his arm, and he pretended to wince. "Ouch. Ouch. It's so painful."

"You're a horrible actor. It doesn't even sound believable."

He laughed. "I do my best."

We had drifted into a comfortable silence, and I decided to ask him the two questions I wanted to know the answers to badly. One, what he wanted to say before some angel descended from the sky and landed smack on him. And two, why he looked like he'd been eaten and thrown up by a walrus. Kai's words. Not mine.

"Zane. What is it that-"

My door flung open. "Look at you two being all cosy." A high-pitch forced giggle filled the room.

You really need to start locking your door.

I know, right. I did my best avoiding the parents because they were usually at work and I was at school. Anastasia was inevitable because she was literally down the hall. I haven't seen Aaron. He was still at his magic trick uncle till this evening. Not that I minded him. It was the other members I was running away from.

We turned and saw Skyler standing at the door looking all..... How do I put this lightly? Hmm. Like a striptease performer. No hate to strippers out there. I just don't get why she decided to where a very slim-fitted and very short, black net dress and knee length net socks to my room, in high heels. Was she even comfortable? What was she doing here?

Zane.

I groaned. This was all his fault. I could take Mr. Nicholas Brooks. I could take Mrs. Nicholas Brooks. I could even manage Anastasia Brooks. But Skyler freaking Torres, hell no. I didn't sign up for any of this.

She giggled and rolled over me- her heels literally digging into my bones. Ouch!- to lie in between us. More like on Zane's arm. She rested her head on his chest.

Yuck!

I gagged. And Zane and I stood up at the same time. Zane with more difficulty though. He had to pry a giggling hyena off him.

She shot a confused look his way. "Where are you going?"

"Uh- Cherry is taking me for a drive."

I sent him a shocked look, but he just shrugged and started around the bed to back out of the room. I can't believe he just threw me into the cage of the hyena. Just like that. After everything we've been through. Skyler turned to me with gritted teeth.

Looks like the giggling hyena is now a scowling hyena.

And she looks like she's going to attack. I so wanted to back out of the room like Zane was doing.

It's not like she's going to scratch your eyes off over a boy.

I smiled at her cheekily and waved my hands. "We better be off then. You can sleep or reminisce here if you want, but with the way you're digging your heels into my bed sheet, it would tear, and unless you plan to spend your money on Charity, I suggest you take them off."

I grabbed my purse from my table, backed fully out of the room and shut the door.

Was that safe? You know, to leave her in there?

What could she possibly do?

Your wig and glasses are in there.

She'll probably leave. And even if she searches my room and sees it, I haven't seen her at Tate's, so I doubt she'd be able to piece it together.

What if-

Stop overthinking.

I joined Zane's pace as we descended down the stairs. He smiled at me. "Was that pun intended?"

I returned the smile. "Well duh."

His eyes shone with amusement. "Only you would take an insult and throw it back in the person's face. Only you, Cherry."

I smiled back at him.

"So, do you have a driver's license?" He was handing me his car keys.

I beamed brightly. "You'd really let me ride your car?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

"Well, Zane, Kai, Xander and Leyla said I'd probably dent their precious automobiles."

"In that case..." He started to retract his hand. I snatched the car keys really fast and started running down the stairs.

"No takesies backsies!" I yelled. I only head him yelling. "Child!" Then laughing.

Well, this should be interesting.

***************************

"You're slower than my Grandma." He groaned.

I shot him a quick glare at his supposed insult. "Well, I'll have to meet your Grandma then and teach her the driving rules and regulations. Including the speed limit."

"It says 70 miles per hour not 16."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop being so over dramatic."

"We'd never get to my house at this pace."

"It's because of the traffic."

He pointed at the almost empty road. "There is no traffic. The road is half empty."

"You see half empty. I see half full."

"You're unbearable." He grumbled as he ruffled his hair.

I smiled at him. "But you love me anyways."

He turned to me with his eyes squinted in annoyance. "That's the worst part."

I scoffed. "Harsh."

"You need to stop talking and focus on the road."

That just made me remember that SpongeBob episode where he was taking his driver's license test before they started using bubble cars.

"Focus on the road." I said all robot-like.

I could see form the corner of his eye that he was looking at me weirdly. "Yeah. I just said that."

I ignored him and continued what sounded like a demonic chant. "There is nothing but the road. Focus on the road. There is nothing but the road."

"Uh... Cherry. Are you feeling okay?" He touched my forehead.

"Focus on the road. There is nothing but the road. Focus on the road."

He sighed. "This is going to be a long ride."

I smiled inwardly at how frustrated he was. "There is nothing but the road."

Do you wonder why you're still single?

Nope. I know. It's because I'm freaking annoying.

***********************

"This reminds me of how shocked Belle looked when Beast took her to the library." I commented as I took in the humongous library. "There's only one difference. The Beast is way hotter than you."

He scoffed. "He wishes."

I shook my head. "Nobody does."

He shot me a glare. "You can see it, but you won't just admit how hot I am."

"Mmmhmm." I nodded as I touched his bicep and withdrew my arm. "Scalding hot."

He rolled his eyes and sat on one of the couches. "Would the sarcasm ever end?"

I pretended to think for a while and then I shook my head. "I don't think so."

I laughed at his frustrated face and went to sit beside him.

"Why is this place so big anyway?"

He thought for a while. "Someone that lived with us loved reading."

I creased my eyebrows. "Someone? Like a cousin?"

He seemed uncomfortable. "Something like that."

The mood suddenly changed and he looked all down. I nudged his elbow. "Do you have new books? There's this book I love so much, I just couldn't get the second one."

"I'll check. My mum likes to add to the collection of books he would have liked. What's it called?"

So the someone is a he.

"Well the first one is called Shatter Me, but I'm not so sure about the second. They all end with Me though."

He got up and started searching for it. Soon I joined him. Luckily, the shelves were arranged in alphabetical order of the author's names. There was no Tahereh Mafi book.

I sighed and sat back down. "Pity."

"There should be something else you'd like."

"The only other author I'm head over heels for her books is Sarah J. Maas."

He thought for a while and then snapped his fingers. I lay down on the couch as he disappeared between shelves to find a Sarah J. Maas book I guess.

He came back with a book in his hand. He flipped the pages. I couldn't see the book clearly from where I was. "I actually tried this book once and I think you'd like it."

"What's it called?"

"Throne of Glass." He faced the cover to me.

I raised my brows. "And that's a Sarah J. Maas book?"

He gave me a look of disbelief. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"

My answer was so quick, it almost seemed practiced. "Yes."

He glared at me and walked up to me. "Where am I supposed to sit?"

I shrugged. 

He flung my leg off the couch and plopped down on it. I lifted my legs and put it on him. He pushed it off. I put it back again. "Do you really want to keep doing this? Because let me tell you, I am relentless."

"But your feet stink." He whined. "No they don't." 

He pulled off my sneakers to reveal my white fluffy socks. I wiggled my toes.

"Why do your feet not smell?" He gave me a puzzled look. I replied with an incredulous look. "Uhh... Because I wash them. Don't you?"

"Of course I do."

I ignored his tone. "What is the book about?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out."

********************

I noticed that this chapter is a pre-chapter before what's to come. It doesn't have that much, and except their bonding time there was really not much to it. I may have, kind of disclosed information in it to keep minds guessing. I like it that way ;)

SpongeBob jokes are just things I add because everybody loves SpongeBob, right?

Anyways please vote, comment and share. I love the support so far. Thank you :D