Song: A Whole New World by Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott from the movie; Aladdin

Chapter Thirty-three: I wish I had Mountain Ash for morons

"A thought for a thought."

My head snapped towards Zane who had just parked in front of Dad's house.

"What?"

He turned fully to me. "You always look like your thoughts are going a thousand miles per hour and I want to know one of them, in exchange for one of mine."

I smiled. "I honestly don't know what to tell you."

"Choose the one you haven't told anyone before."

"You literally know my biggest secret."

"Another one."

I looked around contemplating what to tell him.

"Uh..." I don't think he'd like to hear I used to like Axel. It wasn't his business so he probably wouldn't even care. "I'm empty."

He laughed. "Was that a thought?"

"Nope. Now yours."

"I won't give you any until you tell me one."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Later, when I've thought of one."

"That's the spirit."

"Now I have to go face my step sister and her mother." I opened the car door.

"You're really rocking the whole Cinderella thing, aren't you?" He teased.

I laughed remembering my recent conversation with Veka about that. "Nah... That's Reveka's thing. I'm the fairy godmother."

He smiled. "She said that, didn't she?"

I nodded, smiling at how well they get along. I was about to shut the car door when I remembered a question I wanted to ask him.

"I don't mean to pry, but the whole Wren thing, what did you guys talk about?"

"He thought I was the one you were in love with."

I had a feeling.

"And what did you tell him?"

"The truth. That you're in love with some other guy that wasn't me."

That's really far from the truth.

"I see."

"Now, I don't mean to pry, but is this guy Xander?"

"What? Why would you even ask that?"

He shrugged. "I just noticed that you guys are really close and get along so well."

"So? We're best friends."

"I see. So, not meaning to pry again, who is it?"

I gave him a knowing smile, knowing he didn't know what I knew. It was more of a sad smile, but I doubt he noticed. "You don't want to know."

I closed the door before he would 'not mean to pry' again and force it out of me. I waved at him through the window, before I walked down the path and into the house.

It wasn't too late, so they were all still probably up. I heard chatter from the dining room, so they were probably eating. I rushed up to my room to drop my things before joining them. Wouldn't want anyone seeing my red wig, would I?

"Good evening." I greeted as I sat beside Reveka. They all sent greetings back, except Anastasia who was mastering the art of eating and texting.

"How'd you spend your day?" I asked Reveka as I took a bite out of the Tater Tots I served on my plate.

"Went to the movies with Sam."

"Sam this... Sam that." I teased.

"Xander this... Xander that." She mocked back.

"Oh please. I don't spend half as much time with Xander as you do with Sam."

"Not anymore because of Bruny, but before you two were joined by the hip, they'd think you were siblings."

"That close?"

"Well, he was your first friend when you stopped hanging out with Axel."

"You got a point there. But still, you're not telling me about your life anymore."

She snorted. "Why would I do that? I have friends for a reason."

"Ouch."

"It's not like you tell me about your dates with Zane."

I was about to object, but a certain gossip decided to stick her perfectly shaped nose into my business. "You're dating Zane? Skyler has got to hear about this."

I rolled my eyes at her, before going back to my meal. Explaining this to her would be like trying to squeeze water, pointless.

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

The next day went pretty smooth. Zane carried my bags and books again. It made me feel better seeing him avoiding Skyler even though he was probably just regretting cheating on Serena with her, seeing as he has slept with her and a lot others from people's informative lunchtime gossips. And yet, I didn't recognize his name.

Leyla came to school and we were all hanging like we used to. I didn't miss the more than friendly interaction between Kai and Zahra when they thought they'd been hiding it well. Leyla and Xander seemed oblivious to it though. So I didn't say anything about it. I guessed that Kai hadn't come around to asking her yet so he wasn't ready to bring it up.

Axel came to talk to her during lunch. If I were her, I would have ignored him, but I wasn't her and she wasn't me, so she agreed and followed him out. She didn't return although I still caught glimpses of her around school, so I knew she hadn't left. I wanted to ask her about what Axel had told her, but she didn't seem to be affected, so I was in no rush.

On the other hand, anytime I saw Axel was getting within 5 feet, I would go far away. I guess he got the memo, and instead of trying to force me to hear him out, he decided to give me some time. Smart choice for the both of us. I wasn't ready to lash out. And nobody, even Axel, was ready to be lashed out on.

Xander dropped Reveka at the ballet studio, and the both of us ended up spending time at that restaurant we went to before until her class was over. She was going to spend the rest of her day with Sam and Chloe and Ella, so I spent mine catching up on Netflix original shows on my bed. Even though I missed Zane and wanted to be with him, I was having a great time just watching the charisma of Joey, Chandler and their friends. I was yet to pick my favorite, but Xander had his mind set on Joey. I was listening to Phoebe talk stupid when I heard giggling in front of my door.

I paused it, stood up and was about to open it because the sound was annoying, when it was swung open and revealed Skyler and Anastasia.

I groaned. I missed home. I mean, can't a girl get some peace these days? It was only the 3rd day, and I'm already being trampled.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Is it too much to ask to be left alone?"

She didn't seem to hear me because she let herself in. Sometimes I wish I had Mountain Ash for morons.

Thinking about Teen Wolf again?

More like Stiles. But you know me, I can't help it.

She began ranting about how Zane moves on so fast and she could remember the days where he promised to have her name tattooed on his arm.

I knew she was lying. If someone were to cheat, they definitely wouldn't tattoo their bodies with the name of the person they're cheating with. She was saying this either to spite me or make me jealous, but it only got me frustrated.

"So?" I snapped.

"I'm letting you know so you won't be heartbroken when he leaves you for the next girl."

I rolled my eyes. "We're just friends."

Anastasia supported. "That's how it always starts. So don't come crying to us when he does it."

I scrunched my face up with contempt. "I won't come to you for anything, talk less of comfort. Now that you're done with what you came here for there's the door."

And that was the last I spoke to them before they walked out. Luckily.

I couldn't help thinking of what Zane was doing. He was probably with Wren. Or maybe Serena. And as I continued the show, my mind was set on just that.

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

"So Cherry... What are you doing this night?"

It was already Friday, and Zane was trying to get me to go to a party. He said it wasn't a rager although people will still consume alcohol and it'd be wild. I don't see how that was much persuasion. I would love to spend my Friday with him, even though he'd be with his friends, but I wouldn't love to be hungover on Saturday because someone slipped something into my drink. Plus, my mum would just send me away because I was crying of pain in a corner.

I remembered one of those times where Xander persuaded me to go with him. I was sitting with him and a group of jocks drinking coke. One of them must have put something in it. I couldn't really remember anything, but the next day I had a serious case of 'I feel like I'm dying'.

More like a serious case of 'I feel like I was kicked in the head by a horse'.

"You've said that like 5 times already, and every time you repeat it like you didn't before, I give you a normal answer. Now take me home so you can go meet your girlfriend." I gritted out.

"What?" He stopped in his tracks.

I stopped and turned to look at him. He had confusion written all over his face.

"Remember the first time I told you this at the ball and you feigned confusion, I said don't play games with me." I paused. "Well, don't play games with me."

His eyebrows creased. "So you think Skyler's my girlfriend? Did she tell you that?"

I raised my own eyebrows in return. "You have two girlfriends? You are quite the player Zane." I scoffed before I turned around to walk away.

He grabbed my arm and although the touch wasn't meant to be sweet, it sure felt good, but all I did was glare at it. "What is it with you and grabbing my arm?"

He released it. "What is it with you and walking away from me?"

I scoffed. "I'm sorry I didn't want to listen to how you manage to juggle two girls. Is it one on weekdays and one on weekends?"

That was low.

I know. And I regretted it when I said it. The look on his face was adding to the guilt.

"That was hurtful."

"I know. And I'm sorry." I muttered.

"I do not have one girlfriend, so I definitely don't have two."

My eyebrows creased. "You don't? Serena is not your namorada?"

It looked like something clicked in his head. "I should have known you were talking about Serena since you said it in Portuguese. But what gave you that impression?"

I gave him a 'duh' look. "Serena said she was your namorada."

"Are you sure? You probably misinterpreted what she said. Was she speaking in full blown Portuguese? Because she makes that mistake a lot."

I felt offended for some reason. "No. She was speaking in English and she came to me to tell me."

"Why would she do that?"

I shrugged. "It's probably one of those 'I'm in love with my best friend and he doesn't feel the same way, so let me throw off all the girls in my way' situations."

He arched a brow. "Girls in her way?"

I looked down because I just insinuated that Zane and I had something going on. I hoped I wasn't blushing. "You know what I mean."

"I don't, but seeing how you're uncomfortable, I'll let it slide. Just this one time. And your whole situation is wrong. Serena is not my best friend, she's more like a sister."

That explanation made me feel great. He saw her as a sister, not more.

And not less.

Who cares? That means he's not a cheater and I finally have a chance, right?

Wrong. Him not being taken doesn't change how he feels about you.

My inner squealing ceased at the truth behind those words. It turned to inner crying. My life sucks.

Stop crying over him, or you'll run out of tear ducts.

I'm not actually crying. I just feel like the glue I used to hold my heart together after the first time I realized I felt this way, is only temporary. Sometimes I wish I was a kid again. Bruised knees are way easier to fix than broken hearts.

"You're still postponing our thought for a thought?"

I turned to where Zane was standing. I had blanked out again. In the middle of the parking lot.

"No." I began walking again. "I'm waiting for you to man up and share first."

"So... We're never going to do this?"

I laughed. "You'll change your mind. You'll see."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah right." He scoffed.

"Now let's hurry up before Reveka decides to-"

I never got to hear what Reveka would decide to do because just then we heard her shout from the car. "Bruny!!!!!!"

I just laughed as he groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

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