Song: Start Of Something New by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens from the movie; High School Musical

Chapter Thirty-two: Have you been humping the exact replica of a Greek god?

"Hi Zahra."

After we made a quick stop at the nearest store so I could change to Charvi, we came straight for Leyla's house.

She rolled her eyes then smirked when she looked behind me to where Zane was sitting in the parked car. "You took your time."

"Whatever you're thinking, don't think it." I cancelled all her thoughts as she let me in.

I knew Zahra. She was still going to think it.

"How could I not?"

Exactly.

"You could have little self-control."

She smirked. "Impossible."

I rolled my eyes.

"So..." She trailed off, but continued when she saw I had no intention to bring up information. "What are the deets?" I just shrugged then she wiggled her eyebrows. "Have you been humping the exact replica of a Greek god?"

I scoffed. "As if."

"Don't pretend you can't see how hot he is."

That reminded me of the time she said the captain of the football team was hot, and I thought she was talking about Axel. I must have been really dumb not to have noticed Zane before.

"I'm not going to pretend I don't know how hot he is, I'll just unsuspiciously change the topic."

She gave me an incredulous look. "Now that you've mentioned it, it's not going to work."

I smiled and crossed my arms piecing all my thoughts together. I'd had this suspicion for a while based on certain behavioral patterns. "What's going on between you and Kai?"

She seemed shocked, nervous, flustered. And all in all, out of words. It was amusing. That pretty much answered my question. If you added the very blooming color on her cheeks.

I smiled at her loss of words and decided to change the topic. I put one arm around her shoulders and started steering her towards Leyla's room. "So, how is she?"

That seemed to put some words back into her mouth. "She's been crying all day. I made her all her favorite foods, but she hasn't touched one. Her parents aren't home yet, and I don't know what to do. Every time I mention your name, she just becomes worse. She looks horrible."

I couldn't help the guilty feeling in my gut.

You don't have anything to feel guilty for.

I'm not so sure about that, but maybe if I keep telling myself that, I'd believe it. 

I dropped my arm from her shoulder when we got to Leyla's door. I hesitated, but what for? We've been friends for years. 

"I'll just go back to the game room."

"To text Kai?" I offered with a smile.

She rolled her eyes.

"You are so going to tell me all about it tomorrow." I called out to her as she walked away, and opened the door before I changed my mind. Wait, should I have knocked? Nah, I never do.

She didn't even look up when I entered. She was sitting on her couch, just staring at nothing. Well, it's something, but that doesn't matter. Her eyes were red and her face was puffy. Her hair was like a haystack, but what caught me was the blank and lost look in her eyes.

People get really affected when they've been hurt by the ones they love.

True.

"Leyla..." Her eyes flashed up to mine and she forced out the words. "Get out."

I couldn't stand this cold shoulder anymore. "No."

She looked taken aback. "No?"

"No. I have to talk to you." 

"I'm really not in the mood right now, so whatever you have to say, I really don't want to hear it."

"Well, you're gonna because if it were the other way around and I saw something that put you in an incriminating position, I wouldn't believe it until we talked it out. We're supposed to be friends, Leyla. Ever since school started we've not been as close as we were because of a boy. Really? Is that what would put our friendship to a stop? I have made it clear to you countless of times that I didn't like Axel like that. Even if I did, I would put my feelings aside for you. Do you know why? Because I care about you. I'm your friend, Leyla. I'm not the enemy. Why do you keep treating me like I'm one?" I rushed out.

She just stared at me for a while with what looked like remorse before she came up to me and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry, Char. I've just never felt this way for anyone as I feel for Axel." I scoffed. "I wonder why." I wrapped my arms around her.

We released each other and she grabbed my hands. "I owe you way more than an apology. You should be worried about your mum, but you're here because I was being a bad friend. I shouldn't have judged you when I knew you. That was a horrible thing for me to do."

"It really was." I teased.

She rolled her eyes. "I was just hurt. I knew he'd always had feelings for you and I thought I'd be the one to change that. I thought I'd be that girl, but I guess I had my head too stuck in the clouds to remember reality."

"I understand." And I really did. I didn't think I was that girl that would change how he felt about Serena, but I wish I was. Her and him connected on a deeper level, although I don't see them around each other a lot because she doesn't go to our school. But if she did, all his admirers wouldn't bother getting close to him, because when they see her, they'd know they don't stand a chance.

She sat on her couch and put her face in her arms. "How am I supposed to face him tomorrow? Solution. I won't go to school tomorrow."

"You can't just miss school because of a boy." I sat down beside her.

"Well, why not?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Just because." It was then I remembered Zane who was waiting for me in the car. The whole forgiveness thing wasn't as long as I expected, but I'm trying this new thing where I'm considerate and selfless. "Someone's waiting for me downstairs. I better go."

"Who?"

"Zane."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Zane? The Zane Rivers?"

I rolled my eyes. "Stop putting 'The' in front of his name. You only put for important people. Like The Dominic Wintergarden. Or The Shawn Mendes. Or The Francisco Lachowski. Or most importantly, The Dylan O'Brien."

She smiled, "Dylan, I strongly agree." Then she rolled her eyes. "But I don't get your deal with that Francisco guy. He's just a model."

I gasped. "He's not just a model."

"He's The Model?"

"Better." I stood up from the chair. "I better go anyways. Should I tell Zahra to come up?"

"Yeah. And please tell her to bring all the meals she made."

I smiled. "I knew you couldn't last long."

"You're not one to judge. At least I do exercise." She teased.

I snorted. "What a horrible way to spend your morning." I shuddered. "Jogging."

She laughed. "Lazy ass."

She stood up as well. "I'm glad we had this talk."

"Yeah. Me too." 

"But one thing I'm confused about. You left my recent messages on read. What's up with that?"

"Huh. I didn't see any of your messages." I brought out my phone from my pocket to check. "I don't even have any messages from you on my new phone."

"You have a new phone?"

"Yeah. Didn't Zahra tell you?"

"Every time she said your name, I..." She struggled to find the words. "I get it." I nodded to her. Then it clicked. Jaxon was reading my messages. That dick.

"Can I see your phone?"

"Yeah sure." She grabbed it from her bed and handed it to me. "What happened to your old phone?"

"It got stolen." I replied as I opened her messages between us.

"When?"

"On Sunday."

My eyes snapped shut as I read the last message Jaxon replied to. One on Sunday when Leyla asked me to come over. "You told the thief where you live?"

"Give me a break. I thought it was you."

"Why would I ask for where you live? I've been here more times than I can count."

She shrugged. "You said you forgot."

"Aren't you worried the thief would show up here?" I was more worried than I was letting out. Why would Jaxon want to know where Leyla lives?

"Nope. We have top security."

"If you say so. Don't answer messages from that number anymore." I gave her back her phone.

I pocketed mine and was walking out the door when she said. "You should get the Minnie phone case back, it was cute."

I couldn't tell her I didn't have the money to waste on that anymore. "Will do."

I walked out of her room to the game room and told Zahra what Leyla said. She just rolled her eyes and complied. I called out a bye to her as I left.

"Zane..." I cooed. "Remember how many times I've told you I loved you?"

A lot in your head, apparently.

Shut it.

He shook his head. "Nope. You've actually never mentioned it."

"Maybe I should more often."

"You should." He replied.

I opened the car door and entered. "Cherry look-" Once I turned to him, he cut himself off and just stared at me. "Would you stop doing that? It makes me uncomfortable."

He blinked. "Doing what?"

"Looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

I faced forward. "I would refrain from answering your questions now."

He laughed and started the car. "You owe me."

I turned to him with a look of confusion. "For what?"

He shot me an incredulous look. "Everything. I've been following you around like a trusty lap dog for days."

I smiled at his choice of words. "I wouldn't say lap dog."

He rolled his eyes as he pulled out of her driveway. "It's true, isn't it?"

"Almost." I made a pinched gesture with my fingers.

"Wow." He sighed. "This was sure a long day."

"Literally everyday of my life is dreadfully long. Wouldn't you want to sleep your life away?" I joked.

His face scrunched up. "If I sleep too much, I get a headache."

I gasped. "Really? There's no such thing as too much sleep."

"There's a too much to everything, Cherry."

I scrunched up my nose in mock disgust. "Well it seems I've been getting too much Zane these days."

"More like not enough." He teased, but he didn't know how much of the truth he spoke.

I'm usually bold so I don't know why I couldn't just come out and say it.

You're afraid of rejection.

Why wouldn't I be? Remember what happened the last time I admitted to my feelings?

How could I forget?

>>>>>>>>

I've been waiting for this day for what seemed like forever. Okay, exaggeration aside. I bought a yellow sundress for the dinner. He liked the color yellow. I hated it, but he liked it so I'd deal with it. I even bought yellow sandals to go with it. I was looking in the mirror when Shayna barged into my room.

She smiled as she planted herself on my bed. "For someone who just turned 13, you're lovestruck."

I rolled my eyes at her. "You started dating that Tommy guy at 12."

"His name is Tony and we were friends up until recently."

I turned back to the mirror. "I prefer Tommy."

She walked up to me and was looking at me through the mirror. "Calm down. We're just going to see the Browns. We do this at least once a month."

We did. That's why Axel and I were so close. Our dads were best friends. That's why he and I were the perfect match. He just didn't see it yet.

When she noticed I wasn't budging from smoothing the non-existent wrinkles on my dress, she tried a different road. "You look beautiful, Char."

I smiled at her. "When do you ever compliment people other than yourself?"

"When it's absolutely necessary."

I chuckled. "Is Tommy coming over?"

She ignored the name when she noticed I wasn't changing it. "You know Shane hates him."

"It's just a twin thing."

"No, it's not. He's being an overprotective older brother when we're the same age."

"At least, he'd be in college by the time I start having boyfriends."

"Are you guys talking about me again?" We turned to Shane as he walked into my room.

"Yes." We answered at the same time.

"I guess it's a twin thing also, not to knock."

He scoffed. "You don't need privacy. You're 12."

I raised my brows. "I turned 13 last week you doofus. Like how could you possibly forget?"

He shrugged. "You get names wrong I get ages wrong."

I rolled my eyes.

"Kids! Get down here! We should go or we'll be late for dinner." We heard dad yell.

"Coming!" I heard Reveka yell as she passed my open door. She turned to us. "Are you guys coming or what?"

We all filed out and headed for the Browns' house after Mum's warning to behave ourselves. Like I ever misbehave.

Axel opened the door and welcomed us in. He was the only child. Which was fine because the Brooks brought in a full house. I loved my family. And because it was so strong, I was sure nothing could go wrong.

We started off dinner nice and smooth with small talk being passed around. I didn't talk though, because the only person I wanted to talk to was on his phone. Ever since he'd gotten picked in the football tryouts, he'd being hanging around the more popular side of school, but I took it as him just wanting to impress them so I let him be. But not tonight. I was bold and confident and ready to tell him how I felt. 

So after dinner, I went up with him to his room as usual, but this time, he reluctantly let me in.

"Would you at least look at me like you know who I am? You've been acting so distant lately."

He looked up at me and looked back at his phone. Like the foolish young girl I was, I peeked over his shoulder and saw he was talking to Amelia. She was the meanest person in my grade and I didn't like her one bit. 

He turned around and snapped. "Would you go get a life and refrain from pestering me?"

"Pestering you?"

"Yes. You follow me everywhere. It's really annoying and creepy."

"How? We're friends, aren't we?"

"No. I'm just forced to hang out with you because our parents are friends."

Ouch.

"My actual friends call you creepy. They say I should stay away from you."

"And will you listen?"

"Of course I will. They only say what's best for me so I can't be your friend anymore."

<<<<<<<<<

And just like that all my silly feelings shattered when I saw how much of a jerk he was. I swallowed up my confession that day and walked out of his room. I forgave him because I saw it as him being young and immature, but that didn't mean I had to tolerate him getting on my nerves. He seemed to have forgotten about it because in ninth grade, he started talking to me again. At that time, his friends weren't ordering him around anymore, it was the other way around. So he did what he wanted. That made me wonder how he could look me in the eye and tell me he loves me. He's probably delusional.

By the time he had started talking to me again, I didn't need him anymore. I already had Kai, Zahra, Xander and Leyla. After my dad left, we pretty much ceased the dinners with the Browns. There was no bind holding us together. There was no friendship with our dads, and definitely no friendship with me and Axel.

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

How was that?

I wasn't exactly sure whether I should add the flashback, but then I thought it necessary. I hope you liked it.

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