CHAPTER TWO:

AFTER SCHOOL FUN

IT WAS BARELY THE FIRST MONTH of classes and Rin already was stressed out from schoolwork and douchebags– more specifically, Bryce Walker. Rin knew that he would become a stereotypical frat boy who played sports in college on scholarship as well as hit on any breathing girl.

When she got out of her last class of the day, there he was, hovering over a nervous freshman. The poor girl didn't know what she was in for as she stuttered out replies to his flirtatious questions.

"Get lost," Rin told the girl as she approached the duo and she rushed off, glancing back worried.

"Don't do that, Bryce!" Rin hit the blond jock with her school textbook. "That's a freshman aren't you like twenty years old?"

"Damn, Rin. Why you bein' such a bitch?" Bryce teased, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"You don't have to be a prick all the time, Bryce." Rin snapped, shoving the huge jock away from her with a frown.

"Hands off, Bryce." Rin turned to see Zach with a warning stare sent to the blond male before he pulled her towards himself.

"Yeah, whatever." Bryce rolled his eyes, "you both are such downers."

"Whatever Bryce," Rin told him airily, pulling Zach by the arms away from his friend and out of the school. The two walked silently for a moment, reveling in each others company after an exhausting school day.

"Yo!" A body slammed into the two and a puff of air flew from the young girls lips as she stumbled at the sudden force. She turned to glare at Justin Foley who joined them, a grin sent to both. "What are we doing tonight?"

"Nothing," Rin told him with narrowed eyes as she clutched her textbook to her chest. "I know that we all have a test tomorrow–"

"Chill, Rin." Justin soothed, "it's only a placement test to see where we are in math."

"Exactly!" The dark haired girl flailed her arms up in the air, frustrated at the jock with no brain. The trio weaved their way through the crowds of students until they were in the parking lot.

"Shotgun!" Justin called out but Rin raced ahead of the two boys until she got to Zach's expensive vehicle.

Rin hopped into Zach's grey open-back convertible without opening the door, sliding into the passenger seat perfectly.

"Watch it!" Zach practically shrieked, afraid she was going to dirty his precious car.

"But I called shotgun," Justin whined but Rin smirked and flipped him off, sliding her sunglasses on. She dropped her open backpack to the ground with her textbook, phone in hand.

"Deal with it," she replied sassily, watching him grumble and get into the backseat. Zach revved the engine and Rin knew it was a boy thing to show off their fancy cars and loud engines. While slowly exiting the school grounds, Justin forced the car to a halt in front of Clay Jensen with a brunette haired girl.

"Ride home?" Justin asked the new girl and Rin maneuvered her sunglasses down her nose to watch the interaction. Why was he offering the newbie a ride?

"Thanks but no, my chariot awaits." She replied with a smile and Rin smiled back. "Bye Clay, see you Justin."

She walked away from the car and towards the school bus.

"You guys go," Justin finally said and Rin whirled around in her seat to watch the tattooed jock get out. Clay awkwardly stood beside the car, watching the interaction.

"Whoa! No way, the bus?" Zach called out to his best friend, Rin also stared in amazement. Who knew that Justin Foley would voluntarily go on a bus?

"Yo! Bus with hot girl or car with idiots?" He turned to Rin, "sorry Rin." He apologised to her with a sheepish smile, and she rolled her eyes in response.

"Whatever you do, Foley," Rin called out as he rushed off. "Don't screw this up!"

The two had a special friendship that no one could beat besides Zach. Even though Zach and Bryce were on the same team as Justin, Justin was the one who put in more effort than the others. So, every morning he would get to school early and practice. Most mornings he would run laps with Rin.

"He's crazy." Zach said with some tone of finality.

"He's crazy for a girl he barely met." Rin told him and he sighed, putting his car back into gear. The young girl turned to her right noticing the awkward boy still standing there.

"Clay?" Rin called out and he turned to her after he watched Justin hop onto the bus.

"H-Hey, Rin." Clay stumbled through his words, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Don't let Justin get to her, he'll ruin her."

The car jolted away and Rin watched Clay disappear into a small dot through the side mirror.

"Are we going to mine or yours?" Zach asked her loudly over the wind that whipped her hair around.

"Mine," Rin yelled back. "My parents aren't home yet."

Zach nodded, shifting his car into a different gear as the car sped up. A hand was placed on her thigh and Rin's body heated up at his touch. She looked down at her lap with a blush as Zach gave her thigh a small squeeze. She giggled, placing her hand over his own and turned to watch the scenery fly past.

They finally made it to her house, Rin's eyes slowly closing from the long day.

"Hey," Zach whispered softly, shaking her leg softly. "We're here."

With a groan Rin sat up, rubbing the tired from her eyes. "Finally," she joked but she knew that Zach's fast driving got them to her house faster than she expected. Despite being rich, she lived on the base of the town's mountain which was more than thirty minutes away from school– the closest place was either Zach's or Bryce's home.

The car door opened and Zach stepped out, backpack flung onto his back. Rin watched him walked to her side of the car, opening the door for her.

"M'lady." He held out his hand, offering her a way out.

Rin rolled her eyes at the corny action but stepped out and reached for his hand. A huff of air escaped her lips as he pulled her quickly from the car and into his chest.

"Zach!" Rin complained but her complaint died as she looked up. Zach's face was close to hers, his nose almost touching her own. His dark eyes darted between her eyes and her pink, parted lips and she felt her mouth go dry at the desire in his eyes.

She desperately wanted to lean forward and kiss him but she didn't. She pulled away from the tall boy, clearing her throat as she dug her keys out from her backpack. She didn't notice how he hunched his shoulders with his hands in his pockets, frown in place, as she turned away.

She just didn't want to ruin things with her best friend.

º º º

besides zach who do you want her best friend to be?