Song: Imagination by Shawn Mendes

Chapter Thirty-six: A chameleon that looks like Randall Boggs

"You guys know Wren, right?"

"Yup." They chorused.

I sighed. "Good, because I'm tired of introductions."

"You didn't ask if he knew us."

I groaned. "Just introduce yourselves."

After that, we were talking for a while and I was enjoying my pack of grapes when I heard annoying voices. Next thing I knew, Hannah had plopped down between me and Xander. And Skyler between me and Zane. Amelia was at the edge beside Kai, and Anastasia was in between Zane and Wren.

"You caused this." I grumbled to Zane, although I was pretty sure they could all hear me, but I didn't really care.

"What do you want?"

"Us?" Hannah asked. "Don't mind us. I came for Xandy boo."

He groaned. "I thought we had an agreement yesterday."

She turned to him smiling, "I know. You said that Charity didn't have you under any stupid spell."

"So?"

"So... That means you want me." 

I snorted. "That is so not what that means."

She just scowled at me before turning back to Xander. I turned to my right where Skyler and Anastasia were trying to snuggle up to Zane as he pushed their heads back.

I was getting irritated now. I stood up and grabbed him from behind yanking him off the chair. I dragged him to the other side of the table and sat him down beside me, as I sat beside Leyla.

"What are you doing?" Skyler scowled. I just ignored her as I reached over the table and dragged Zane and I's lunch to our new seats.

"Who do you think you are?"

I stared her down. "Zane's girlfriend."

"Feisty." Zane muttered close to my ear.

"So you're the one spreading all those stupid rumors in school. Pathetic! I honestly didn't think you'd continue what I started." Anastasia shot out.

I think the light bulb in her head was switched off.

"Don't you have anything better to do than pester me?"

"Don't you have anything better to do than go around whoring for people's boyfriends?"

"Hey!" Zahra interfered. "No one calls Char a whore, but me." 

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes.

She shrugged. "What?"

"I am not interested in either of you. Cherry is my girlfriend, and that's that." Zane spoke up as he flung his arm around my shoulder. "You should probably go back to your table before she kicks both your asses."

I interlocked my fingers with his around my shoulder and turned to smile at him, he just kissed my forehead and went back to his food. Then I threw a smug smile back in their direction. "Hmph."

I wish I had a polaroid camera to take a picture of their burning red faces and paste it on my wall forever.

"Have you guys seen Axel?" Amelia asked as her eyes scanned the cafeteria.

"Maybe you should go look for him with your friends." I offered.

"Yay! The boys are coming!" She squealed.

I looked up and to my horror saw Shawn, Mason and one other guy who was probably Jordan heading towards here. Please let them be going to the table behind us, beside us, anywhere around us, but please, not here!

Shawn sat down in between Skyler and Anastasia, where Zane was before. Mason sat down between Skyler and Hannah where I was before, and Jordan sat down beside Leyla. What on earth did my friends and I do to deserve this?

So let me get this clear...

It was Zane, me, Leyla, Jordan, Zahra, Kai and Amelia on the one side. Then directly opposite Zane was Wren. So it was Wren, Anastasia, Shawn, Skyler, Mason, Hannah and Xander on the other side.

The terror.

What were they all doing here? I remember only inviting Zane, and then Wren and the rest of them just decided to tag along?

Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

I didn't bother asking why they were here. And they told us anyways. "We enter and then notice about half of our table is gone. What's up with that?" Shawn offered up.

It's not up to half. We had like 2 tables joined together. And since they were in the center with cheerleaders and jocks, they had 3 tables.

"It's because Zane's dating Charvi." Wren explained.

Thanks for selling me out, Wren!

"Who's Charvi?"

"A chameleon that looks like Randall Boggs." Zahra replied with a sickly smile sent Shawn's way. He just gave her a weirded out look before turning to Zane.

"So who's the lucky girl?" Shawn asked.

What a dumb question to ask considering he has his hand around me?

"Is it her?" Mason gestured to me.

Shawn shook his head. "No. Out of all the girls in this school, I doubt Zane would-" Zane cut him off with sharp, stern words. "Don't even go there, man."

I wanted to shrink into my seat. I was the only one that had the right to make myself feel insecure. If that made sense.

Shawn raised his hands in surrender, a smile playing on his face. "I'm just kidding, man. I know it's her."

And that's the reason people stereotype jocks as jerks!

"Anyways..." Jordan redirected the conversation. "Coach's back. Practice starts today."

They all forgot what we were talking about before because they were overly excited, including Zane and Xander, seeing as they eat and breathe football.

"Does that mean the principal would let us start wearing our cheerleading outfits to school again?"

Oh yeah! Be excited to wear those very short, very revealing outing version of a lingerie. But who am I to judge? I'm just a chameleon that looks like Randall Boggs.

*********

Leyla and I were sitting on the bleachers waiting for the players to come out in their jerseys and probable spandex pants. Jordan had invited her in a flirty way, but she just dismissed him as not her type. I had to beg her to come with me since Xander was part of the players and Kai and Zahra weren't coming. I didn't want to be alone on the bleachers.

The cheerleaders were already in their uniforms cheering some chant Skyler probably made up when the boys started jogging out with Zane in the front.

I smiled brightly and waved back as he waved at me.

"Awww. His jersey number is your birthday date." Leyla sighed.

I turned and the number on Zane's jersey was indeed 5. My birthday was December 5th. I smiled. "I guess 5 is our lucky number then."

I also waved at Xander and cheered for him as he came out. He just put a hand to cover his face.

"Alright! Pretend you don't know me, but everyone knows you do!" I yelled at him. He just increased his speed and I laughed along with Leyla.

Zane barked some orders out to them and they started some dynamic stretches and push ups. After that they ran for about ten minutes. When they were done, and on the field, the coach blew the whistle and then I just blanked out. 

I just cheered anytime Zane or Xander was with the ball which was very tiring since they were with it most of the time. Either them or Axel or Jordan. At least it looked like them. The helmets made it quite confusing, but I knew Zane was 5 and Xander was 13 so it was easy to spot them.

I didn't want to seem rude by using my phone, but I couldn't help myself from listening to music. They played for about an hour and a half before they hit the showers. I walked up to where Zane was sitting drinking a bottle of water as Jordan approached Leyla. I would have stayed back to interfere, but he seemed like a pretty decent guy. His only hindrance was that he was friends with Shawn.

"You run like Usain Bolt."

I heard his chuckle as he looked up at me. "Only you flatter people with such references Cherry."

I sat down beside him. "That's not true." He just shook his head in amusement. "I would kiss you right now if you weren't so sweaty."

He raised his brows. "What happened to love is sticking with your partner in their worst and not just in their best?"

I tilted my head in confusion. "Is that how it's said?"

"That's how I remember it being said."

I shrugged and looked forward. "Whatever it is, it's not true." I teased him.

"I know if I'd argue with you I'd lose."

I smiled at him. "You know correct."

"So I'll just do this." He started leaning close to me as if he wanted to hug me, or kiss me, or whatever. It was still all physical contact. I grabbed his bottle from the floor as I started spraying him with water, taking steps back as he fought the water and moved closer. Our booming laughter was all I could hear, until I bumped into a chest and heard a very annoyed groan. I turned still squeezing the bottle unconsciously. Well, whoever I bumped into had a face full of water. I dropped the bottle to my side quickly.

"I am so so sorry." I apologized as the person's face was covered with a towel he was using to rub it. "I am such an idiot." I put my face in my hands as I grumbled about my idiocy. I felt wet hands dragging my hand from my face. I kept my hands steady and grumbled, "Zane, I said don't touch me with your sweaty hands." I teased, a smile playing on my face.

"I'm beside you." I heard him bite out. Why that tone?

Only one person seems to get him that on edge lately...

I dropped my hands to meet the blond hair and brown eyes I had grown accustomed to for 13 years.

That wasn't a short time.

I just wish he was the little Ax I knew, not this strange boy. Ax was a good friend. He was so sweet and kind and was the best to hang out with. It was even better that he lived next door. How could he change so quickly?

Maybe we could have hope he'd change back.

I crossed my arms and looked down at the floor before grumbling a sorry.

"Why was it so hard for you to say it when you saw it was me?" He questioned.

I didn't have anything to say so it was a good thing that Zane answered. "That's her business." He gritted out.

Maybe... it wasn't such a good thing.

Axel's irritated eyes turned to him. "Chill, dude. I was just talking to her."

"Well, she was with me before you rudely interrupted."

"I think it's the other way around." He scoffed.

"If that's some kind of double meaning thing you thought I won't understand, then you've got another thing coming." Zane took a step closer, and so did Axel.

I put a hand on Zane's chest to steady him or push him back or whatever. Because he wasn't going to fight here. "Zane." I called out, but he and Axel's eyes were still on each other. "Zane." He didn't turn. A crowd was already slowly forming. This was not going to turn into some stupid fighting arena.

"Zane!" I said a bit louder and more pressed. Maybe that was the reason he turned his eyes to me with the same intensity as he used with Axel. I would have backed down, but I didn't. And I think he noticed me flinch because his eyes became softer. "Let's go." I grabbed his hand and started tugging him along with me back to where we were sitting.

"Char." A strained voice called out. At first, I thought I was imagining it because it was so low, but I heard it again. It was Axel.

Should I just pretend he didn't call me?

I stopped and released Zane's hand. I turned to him and his eyes were back to angry. "Don't tell me you're going back to talk to him." He scoffed.

I held his gaze. "Do you trust me?"

His eyes flickered, confused on why I was asking that question. "What does that ha-?"

"Do you trust me?" I repeated.

He relaxed and sent me a small smile. "Of course I do."

"Then you should know I know what I'm doing." I held his shoulder and went on my toes to reach his face. I pressed a kiss on his lips.

He smirked, "I guess it's love then." He teased about his former saying.

I put my hand on his cheek. "I love you."

"I know."

I punched him and muttered, "Jerk", before walking around him to head for Axel who was still standing there, about 7 feet away, watching us. I heard Zane's laughter as he walked back to his seat, but I kept my eyes on Axel as I walked back to him.

"You came."

I shrugged. "I was about 7 feet away when I heard you call my name."

"But you hesitated."

"Don't I have a right to?"

"I didn't mea-"

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Why do I always need to have a reason before I can talk to you?"

I turned to face him. "Do I really need to remind you?"

"She said she has forgiven me." I crossed my arms, still not ready to give in.

He continued. "I just want us to go back to how it was. When it was just us."

"You're the one who ruined that. Not anybody. You." I pointed an accusing finger at him.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I should be thanking you. I met Xander because of that. Then I met Leyla. Then I met Kai and Zahra." I smiled at my next words. "Then I met Zane. They're my family. Thanks to you."

Ouch.

I didn't mean it like that. It's just the simple truth. I liked him as a friend, but he introduced me to my family.

He nodded slowly, taking in what I said. "So what you're saying is you don't need me anymore."

"That's not what I said."

"That's what you implied."

I sighed as I looked at him looking at me expectantly. He was so apologetic and I was giving him such a hard time. If Leyla could forgive him, I guess so could I.

Then I forced myself to say what I said next. "Just because I have them as friends doesn't mean I can't have more."

"Was that an offering?" 

"Will you ever make any moves on me again?"

"Well..." He weighed the options on his hands, a smile playing on his lips.

I rolled my eyes, almost smiling too. "Didn't you learn your lesson from last time?" I teased.

He laughed. "About that. I'm actually really sorry."

"You've said that a lot."

He brought out his hand to shake me. "Friends?"

I shook his hand. "Friends."

*******

"You agreed to be friends?"

I was in Zane's room in his parents' house. It seemed he preferred it here. It's like a big house all to ourselves since his parents were barely here. He said they'd be today though.

"It's just our first day of dating and you're already this jealous." I tapped his nose.

"It's our second."

I shrugged. "That's what I said."

"I don't think it is."

"I don't see what your problem with Axel is. It's obvious I don't feel that way about him."

"But it's obvious he still feels that way about you. Plus, you had a problem with him this morning."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"Even if you were right," he smiled so I quickly added, "which you aren't," he rolled his eyes, "Forgiveness is an attribute that we should all possess. He was my friend for a long time. If he said he'll change, I believe him."

"Fine," he grumbled, "but we're following a three foot rule."

I snorted. "So we have rules now?"

"When it comes to handsy boys." He gestured.

"What about handsy girls?"

"You know I want nothing to do with them. You're the only girl on my mind Cherry."

"What about Serena?" I accidentally blurted out.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. That's his irmã!

Don't you think I know that?

He gave me an incredulous look. "What do you mean?"

I thought of something fast. "Axel to me is like Serena to you."

Really? He's not going to believe that.

"Really? Isn't that Xander?" His brows creased.

"But..." I smiled mischievously. "You were jealous of Xander before."

"Pfft..." He scoffed. "Me? When was I ever jealous of Xander?"

I raised a brow.

He confessed. "Okay, maybe I was a wee bit jealous, but not as jealous as you." 

I scoffed, "Yeah right."

"You went all possessive on me during lunch."

"They were touching you everywhere Zane." I defended.

He smirked. "Everywhere?"

I rolled my eyes at his innuendo. "You know what I mean."

"I do?"

"Yes you do." I pushed his shoulder as he inched closer. He resisted and leaned down on me as we were on the bed. He was still lying beside me, but his face was over mine.

"Are you sure?"

I racked my brain. "What are we talking about again?"

He chuckled. "Forget it." And then he leaned down and started kissing me. He put a hand behind my neck and one beside my face. I let my hands roam over his bare, solid chest. Everything was going perfect until we heard someone clear their throat.

I pushed him off me as I sat up. I turned to the door where his mother was standing beaming at us. Well, this is embarrassing.

Zane groaned. "Mother... I thought people knocked in this house."

She raised her brows. "I did. Five times."

"Oh."

"I wonder what was keeping you so busy you couldn't hear it." She mocked.

She turned to me and smiled. "Hello Charvi."

I gave an awkward smile and waved. "Hi Shayan."

She turned back to Zane. "Son, put a shirt on. And be down for dinner in 5."

"You see... This is why I have my own place." He pointed out.

She raised her brows. "And yet, here you are." He was about to say something, but she beat him to it. "And don't pretend you didn't know we were coming."

"I-"

"Exactly." She replied before shutting the door. I tossed Zane his shirt as he lay on his bed groaning. "Let's go."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here with me Cherry?"

I chuckled as I got up. "Stop talking before you make me change my mind."

*********

"Can I have more bourbons please?"

Laughter erupted form the table. What? What did I say?

"What?"

"Bourbon is an alcoholic drink. I think what you're asking for is bonbons which are the chocolate." Shayan answered me while Zane and Mr. Rivers were still laughing.

Oops.

"Oh. I knew that."

"Sure you did." Mr. Rivers commented and I just glared at him.

They were pretty okay when Zane introduced me as his girlfriend even though Shayan could already tell from the whole kissing session. I was most grateful to them when they didn't bring up Serena. That would not help with my self confidence at all.

I think I've found my favorite chocolate. I loved bonbons. They were so chocolaty and creamy and just so good.

Zane said he didn't like them, he asked for the vanilla flavor. And that just ruins the whole point of chocolate. Don't you think? He said it wasn't fair that chocolate is more than just a flavor, and we should have chocolates called vanilla. Like that made any sense. He tried and failed to explain himself to us, so he just gave up.

"It was just a mistake in her pronunciation." Zane tried to support and failed.

"Well duh."

He shrugged. "I don't know what you expect me to say."

"I think she wants you to lie to us." Mr. Rivers commented.

"Shayan, these two are conspiring against me." I whined.

"Stop conspiring against poor Charvi." She ordered, even though I could see she was silently laughing.

Thanks a lot.

The mocking continued throughout the rest of the meal, but I wasn't offended. It felt good. And fun. Like a second family, and the thought made me so happy.

*

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Thanks and Toodles ;)