The ABC's of Growing Up

I chewed my lip and tapped my pencil lightly against my textbook, my gaze on Zacky who was sitting a couple of seats in front of me and to the right. He shifted in his seat and slouched a bit more before tipping his head back and listening to something Brian was saying to him. I sighed and looked back down at my textbook and trying to work out where we were but my concentration was completely shot.

It was three days since Zacky and I had kissed and neither of us had brought it up. I know why I hadn’t. I was scared to ask him about it in case it was simply an ‘in the moment’ thing. I was also worried that by bringing it up it would make things awkward between us, which was stupid since things were already awkward between us.

I carried on tapping my pencil against my book before losing my grip on it and finding my pencil sail through the air and hit Jimmy against the side of the head, where he was sitting beside me. He glanced at me and I smiled sheepishly, mouthing an “I’m sorry” and reaching down to pick up my pencil. He moved as well as if to get my pencil but instead just held my wrist so I stayed down for a moment.

“What’s up with you and Zacky?”

“Nothing,” I replied quickly as I tried to reach my pencil, finding it hard considering Jimmy was still holding me.

“Bullshit,” Jimmy whispered with a grin. “Come on Tea. I won’t tell anyone, I promise. Scouts honour.”

I scoffed and got him to let go of me. “You were never a scout.”

I picked up my pencil and straightened up, just in time for the bell to go. I packed up my stuff and glanced to the side to see Jimmy standing there with a pout. I chuckled and stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

“Teagan,” Jimmy whined as he slung an arm around my shoulder. “Please tell me.”

I rolled my eyes before glancing a head of us where Zacky was walking with Brian. Whatever they were talking about seemed to have frustrated Zacky slightly because he was using his hands a lot, something he only did when the person he was talking to didn’t understand what he was saying. I saw Brian chuckle and say something before Zacky looked over his shoulder and caught my gaze. I felt myself go slightly red and Zacky smiled to himself before placing his attention back on Brian.

“Okay, something happened,” Jimmy voiced as he looked at me and then at Zacky before looking down at me again as he steered me outside and over to where our lot sat for lunch. “And if you don’t tell me I’m just going to use my imagination. And I will tell you now, your innocence will be fucking smashed by my thoughts.”

I laughed and nudged him out of the way with my hip, feeling myself go slightly red due to his words. Jimmy chuckled and chased after me as I ran over to where everyone was.

“Someone help!” I announced as I dove behind Matt. “Jimmy’s trying to get me to talk.”

“Jimmy get her!” Sarah laughed. “We’ve been trying to get her to talk too.”

I rolled my eyes before shrieking as Matt passed me over to Jimmy.

“Traitor,” I muttered and stuck my tongue out at Matt, who simply chuckled before pulling Taylor onto his lap.

Jimmy wrapped his arms around my waist and then slung me over his shoulder as per the orders of Lyndsey. I heard chuckling as I protested and smacked Jimmy on the back. I picked up my head and saw Brian and Zacky staring at us as if we had gone insane.

“I’m being kidnapped!” I wailed before dropping my head down and smacking my forehead on Jimmy’s back. “And no one cares!”

“I care,” I heard Sarah pipe up with. “And that is why we are kidnapping you. Because we care.”

“Fucking idiot,” I muttered to myself as Jimmy took me away from the group.

A minute later and I was back on my feet and glaring up at Jimmy. He smiled down at me before flopping down on the ground and grinning up at me. I rolled my eyes and glanced at Sarah and Lyndsey who were looking at me expectantly.

“What?” I whined and sat down myself, my gaze flicking for a second over to our group and looking at Zacky as he spoke to Brian once more about something that involved a lot of hand movements.

“What happened between you and Zacky?” Lyndsey asked, making my gaze flick to her.

She held up a hand as I went to speak and shook her head.

“Don’t say nothing happened because since you two started being friends you have been freaking attached by the hip. These last few days you’ve been weird around each other. Spill.”

I rolled my eyes and remained quiet, feeling my three friends staring me down. I sighed after a moment and shrugged.

“I don’t know what happened. Well I know what happened but I don’t know why it happened and I don’t want to bring it up because he hasn’t and I don’t want him to think that I didn’t want it to happen. But then again I don’t want him to turn around and tell me that he didn’t want it to happen because that will fucking suck if that’s the case,” I rambled needlessly.

“Hold up,” Sarah started as she eyed me carefully. “Are you saying that you two...?”

My eyes widened and I shook my head quickly. “No. No. No. That didn’t happen!”

Sarah nodded before her brow furrowed. “Then what the hell are you talking about?”

I sighed and closed my eyes before mumbling “we kissed.”

“You did what? Speak up love!” Jimmy yelled.

My eyes snapped open and I felt myself red because we had now gained the attention of a few kids walking past and had gained the attention of the rest of our lot, including Zacky who was looking over at me intently. I turned my gaze away from him and ran my hands through my hair.

“We kissed.”

Jimmy, Sarah and Lyndsey all looked at me with dropped jaws before grinning and then squealing in Jimmy’s case as he launched himself at me. I grunted as I hit the ground and looked at him as if he was insane, which I think he was considering the stupid look on his face.

“Jimmy,” I groaned. “Get off me.”

Jimmy chuckled before crawling off of me. I remained lying back and covered my face with my hands as I felt myself go red because Sarah and Lyndsey were cooing me.

“So you two haven’t spoken about it at all?” Lyndsey asked as she laid down beside me but on her front, propping herself up on her elbows.

I shook my head and took my hands away from my face to look at her.

“Not one word.”

“How come?” Sarah questioned as she mimicked Lyndsey’s pose but on the other side of me.

I shrugged as best I could.

“Because,” I sighed. “What if he didn’t mean for it to happen? That it was just one of those ‘spur of a moment’ moments?”

Sarah smirked slightly as she shared a look with Lyndsey and I glanced back as I felt someone move and saw that Jimmy was now sitting at my head. He began tapping my forehead gently and I frowned at him before slapping his hand away.

“Why are you smirking?” I asked Sarah.

“Because,” she drew out. “Are you saying that you like Baker boy?”

I looked at her for a second before sighing.

“I don’t know,” I groaned. “I don’t know what’s going on in my damn head. The only time I felt like this around him was when we were drunk. But I’m a fucking flirt when I’m drunk.”

“True,” Lyndsey mused.

I smacked her in the arm and she grinned innocently at me.

“I just don’t know what to think,” I mumbled as I sat up and ran a hand down my face.

I pushed myself to my feet and brushed off any grass on me before looking down at my three friends.

“I’m going for a walk.”

“You want company?” Sarah asked, having evidently picked up on the downturn of my mood.

I shook my head and shoved my hands in my pockets. “I just want to be alone for a bit.”

They all nodded before watching me as I went over to everyone else so I could pick up my bag that I had dropped after being kidnapped. I chewed my lip and silently picked it up before looking over at Brian as he voiced a question to me.

“You okay Tea?”

I nodded before slinging my bag over my shoulder. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

I nodded, my eyes catching Zacky’s for a second. I looked away and tightened my grip on my bag.

“I’ll see you guys later.”

Before any of them could say anything, I walked away from them, intending on hiding myself away in the library for the rest of lunch and then to get through the rest of the day without having to talk to anyone.