Abercrombie & Bitch

Thursday, April 23, 8:13am – 1st period PE

“Morning, sunshine!” Riley chirped, smacking me on the back and forcing me to spit out the sip of the soda I’d been drinking.

I launched into a coughing attack, glaring at Riley when I got the chance. She just laughed at me. I gripped the water fountain next to me and bent over, trying to rid my lungs of carbonated sugar water.

Donelle came up to us, eyeing me curiously before turning to Riley. “What did you do?”

Riley threw her hands up. “Why does everyone always assume I did something?” Both Donelle and I gave her an incredulous look. She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Anyway… I told Mika last night,” she said softly, making sure only Donelle and I could hear.

“I-I know,” I stuttered, finally regaining control of my hacking.

Riley looked panicked for a second. “Wait. You know?”

I nodded, walking out to PE, which I’m pretty sure we were already late for. We were doing track today anyway; it’s not like we actually had to pay attention for that. I happened to know for a fact that track was Riley’s preferred sport. There was no ball to hit her in the head with. A metal baton, maybe, but I digress.

“Hey, Babe,” Mika said to Riley, slipping an arm around her shoulder and giving her a kiss on the cheek. She blushed.

It was so weird to think of Mika possibly being a father. I mean, yeah, I could see it – when he was twenty-five, not eighteen. He was a jock, just like Zach: dark brown, choppy hair and bright blue eyes. He played every sport I could think of, but baseball was his first love. Besides Riley, of course. As far as I knew, he got good grades and was even a mathlete freshman year – and a jock at the same time. He was one of Zach’s friends outside… That Day. Unlike the rest of his friends, though, Mika came and apologized for Zach’s behavior. Which was when he met Riley. And I think you know what happened after that.

Riley smiled and pulled his neck down to kiss him on the lips. Not so that it was gross, but sweet. “Hey.”

Donelle rolled her eyes and faked a gagging sound. “You guys are cute, and all, but save it for the bedroom.” And then she walked away, smirking, to find her little brother, Mason.

Both Mika and Riley blushed furiously and took a step away from each other. I chuckled. “Don’t worry about her. She’s just bitter ‘cause Bryce hasn’t asked her to prom yet,” I explained.

Donelle whipped around, her mouth open. “I heard that!”

“You were supposed to!”

Riley scoffed and hugged Mika again, who promptly wrapped his arms around her shoulders. They did that every morning, but I think Riley was only going along with it today because of what had presumably happened last night. I still don’t know what she and Mika had planned, but I was strangely interested. Well, maybe not strangely. Riley and I had been best friends since first grade.

Suddenly my vision went dark. I gasped in surprise as someone covered my eyes with their hands, and whispered, “Guess who.”

My panicked heart started beating faster for another reason: fear. Things hadn’t exactly ended well with Zach and me last night, so I was wondering whether or not they’d be the same today. Turns out Mr. Sinclair is a much better actor than I’d thought he was.

I spun around into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around my waist and kept them there possessively. I thought that was going a little overboard, considering Riley – and presumably Mika – knew we were faking.

I gave him a little poke, telling him to cut it out, but I think I hit the wrong spot because he bit his lip and groaned quietly. I snapped my hand away. “Uh, morning, Zach…y. Zacky,” I mumbled unsurely, feeling my cheeks start to heat up.

I could feel Zach’s chest vibrate as he laughed. Disturbing. “Morning, Muffin. How is my girlfriend today?”

I shoved him away and gave him a disbelieving look. “Muffin?”

Mika and Riley, who had stopped hugging and were now very entertained by Zach and me, laughed. Whether it was because of Zach’s behavior, or the fact that they knew we hated each other, I didn’t know. All I knew was that Zach was taking this WAY over the top.

He grinned sheepishly. “What’s wrong, my little Muffin Bear? You didn’t mind it last night.”

Riley’s eyes widened. Crap. I realized just how bad that sounded. Last night? she mouthed, her eyes narrowing.

I shook my head. I’d tell her about what really happened later. I smiled widely at Zach and flung my arms around his neck. “Nothing’s wrong, Pookie Face,” I said, flicking him on the nose as a warning to cut the baby talk. Seriously, I didn’t even talk like this when I was going out with Bryce.

Zach’s eyes hardened for a moment, but not because of the nickname I’d given him. He was looking at something over my shoulder, something very, very bad.

I glanced behind me to see what it was. Of course, there was Bryce – with a blonder, taller, and skinnier girlfriend than I was. Not really that surprising.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

I rolled my eyes and hugged Zach closer to me unconsciously. He was the only one there, and besides, I couldn’t help feeling a little more protected. He gave me a reassuring squeeze and faced Bryce head-on.

“What up, Sinclair?” Bryce taunted, flinging an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder. I recognized her as Ashley Hotchkiss – the girl who made fun of me as a freshman. Of course that had been her on Bryce’s phone. “New slut for a girlfriend, I see.”

I gripped Zach’s shirt even more tightly. Not because that hurt me, but because I was worried I might want to, you know, attack him. Zach kissed my forehead quickly. I’d have to scold him about it later.

Zach sneered. “Funny. I could say the same about you, Reynolds.”

“Hey!” Ashley protested after a few seconds, finally understanding that the insult was directed at her. Quite honestly, I didn’t mind her much, but she was the dumbest person I’d ever met. She was also Lindsey’s role model. Sigh.

“It’s okay, Baby,” Bryce cooed, loudly enough that I could hear him. Did he actually think it bothered me that he was with Ashley? It wasn’t me that was in love with him, it was Donelle. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Zach scoffed. “I don’t, huh? Have you ever asked Ashley who her first boyfriend was? Whom she lost her virginity to?”

Everyone was shocked. Well, Mika and I weren’t, I suppose, because we already knew that. Ashley’s overly-made-up eyes filled with tears – I guess that relationship hadn’t ended well. Bryce’s smirking face faltered for a second. But only a second.

“Have you asked yours?” he retorted, eyeing me up and down.

I felt Zach’s entire body stiffen.

“Doesn’t matter,” I snapped, rolling my eyes at Bryce, “Because I never slept with you.” And then Zach relaxed. I raised an eyebrow in question.

Actually, a lot of eyebrows were raised. I guess most of us had just assumed Bryce and I had… er… Done It. Which was what he was always so frustrated about when we were dating. He always wanted to get in my pants, and I wouldn’t let him. Sure, at first, there were a few times we’d come close. But when it came down to it, I was still very much a virgin. Because I wasn’t exactly in a rush to lose it. I mean, just look at what happened to my mom…

“Right,” Ashley giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, “’Cause she’s still a virgin.”

That got Zach’s attention. His head snapped towards me, eyes wide. I didn’t think that would exactly come as a surprise to him… I looked at Ashley boredly. “So? At least I didn’t lose it when I was still wearing a training bra.”

I faintly heard Riley snicker and mutter something like “Burn…” under her breath.

But then the PE coach came, and made us go to our classes. Zach was in mine, so he kept his arm around my shoulder and led me to our teacher. Ashley and Bryce headed in the other direction, thankfully. Riley and Mika walked next to us, whispering to each other in hushed tones.

“Pookie Face?” Zach hissed under his breath, trying to disguise it as though he was whispering something seductive in my ear.

“Muffin Bear?” I hissed back, trying to hide the grimace.

“Slut for a girlfriend?”

“Lost virginity to Ashley?”

“Still a virgin?”

“Training bra?” I shrugged. I didn’t know how to play this game.

Zach shook his head, laughing. “God, you’re so weird.”

“But that’s why you love me, right?” I chuckled, making sure the people around us heard. I pecked him on the cheek – remind me to scrub my lips later – and ran over to Riley.

If I had paid any attention, I would’ve heard Zach say, “More than you’ll ever know…”

But I didn’t. And it certainly would’ve helped if I had.