Shh

Zacky sighed, shoving his schoolbooks into his locker. It'd been another long day. A day filled with the usual taunts and harassment. He wanted nothing more than to get home and be able to be alone: to be able to escape from the cruel reality of high school.

The brunette teenager closed the locker door and slung his backpack onto his shoulder. He sidled passed the people surrounding the locker next to his, earning a few last shoves and name-calls. He stumbled down the hallway, feeling a single pair of guilty, sympathetic eyes watching him. Zacky did not look back.

It was cold; the beginning of November. Football season had just ended a few weeks earlier. Zacky pulled his jacket tight around his almost shivering body. His green eyes scanned his surroundings before he crossed the street quickly.

He was halfway down the next block when he heard a car pull up beside him. His heart was racing as he turned to see who it was. To his immediate dismay, he saw that it was Brian Haner. Brian was a football jock, one of the many people who tormented Zacky.

Brian saw the almost horrified look on the smaller boy's face and raised his hands in an offering of peace. "Look, kid," he said. "You look cold, and I know your house is almost a mile from here. Get in and I'll take you home."

Zacky flashed him a sour, wary look. Brian sighed.

"I'm not going to do anything to you, okay, Zacky? Now, it's supposed to rain. Do you want to get home before it starts or not?" His voice was exasperated.

It was now Zacky's turn to sigh. He shrugged off his worries and walked over to the car. He half-expected Brian to laugh in his face and drive off before he had the chance to open the car door. He didn't.

The car was warm and blocked the wind from Zacky's chilled body. The ride to his house was almost silent. The radio was so low that he could barely hear it. He picked at the black polish on his fingernails.

"You're scared." It wasn't a question.

Zacky's eyes flashed to Brian, but he quickly dropped his gaze when he met Brian's eyes.

"You're wondering why I'm being nice to you all of a sudden," he continued. "Right?"

Zacky nodded. "Yeah."

They pulled up to Zacky's house, and Zacky didn't know what to do. He mumbled a quick "thanks," then got out of the car. He walked around it and started up to the house.

"Zacky, wait!" Brian called.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. His eyes connected with Brian's. Brian's finger motioned for him to go back over to the car. His window was rolled down.

Zacky walked back over to Brian and leaned down so that their faces were level with each other. Brian smirked. He leaned forward and placed his lips on Zacky's cheek.

Zacky felt his face get hot and stepped back quickly.

"You're welcome. Now, let's keep that between you and me, 'kay, freak?"

Zacky nodded in reply and watched Brian speed away.