I'm in Love With a Fool

“You coming to lunch with us Cady?” Brian asked as the bell indicating the end of Art rang throughout the halls.

“Uhm, sure,” I replied slinging my backpack onto my shoulder once I’d replaced my sketch book inside.
I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket to let Debs and Monique know where I’d be.

Debs reply arrived within seconds.

Mon wants to stay behind in class for summit anyway chick. I’ll stay with her. Have fun with lover boy xD xxoo

Rolling my eyes I pushed my cell back into my right hand pocket.
My heart began thundering against my ribcage as we reached the only two trees in the school grounds.

Jimmy had Johnny over his shoulder as he spun round on the spot.
Matt was sat upright, waving as he spotted the 3 of us.
Zach was the last I noticed.
Well, when I say ‘noticed’ what I really mean is ‘tripped over’.

“Oh, God!” I exclaimed jumping to my feet, looking down at Zach’s expressionless face. He had been lying on the grass, soaking up the sun poking through the slight wintery weather. “I’m so sorry!”

As I said this a smile broke across his handsome face.
“Don’t sweat it,” he grinned as Brian (who was stood behind me) continued with his non-stop laughing.

“Ah, Cady – these are Zacky, Johnny and Jimmy,” Val introduced as Zach got to his feet and Jimmy paused the spinning for a few seconds “Guys, this is the girl I was telling you about; Cadence.”

“Hey!” Both Jimmy and Johnny exclaimed retuning to their ‘fight’ within seconds.
“Yay, new friend!” Zach grinned, pulling me into a death grip of a hug.
“New awesome friend!” Val called over “Get it right Vengeance!”

“I apologise Cady – our new AWESOME friend,” Zach said to me, saying the word ‘awesome’ louder than the rest – earning a grin off Val. “Come sit!” he added, dragging me over to where Matt, and now Val, were sat.

-*-

I hugged my hoodie closer around my thin frame, the wind blowing my curls around my face.
I was on my way out of the school grounds to make my way back home, neither Debs nor Monique with me.

“Hey! Cady!”

I stopped in my tracks and turned on the spot.
Running towards me, crowds of students parting so they could get through, were Brian Haner and Zach Baker.

“Uhm, hi,” I smiled, biting on my bottom lip slightly.

“Which way you walking?” Brian questioned as the three of us reached the traffic lights.

“Left,” I replied “I live about 4 blocks from here.”

“Rad,” Brian smirked “I’m 2 blocks away and Zach is also 4.”

“You must live near me and Val,” Zach smiled as the cars came to a halt and we crossed the darker tarmac that was the road.
As I explained the exact location of my home Zach’s smile grew to a grin.

“You live, like, a street away from me and Val.”
“They live next door to each other,” Brian informed helpfully.
“Where is Val anyway?” I questioned, playing with the multi coloured bracelets on my right wrists.

“Detention,” they both said at the same time.”
“Oh,” I frowned.

I fell silent for most part of the journey – listening as Zach and Brian joked about the odd thing.
Just before we reached where Brian had described his house was situated a black car pulled up alongside us.

“Cadence!” The driver shouted out of a wound down window.
Mum’s latest boyfriend. Obviously trying to get back in her good books after a recent falling out by picking her eldest daughter up from school.
I rolled my eyes, deciding to go along with his plan. My mum being happy made my life a whole lot easier.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I mumbled to Zach and Brian as I threw my bag onto the back seat.
“Bye!” they both grinned as Zach hi-fived me and Brian put his arm round my shoulders in a one armed hug.

Zach’s POV

Me and Syn watched as the car Cadence had got into sped away.

“So, I was thinking about asking Kirsti out,” Syn said as we carried on walking.

“Awesome,” I shrugged not really understanding what he was getting at.
We may have been best friends but he never asked me about a girl before he asked her out.
“I was just wondering…” he started, his hands finding their way to his pockets.

I sighed “What?”
“If you’d like to double date with us?”
I shook my head. “Syn, you know what happened with me and Danielle,” I replied, sighing once more.

“You don’t have to marry the chick or anything!” Syn exclaimed “I’m not asking for a long-term relationship – just one date.”

“Who can I ask?”

A grin stretched across his face – he knew my question meant I’d agreed to do his plan.
“Well, I would usually say that you have the pick of all the girls in school but –”
Ah, that dreaded word. But.
“…Well, Val wanted us to make Cady as welcome as possible…”

I frowned “So you want me to date her??”

He groaned in frustration as we came to a stop outside his house “Not permanently just one fucking movie Zach!” he exclaimed “I’ll pay.”

A reluctant smile came to my face. Although I had a lot of things against being paid to date a girl who liked me as much as Cadence obviously did, Syn knew my weakness.

I needed a new set of strings for my guitar…aka the object that meant the most to me.
“Ok! Fine! Whatever!”