FIRST DATE

Normal POV

One week had passed since Zacky walked Chelsey home.
And Chelsey was really confused, because the day after, Zacky was back to being a jerk. The guy must have issues, she thought.
In fact, all the week was confusing. Zack would be a jerk, but would also be nice, in the classes where his friends weren’t with him.

Chelsey shook her head at those thoughts. She started to think that Zachary Baker was immature.
If he couldn’t act differently from his friends, then …it’s stupid.

Chelsey walked in the corridor.
Soon, the bell would ring, announcing the beginning of the first class of the afternoon. Algebra.
Chelsey HATED algebra. It was useless…and difficult.

She was lost in her thought, and accidentally ran into a hard chest.

“Look where you going, bitch!”, a male voice said.

Chelsey raised her head to look at the guy. Brian Haner. Shit.

“S-Sorry… I didn’t see you and…”

“Shut up! I don’t talk to people like you”, he said, pushing her away.

Chelsey fell on the floor. Brian Haner was a very strong guy. Too strong for her tiny frame.

Chelsey heard Brian, and probably Jimmy laugh. She sighed.
But she suddenly saw a hand in front of her face. She looked at the guy and her eyes widened.
Zack Baker?!

“Come on, get up.”, he encouraged.

Chelsey looked at Zack’s friends. Their jaws were dropped, and they were looking at Zack in disbelief.

“Thank you”, she murmured, and Zacky nodded.
She didn’t waste any time and headed straight for her classroom.

Zacky’s POV

“WHAT THE FUCK, Dude?”, Brian asked, shocked.

Zacky looked embarrassed. How could he explain that to his friends?

“Come on, Bri, she didn’t run into you on purpose. She didn’t deserve to fall on the floor like this…”, he tried to justify.

Brian laughed hard. “That’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard, Zack.”

Zacky looked at his friends. They were almost crying from laughing too much. Anger started to growl in his stomach.

“Well, …if I’m stupid then fuck you all!”, he shouted and started to run. He exited the school, climbed in his car, and drove back home.

Brian’s POV:

The guys weren’t laughing anymore. Zacky’s outburst almost shocked them.

“Think he’s upset…”, Johnny stated.

Brian gave him a weird look. “Thank you SO MUCH, Captain Obvious!”

“And that’s because of you.”, Johnny added, totally ignoring Brian’s comment.

“I agree with Shortshit, man.”, Jimmy spoke. “I don’t know what Zacky’s problem is but he seemed hurt. Maybe because you called him …stupid. I don’t know…”

“Zack’s not a fucking pussy. He knows I didn’t really mean this…”, Brian defended.

“Well, it’s something else then… You should try to talk to him.”, Jimmy advised.

The brown-eyed teen rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know where he is right now. Plus we have class…”

“Text him”, Matt finally said, before entering the room.

Brian sighed and followed his friends in the class.

Zacky’s POV

He arrived home. His parents were eventually at work, since it was 2 in the afternoon. He climbed the stairs, and crawled on his bed when he entered his room.

His fists were clenched.

I don’t know what I have to do. I don’t know what to do. They’re fucking idiots. They’re my friends so what do they have to judge what I do ?!! I have a fucking crush for her…Wait no. I can’t. My friends are right. She’s not worth it. She’s a nerd. BUT I FUCKING LIKE HER!

He was now crying from desperation. It was a dilemma. He asked himself why life couldn’t be simple, for once. Why couldn’t he just tell the world his thought without the fear to be judged? He didn’t know why he was feeling that way about Chelsey, but it was just the way he was. He couldn’t fight it.

Chelsey’s POV

The morning after, Chelsey was smiling, while walking in the corridor. Her first class of the day was Art History, her favorite class.
Plus she will have to work with Zack, since the teacher paired them for a few weeks.

Yesterday, she was really surprised when Zacky helped her in front of his friends. Maybe he realized that his feelings were more important than the others’ judgment. At least, that was what Chelsey thought.

She was eventually the first to enter the class, and she sat down behind her desk.
Like every morning, people started to arrive, and the teacher did so.
Everybody was here, except Zacky.
He’ll come, Chelsey said to herself. He’ll be there soon…

Groups started to work, and Chelsey was still alone in front of the photocopy and her paper. She sighed, but started to work.
The teacher asked her about Zacky, but she simply shrugged.
She managed to finish her work, and handed it to the teacher. The bell rang and she exited the class.

All her hopes about Zacky had vanished. It was the only moment of the day where she could have seen him.
She headed slowly to her next class.

Brian’s POV

***Lunch Time***

Any of the guys had seen Zack since the beginning of the day, and Zacky hadn’t answered Brian’s messages yet.
Brian started to feel guilty. He didn’t know why Zacky was so upset, but it started to worry him.
Lunch time was calm, which was surprising the lady of the cafeteria. The guys barely spoke to each other, and Brian promised to go to Zack’s place at the end of the classes.

*** The same day, 5 p.m.***

Brian closed his locker and exited the school.
Zack’s place wasn’t far from school.
He started to walk, Pantera’s Cemetery Gates blasting in his ears.
A quarter of hour later, he was knocking at Zacky’s door.
The door opened and a smiling lady stood behind.

“Brian! How are you, sweetheart?”, she greeted.

“I’m fine Ms. Baker. Hmmm, is Zack here?”, he asked, unsure.

“Actually yes. He’s a bit ill, I think? He had a huge headache this morning and didn’t want to go to school. I’ll tell him you’re here…”, she answered.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go in his room. I don’t want to bother you.”, he smiled.

“Okay then”, Zack’s mother smiled back.

Brian did what he said, and slowly opened Zack’s door. He heard Zacky growl and he smiled.

“Zack?”

Normal POV

« Zack ? »

The raven-haired teen sighed. He recognized this voice, and he didn’t want to talk to him.

“Get out, fucker!”, he said to his friend.

“Zack….Can’t we talk?”, Brian insisted.

“About what?”

“Uh…maybe the fact you didn’t go to school today, or maybe your little outburst yesterday. Or the fact you’re not responding to my calls or my messages…”, Brian said, a bit harshly.

“You said it yourself Brian: I’m stupid. You’ve got your answer, now get out. I’m tired.”, Zacky answered, with an equal tone.

“Come on Zack… You’re not upset because of what I said, are you?”, Brian questioned, this time more friendly.

Zacky waited. No, that wasn’t because of what Brian said.

“…Not exactly.”, Zacky finally answered.

“What do you mean?”, Brian wanted to know.

The brown eyed man sat on the bed, next to Zack.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”, Zacky said quickly.
“Duuude! You know you can tell me everything…”, Brian reasoned.

“No, I can’t. And you should know it. Yesterday I was just explaining one of my actions and you cut me off to tell me I’m stupid. I don’t have to justify my actions, Brian. …And if you were a real friend you wouldn’t judge me like you did. So, no, I can’t tell you everything.”, Zacky spoke, looking at his hands.

Brian didn’t know what to say. He realized that Zack was true. If he wanted to help the ner…Chelsey, no one could judge him for that. But what the fuck?! His best friend and him were fighting because of this girl! Brian couldn’t believe it.

“Do you realize that this situation started because of that nerd? Come on, Zack, let’s forget what happened. She’s not worth it…”, Brian said, punching Zack’s arm playfully.

Zacky rolled his eyes. “No.”

“What?”, Brian said confused.

“No I don’t want to forget and no, you’re wrong when you said she’s not worth it.”, Zack explained, biting his lips.

“You think Chelsey is….worth it?”, Brian asked with wide eyes. “You don’t want to fix things between us because you think she’s…worth it…”

Zack didn’t answer. If only Brian knew…

“I don’t know what’s going on in your head Zack, but I can’t believe you can choose to be upset because I just pushed that girl… I’m your fucking best friend, Zack!”, Brian shouted.

“I’m not angry because of that, Brian. I’m angry… because I know that if I tell you what’s going on in my head you will laugh hard just like you did yesterday. You’re my fucking best friend but you can’t accept that my ideas, my attitude and my feelings are different from what you expected. You ask me to justify all the time, Brian, but I don’t have to. You’re not my father, neither my brother so if I’m too different or too stupid for you, then fuck you.”

Zack felt more confident. He wanted to say this to Brian since such a long time... He felt relieved.

Brian, on the other hand, looked hurt. He was hurt that Zack was thinking this way.
He was about to protest, when a little vibration was heard, signaling that Zack just received a text on his phone.

Zacky grabbed his phone. The text was from Chelsey.

“ Sorry to bother you. Just wanted to say the Art History work is finished. Good afternoon, Chelsey.”

The green-eyed teen smiled;

“Who texted you?”, Brian asked, curious.

“Chelsey.”, Zacky replied.

“Since when does she have your number?”, Brian questioned, both eyebrows raised.

“Since we’re paired for Art History. Sorry, I have to call her.”, Zacky said.

“You don’t answer my calls, but you have to call her…”, Brian pointed.

“Shut up, dude.”, Zacky said, before putting his phone against his ear.

Brian’s jaw dropped.
He exited Zack’s room, said goodbye to Zack’s mother, and exited the house.
He grabbed his phone from his pocket, and texted Jimmy:

“Man, I think Zack has a crush on the nerd.”