I send the text and wait for her response, but I hear my name in the hallway ahead of me, and when I notice it's Ryen, I rush over to her through the crowd of people trying to leave the school.
“Please tell me you don’t work today,” I beg, reaching for her arm as we turn to walk toward her locker.
“I do. First day at the theater,” she answers with feigned enthusiasm. “Why?”
"I just got busted in class for texting you and I had to read the freaking text out loud," I moan with irritation, but she doesn't get a chance to respond.
“Did you hear that Zach is going on a date with Brianna?” Ryen and I snap our heads so fast, seeing two girls walk by as they mention Zach’s name. My heart starts to race. I don’t recognize these girls so clearly, they have to be talking about another Zach, right?
I think Ry senses the worry in my demeanor, but I try my best to not overthink it.
“I’m on it,” she says as she turns from me and follows after them.
“No, Ry-” I try to stop her, but it’s too late.
I press my palm to my head as I watch her walk right up to them, grabbing their attention before she intrudes on their conversation.
“Hey, did I hear you say thatMattwas going on a date with Brianna?” The girls stop and turn to Ryen, a look of utter confusion lining both of their features.
One of the girls, the one who had said Zach’s name, just stares at her while the other speaks up. “No. She saidZach. You know. Zachariah Loft.”
I don't why I start to feel conflicted. Do I even have a right to be upset about this? Something akin to betrayal courses through me. I don't really know why. It's not like Zach and I ever really established anything and it's crazy of me to begin the even conjure and idea like that up. But I mean, if what I’m hearing is true then maybe this is why he hasn’t been talking to me. But Brayden hasn’t mentioned this once and usually, this is something my brother would be all over because that’s just who he is.
“Oh. Okay. I misheard you. Continue,” Ryen says as I watch her wave ahead of the girls before turning around, the girls giving her one last glance before turning their attention toward me.
I wave at them like an idiot, eager to play off the fact that I feel hurt by what I just heard them say. Ryen walks back over to me and places her hands on my shoulders, an act of comfort; thank goodness most of the hallway has cleared out by now.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” she whispers, lowering her reassuring glare at me. “And it’s not going to do much to sit here and speculate when you can just ask him yourself.”
She’s right, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve already decided earlier that I’m done talking to Zach. I have to be. There’s too much at stake.
I take a deep breath and reach for my phone.
“What are you going to do?” Ryen asks.
I could text Zach. I kind of want to. Ask him about the so-to-speak rumor I'd just heard. But I'm not really sure it's my place to pry.
“I’m just gonna tell Bray that I’m walking home. I don’t really want to be stuck in a car with Zach,” I say to her as I type out the text to my brother, who likely won’t even see it until after practice. But I send it anyway.
“I’m sorry, Cadie. I’m sure there’s an explanation.” She turns to her locker and starts loading her stuff inside.
Maybe she’s right, but at the end of the day, he’s just my brother’s best friend and I was crazy to think we could be more. He hasn't spoken to me and now, he's going on a date.
“I gotta get to student council. But we can talk later?” I say as I lean in for a hug, desperate to hold in the tears I feel pooling in the corners of my eyes. This is not a reason to cry.
Why do I feel like crying?
She wraps her arms around me. “Text me when you get home?” she says and I nod before quickly turning around and walking away.
The tears finally slipping down my cheeks as I go.
12
Zachariah
Asking Bray if I could chill at his house after practice isn’t a good idea. Not at all. But I ask anyway, knowing he’d say yes. I didn’t really want to go home, seeing as both my parents aren’t home and I know that after the week I’ve had, there’s only one thing that could make my day better.
But she’s been avoiding me. I don’t blame her. I guess I’ve kind of been letting her, not really doing much to get her attention since Bray’s birthday last weekend. I realized that even though it's hard, it's likely the right thing to do which is why I've stayed quiet myself. But when I found out that she decided to walk home instead of getting in the car with me after school, I won'tlie, I got a little concerned. Maybe even a little annoyed, if I'm being honest. Is she still that upset about the photo? I mean, if she is, she would have that right. But we haven't talked about it or anything else since that night and while I've been trying to be okay with the distance, it doesn't really sit right with me.
