It Started With A High Kick

4.

-Winter-

Why was he suddenly hanging out with me, anyway? And why had I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk? There were only fifteen minutes left of lunch break. These questions kept running through my head, an endless commentary. Had I finally lost my sanity? Most likely.

We were strolling around the perimeter of Branner High at the moment, crossing the large lawn behind the school. There weren't very many people out here - only a few trying to find peace and quiet away from the noisy cafeteria. I observed Zack out of the corner of my eye.

He was a little cute. Annoying, aggravating, irritating, a pain in the butt, mostly, but also a little bit good-looking. I wished he wasn't. It would have made it that teensy bit easier to dislike him.

Zack had to be a head taller than me, but his height was not intimidating. He was of lean build, and walked with this perpetually casual, nonchalant air, with his hands deep in his pockets. He was graceful, too, in a very calm, natural way.

I glanced at his golden eyes. They weren't the only part of him that was attractive to girls, I was slowly beginning to realize. His hair was dark chocolate curls that looked so soft I almost wished I could run my fingers through them. He skin was lightly tan, and he had a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of his nose. No wonder it wasn't hard for him to find girlfriends.

"So," I began, pulling myself out of my thoughts, and looking away from him. "Are you going to tell me why you decided to eat lunch with me this week? And forget about the game, I know the game."

"Are we back in, then?" Zack asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Possibly."

"Great. The time out was rather boring, but I can't say it wasn't insightful."

I gave him a weird look. "What are you smoking ?" I demanded.

He grinned. "Nothing too expensive," he winked.

"Thought so," I muttered. "The cheap stuff kills faster."

He laughed.

"So are you going to tell me?" I asked. "No wait, scratch that - I demand that you tell me."

"Oh, you're pushy," Zack said teasingly.

I rolled my eyes. "Just answer the question."

He looked at me thoughtfully. "What would you say if I told you I just wanted to talk to you?"

I gave him a Look. "I'm sincerely hoping that's not the best you can do. The Zackary Crownes of the world do not come up to the Winter Bruins of the world simply to 'talk.' There must always be a reason, a greater agenda, a hidden meaning, if you will," I said, looking at him suspiciously. "Zackary Crownes do not talk to people that they find unworthy of their time. I'm sure they have better things to be doing."

"Well, you do have us figured out then." He gave me a wink, which sparked an ember of frustration.

"Tell me!" I nearly yelled. "This is going to drive me crazy," I muttered. "If you don't tell me why, I'm going to start making assumptions, never a good thing."

He looked interested. "Tell me the assumptions you might make, and perhaps I'll enlighten you."

I looked at him, exasperated. That had been the last trick I had prepared for this round. Oh well. I might as well see where this would lead. "Well," I said, kicking a stone in my path, "Perhaps you figured that you and Brock usually sit together, and me and Eva usually sit together, and since Brock and Eva are gone, that you would come sit with me and annoy me a bit, just to get a rise out of me."

He nodded. "Possibly," he said. "That sounds pretty reasonable."

I glared at him. "You're not supposed to be agreeing with me, Zack," I said. "Okay, next one. Umm… Oh! How about this? But this is the egotist one, so -"

"I'm not sure I want to hear this," Zack said, looking rather alarmed.

"No, you should hear this," I said with a wicked grin, wanting to see his reaction. "You are secretly infatuated with me, completely obsessed. You decided it would be romantic to come sit with me at lunch, chat me up, and try to get my number by the end of the week!" I smirked triumphantly at his theatrically horrified expression. I hadn't made the suggestion because I thought it was possible - in fact, this was the most improbable assumption I could have made. It was more to see his appalled reaction, and I was greatly rewarded.

"Next one, please," he said. "I think I'm going to puke." He made a motion of gagging.

"Hmm, perhaps you didn't want to get my number because you liked me… Maybe, you had a bet with someone… That you had to get the number of a girl who had never had a boyfriend before." I cast him a glance, pretending to debate the possibility of this option.

"You've never had a boyfriend before?" Zack asked, looking extremely surprised.

I paused. Oops; wait. That wasn't supposed to come out. "What's it to you?" I sniffed, trying to look supremely unconcerned.

"What about that guy?" Zack frowned.

"What guy?" I asked.

"That guy… I saw you and Eva at the supermarket the week before school started. You were also with this guy," he explained with a helpless shrug of one elegant shoulder.

I looked at him blankly. I went to the supermarket all the time now; I assisted in the task of grocery shopping for the whole Westley household.

And what guy was he going on about?

"You know," he said, holding one hand up about his head in a gesture of measuring height. "Tall, about my height - blonde? I was pretty sure he was your boyfriend or something."

I racked my brains. Did I know anyone of that description?

"Oh!" I said. "Tristan." I almost laughed. How had he mistaken Tristan for my boyfriend?

"Tristan," Zack tried out the name. "That sounds familiar."

"He's Eva's older brother," I said.

Zack looked at me with a strange, mixed expression on his face I couldn't quite place. "You're going out with your best friend's older brother?"

"No!" I said, eyes wide, taken aback. "Why would I go out with Tristan?"

He gave me another strange look then waved it off. "Forget it," he muttered. "Keep the hypotheses coming."

"No," I said, checking the time on my silver watch. "It's time to get to class."

"Why don't I put one last idea in your head before we go our separate ways?" Zack said.

"Alright," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "Humor me."

We stopped walking, and Zack stepped up closer to me.

"What if," he began. My eyes locked on his. All I could concentrate on was the way his intense, golden eyes were looking at me in a way that completely unsettled me and left my nerves off-balance. He leaned closer.

"What if," he started again, "I really liked Eva, and decided this week's lunch would be a good opportunity to talk to you and see if you could help me out? What if I think Eva has to be the most gorgeous girl I've ever met?"

I stared into his eyes, keeping my expression neutral. 'What if? ' What if he was playing games with me right now?

I hated my inability to make quick decisions in situations such as these. What was I supposed to say back to him? The answer would probably come to me two hours later, as it usually did.

"Why would I want to set you up with Eva?" I asked skeptically.

Zack shrugged, moving out of my personal space now, his eyes never leaving mine. I nearly breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know. Maybe you're a charitable person?"

"I'm not going to help you," I said decidedly. "If you want to pursue her, do it yourself like all her other admirers. I'm not encouraging it though. I knew you had to have some hidden agenda in sitting with me at lunch," I said, though not in an accusatory way. "She has enough going on in her life right now, so I wouldn't try for it, if I were you." I walked away, feeling his curious gaze burning into my back.