The Raptor's Alpha (Zach Mitchell X OC)

Passive Aggressive

I stop in front of the main restaurant we have at Jurassic World and smile stiffly at the boys waiting to see if they want to eat here.

"Is this good?" I ask and Gray nods excitedly considering how cool all the dinosaur themed decorations are. I turn to Zach who is on his phone not paying attention and I roll my eyes then pull them both in. As we are seated I see that the dining hall is very crowded at this particular time and it makes me slightly uncomfortable. Someone hands us some menus and Gray hasn't stopped talking about all the different food choices and how he wishes he could have all of them. Zach on the other hand had finally put his phone down and found himself rather intrigued by the table of girls behind him. He was turned sideways in his chair and occasionally staring back at them every few seconds in an attempt at flirting. He also kept looking at me as if to see if I was watching him or something. I rolled my eyes at this and I could tell Gray was getting rather irritated by his brother's actions as well by the way he kept looking up at Zach with furrowed eyebrows. In order to distract Gray I started talking about all kinds of dinosaurs and different facts which he gladly joined in with me. We talked for what seemed to be 15 minutes before I caught Gray staring at Zach with a disapproving look. I sat in silence and just watched Gray before he finally spoke.

"What do you think is going to happen by just staring at them?" Gray states rather loudly making all the girls at the other table giggle and Zach move to sit in his chair properly while glaring at Gray with an embarrassed blush rising on his cheeks and tips of his ears. I keep my eyes on the menu as Zach and Gray have a little argument about who knows what when another waiter comes by to take our order.

I wasn't planning on eating so I waited for the other boys to order as I looked out the window.

"Anything for you, miss?" The slightly familiar voice asks and I turn to look at the man to respond no but when I see his face I freeze. He looks down at me with his mouth slightly parted and I stare up at him with partly wide eyes. Both of us are completely silent and just looking at each other, I can feel Zach and Gray both looking back and forth between us as we have this awkward exchange.

"Harlow?" The waiter says with a slight smile and I stand from my chair.

"Carter?" I say and run into the 20 year olds arms for a big hug. He sets his notepad and pen down and wraps his arms around my waist lifting me up slightly.

"Why didn't you text me while I was gone?" He says into my ear.

"I couldn't stand not seeing you everyday so I just pretended you didn't exist." I mumble feeling bad for practically ghosting Carter when he left for college. We were best friends at the park and he had to leave for the year to attend his school but since it's the summer I guess he came back. Saying goodbye to my best friend was terrible. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back!" I almost yell at him as he puts me down. Zachs and Gray's eyes still, trained on the two of us.

"You ghosted me. God I really thought I would never see you again." Carter says as he grabs my face in his hands, I just smile up at him.

"I missed you." I say and he chuckles.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink Harlow? My boss is watching me right now from the back." He says and I walk back to my seat with a smile. "No I'm good. Thank you though."

"Okay well I will be right back with your drinks and food. Also Harlow, don't tell Owen I am back, he hated me." Carter says and I smirk knowing that Owen thought we liked each other in a romantic way and he did not take it well when we spent time together. As Carter walks away I smile to myself while looking down at the empty table. Zach clears his throat making me look up at him and he has a very unpleasant look on his face.

"What?" I ask and he rolls his eyes at me.

"Who was that?" He asks with a bitter tone to his voice.

"Carter, he is my friend, why?" I look to Zach with a slight glare because of his attitude.

"He is just jealous." Gray pipes in making me snap my head in his direction and Gray sits staring at his brother with a smirk.

"Why would he be jealous, he has been flirting with those girls since we sat down." I nodded in the direction of the table of girls who were about to leave the restaurant.

"I was not- just forget I asked." Zach mumbles and pulls his phone out, immediately telling me he is done conversing with me.

"Is he always like this?" I whisper to Gray and he is eyeing his brother with a look of confusion.

"Not really, I don't know what's up with him." Gray says back and I just nod then turn to look out the window. The silence at the table makes me uncomfortable so I try to just watch the ocean and the waves that are able to be seen from my view. I didn't even notice when Carter came back with drinks and food. I really need to catch up with him whenever I have some free time. If he has the same schedule as he did last year then he is off for the rest of the week but next week I will for sure be coming here for some good conversation. I wonder how his boyfriend is doing.

"So....how long have you worked here at the park Harlow?" Gray asks, making me pull my eyes away from the window and watch as Gray slurps up a noodle from his bowl of pasta.

"Um, like six years." I state and I can see Zach put his phone down when he hears the sound of my voice.

"That's a long time." Zach states looking as if he is trying to fix whatever awkward tension there is between us. For some reason I am mad at him. There is no reason for me to be acting this way towards a guy I just met.

"Ya its whatever." I mumble and turn my attention towards the window once again. I hear my phone ding and when I look to see who has messaged me I see Carter's name on my imessage.

Carter: He is cute. ask him out. now.

Harlow: Ya right...he is always flirting and watching the other girls trust me he has zero interest in me.

Carter: You are an idiot. when you were in a trance staring out the window he would not stop staring at you, he likes you and I heard the convo yall had when I left, he is jealous of meeeeeeee. Dont tell my boyfriend though.

Harlow: I dont believe you. You just want me to date someone. Zach has been nothing but annoyed with me since the moment we met.

Carter: I leave for a year and you somehow become the most oblivious person I have ever met. I bet even the little kid can feel the SEXUAL TENSION. THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.

Harlow: I dont date, its a waste of time and guys only want a hookup. Plus I have my raptors to think about at least they love me.

Carter: I swear, you and those flesh eating monsters should just elope.

Harlow: Maybe we already have. Plus Owen would kill Zach if we ever even became friends.

Carter: this is true. tell that cute little bean that I miss him even though he tried to murder me when he found us in your bed watching a movie. My boyfriend thought that story was hilarious btw.

Harlow: Owen is going to love that you called him a cute little bean.

"What are you doing?" Zach asks, making me look up from my phone.

"Just texting a friend." I say and shut my phone off, ignoring the ding that just came through.

"Was it Carter? He seems nice." Gray says with a smile.

"Ya, and he is nice. But his boyfriend is way nicer to me." I reply and I can hear Zach slightly chuckle to himself as if realizing something.

"I'm sorry for acting so....defensive. We just met and I was...well I was jealous of Carter. And the only reason I was flirting with those girls was to try and make you jealous but like why would you even be jealous. I don't know. Anyways." Zach says quietly and I turn to face him with a surprised face.

"Oh...well he has a boyfriend so no need to be jealous." I state and awkwardly look down at my hands. Him trying to make me jealous sure as hell worked. I barely know the guy but I want to kiss him and hug him and it is messing with my head. I have never felt this way about someone before.

"Good to know." Zach says with a chuckle that brings butterflies to my stomach.