The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

6. Don't Hurt Yourself

{Zachary}

We don't get to set the plan in motion until the weekend our spring break starts. That's because our midterms prevent us from really doing anything except studying and school, and as a result I hardly ever see Sarah, even though I want to. It frustrates me how long it's taking to get back to the point in our relationship that we were at before our visit to Brandon's. This was why I didn't drink, and the next time I saw Brandon, I'd tell him so.

   I catch her coming across the quad outside our dorm complex on the last day of midterms, trudging through the snow that fell sometime last week. I camp out in the lounge, with two caramel-flavored lattes from the nearby Starbucks.

   "Sarah!" I spring up the second I see her enter.

   She jumps, a hand flying to her throat. "Merlin, Zach. Don't do that. How long have you been sitting there, anyway?"

   "Not long. Just thought you could use something to warm you up." I hand her one of the lattes when she inches over to me.

   "Thanks." She takes it, but it's nothing like the first time I did it. I have a feeling if I tried to kiss her again, I'd get it splashed in my face. "What's the occasion?"

   "Just 'cause." I sit back down and move over to free up some space, in case she wants to sit.

   "Listen, Zach..." She looks down at the floor, shuffling her feet. "I've talked to Kaelie and Kitty about what's been going on between us...and they told me it's time I let it go."

   "Really," I say, but inside I'm pumping a fist in the air. Guess that's why it was good she had other friends that were girls.

   "Yeah," she sighs. "And I will, I promised them I would...with one condition."

   "What's that?" God, I've waited for this for a month. I can't believe it's finally happening, honestly.

   "I want you to promise me you won't do that again, as long as we're together. I don't like you when you're drunk. It reminds me exactly why I rejected your advances for so long. Can you do that?"

   "Yeah. Sure." I nod, probably much too eagerly.

   "Do you promise?" She rubs her nose with a mitten.

   "Yes. Yeah. I promise. No fingers crossed." I hold my hands up to prove it.

   "No toes?" she says, but that slight smile on her face tells me she's not completely serious.

   "Nope. Scout's honor."

   "Okay." She sighs, dropping onto the booth bench next to me, and it takes literally all of my willpower to not pull her closer. "Now this thing that we're doing...you're going with Ellis and Kaelie to Raleigh, right?"

   "Yeah." I knew I had to get better about taking one for the team. Maybe it'd be good for me.

   "Make sure they behave. I saw the way he was looking at her the other day, and I'm afraid he's going to do something impulsive and, like, try to kiss her or something." She rubs her temple, looking like she's dealt with this before.

   "Would he really do that?" He doesn't really seem like the type, the few times I've met him. But if I've learned anything over these past few months, it's that people can surprise you.

   "You never know. Having a brother who's done the same thing makes you cautious."

   "Yeah, that's right." I'd never mentioned it to Cam, but when I met his sister, Ettie, that was the one time I considered violating the bro code once and asking her out. She was way out of my league, I realized, and I was probably too young for her anyway. A lot of college-age girls don't like having a boyfriend that's still in high school. But still. She's hot.