» 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 «

C H A P T E R 3

"Don't wish."

After school, I went downstairs with Clayden to meet Zenji by the school gate. At least, that was what I had planned, but before we could even get down the stairs... 'They are at it again.' I thought as I got pushed away, making me look back to see a group of girls flocking around Clayden. He looked in my direction and lip-synced "Sorry." with a smile on his face. Somehow, I didn't get angry at Clayden. I just sighed and continued to walk my way towards the lockers to leave some unnecessary textbooks, and would be going straight to the school gate where Zenji was waiting for me.

I was about to close my locker when I heard, "Raven!" Someone called my name. I instantly looked in the direction where I heard the voice that I would be in class. It was Heather, Heather Alejandro. She's my classmate and also the only female friend I get along with in my class. Heather is popular. Maybe it was because her blonde hair and sage-green eyes always captured people's attention. In short, she's pretty.

"What's wrong, Heather?" I asked as she was getting closer to me, running. She stopped, almost stumbling. Despite Heather being really pretty, Heather's gullible. She placed both of her hands on her knees and was trying to catch her breath. "You ok?" I asked as she went ballistic, talking about some guy that I couldn't even understand. She was blushing so hard that I already knew she was talking about a guy. "Speak slower, Heather. I won't understand anything about what you are talking about if you keep on talking like that." I told her. It made her stop talking and kept on smiling. I sighed since it made me have a hard time processing what she was talking about, and I got dizzy. I thought that she wouldn't act out of her whim without telling me, but I guess I was wrong.

Heather dragged me towards the window and started pointing outside. "Look!" She said with stars on her eyes continuously pointing outside, I glanced through the window and looked towards the same direction where she was pointing. Heather was pointing at Zenji, who was currently talking to two guys by the school gate.

'Are those guys even smart?' I thought while staring at them, remembering what Zenji told me when we were kids: " I only hang out with smart people." I sometimes do wonder why Zenji would still hang out with me and Clayden, especially Clayden. I continued to watch him and his classmates laugh. I never saw Zenji laugh genuinely except when he talked with my brother Royce.

"Do you know him?" Heather asked me. I nodded, and that certainly made her look more curious. "What's his name?" She asked, and that made me quite confused since Zenji is popular despite his attitude. His looks and voice never fail to please girls, and Zenji's popularity must've at least reached Heather.

"Zenji?" I mentioned his name in a questionable tone since I'm still confused. She narrowed her eyes at me and sighed.

"I know Zenji already. I meant the other guy!" She said. 'Oh...' I thought, but it still made my sweat drop since I didn't know who was the guy she was talking about. I didn't know what to say and started panicking silently in my head when Heather suddenly asked me, "You don't know, do you?" As soon as she did, my sweat dropped constantly, making me look away. When I did, I flinched as I felt her glaring at me.

"Yeah..."

• • •

"Hey...Zenji?" I called Zenji. He immediately glanced in my direction as we were walking to Roy's school. 'I didn't want to ask this.' I thought as soon as I noticed Zenji looking at me. It only made me remember the conversation I had with Heather before meeting up with Zenji.

"Ask him." Heather told me. I was about to say that I didn't want to, but she suddenly frowned and started pouting. "Ask him." She begged as I tried my best to look away from those puppy eyes. I still gave in anyway.