Tinkering Hearts

Chapter Eighteen

Sicre

I have very much successfully avoided Zee for the whole day. 

What else am I supposed to do after that stunt she pulled out yesterday night? I want to escape. I'd like the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I couldn't fucking sleep! She colonized my mind. Hence the eyebags today. 

I decided to wear a turtle neck accessorizing it with my shades. My eyes were red and my face was bloated. After getting laughed at due to my strange demeanor by the boys—mostly because I used them as a shield from Zee—I finally head to Econ. But not far away I notice Zee with Naureen standing in the same hallway I have to pass to get to class.

I swear the universe hates me.

I quickly turn around but crash into someone and swiftly mutter a sorry not long before Zaelia notices me.

"HEY! SICRE!"

Oh shit.

Pretending I did not hear her, I just retrace my steps at a faster pace. 

"Yo! Sicre! You deaf?!" I hear Zee call out after me. And that's the last thing I needed—for her to follow me.
Man, I'm doomed.

Before I know it I break into a run and sprint through the hallway, crashing into things and people. I don't look back until I reach the building's exit. Zee chases after me, her caramel-striped hair bouncing wildly in the air. She stops to breathe and glares at me with those scowling eyes. 

"Hey, stop! Why the fuck are you ignoring me?!" She continues to jog toward me.

I curse under my breath and recover to run onto the school grounds. I bump into the sports secretary who was carrying a few boxes of sports clothes. The boxes fall out of her hand like a tower of Jenga. 

"SORRY, MERIT!"

I run toward the school gate trying to make a great getaway when the security steps in to block the exit.

"Not allowed until dispersal, boy."

"Please just let me through this once. Someone's chasing me and I need to go—"

"STOP!"

And this would be the end of all that we created in these past months. I slowly turn around only to come face to face with the devil.

"You jerk. For how fucking long were you planning on avoiding me?!"

"What? Pfft! I'm not avoiding you."

She tears off the shades from my eyes and stares at me with folded arms. Her eyes scan me up and down. She then puts a hand over her mouth and stifles a laugh.

"Hey! Stop that. It's because of you. Why would you do something like that last night?"

"Huh? What did I do?" Her face suddenly goes into a realization after a moment. "Oh, I knew something happened last night! Zeke told me I was wasted and was muttering something like He won't forgive me for it. I thought he was spewing bullshit, but... your behavior says otherwise."

"You don't remember last night?"

"Apart from the truth or dare game and me heading to your kitchen, I don't remember anything. Oh my God! Did I do something embarrassing in front of everyone?! But then why are you the only one hiding from me?" She bombards questions upon questions on me.

I try to come up with something, but my brain just wasn't registering anything. Thank God she doesn't remember that accidental kiss. The relief that washes over me cannot be put into words. I would never want anything silly like that to threaten our friendship. But there's something else. A part of me is disappointed.

"Hellooo. Earth to Sicre." Zee snaps her fingers in front of my face. 

"Oh yeah, you uh said you hated me for not allowing you to drink more and uh threw a fit and punched me," I break into a smile. She narrows her eyes at me.

"And I was hiding 'cause I thought my eyes would scare you away. I—uh, had too many margaritas and puked till I got sick so I couldn't sleep," I say, chuckling and trying to sound convincing. 

"Stupid." Zee gives me another once over but soon lets it go and we turn around to walk back to our last classes. "Anyway, let's do the zoo trip bookings at the library today after school. OK with you?"

"Yeah. But I need to leave early. Appa would be coming around most probably." 

"Is he still bothering with the family business thing?" She asks, reading the dismay in my tone.

"Yup. Everyday sermon it is. Sicre, jagiya, have you considered moving back here? and shit. UGH! I'm so dang sick of it all!" I shove my hands in my pockets and look up at the sky.

Zee laughs. "What does it mean?"

I look sideways at her. "What? Jagiya?"

Zee nods shoving her hands too in her denim jacket.

"It means honey. They still call me that," I chuckle. Zee hums and we make it back to the building entrance.

"Are you going to?" Zee asks.

I turn around to see her stopped in her tracks. "Going to what?"

She loops her fingers and avoids my gaze. "Move there?"

"Of course not! I'm holding my ground no matter what." Zee's mood lightens a bit. "I've finally gotten away from their grasp and found my old life here. I can't give it all away for anything."

"I'm glad," Zaelia says, grinning. "OK, to class now. I'm late because of you!"

'Huh?! You followed after me on your own will."

She laughs and shoves me from the back toward my Econ class. I give her a small wave and walk to class. Zee smiles back and I instantly know that things are great. 

. * ● ¸ .

A/N: Yup, we're back with a short chapter. I'm not in the best headspace and environment rn, so got carried away by irl matters. Hence, went into a writing slump for a while. Cannot promise an early update, but we'll definitely look forward to one this week. 

Also Eid's in a day! Happy Eid in advance, dear readers!

Xoxo, Amy <3