My Beloved//Jake Kiszka

Ch.15

The alarm blared, pulling you out of a deep sleep. Groaning, you slapped the snooze button and buried your face in the pillow. After the weekend's events, getting up for school felt like a monumental task. But eventually, you dragged yourself out of bed and got ready for the day.

At school, the halls were buzzing with activity as students exchanged stories about their weekends. You spotted Izzy at her locker, her face lighting up when she saw you.

"Hey! How was your weekend?" she asked, giving you a quick hug.

"Eventful, to say the least," you replied with a laugh. "How about you?"

"Pretty good! Hey, I wanted to ask you something," Izzy said, a bit more serious now. "Would you be interested in joining the cheer team with me? We need a couple more people, and I think you'd be great."

You blinked in surprise. "Me? Cheerleading?"

"Yeah! Come on, it'll be fun. Plus, we could use more awesome people like you," Izzy encouraged, her eyes shining with excitement.

"I don't know, Izzy. I've never really thought about cheerleading before," you admitted.

"Just think about it, okay? We have a practice after school today if you want to check it out," she said with a hopeful smile.

"I'll think about it," you promised, and with that, you both headed to class.

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

After school, you found yourself at the Kiszka house again. The living room was in a much better state than it had been the previous morning. Everyone was lounging around, chatting and snacking.

"So, did Izzy convince you to join the cheer team?" Josh asked with a grin.

"She's working on it," you said, rolling your eyes playfully.

"Come on, Y/N, it could be fun!" Izzy chimed in. "Plus, we need someone to keep Josh and Jake in line at the games."

"I don't think that's possible," Sam joked, earning a laugh from everyone.

As the banter continued, your phone buzzed with a text. You glanced at the screen and saw it was from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey, it's Zach from history class. Want to come over for dinner and work on our project?

Your heart skipped a beat. Zach was your partner for the big history project, and you didn't know much about him other than the one time you went over to his house.

You: Sure, what time?

Zach: How about 6?

You: Sounds good. See you then.

You put your phone away, trying to hide the smile on your face.

"Who's got you smiling like that?" Jake teased, nudging you with his elbow.

"Just Zach from history. We're meeting up to work on our project," you said casually.

"Zach, huh? The charming one?" Izzy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"He's just a partner for a project," you insisted, though you couldn't deny you were looking forward to it.

Jake frowned slightly, a hint of jealousy in his eyes. "Just be careful. He seems too smooth for his own good."

"Relax, Jake. It's just a project," you said, trying to brush off his concern.

Josh raised an eyebrow, looking between you and Jake. "Interesting," he murmured, but didn't elaborate further.

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

At 6 PM, you found yourself standing outside Zach's house, a cozy two-story with a well-kept lawn. You rang the doorbell, and a moment later, Zach opened the door, flashing you a warm smile.

"Hey, Y/N. Come on in," he said, stepping aside to let you in.

"Thanks," you said, stepping into the hallway. The smell of something delicious wafted from the kitchen. "What's cooking? It smells amazing."

"Just some spaghetti. Hope you like it," Zach said, leading you to the dining room.

Dinner was delicious, and you found yourself relaxing in Zach's easy company. He was as funny and charming as you'd heard, but also genuinely kind and interested in what you had to say.

"So, what do you think about our project topic?" Zach asked as you both settled down in his living room after dinner.

"I was thinking we could do something on the Civil Rights Movement. It's such an important part of history and there's a lot to cover," you suggested.

"That's a great idea. We could focus on key figures and events, and maybe even look at some lesser-known heroes," Zach said, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm.

As you worked on the project, you found yourself laughing more than you expected. Zach had a way of making even the most tedious parts of the project fun.

"Did you know that Martin Luther King Jr. was only 39 when he was assassinated? It's incredible how much he accomplished in such a short time," Zach remarked, clearly impressed.

"Yeah, it's inspiring. He left such a huge impact," you agreed, feeling a newfound respect for the historical figure.

Hours passed without you noticing, and before you knew it, it was getting late.

"I should probably head home," you said reluctantly, gathering your things.

"Yeah, but we made good progress. Same time tomorrow?" Zach asked, walking you to the door.

"Sounds good. Thanks for dinner and everything," you said, smiling up at him.

"Anytime, Y/N. Drive safe," Zach replied, holding the door open for you.

As you drove home, your mind was racing. Zach was amazing—kind, funny, and smart. For the first time in a while, you found yourself thinking about someone other than Jake. The thought both excited and confused you.