If there’s one thing I hate about moving to a new place—other than literally everything—it’s the whole “starting over” part. You’re like a blank slate, and while that sounds cool in theory, in reality, it’s just fucking exhausting.
After a week of unpacking boxes, scrolling through TikTok, and awkwardly video-calling Jackson like I was some kind of stranded survivor, I realized I had to stop moping around. My mom was already side-eyeing me like I was turning into some weird recluse, and I swear she was this close to signing me up for some "how to make friends" program.
So, in a fit of inspiration (or boredom, let’s be honest), I decided to get out of the house. The weather wasn’t shit for once, so I figured I’d go for a walk, maybe check out the local library. Yeah, I know, not the most exciting place for a seventeen-year-old, but desperate times, right? Plus, I’m a sucker for places that smell like old books. Call me a nerd, I don’t give a fuck.
The library was about a twenty-minute walk from my house, nestled between a coffee shop that looked way too hip for its own good and a bakery that, judging by the smells coming from it, might just become my new religion. I made a mental note to check it out later because priorities.
When I stepped inside the library, it was your typical small-town vibe—rows of bookshelves, a couple of kids pretending to study but actually texting under the table, and the sound of someone tapping away on a keyboard in the distance. Not bad, honestly.
I was just minding my own business, strolling through the shelves, when I saw him. Zayne Martinez. Well, I didn’t know he was Zayne yet, but holy shit, he looked like he walked straight out of a music video. Dark hair, blue eyes, and this whole “don’t talk to me or I’ll murder your soul” vibe. Lip piercing, too, because of course he had one. The guy looked like he’d been born with it.
Naturally, being the idiot I am, I thought, Hey, new person! Potential friend material!
Spoiler alert: That was a fucking mistake.
I wandered over, trying to seem casual, which was harder than it looked because the dude was sitting there, glaring at a book like it personally offended him. I mean, who glares at books? Psycho.
“Hey,” I said, giving him my friendliest grin. You know, the one that usually works because I’m a charming asshole when I want to be. “You come here often?”
He didn’t even look up. Just kept flipping the pages like I wasn’t even there.
I blinked. “Cool, cool. So, what’s that? Some light reading?” I leaned over slightly, trying to see what the hell he was so into. It looked like… physics? Chemistry? Something smart and boring. Classic. “Damn, you’re one of those guys, huh?”
Nothing. Not even a fucking blink.
Okay, so this was gonna be a little harder than I thought.
Now, normally, I’m not one to push when people give me the cold shoulder, but something about this guy’s total disregard for my existence pissed me off. Like, who the fuck ignores someone trying to be nice? Especially when that someone is me. I was new here. I needed friends. And if Mr. Ice-Cold here was going to act like a dick, then fine—I’d annoy him into talking to me. Petty? Yes. Effective? Also yes.
“So,” I said, plopping down in the chair across from him. “What’s your name? Or are you just too cool for names?”
He sighed—finally, a reaction!—and glanced up at me with those icy blue eyes. I’ll give it to him; his glare was impressive. “Do you mind?”
“Oh, absolutely,” I said with a grin. “I’m Sam, by the way. New around here.”
He blinked once. Twice. Then, without another word, went back to his book.
I leaned forward on the table, resting my chin in my hand. “You know, most people at least pretend to give a shit when someone introduces themselves.”
“I’m not most people,” he muttered, still not looking up.
“No shit,” I said, laughing. “You’re like a human ice cube.”
He exhaled through his nose, probably wishing I’d disappear. But I wasn’t going anywhere. I had nothing better to do, and if he was going to be a hardass about it, then I was going to make his day just a little bit worse by existing.
“So, what’s your name, Mr. Frosty?”
“Zayne,” he said, finally looking up at me with the kind of expression you reserve for dog shit on the bottom of your shoe. “Zayne Martinez. And I don’t need friends.”
“Good thing I’m not offering friendship,” I said, kicking my feet up on the chair next to me. “I’m just here to annoy you until you talk to me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Why not?” I shrugged. “I’m new, you’re here, and I’ve got nothing better to do. Plus, you’re fun to mess with. You’ve got that whole brooding thing going on. Very mysterious. Very ‘I’ve seen some shit.’”
He gave me a look that was probably meant to shut me up, but it just made me want to keep going.
“I mean, what’s your deal, man? Do you always hang out in libraries to avoid people, or is today just special?”
“I like it here because people usually leave me alone,” Zayne said, his voice flat and cold. “But apparently, that’s too much to ask for.”
I laughed. “Oh, c’mon, you can’t be this grumpy all the time. What happened? Did someone steal your lunch money in first grade?”
His jaw clenched, and for a second, I thought he might actually punch me. Honestly? I kinda wanted to see if he would. At least then I’d know I was getting to him.
Instead, he just closed his book, stood up, and walked away.
I watched him go, smirking to myself. Yeah, that went about as well as I expected. Still, I wasn’t giving up that easily. I was persistent, if nothing else.
I stayed at the library for another hour, browsing through random sections, pretending to care about the books I was flipping through. Mostly, I was just trying to figure out what Zayne’s deal was. Cold, rude, and clearly not interested in making friends—but why? What was his fucking problem?
Before I left, I went up to the front desk where an older lady—the librarian, I assumed—was sitting. She looked like she’d been around since the dawn of time, with her glasses perched on the edge of her nose and a smile that told me she knew everything.
“Hey,” I said, leaning on the counter. “Quick question. That guy back there—Zayne—does he come here often?”
She looked up from her computer, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. “Zayne Martinez? Oh yes, he’s here every weekend. Sometimes after school, too. He’s a regular.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Really? He doesn’t seem like the bookish type.”
She chuckled softly. “Zayne is... complicated. But he’s harmless, I assure you.”
“Yeah, well, he sure doesn’t act harmless.”
Her smile widened just a little. “Give him time. He’s not as bad as he seems.”
Time? Sure, why not. I had plenty of it, after all. And I wasn’t about to let Zayne Martinez get away that easily.
If he thought he could freeze me out, he was in for a surprise. I’d cracked tougher nuts before. And besides, I wasn’t just here for friends—I was here for a fucking challenge.
YOU ARE READING
Breaking the silence
Romance"Sam... I think I'm in love with you." That was the last thing I expected Zayne Martinez to say to me-especially after all the shit I put him through. I mean, the guy is ice cold, always glaring at me like I ruined his day just by breathing near him...
