Love On The Beach

Chapter 7

Zayn

“Hey, you can’t blame me. I was only 5!” Aria exclaims, laughing.
“You were 5?!” Cassandra says.
“You mastermind,” I tell Aria. She looks at me and rolls her eyes.
“Look, my brother took my video controller away from me, so I got payback,” Aria smirks.
“By coloring all over his walls…” Aaron says.
“I WAS 5!!! I DIDN’T KNOW BETTER!!!” Aria laughs so hard.
“Little demon. Glad she ain’t my sister!” I say.
“Ha! I’ve done way worse. Believe me!” Aria says.
“Oh, we believe you.” Cassandra laughs.
I start eating my nachos my sister made for me. She made a lot, so I decided to share with Aria since today’s lunch at school was disgusting.
“Thanks for the nachos,” she tells me. “They’re delicious!”
“You’re welcome! My sister makes the best ones.”
I had Aria sit next to me. Cassandra and Aaron sat on the other side of our table.
“So Aria, what’s your story?” Aaron asks.
“Yea,” Cassandra says. “All I know about you is that you love reading.”
“I guess I’m special then! We did this game called 20 questions and I now know a lot about her,” I say.
“Oh is that so?” Aaron raises an eyebrow.
Aria rolls her eyes again. “Well, there’s not much, I guess…”
I can tell from her tone of voice that she doesn’t want to talk about it. I remember our conversation in History class, and it seemed pretty hard to talk about.
“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Aaron says.
“Well, I feel like it'd be nice to talk about it with people, so I don’t hold it all in,” Aria says.
“True,” Cassandra says.
“Well, I’m Aria Elizabeth Chase, I live with a family of 4. Me, my brother, my sister, and my mom. I… lost my father last year in a mine accident. Now it’s just us. I’m 16, turning 17 on November 13th. I love reading, drawing, swimming, playing my violin, video games, cooking, and riding my scooter. I had a boyfriend in freshman year, but I found out during sophomore year that he cheated on me with my best friend.”
“Aw, that’s awful,” Aaron says. “Just like Cass.”
“Yep. Guys can be stupid sometimes.” She playfully shoves Aaron.
“Hey!” Aaron and I say.
“What?” Cassandra says. Aria laughs.
“Well, all I’ll say is they can be sometimes. Especially in relationships,” I say. They all nod their heads.
“What about you guys?” Aria asks. “What’s your story?”
Aaron replies first. “I’m Aaron Atlas Rowling, I live with my mum, dad, and little sister. I have dated one girl before, but it didn't work out.”
Cassandra starts taking interest in her food. Aria looks at them suspiciously.
“But I do Cross Country, Track, I play the trumpet, love reading, swimming, drawing, and play video games. I’m 16, turning 17 on March 11th.”
Aria nods. Cassandra goes next.
“My full name is Cassandra Ella Larson. I’ve been with a few guys in my high school years, but now I’m single. I love swimming, playing the violin, hanging out with friends, going to the mall to shop, make bracelets, and playing cross country and volleyball. I just turned 16 a week ago.”
“Y’all already know a lot about me,” I say. “I’m famous.” They all roll their eyes. “What? Alright. I’m Zayn Alexander Ethan. One of the COOLEST NAMES EVER! But I’m 17, turning 18 on February 14th.”
“Your birthday is Valentine's Day?!” Aria laughs. “No wonder.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”
Her face turns red. “Nothing!”
I laugh at her. “Well, I love skateboarding, doing track, basketball, orchestra, surfing, drawing, writing, and other things. I have a family of 3, including me: my dad, sister, and I have a pet cat named Kiki.”
“Oh, I forgot about pets! I have a dog named Athena,” Aria says.
“I have a lizard named Dain,” Aaron says.
“And I have a cat named Lily,” Cassandra finished.
We eat our food again, since we have nothing else to talk about.
“You guys are really cool. My friends were never like this,” Aria says.
Aaron laughs. “Really? Well, I guess that’s a good thing.”
“We outrank them,” I say.
Aria smiles.
“Aw… now she has a whole group of friends,” a snarky voice says behind us.
I roll my eyes. The others do the same. We all have that face, saying Here we go again…
“Just leave us alone!” Cassandra exclaims. “You already had your fun earlier!”
“Where’s the fun in that?” I turn around and see Jade standing behind me. Jade gives us one of those smiles everyone hates. We stay quiet.
Aria stands up. “What have they ever done to you? Back off.”
Jade stares at her for a second. She shoves her back in her seat. Aria groans in pain as her side hits the table hard. Cassandra and Aaron gasp.
Oh, now she’s done it.
I stand up and shove Jade. “Back. Off. Now. You leave her alone.”
Jade shoves me harder. “You may think you’re so tough Zayn, but you’re nothing.” She looks at the other three. “Hanging out with these losers, protecting your little girlfriend.” She points at Aria, who is holding her side, glaring at Jade with so much hate.
“She’s not my girlfriend. Now back off. Or I’ll get the teachers.” If there’s one thing I know about Jade, she hates teachers getting on her case.
She sighs. “Snitch.” She smiles, starting to walk off, then shoves Aria into the table again, making her groan again.
Once she’s gone, Aria says, “That good for nothing, little-”
“Woah, woah, calm down,” I tell her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
“I’ll calm down when she gets expelled or something,” she snarls.
“You and me both,” Cassandra sighs.
I hug Aria. “One day, she’ll leave us alone. Someone just has to talk some sense into her.”
“Like that’s ever gonna happen,” Aaron says.
We all just stay quiet for a second. Aria still rubs her sides. That’s most likely gonna leave a bruise. Jade shoved her HARD.
The teachers start dismissing students to their next class. Aria told me her next class is Physics, which is sad because my next one is English.
Before she walks off, I tell her, “Hey. Don’t let Jade get to you. She’s like that with everyone except her friends. It’ll be okay.”
She looks at me.
Wow… I never noticed she’s beautiful….
She is. She has lovely blue eyes, tan skin, freckles all over her face, she’s beautiful.
She smiles and nods. “Thanks.” She walks off with Cassandra.