Zoey 101: You Must Of Had A Broken Heart ☑

Chapter 2

“What do you mean? You always have a plan.”

“This one’s different. He doesn’t even look at me. I have to be more careful.”

“I thought you said he finally noticed you?” I asked, confused.

Lola turned her head to look at me, her eyes still sparkling from that place she was slowly returning from, but the smile was lost.

“I don’t get it really. I made sure to sit next to him in business class yesterday, and he said ‘hi’, but that was it. So he knows I exist. Period.” I could hear the exasperation in her voice.

“I’m sure you’ll think of something. Or maybe he’s gay.” I smirked.

“Zoey!” Lola exclaimed with wide eyes, punching my right arm. I forced a smile while gritting my teeth, hoping she hadn’t noticed my shoulders tense with the impact of her harmless blow. “Don’t say that. That would be devastating - for me at least.”

“Not for Logan Resse.” I laughed, causing her to scowl.

To see Lola so distracted by this guy was amusing and disarming at the same time. She had a way with people - the results almost always ended in her favor, especially with guys. It didn’t matter who she was trying to persuade, she would put an endearing spin on what she wanted so that the person was actually eager to accommodate her.

Lola was obviously flustered by Vince Blake. It was a side of her I almost never saw. I knew this was new territory for her, and I was interested to see what she was going to do next.

The only other people who have given her a greater challenge have been my aunt and uncle. I kept assuring her that it had nothing to do with her, but it only made her more determined to win them over. In doing so, she hoped to make my personal hell a little more livable. Who was I to stand in her way? Even though I knew it was a lost cause.

We parted after homeroom. I entered A.P. English and sat in the back of the room as usual. Ms. Margaret greeted us and began the class by handing back our most recent papers.

She approached my desk and greeted me with a warm smile. “Very insightful, Zoey,” she praised as she handed me my paper.

My eyes met hers with a quick, yet awkward, smile. “Thank you.”

The paper was marked in red pen with an “A” at the top. There were additional positive comments written in the margins throughout the paper. It was what I anticipated and what my peers expected of me. Most of the other students were leaning over to see what the person sitting next to them received in comparison to their own marks. No one looked at my paper. I tucked it into the back of my binder.

I wasn’t embarrassed by my grades or what other students thought of my high marks. I knew I earned them. And I also knew that they were going to save me someday. What no one understood, besides Lola, was that all I really cared about were the days I counted down until I moved out of my aunt and uncle’s house to go to college. So if I had to put up with the whispers behind my back as I received the highest marks in the class, then so be it. They weren’t going to be there to save me if I did anything but succeed, so I didn’t need to get involved in the gossip and typical teenage tripe.

Lola was the closest I was going to get to any semblance of the high school experience, and she definitely kept it entertaining. She was admired by most, envied by many, and could discretely seduce a guy with a grin. What mattered most to me was that I trusted her with my life - which was saying a lot, considering the unpredictability that awaited me at home each night.

“How’s it going?” Lola asked when we met at our lockers before lunch.

“Nothing new and exciting here. Any progress in Business class with Vince?” This was Lola’s class right before lunch, so it usually gave her enough to talk about until we reached Journalism after.