The Bad Boy and the British Girl

The Girl Who Won't Forgive

Zach Graye's POV:

She wasn't in yesterday, for obvious reasons. I tried to see her from my window, tried to have another shot at apologising but it was firmly shut once again.

I'm walking down the hall to English, dreading the next lesson. I know she will be sat next to me no matter what, that teacher won't move that seating plan ever. I feel sorry for George and Charlie, there is chance of that not being awkward.

"Hope she doesn't kill you." George says to me as we file into English.

"Ditto." I muse back as we both part and make our way to our seats. Liz isn't here yet, but I can only imagine her face when she walks in.

I wait for her to walk in by watching George and Charlie, they both glare heavily at one another. George looks away first, reaches into his backpack with the arm that isn't in a sling and reaches for a pen.

"Excuse me." I hear the English accent float around the room. I look up and lock eyes with her green ones. She stares for barely a second before flitting her eyes to her seat, she merely walks towards it and sits down.

I don't dare touch anything she puts on the desk, I'm even afraid to turn to look at her.

"What did we do yesterday?" I hear her voice. I say nothing. Moments of silence pass by.

"I mean you don't have to tell me." She says again.

"Just analysis of chapter nine." I say quickly, hesitant to the fact she may not be talking to me.

"Thank you." She responds as she grabs her book. I let her start writing before my mouth opens once more.

"I thought we weren't on talking terms." I say, wanting to smile.

"Dude, it's Friday, it's my birthday tomorrow I really am trying to move the fuck on okay?" She says bluntly.

"Move on from what?" I say, mildly confused.

"Everything." She says, once again bluntly.

"Does this mean we are on talking terms again?" I say curiously.

"We are talking right now aren't we?" She says as she sighs and looks at me.

"Yes I guess so...but are we like...friends again?" I ask.

"Zach, when I say the words 'I forgive you' then we are friends again, but for now I just want to know what I missed this lesson and move on." And with that she turned back around and began taking notes.

———

Elizabeth Baker's POV:

I managed to get through the day without losing my temper which is good. I don't know why I was speaking to Zach, I didn't want to...I don't think. But I guess that it did clear the ice slightly, although maybe I was too harsh. Last night I had thought I should forgive him, last night I felt like I was the one who had done something wrong. However, as soon as I looked at him, I felt all of the previous anger flood back. Every single ounce of it.

"Hey! We still on for tomorrow?" I hear Joe say quickly as he runs up behind me.

"Tomorrow, what do you mean?" I ask, confused and I'm rather irritated as he ripped me from my thoughts.

"It's your seventeenth Lizzie-"

"What have I told you about calling me that?"

"Yeah yeah, you'll get over it. Anyway, Charlie said we're all going out for a couple of hours to celebrate?" He says, looking at me wondering why I didnt know what he was going on about.

"I don't think you were meant to tell me Joe..." I say with an eyebrow raised.

"Fuck! You really didnt know?"

"No clue, don't worry I'll act surprised tomorrow for Charlie okay?" I say as he runs his hand through his hair rapidly.

"Okay, thanks Lizzi-"

"Watch it Joseph." I say as he sprints away. I slowly start walking to the woods, as I usually do on a Friday afternoon.

I stroll quickly, it's rather cold and I don't want to freeze. It's already getting dark so I don't have long to be here, I just wanted to make sure that everything was still dry.

Climbing quickly and nimbly up the tree as dusk slowly approaches, I haul myself onto the wooden planks at the top. All I can hear are distant owl hoots and crickets. I tug the slightly shifted tarpaulin over all the items I have up here, double checking everything is there. Then I notice, where the hell is the pen knife? It's gone...it's not where I last left it, under hundreds of blankets and lanterns. There's no way a bird could have taken it, or any animal of any kind. It was hidden and trapped where it was....

"Shit. It must've fallen down." I say to myself as I edge back down from the tree. Sliding down the trunk and hopping to the floor, I grab my torch and scan the surrounding area.

———

After an hour of kicking up every leaf near the tree and searching desperately for the blade, I came to the conclusion that it's gone elsewhere. With someone else possibly. I wasn't sure, the only other person who would have known about it would be Zach and he's too scared of heights...surely?

I dawdle home, feeling miserable about pretty much everything. Knowing about the party tomorrow makes me more annoyed, because I know I should be joyous but I'm just not at all.

Walking up to my front door, I can already hear my dog going crazy. Mum must have let him in, I open the door and get ploughed down by the beast. He lies on top of me and refuses to leave as I wrap my arms around the fluffy companion.

I can feel tears pricking at my eyes, stinging and begging to be allowed to fall down my cheeks. I grant permission as I sob into my huge puppy, which makes him jump on me, indicating I should go upstairs to avoid any spinal breakage.

I go upstairs, struggling to catch my breathe as I try to stop the flow of tears. I open my door and open the window quickly, sucking in cool air and letting out the occasional sob. Trying to be as silent as possible.

Suddenly the light of next door gapes open as Zach's window is heaved upward.

"Liz! Are you alright?" I hear him gasp as I try and shut my jammed window.

"I'm...fine!" I say as I tug on the window, not wanting to see his face.

"You're not, why are you crying?" I can feel his fixed stare.

I take a deep breath as I realise the window won't comply, I brave my hands on the window sill as I look up at Zach.

"I am crying, Zachary. Because you hurt me. Because you humiliated me. Because you broke my trust." I say through gritted teeth, tears are streaming.

"Liz, what can I do to make it up to you? I have said I'm sorry!" He pleads.

"Too little too late." I murmur as I pull down the blind and flop onto my bed, huffing. Crying. Whining.

When will this stop?