Limelight

Zeke and Izabelle: Maybe

(I actually posted this on FFN last night but didn't have time to post it here as well... Merry Christmas, here's some Zebelle! This leads on from the Under The Mistletoe prompt I did for the Screw Sleep Circle's Christmas week, in my Zombie Town Christmas fic collection, so give that a read if you haven't already~)

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The trio were gathered round a table near the lockers on the Monday morning following the Christmas zombie mash. It was the last week of school and they were ready for it to be over. Izabelle was in the middle of copying some homework from Zadie, who had really bribed Jazz into doing it for her, and wasn't paying attention when Zeke appeared.

"Izabelle?"

She kept herself from jumping at the sound of his voice, "Yeah, what?"

"Did..." he looked uncertainly at Riza and Zadie before sitting down beside her and leaning closer. He kept his voice low, "Did I do something wrong?"

She glanced up at him, then at her friends, who were obviously more than a little suspicious. She focused back on her writing, "No."

"So, why haven't I seen you since the zombie mash? I called you-"

"I answered."

He scoffed, "Yeah, just to tell me you were busy then you hung up. Seriously, what's going on?"

Once again, her eyes flickered up to Riza and Zadie and back down. Zeke seemed to catch on, "... Still?"

Izabelle didn't say a word.

"Can we talk about it?"

"Not now."

She locked eyes with him, silently pleading with him, and Zeke shot her a subtle smile of understanding. Her eyes fell back to the paper. He nodded and straightened up.

She didn't mean to keep avoiding him like this. She really didn't. She wanted to hang out with him more. But she was... scared...

"See ya, Belle."

He turned away and heard a pencil snap. Feeling satisfied, he walked off with a spring in his step. Behind him, Riza and Zadie were staring in shock at Izabelle.

On second thought, maybe she did mean to avoid him.

"... That's it?" Zadie asked.

"What's it?" Izabelle said, trying to be casual as she brushed the splintered wood off the desk and stole another pencil from Riza, who was watching her, just as confused.

"Breaking a pencil? That's all you're gonna do? Zeke just called you 'Belle'."

Iza didn't even look up, "Yeah, so?"

"And you didn't punch him," Riza started and Zadie continued, back and forth.

"Or kick him."

"Or yell at him."

"Or even glare at him."

"I thought you hated people calling you 'Belle'?"

Still not looking at them, Izabelle shrugged it off, "It's just a nickname."

Zadie folded her arms and leaned back, "You said it was too cutesy," while Riza leaned forwards.

"And makes you sound like a Disney princess."

"Which it does."

"And you hate."

"I... do, but..." Izabelle trailed off, searching for a way to explain without telling them everything, "Zeke and I... have a truce."