The Nerd Boy

Chapter 7- Bloody Heartless Witch

Zaia's POV:

"Okay, let's set down some ground rules before we get there," me and Adonis were on the bus, me sitting in the seat in front of him.

Adonis looked up from his phone and took his earphones out.
"I'm listening," he was so calm but from the look in his eyes, I could tell he was curious.
"Number 1, don't question anything. You see something that strikes you as weird or you wanna know something or you get curious, keep it to yourself. That links in with rule number 2, don't tell anyone about what you've seen, you've never been to my house. Anyone asks, we usually go to the library or Costa, okay?"
Adonis nodded, clearly flustered by the rush of information.

"Rule number 3, do. Not. Pity me," the last thing I needed was anyone's pity or sad looks at school.

Just as Adonis opened his mouth to ask more annoying questions, we got to my stop.

Adonis' POV:

Well someone had secrets. A lot of secrets.

As we walked up to her house I took in my surroundings. We were in what the snobs next door would call 'the poor area'.
So I guess she was financially unstable. Not that it bothered me though, just because someone didn't have as much money, it doesn't change how who they really are.

I had to practically hold my jaw to stop it from falling to the floor. She lived in a dark, ruggedly and not to mention dodgy-looking flat.

I glanced over at her, only to see tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at her home. Sympathy flashed through me and I forced myself 'remember rule number 3'.

Zaia's POV:

This was a bad idea. This was a very bad idea. Adonis was probably disgusted, the stupid rich arse nerd.

Hesitantly, I looked at him from the corner of my eye. To my surprise, he gave me a reassuring smile and walked ahead. Maybe he wasn't a snob after all.

***

We had finally reached my flat after going up a tonne of steps because the stupid lift broke. It was probably the weed dealing couple in 56.

As I opened the door I put my finger to my lips and made a 'shh' sound, hoping Adonis would get the obvious point of it. The house was eerily silent until I heard a cry coming from one of the bedrooms. Completely forgetting about Adonis, I ran towards it.

"Shhhh, hey Zacky I'm home. It's okay." I cooed as I stroked my baby brothers brown tufts of thin hair. He had calmed down and the room was silent until a cough came from the door.

There, standing under the doorframe was Adonis, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"He's my baby brother, I had the old lady in number 71 looking after him but she's obviously left, the bloody heartless witch," I wasn't in the mood to answer his questions so I decided to give it to him straight.

Something inside me made me want to confide in him more, to tell him my innermost thoughts and feelings. Then my logic made me want to tell him to piss off and forget he ever saw this.

Just as he was about to say something, the front door flew open. Oh no god please no!

"OY ZAIA, GET YOUR UGLY FAT ARSE OVER HERE!" My dad was home. My alcoholic, drunk and abusive dad was home. My alcoholic drunk and abusive dad was home and Adonis was here.

"Quick! Hide behind the door!" I half whispered, half shouted.
Adonis complied, clearly seeing the desperation in my eyes.

My dad stormed in and saw me cradling my brother to my chest protectively.
"Who's that?" He asked. We had the same conversation everyday.
"It's your son, dad. My brother and your son."
And like every time we had this conversation, he lashed out, punching the already cracked wall in anger.
"That thing is no son of mine." And he stormed back out. Most likely going to stay at a friends house for the night. And trust me, it was better that way.

"That's your dad?" Adonis said while stepping out of the shadows.
I just weakly nodded in response, finally unable to control my tears.

That's when Adonis did something nobody had ever done for me. He took Zack from my arms, leaned on the wall and used his free arm to pull me to his side in a hug.

We sat there, for god knows how long, the only sound being my sobs and an occasional whimper from Zack.
"Yo uhm... Zaia, it's quite late and it seems as though art should be put on hold for a bit," he started but Zack's crying cut him off.

"Oh no," I began to cry again, burying my face in my hands.
"Zaia what's up?" He asked, concern lacing his voice.
"It's nothing, you should go. I'll be fine," I sniffed.

Adonis' POV:

"No seriously, tell me what's wrong. You don't understand how guilty I'd feel if I left you like this," I said, pushing my glasses up my nose again.

She suddenly burst out in another sob, "he's crying because he's hungry... but there's no food! There's no milk to feed him, the powder is too expensive and we've got to deal with the rent and my dad spends the rest on alcohol and I need spare cash for school and I work but it's minimum wage so it's still not enough," she carried on sobbing, tears streaming down her soft cheeks as she stood and tried to take Zack from me.

"Zaia-"
"Save it, rule number 3 remember? No pity." And with that she walked out of the room.

I quickly stood and followed her.
"No Zaia, if you, for even a remote second think I'm pitying you then you are an idiot because it goes against every moral I grew up with to see someone in so much hurt and in a time of so much pain and to leave them. So if you for a second think I'm not gonna drag your sorry arse right out of this flat if you don't come with... then you are wrong!" I finished, breathing heavily.

Zaia just stood there, her beautiful eyes glazing over again, speechless.

I simply grabbed her arm which was free and pulled her to the room we walked into first.
"Now grab the baby's shit, you're staying at mine for now," I declared, leaving no room for discussion as I threw a discarded bag at her and left the room to call my mum.

She had some babysitting to do now.

A/N:
OoOoOoO the tensionnnn
Don't forget to voteee😊
Picture at the top is of baby Zack