The Curveball//zdh

Ch. 3//tripping

Y/N's P.O.V.
First period wasn't too grueling. We did a lab for Anatomy. But second period, Weightlifting, was 45 minutes of pure torture. Today was leg day. We did something that Coach referred to as the "Pain Cave" squat series. I ended up having to hold weighted squats for intervals ranging from 15-60 seconds. Even as I was getting changed and walking to pick up Zach from his second period class, my legs wouldn't stop shaking and just kept getting worse. Not much longer until I get to sit down, though.
I spot Zach leaning against a wall next to a printer station. I try to make it to him without tripping. I kind of half-way succeed at that, but when I get about 3 feet from him, one of my legs gives out, sending me hurdling and falling into Zach, knocking him over. I find myself laying right on top of Zach on the ground.
"Y/N?" I hear a familiar voice yelling. I scramble up to see Deaton jogging toward me and Zach.
"Shit. Come on, we gotta go." I say, helping Zach up and running to a hidden corridor. Zach follows close behind me but loses me when I turn. He looks around for me, so I quickly pull him into the little vestibule around the doorway to a Janitor's closet.
I slump against the wall, sliding down it, my back against the cool concrete blocks as I try to catch my breath.
"Mind telling me what just happened?" Zach asks, sitting next to me against the wall. I leaned my head against his shoulder, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes.
I pick up my head, "That was my ex, Deaton, and let's just say it didn't end well." He looks at me with sympathy in his eyes and I meet his gaze with exhaustion in mine.
"You can talk to me, you know?" Zach says without breaking eye contact, "You don't have to, though. I know we just met." He puts his hand on my knee. It was so nice to have someone's touch on my skin again, especially when it was affection and not anger. Wait... Suddenly, I was very aware of how close we were.
I struggle to stand up, so Zach helps me up, "As much as I'd love to tell you all about my sucky ex, we have a minute to get to class," I say, looking at the clock, "Follow me." I start walking pretty quickly towards Ms. Jordan's classroom, only stumbling a couple times and Zach catching me.
We walk into class and I sit in my seat, Zach sits next to me. Tyler turns toward me, giving me a weird look, like who-the-hell-is-that. I give him a don't-fucking-worry-about-it look, then adding a fake smile on the end. Maddie peers around Tyler and over at me, giving me the sweeter version of Tyler's look. I reply with an I'll-tell-you-later look.
By the time the bell rings, Ms. Jordan is telling us about our assignment, "You will need a partner for this review packet."
We all look around and I find both Maddie and Zach's eyes. When the teacher dismisses us to start working, both of them walk up to me. I look from Maddie to Zach and back to Maddie.
"Zach, would you mind working with Tyler?" I ask, "I promised Maddie that I'd be her partner."
I can see a hint of disappointment on his face but he recovers quickly and says, "Not at all. Who's Tyler?"
I do a face palm for myself and point to Tyler, who is working alone. I guess Aaron wasn't his partner today, "That's my brother, Tyler. He's on the team, too, so no worries."
"Thanks." Zach says, heading over to sit next to Tyler. I watch as they greet each other, then turn back to Maddie.
Maddie somehow looks confused and angry and happy for me all at the same time. But in a good way, I guess. She makes a gesture toward the door, then goes to ask Ms. Jordan if we could work in the hall.
We make our way out and sit against a couple lockers. I get right to work, "So, I think the answer to number four is 78.54. But I can't remember if that's the x-value or the y-val—"
"So you aren't gonna tell me what's going on?" She asks, crossing her arms.
"I thought I was..." I say, pointing at the paper like I'm oblivious, "Is that the x-value or—"
"About you and the new kid, dumbass," She says, tapping her pencil on her paper impatiently.
        "Oh..." I say, looking down at my feet.
        "Yeah. That's what I thought. Now spill." I tell her everything, starting with the papers and books going everywhere, up until we walked into class. The only thing I didn't mention was how adorable he looked, and him touching my knee. She totally would've read way too far into that.
        There's no way it means anything... right?

Zach's P.O.V.
        I'm waiting outside my second period class, leaning against a wall, when I see Y/N com tripping down the hallway. I stand up, expecting her to stop, but she stumbles into me and we fall to the ground. I kind of spin on the way down, letting her fall on top of me, so I break her fall. She was so close to me. I could feel her hair on my face and I brush it away.
        "Y/N?" A voice yells down the hallway. Y/N scrambles up and off of me.
        "Shit. Come on, we gotta go." She says, helping me up and then running off in another direction. I follow her as best as I can, but I lose her when I turn the corner.
        I'm staring around like an idiot, looking for her, when suddenly someone grabs my wrist and pulls me into a small, offset doorway type of area. I look over to see Y/N sliding down the wall. I sit next to her and say, "Mind telling me what happened?"
        Y/N lays her head on my shoulder and takes a deep breath. Then she closes her eyes, picks up her head, and meets my gaze, "That was my ex, Deaton, and let's just say it didn't end well." She has a look of pain in her eyes but she masks it well with a small smile.
        "You can talk to me, you know?" I remind her, still looking at her eyes, as if I'm having an unspoken conversation, "But you don't have to if you don't want to. I know we just met." I put my hand on her knee to comfort her, to let her know I'm here for her. All I wanted to do in that moment was take whatever pain she was going through away.
        Suddenly, Y/N looks away and is trying to stand up. Maybe I crossed a line without meaning to.
        She looks at the clock and says, "As much as I'd love to tell you about my sucky ex, we have a minute to get to class," she starts to walk, "Follow me."
        Y/N attempts to walk quickly to class, but stumbles a few times. I make certain to catch her from falling. Must've been a hard day in weightlifting.
        When we walk into class, I follow Y/N to her seat and take the empty seat next to her. She and her friends exchange a series of glances before the bell rings and the teacher starts to explain our assignment.
        "You'll need a partner for this review packet." Ms. Jordan explains. Once she dismisses us, another one of Y/N's friends and I both come over to Y/N. She looks back and forth between us. I can tell what's about to happen.
        "Zach, would you mind working with Tyler?" She asks, pointing to a tall, blonde guy in a baseball jersey.
        "Not at all. Who's Tyler?"
        She kind of face palms and explains, "That's my brother, Tyler. He's on the team, too, so no worries."
        "Thanks." I say and walk over to Tyler, "Hey, I'm Zach." I put my hand out to shake his and he shakes it firmly, "I guess I'm your partner?"
        "Oh sure. I'm Tyler. Y/N abandoned you?" He asks.
        "Nah, she decided to work with Maddie," I say, watching the two leave the classroom to work in the hallway, I'm guessing, "So you play baseball?"
        "Yeah I'm the starting shortstop on Varsity."
        "Sweet. I play second base and pitch." I say.
        "Cool, I'll see you at practice then."
        "Yeah." We both sat in silence for a few minutes, working out a couple equations.
        I'm just getting to number four when Tyler stops and says, "So why were y'all almost late?"
        Oh shit. He must be thinking we did something, "Oh, no, she just came to pick me up from my class, but some other events took place along the way that—"
        "What kind of 'events'?" Tyler asks, using air quotes.
        "Oh, nothing bad, just that she tripped and I caught her and her ex tried to talk to her so we avoided him."
        "Deaton? Again? I swear to you, I'm gonna beat his ass again if he touches her one more time." He says, anger radiating off of him.
        "Touches her?" I'm confused. I didn't think that's what she meant by sucky.
        "Oh... I probably shouldn't have told you that." He says in realization.
        "Does he hurt her?" I'm starting to worry about Y/N's safety. I know I just met her but I wouldn't want her to ever get hurt.
        "That's not my place. She will talk about it if she is ready."
        "I understand." I drop the subject and pretty soon the bell rings, "Hey, I'll see you at practice, man."
        "See you, Zach." He says and pats my back before heading to his next class. Y/N and Maddie walk back in and grab their bags. I wait patiently as Y/N grabs her things and Maddie winks at her before leaving.
        "What was that about?" I ask, laughing.
        "I have no clue," she giggles. Her giggle was so cute. Wait... what am I thinking? "Walk me to my next class?" She asks and I smile.
        END CHAPTER THREE