My Diggy Diggy One Shots

Whatever Makes You Happy

Prompt 2. Childhood Friend AU. Zoethian

*A/N: I just want to say I’m in the middle of watching The Blackrock Chronicles for the first time (Tekkit Rebirth: Ep. 5) so get mad at that, not me. Also, I read a Zoethian where Teep knew sign language, and that’s how he talked to people. That is how I’m going to headcanon him in this story. :)

It was the summer before we were entering high school that things between Zoey and I changed. It wasn’t noticeable, not to her at least, but I noticed. I notice most things.

Most people who fall for their friend have only been friends for a few years at most. Not many kids who were friends since they could first walk stay as close as we are. When we entered high school I was scared she was going to change and we weren't going to be friends anymore. I’ve seen friendships end because people start to become who they are meant to be.

With Zoey and I though, it seemed we grew closer. Maybe too close. It’s a horrible cliche, I know. Falling for the girl next door who also happens to be your closest and one of your only friends. I want to say something, maybe something as simple as: ‘Hey, doesn’t being in high school feel weird? Feel, different?’ or something dumb like that.

I’ve mentioned it to our friend Teep, a kid who moved down the street and has never uttered a word to anyone. He is really good at reading body language, so if I didn’t say something he would have brought it up. He told (or rather, signed) me that he noticed it as well.

He’s offered to bring it up to her for me, but I shot him down. He understands, ruining a friendship like ours. . .it isn’t worth it. On top of these newfound feelings for Zoey, I’ve noticed she has been getting closer to Teep. About time. When she first met him she was pretty wary, but she took to sign language really easily and helped interpret while I was still trying to figure it out.

We are happy, the three of us. When it was just Zoey and I, it was fun but now that Teep is here, there is a sense of . .completion? Running in between our houses as kids, we tended to stay to ourselves. We never played well with other kids. It was fun, we made do with games like tag and hide and seek. We would spend the night at each other’s house almost every night. We always were in the same class, always playing together, just the two of us at recess.

When I first met Teep I was walking to school alone because Zoey was sick. I kind of picked him up on the way to school, not saying anything until I found out he was in most of my classes. He carried a large notepad around with him and at lunch sat with me and told me he was mute. We planned on walking to school together the next day.

I nearly forgot about Teep, too busy talking to Zoey about what dumb thing Duncan did the day before, when I saw him waiting at the end of his driveway looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. I introduced them and we walked to school together in an awkward silence.

Those were the good old days, when life wasn’t so complicated. Now we have to worry about maintaining good grades and figuring out what we want to do with our lives. Add the illusion of love and teen hormones into that and you have a barrel of crap.

Especially when the person you have feelings for starts to show interest in someone that isn’t you. When that person is someone you (to put it lightly) don’t care for. When you know that they don’t like you, but maybe telling them how you feel will make them change their mind. When you are willing to put the last ten or eleven years on the line, in hopes they will like you back.

At first I blamed the teacher for making the stupid seating chart the way he did, then I blamed Duncan for being ‘kinda cute’ and ‘funny.’ Now though, I just blame myself.

I blame myself for being so foolish as to fall for her. For thinking that she could reciprocate my feelings. I should have seen this coming, nothing good ever comes from stuff like this. Teep probably knew it wouldn’t end well for Zoey and I as soon as he met her.

“Rythian, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird the last week or so.” We just dropped Teep off at his house, walking home from school.

“What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong.” I speed up slightly, wanting to end this conversation immediately.

“I know you, I know when you are lying to me.”

I shake my head. “You know I don’t like lying to you Zoey. This is something I need to work out by myself.”

Weeks pass and Zoey eventually stops pestering me. On a day where Teep didn’t come to school, Zoey comes up to my locker after school like we usually do.

“Hello Zoey.”

“Rythian, you will not believe what happened.” I shut my locker and look at her. “I was going to tell you earlier, but you seemed really distracted every time I saw you.”

“Just spit it out, Zoey.”

“Okay, okay. Duncan asked me out.” She grins, bouncing up and down.

“Oh, that’s great! Congrats.” I try and sound happy for her.

She slowly stops bouncing. “Oh, this is going to be awkward, isn’t it?”

Zoey knows I’m not a fan of Duncan and in return he isn’t a fan of me. “No, whatever makes you happy, Zoey.” She hugs me and skips away.

“Whatever makes you happy.”