The Golden Boys

Chapter Seven

It was Tuesday afternoon. School was finished, Zara turned in her English essay and was now looking for Enzo to take him home. Instead, she found Damien and Andrei near their cars as if they were waiting for her.

"Enz had to do something," Damien told her.

Zara nodded her head. She had a feeling it had something to do with his uncle. The girl was about to say something, but then remembered that she promised Enzo and Kenji not to tell the others that she knew of his secret, for Andrei's sake. She didn't understand why it mattered to keep it a secret from Andrei that she knew of his actions.

"Thanks for telling me," she replied with a smile.

"But if you're free now," Damien continued with a grin. "We were going to play mini golf downtown. A new place has opened up."

"Sounds fun," Zara said. She couldn't remember the last time she played mini golf... how old was she? Six? "I'll meet you there."

Andrei was leaning against the hood of his car. "Don't you have practice right now?" he asked Damien with a frown. The slightest hint of annoyance was in his voice.

"Oh shit! You're right," Damien said, his grin spreading wider on his face. "You two go on without me! Tell me how it is!"

Before either of them could object, Damien picked up his duffle bag full of football gear that was conveniently at his feet for someone who had forgotten about practice moments ago. The boy rushed off with a wave and joined his teammates walking towards the direction of the field on the other side of campus. Zara shook her head, knowing that he had just set them up, and looked back to Andrei who was staring at her.

"We can go some other time," Zara said slowly, fidgeting with the handle of her bag as she tried to ignore the awkwardness.

"I already told the owner I'd come tonight," Andrei replied.

"Oh."

Neither of them moved, they held eye contact for some time.

Finally, Andrei opened the passenger side door. "Let's go," he told her.

"I can drive there," she replied. Zara didn't want to spend any alone time with this boy if she could avoid it. At events, in public places, she was fine, but not in a car.

"Caddel," he spoke. "Get in the car."

"What about my car?" she asked.

Andrei gave her an annoyed look. "I'll have someone bring it to your house."

"How?" Zara pressed. They both knew she was stalling. "They don't have my keys." Take a hint, take a hint, take a hint. I thought you were smart.

"You can leave your keys with the security guards in the lobby, give them to Cece, or I can get someone to tow your car to your place," Andrei replied. "Get in the car, Caddel. The event starts in an hour and there'll be traffic."

Still, Zara didn't move. The last time they were alone, he had pulled off a boy from her in the hallway and they spoke. The memory was slightly hazy though she remembered crying in the bathroom after puking.

"Go on without me," she told him with a small smile. "I'll see you later."

Andrei waited a split second before closing the passenger door. "Do you always have to be so difficult?" he muttered. "It's just fucking mini golf."

She was acting ridiculous. Yes, she knew that she was overreacting. Zara stepped back onto the sidewalk as Andrei walked to the driver's side. Before he got into the car, he met her eyes once more and said, "Caddel, I don't understand this thing between us, but all of our friends are close to one another and we'll be spending a lot of time together. So grow up a little bit because whether you like it or not, at some point in time, we will be alone together and we'll have to be able to at least hold a small conversation without arguing."

Zara couldn't reply. He didn't bother to wait for her reply as he slammed his door shut and drove off from the school parking lot.

She felt guilty. She felt so fucking guilty. Zara should've gone with him to play mini golf. It's just fucking mini golf.

"Get a grip, Caddel," she told herself as she walked back to her car.

♛

Enzo returned late at night and Zara had waited for him in the kitchen, falling asleep with her head on the dining room table. The footsteps echoed inside of the room, causing Zara to shoot her head up to see Enzo dressed in a suit and covered in blood.

"It's not mine," he said, reading her mind.

"Good?" Zara offered and rubbed her eyes. The time read three in the morning.

Enzo took a seat across from her, unbuttoning his suit coat. "I heard you fought with Andrei," he told her.

"That's what you want to talk about?" Was he fucking joking? This boy just shows up in the kitchen drenched in blood at three in the morning and wants to talk about some petty fight with Andrei? What was he on?

He shrugged. "He doesn't like talking about his emotions, but I ran into him tonight and he was in a foul mood."

Zara released a bitter laugh. "And you automatically associate his bad moods with me?"

"That and Damien texted me about his plan," Enzo smiled. "His failed plan."

"Great," Zara muttered into her arms, resting her head back onto the table.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Are you going to tell me what happened tonight?"

They both knew the answer to their questions. No.

"Well, this was fun," Zara said and stood up from the table. She patted Enzo on the shoulder and started to exit the kitchen. "I'm glad you're alive."

She fully meant it. Zara had waited for him to return out of worry. Would he call and would he need her help again? What would happen if something happened and she couldn't reach him in time? What if he died?

"Me too," Enzo replied.

How did the Golden Boys deal with high school drama and their own adult issues with calmality? Enzo and Kenji are always so calm and level headed. Andrei obviously has his own issues and she had a feeling Damien had his own as well. But none of them ever complain. They always seem to know what to do, when to do it, and how to achieve their wanted outcome.

"'Night, Enz," she called, already halfway up the stairs.

"Sleep well, Zarita," he called back.

Zara did sleep well that night. She slept so well that she missed the first period when she woke up the next morning.

ya i agree, zara was being a little bitch. and very pathetic. grow up, hon! 😤 kinda cute how enz is more worried about zara's love life than his own issues. like dude, you returned all fucking bloody and want to talk about why zara didn't want to go mini golfing!?!? he really needs to sort out his priorities (i love you if you got the reference). next chap already up!