Changing You ✦ The Sequel

Chapter 24 {R}

~ ☾~

Over the years, I've come to learn that on the very first day of every new school year, there are three types of people.

There are the ones who squeal and burst out of their own skin from excitement as they reunite with their friends, their voices and laughter loud as they fill each other in with all the details about their summer.

There are the new kids, wandering around the place with no idea where to go, masking their nerves with unsure smiles, hands clenching around the straps of their backpacks as they scan the crowded hallways for familiar faces.

And then there are the ones who look like they'd rather be struck by lightning than back here, with thunderclouds on their faces and the droopy steps of someone soaked by rain.

I used to be among the first type. The happy ones with the loud reunions: the thought of seeing my friends every day and going back to my normal routine giving me relief and leaving me bright with cheerfulness.

Today? I counted myself as neither one of those types, and I realised there had to be a fourth one.

The type that was there because they needed to be. That didn't hate it, but weren't excited about it either.

Most of all, I felt different. Uneasy, might've been the word I had been searching for. Uneasy because I had no idea what to expect of this school year.

The whole school knew my name now, knew Zach's, and it wasn't for the right reasons. My normal habits were broken by the absence of my closest friends, and reformed by a new sort of relationship I was still getting used to having.

I jumped as someone placed a hand on the small of my back, almost dropping the books I had just grabbed out of my locker.

When I turned around to find Zach, he looked just as confused by my reaction as I was.

I should've sensed him coming.

In the flash of a moment it reminded me of Daniel's stupid obsession to scare me — especially because he barely ever managed to — the way he always used to creep up on me while I was at my locker, and how satisfied he would've been right now.

I shook it off.

"Hi," I smiled, hearing my own heartbeat calm down at the soft expression on Zach's face.

He brushed a strand of hair out of my face. "Good morning, Princess."

I leaned into him, pressing a kiss to his lips and feeling him smile at the contact. His arm wrapped around my waist, keeping me in the moment for a few seconds longer.

When I pulled back, the grin that was playing on his lips told me he had a pickup line coming. The familiarity of his habit brought me comfort.

He took the hem of my shirt in between his fingers. "Nice shirt, love the fabric," he complimented, tilting his head into a smug look. "Does it happen to be made of girlfriend material?"

I shook my head, chuckling. "Hm, no, I'm pretty sure it's polyester."

He shot me a look.

I pecked his lips quickly. "But that's girlfriend material," I smiled innocently.

His fake glare fell into a chuckle. "I missed this," he said with a soft smile. "Don't get me wrong, I didn't miss school for the slightest bit, but I'll never get tired of this."