I'm not a popular girl | ✔️

Six - Not to Hot

Carden

"So when are we gonna meet your girl?" Aidan asked as he leaned over Derek's slumping figure. "I've heard so much about her but I've never seen her. I'm actually not sure if she's even real."

Derek snorted. "Oh, she's real alright. She's my step sisters best friend and she was over last night planning about what to wear. Involved a ton of squealing and fangirling."

"Aren't those the same thing?"

"The point is, girls are so difficult. Right guys?"

The jocks around them murmured their agreement and Carden tried to contribute to the conversation but his mind was somewhere else. So she had taken his advice. Well, not really advice. More like cheerful demands but still. She might even look approachable and not like a village hobo for once.

"Oh great, here they come," Derek complained loudly. "Did you seriously have to invite them to hangout with us this morning, Car?"

"Well, she is my girlfriend." The word tasted foreign on his tongue and it was amazing to say. It was a word he felt he wasn't allowed to say but when he did, it felt wonderful. Natural, even. "So, yes."

He turned his gaze towards the entrance door and his jaw very nearly dropped. Zoë walked toward him with her friends behind her but he was to busy staring at her outfit to acknowledge them.

Her brown hair, which was usually tied up in a bun or braid, hung loosely around her shoulders in soft curls. Blonde highlights sparkled in the midst of the dark color. She wore a blood red crop top with black ripped jeans, a black leather jacket that matched her backpack, and black heels. The guys around Carden were about as transfixed as he was.

"Hey," Zoë said and she gently lowered herself to sit next to him. Her best friend, Amelia?, sat beside her and her green eyes flicked to Cam nervously. Calista Duke sat on the railing next to a boy in a cowboy hat and boots.

"Umm hi," Carden stuttered, forcing himself to take his eyes off of Zoë.

They weren't actually together, remember?

"You um...look...amazing?"

She looked up from picking at stray threads in the holes in her pants. "Thanks, I guess."

"No problem." He looked the other way, tapping his fingers restlessly against his leg. Since when did he get so nervous around a girl? Especially someone like Zoë, aka his tutor? Her being beautiful didn't change who she was to him.

Awkward silence seemed to suffocate the group. What were they waiting for? Were the jocks expecting him to lean over and kiss Zoë? Start professing his "love" for her? He subtly winced at the image. No, nada, no sir, not happening. He had limits and doing those things were crossing the line.

"Heyyyyyyyyy Carden!" someone called and Carden looked up to see Chloe and her killer fashionista minions coming their way.

Great, just great.

Carden repressed a sigh. "Hi Chloe."

Chloe twirled a strand of her blonde hair around her finger and sat on the step below him, resting her arms on his knee and staring into his eyes. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could've sworn he saw Calista tense up and look away.