I'm not a popular girl | ✔️

Sixteen - White Jersey Check

Carden

Dean was everywhere Carden went. He was at the beach after school nearly everyday and he seemed to be at Starbucks whenever Zoë and Carden were there studying. Not to mention how he caught Dean flirting with Zoë at Wendy's after a sick surfing night.

He was leaning against the edge of his table with his elbows propped up and talking to Zoë who looked like she was about to beat him over the head with the tray in her hands.

When she saw Carden she excused herself and rushed over. She wrapped her arms him, even if he was soaking wet and water was dripping endlessly from his hair. "Thank you for saving me from him."

He had wrapped his arms around her tightly, her hair smelling like watermelon. "Hey, no sweat. It's my job as a knight to save his fair maiden from dragons."

"I'm not your maiden."

"Whatever." He glared at Dean over her shoulder. "But there is a vicious dragon who keeps trying to take the maiden from her knight."

But when Cam leaned over and whispered, "Yo Car," from across the lunch table that was the last straw.

Cam tilted his head every so slightly to the left in the direction of Zoë and Amber's table. "Dude, look."

But Carden was already looking. Amber was staring at Cam with that help-us-please-I'm-begging-you look and Zoë was tense. Her usually happy demeanor had vanished and the adorable annoyance that stood behind it showed. And the cause of all this? Dean Hamilton.

Anger bubbled inside Carden as he watched as Dean laughed loudly at something Zoë had said, throwing his head back and running a hand through his hair to fix it.

"He's a terrible flirt." Then Dean reached over and twirled a strand of Zoë's hair in between his fingers.

"Okay, that's it," Carden hissed as he stood violently.

He stormed over to Zoë's table and sat next to her with a forced, flirty smile. "Hey babe, you wouldn't mind if me and Cam sat with you, right?"

Zoë smiled. "Of course not!"

Cam slid into the seat next to Amber and started a conversation with her. Zoë let out a sigh filled with relief as she gently took his hand in her's, gently running her thumb along the back of his hand. Carden tucked back a piece of her hair, fighting back a smile at Dean's expression.

His brown eyes had hardened, it was the same look Carden had seen in his phone reflection since that morning. His lips had formed a hard frown and when he made eye contact with Carden, he glared.

Dean raised an eyebrow and mouthed, "Back off. She doesn't like you."

Idiot.

Carden smirked and reached for his backpack. If this guy wanted to fight, then a fight he would get. But in the end, Carden would emerge from the battlefield with Zoë holding his hand and leaning her head against his shoulder.

He unzipped his backpack and pulled out a handful of jerseys. "Mkay Zo, I washed all of these, as promised, now you can take your pick." He put all the jerseys on the table and pointed to the dark blue one. "I'd pick that one though. It's my lucky one."

She stared at the table and gingerly reached out to touch the fabric as if they would fall apart if she touched them. A smile appeared on her lips as her eyes read the word "Ash" on the back of them. "So I can pick any?"

"Whatever one you want, you can have. The season ends in two weeks and I know for sure I won't have to wear these again so pick one."

Zoë's hand hovered over the fabric until she gently grabbed the white one with his number and last name written in navy on the back. "This one?"