-Chapter 6: New Year, New Fears-

-Zeke-

Third period PE. Probably the only class I'm not close to failing. And it's the only class I don't totally despise. Yet.

But I digress. I put my shoes on and prepare to walk out of the locker room when I overhear a conversation that caught my attention.

"You hear the Korpus girls going to that party Saturday?" One guy says.

"Yeah, but I'd rather she not go." Says another.

"Why's that? She's hot as hell." The first one asks, seemingly perplexed.

"Cuz she's probably gonna bring that one new weird kid with her." The second one says. "He gives me the creeps. What's his name? Zane?"

I heard enough and figured it was time to have some fun.

"The names Zeke actually," I say with a dead expression as I turn around.

They all freeze and look at me.

"Don't worry. I'm not one for partying," I say with a smirk. "And lighten up hotshot, I'm only gonna sell your soul."

The second guy flinched a little, and I walked out. I needed to find Kris and meet up with Jess.

————————

-Cassie-

"And this here is the cafeteria. Where some of us eat." Jess said in her normal enthusiastic tone.

"W-why only some?" I can't help but ask.

"Well, my dear, there's a variety of reasons. The most important ones are, to many people and too little space." She replies. "I don't sit in the cafeteria for that simple reason."

"Oh," I say quietly. "T-then where d-do you sit?"

"Over there. In my hangout spot." Jess said as she pointed to a formation of rocks. "You should join."

"N-no thanks," I say, surprised by the offer. "I d-don't wanna be a bother."

"You won't be. I can assure you that." Jessie said. "Plus, my friends wanna meet ya."

"Meet..me?" I think. "That's crazy funny. Nobody wants to meet me."

I don't reply.

"It'll be ok. I promise." She says, taking my hand, which I pull back out of reflex.

"O-oh shoot," Jessie said, seeming to break character. " I'm so sorry."

"I-it's fine." I stutter. "L-lets go find your f-fr-friends."

Jess, with a look of mild surprise, smiled and said nothing before leading me to her to the 'hangout spot.'

---------------

-Zeke-

-Kris-

Z: where r u?

K: look behind you, idiot

-------------------

I look behind me to see Kris with her right hand on her hip.

"Well, shit, that was fast," I say.

Kris chuckled a bit. "Cmon, Jess is waiting for us."

I roll my eyes and sigh. "Let's get this over with."

Kris raised her eyebrow at me. "C'mon Red. It won't be that bad. I promise." She said reassuringly while pulling me along to our usual hangout spot.

I roll my eyes before following after her.

———————

"Where the hell were you two?" Jessie exclaimed. "We've been waiting for ten minutes!"

"Holy shit, ten whole minutes?!" Kris said sarcastically. "This place is pretty huge, remember?"

"Right," Jessie said. "Now, everyone, meet Cassie!"

The girl next to her gave a small wave before looking at the ground, and we both wave back. I sat on one of the rocks, but Kris still stood.

"Here, Red." She said, throwing me her bag. "I'm gonna go get lunch."

"I'm going with!" Jessie said, going along with Kris. I swear, they're going to end up a gay couple.

I watch them walk to the cafeteria then look back at Cassie.

"Nervous?" I ask blankly while putting the bag down.

She seemed to jump at the question.

"A-a little b-bit." She stutters.

"I know how ya feel," I say in the same blank tone. "I'm new this year too."

"Really?" Cassie asked without stuttering.

"Yep. I'm not so nervous, though." I reply.

"W-why n-not." She asked.

"Cuz. I don't care enough to be." I say coldly.

"Oh." She says.

"Where you from?" I ask.

"P-ph-Phoenix." She says.

"Arizona?" I say. "Long way from home, you are."

Cassie simply nods.

"W-wh-where are y-you from?" She attempted to ask.

"You stutter a lot?" I ask.

"Y-yes." She says, looking back down.

"To answer your question, I'm from Long Beach. California." I say.

"W-What's it like?" She asked.

"Sure as hell better than this place," I say.

Cassie takes a while to reply. She seems to be looking at something over my shoulder. I turn around to see what she's looking at.

"Oh, goddamnit." I hiss under my breath.

I see Kris and Jessie talking to someone who I immediately recognized as Rafe.

"Wh-what? Did I do something?" Cassie says in an unknown panic.

"What? No." I say to her.

"W-who are they talking to?" Cassie asked with a hint of relief in her voice.

"His names Rafe and he's an ass." I snap. "If you can, newbie, avoid him as much as possible."

"O-ok." Cassie peeped.

"By the way, the names Zeke," I say, reaching my hand out to shake.

"N-n-nice t-to m-meet you," Cassie said, accepting my handshake, though a bit hesitant.

-----------------------

-Kris-

"What do you want, Rafe?" I snap.

Rafael Mendoza, once a former friend, now a complete asshole who's blocking mine and Jessie's way.

"Nothing, I just wanna see how my two best pals are doing," Rafe says with a shit-eating grin.

I roll my eyes and try to get past, but once again, he gets in my way.

"Move it, asshole." Jessie snapped.

"And what if I don't," Rafe says in a cocky tone.

I facepalm, and Jessie rolled her eyes.

"Then you'll regret it," Jessie says through gritted teeth, and with that, he backed off.

"Ok, ok, chill." He surrendered. And with that, he backed off.

We walk back to the rocks where Zeke and Cassie sat.

"What's his deal?" Zeke asked.

"I have no fucking clue," I retort. 

"I just remembered something." Jess butts in. "Cassie, they want you in the office after lunch. For what I don't know."

"Oh. Ok." Cassie peeped. "Thanks."

"No problem!" Jessie smiled. "If you have any questions, you can ask me."

Cass nods but says nothing.

"If you come to school tomorrow, then meet us here if you can," I say in a cheerful voice.

Cassie turned to look at me before giving me a small smile. Then the bell rand just like that, lunch was over.