Chp.23- Zephan's girl.

Zephan leaned in eager to taste those lips that had been beckoning to him since they had first met.

Naya felt his breath against her own, the gentle touch of his fingers as they trailed down her skin.

'So beautiful' Zephan thought.

He closed his eyes, eager to savor this moment and leaned into her.

It took a few seconds for Zephan to realize that his lips had come up to nothing but the cold air and as he opened his eyes once more. He saw a red faced Naya assert herself over the strong woman he knew.

"I'm sorry" She muttered sheepishly and took to her heels.

"Wait!" He called, but like the cold wind she had fast disappeared through the door.

A string of curses flew from his mouth and in that moment Zephan wondered if he had moved too quick.

~•~

~A year ago,SS2 third term~

Summer and her two best friends, Denise and Ayodamola, made their way through the library aisles, the sound of their footsteps and soft whispers echoing through the stacks. As they turned to a corner, they came across Zephan and Naya at the very back of the library. Zephan's hand caressed the higher part of Naya's thigh as he whispered into her ear, prompting her to blush and giggle. Summer couldn't take her eyes off them, wondering what Zephan's intentions were.

As the girls sneaked closer, their ears caught fragments of their private conversation. Zephan uttered sweet nothings into Naya's ear as he delicately combed her silky hair with his fingers. The girls watched with awe, unable to look away.

A feeling of betrayal churned in Summer's stomach, a mixture of heartbreak and anger threatening to spill out of her. She watched with a mix of envy and disgust as Zephan leaned in and kissed Naya, a passionate display of affection that left the three spying girls feeling like intruders.

Summer's heart was pounding against her chest, anger and jealousy mixed in one feeling. How dare Zephan do this to her? She could feel her stomach churning as Zephan cupped Naya's face and pecked her cheek. Denise tugged at Summer's sleeve, urging her to move, but Summer stood there, unable to tear her gaze from the scene in front of her. She felt like a piece of glass shattered into a million fragments.

By the time Summer had snapped out of her self thoughts, Zephan and Naya were already making their way towards the exit.Summer, Ayodamola, and Denise stood frozen, trying to digest what they had just witnessed. Summer felt like she had lost a part of herself, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Zephan's sweet words and affectionate gestures to Naya still replayed in her mind, like a nightmare she couldn't escape.

Summer felt like she had been hit by a tidal wave of emotion. She was left feeling like she was drowning in a sea of conflicting emotions, struggling to keep her head above water.

~•~

"You conniving bitch!" Summer pounced on Naya the very moment she walked into class later that day. She had tried so hard to keep her cool, to pretend she didn't see what she saw in the library, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. She slapped Naya across the face so hard that the whole class heard, as well as those in the hallway.

"Oh my god." Denise covered her mouth with her hands, thorn between gaping and smiling in joy.

"How dare you?! How dare you do this to me! You're disgusting! A slut! How fucking dare you?!" She spat, shoving her backwards with every outburst she made. Naya held her cheek in shock, still not quite recovering from the unexpected slap.

"You're always acting like a holier than thou but it turns out you're a snake! A fucking snake! I can't believe you'd so this to me! I thought we were friends!?" Naya stared at her dumbfounded.

"O-of course we're friends." Summer scoffed bitterly.

"Wow, not only are you a conniving bitch and dirty slut, you're a liar as well, huh?" Her words stung. A lot. Naya wondered where all this hate was coming from, but deep down she felt like she already knew. She hoped it wasn't that. She wasn't ready to tell Summer she was dating her ex boyfriend.

"All those times I kept ranting about me and Zephan, you were fucking him behind my back, huh? " Summer spat, and there was a series of gasps around the room. Naya's eyes widened in horror.

"W-what? No! No I wasn't. Zephan and I were just friends then. I would never do that to you. I'm not that type of girl who goes after people's boyfriends." Denise scoffed, folding her arms and rolling her eyes. She felt offended because she knew she was and could be that type of girl. She had an infatuation towards Zephan and she was willing to snag him from Summer if only the guy complied and actually paid fucking attention to her. He always made her feel like she didn't exist and it hurt.

It also hurt that he'd choose Naya, inexperienced, stupid, naive Naya, over her, a whole meal. Was he blind?! She was even far prettier than Naya. Maybe not curvy, but didn't her pretty face matter?

"You would never do that to me? You're doing it now! You're with him even though you know what's going on between the two of us!" She exclaimed.

"There's nothing going on between us, Summer." A new voice was heard. Zephan stepped into the classroom, his eyes narrowed at the girl he heard from his classmates had slapped his girl. He stood protectively in front of Naya and spoke directly to Summerein. "Not now, not ever."

"Zeph-"

"The next time you raise your hand to Naya again, I promise you you'll regret it." He cut her short saying, his voice low and firm. His eyes were blazing with anger and Summer gulped, visibly intimidated. She didn't want to seem weak so she stood straighter, glared at him, then at the girl hiding behind him. She huffed and stormed out of the class, her girls following behind, with their eyes promising trouble.

"Naya," Zephan turned around to face the trembling girl. He cupped her cheeks gently, caressing them with his thumb.

"I'm so sorry baby. Does it hurt?" He had asked her, concern written on his face. Naya only whimpered, letting her tears roll down her cheek freely and embracing him. She buried her face in his neck, still feeling eyes on her-on them. He rubbed her back and kissed her hair.

"They won't do shit to you,okay? She wouldn't dare anger me." He had said in a voice so sure.

Oh but she dared. She and her two friends did nothing but make Naya's life hell throughout that semester. They were seldom physical, little shoves and hits on the head, but they mostly used their words. They'd call her all sorts of names and try to bring her down. They also tried turning everyone else against her, but those people knew how much she meant to Zephan. And as long as she had Zephan and her new friend, Ivory by her side, she knew there was nothing else she had to worry about.