Zenon's Game Chapter 178

I linked arms with Zenon and pulled both boys towards the exit. Zenon and Axel gave each other a high five over my head. Zenon had definitely overheard Axel's response to Kaden.

I tugged at Zenon's arm and told him, "You missed my whole competition."

"I thought you said no trophy?" was Zenon's reply.

He clearly noticed Kaden's medal.

~Afternoon class~

Jake fell asleep next to me in English class. I kept shoving my pencil against his arm to wake him up.

I sat with my eyes forced open. I put all my energy into staring at the front of the class, that I must've looked like a possessed individual. I wasn't wasting any energy in movement. I was barely even blinking.

Finally, school was over for the day. I wanted to crawl to the car. I felt like I'd aged so much in a day.

"Teenagers are so energetic," I told Jake as we walked out of the worst English class of all time.

It's called English but I swear they were speaking French. I didn't understand anything.

"They're like energizer bunnies," Jake agreed, watching our classmates chatting and hurrying past us.

We stepped outside into the chilly winter air and walked towards Zenon's car. We both assumed Zenon was going to drive us home.

And he was already waiting for us. Zenon was leaning against his car, with his gym bag swung over his left shoulder. I felt sorry to think that he actually had to exercise today.

He saw us and nodded his head in a curt greeting. He opened the car door for me and got inside, wordlessly. He didn't acknowledge Jake.

"How did your math competition go today, Candace?" Jake asked happily, getting into the backseat. His voice was still muffled by the bruising on his face.

"I qualified to the next round but lost overall. It wasn't super embarrassing and very few people showed up so I think I'll live it down," I said, "Thanks for asking."

I glanced at Zenon. Where has he been? What's his excuse? Why isn't he saying anything?

"Nah, it's good practice for next time," Jake said comfortingly, "I would've come but the nurse wanted to check my face. I think she was worried that I've gotten involved in gang violence. In reality, I'm just related to my family."

Zenon turned the music on and up, drowning out the sound of Jake's voice in the backseat.

Zenon was done with playing nice. He was frustrated at himself for missing my competition - I could tell.

He hadn't slept. He was carpooling all of us. He had to work out earlier. He missed my competition and I think that last part affected him. The thought that we weren't 100% OK. To be honest, it affected me too.

Tonight would be an odd choice to go on our romantic date. Zenon mentioned wanting to take me somewhere private, somewhere special for just the two of us. I wondered where that would be. And I wondered what tone today had set for it.

I've survived today. That's all I've done. Survived today – and somehow – I felt incredibly proud of that.

Finally, we could relax together at home. The TV was on in the background but we paid it no attention. Thai takeaway warmed my belly as I ate the last of its contents. Across from me, Zenon finished his.

He had ordered us dinner before switching his phone off. We were both exhausted and his phone lay discarded on the table, next to the soy sauce.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" I asked him as we picked up the empty cartons.

I'd scored a couple hours of sleep before Zenon carried me to school on his shoulder this morning. I wonder if he caught any.

"Thirty minutes in class," he answered.

He took our chopsticks and I showed him the recycling. I wondered how he'd managed to survive today on no sleep and with an athlete's schedule.

It reminded me of how disciplined he was. I waited for him in the kitchen while he poured himself another glass of water.

He offered me a glass, but I rejected it. I would've accepted ice cream or a chocolate brownie, but Zenon didn't have a sweet tooth and forgot to order dessert.

Maybe he could be dessert. He tempted me so much lately. I was always itching to touch him.

I watched him drink the cold water and my fingers found their way to the bottom of his shirt. He raised an eyebrow as he finished the glass.

My fingers slipped under his shirt and pressed against the hard outline of his abs. I followed their curvature and pressed the palm of my hand firmly against him. He exhaled, placing the glass on the counter.

"Why didn't you make it to my competition?" I asked him.

His eyes followed the movement of my lips. I'd distracted him.

"I tried," he finally said, "Coach found out about the guys selling their jerseys. He made us all do drills in punishment."

"Drills?" I asked, dropping my hands from him.

Zenon caught my hands and put them back onto his body.

I thought that was cute.

He wrapped his own arms on my waist, looking down at me tenderly, "I wish I could've gotten out of it, but anyone who didn't show up was off the team. He's taking it seriously and making us do sprints every day for the next two weeks."

That sounded like more punishment than anyone could deserve. It always struck me as odd that people willingly subject themselves to 'punishment' in the name of 'training.'

"So what do you prefer," I mused, as our lips came close to touching. I exhaled onto his lips, "Me to be annoyed now or later?"

I was not annoyed at all. Maybe I should be, and maybe 0.0004% of me was. But the rest of me was entirely infatuated.