Zenon's Game Chapter 188

I caught him off guard with a hug and his cold cheek on mine felt... warm. OK, obviously it felt cold. Even his jacket brought in the cold from the outside.

He closed the door behind him. "I had to wait for my parents to go to sleep," he said, taking off his coat, "But front door unlocked means I don't have to climb in through your window."

So there is a silver lining to that recklessness...

"How's Jake by the way?" I asked, thinking of Annika leaving earlier today. She must be somewhere over the ocean right now. "I saw he came back from the airport."

"He's probably crying in his room," Zenon said.

"Zenon!" I threw a pillow at him. He unfortunately caught it.

"Say my name louder," he dared me, "I'm sure your mother wants to hear."

I bit my lip, realizing he was right. My mom rarely came to my room, which is why Zenon sneaking in has been so easy. But if we yelled loud enough...

"Have I told you I like that?" he asked me quietly.

"When I say your name?"

"When you bite your lip."

~The next morning @ Coffee ~

"Candy, you coming?" Zenon called out from the driver seat of his car.

His arm rested on the open window as he called out to me in the parking lot of the Coffee Bean. I hurried over, holding my coffee like it was an Olympic medal.

"Was that kid bothering you again?" Zenon asked me, leaning over to open the door on my side of the car.

I hopped in and put my seatbelt on. I looked at Zenon and smiled. I couldn't help it. If I could draw, he'd be my muse.

"Draven isn't bothering me," I answered, sticking the straw into the coffee, "I was asking him if there was a job opening at the Coffee Bean."

"Don't you work at Lola Rae?"

I frowned and glanced out the window. This didn't really feel like the time to mention it. It's a real mood killer.

We passed by the street Cynthia lived on and I asked, "Hey Zenon, can I ask you something?"

"Mhm," he nodded, focusing on the street as he drove us to school. The window was down for some insane reason and the cold wind ruffled his hair.

I asked, "Is Axel dating anyone?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of Zenon's lips. "You interested?"

"Seriously," I insisted, "Is he?"

Zenon turned the car into the school parking lot. He slowed down as he drove up to his own reserved spot in the front row. I noticed students paying attention to us as we drove through.

I wish my little old car got the same treatment. It would feel special.

"No," he said, "Why?"

Axel's single.

"Hmm... no reason," I muttered, sipping my coffee so I couldn't answer any more questions.

Zenon parked and turned the ignition off. As the engine died down, he turned to me. "Why do you-"

"Zenon! We need you to come," Bryce barged in on our conversation, resting both his hands on the open window as he peered into the car, "Oh. Morning Candace."

"Hi Bryce, perfect timing," I said, peering around Zenon who was not looking so pleased by the interruption, "Do you think we can add one more person to the New Years' Eve trip? She's my-"

"She?" Bryce repeated, "Yeah. Definitely."

I texted Cynthia one word: Single

Who knew playing Cupid could be so easy?

I put my phone away, feeling pretty good about myself. Maybe I could sprinkle love like fairy dust across this little town and form an idyllic oasis-

"Shall we study in the computer labs?" Joe asked, hurrying towards me. His backpack bounced up and down, "My friend sent me a math quiz from college. I thought it could be fun for us to do together."

"Sure. Want to do it at lunch?" I replied, looking at the papers in his hands.

He could barely contain his excitement. I wish math gets me that excited. With everything that happened last year, I was still finding my math mojo.

I look at Zenon the way Joe looks at a math quiz.

And that's probably accurate.

"OK, but I can't promise I won't have started by then," he warned me, hurrying off to the computer labs already.

I turned the corner and walked towards Cynthia's locker. I thought back on my morning with Zenon. I still haven't told him about being fired, but when's the right time to?

Maybe we're not as open with each other as we should be. He still hasn't told me which college he's chosen. He didn't even share his hesitation with me.

I saw Cynthia talking to Yoona and Lexi. She looked pretty animated, waving her hands and I had to say she had incredible shell nail art.

Once upon a fairytale, they were part of a group called LUCKY. Now, Cynthia had abandoned it and my ex-friend Julia was trying to take her place.

From LUCKY to.... LUJKY? It doesn't have the same ring.

Cynthia excused herself from the two of them and walked towards me, squealing. People passing by gave her a double look.

"Were the girls asking you to join their group again?" I asked her, staring over her shoulder at Yoona and Lexi who were staring right back.

"Yeah but what's new? I'm lucky to be free of LUCKY," she dismissed the group with a wave of her hand, "But can we talk about your text?! Single!!"

Oh Axel.

I had a grin as wide as a Cheshire cat. "He's single. A single pringle. So single I'll write a jingle-"

"Oh wow, Candace, you can't do that again in front of me," Cynthia laughed, looking around if anyone was listening.