Zenon's Game Chapter 280

I sat in my car, parked under the tree where birds like to sit and sh*t on anything under it. I need to let out some steam. Things have been so intense lately and I don't know how to understand my own emotions. My mom didn't leave much behind, but she did leave alcohol.

I opened the glove compartment in my car and pulled out the little bottle I swiped from the kitchen counter this morning. I had tried this once before on my way to Dubai, but never followed through.

8AM might be too early to drink for some people, but isn't it 5 o'clock somewhere? I toast to that.

And to my mom for teaching me such healthy values.

I walked out of the bathroom and down the busy hallway, looking at the hyper active people around me. I kept moving, before spotting Zenon.

He had his backpack slung over his right shoulder as he leaned against his locker. He was wearing black trousers and low top sneakers and I really enjoyed staring at him from behind.

When I see Zenon at school, surrounded by his friends, it's easy to forget how close we were yesterday. Easy to forget that he's going through his own problems under the surface.

"Do you have a breath mint?" I asked Zenon, tapping him on the shoulder from behind. My hand lingered on his shoulder.

"A what?" Zenon turned around and his expression brightened as he leaned down to kiss me.

I kept my lips firmly stuck together, so he wouldn't get any whiff of the alcohol on my breath or taste in my mouth.

He pulled back, finding that kiss terrible. I don't blame him.

"A breathing mint for the mouth," I mumbled, adding another word to help my meaning, "cleaning."

Zenon gave me a weird look. Bryce though, pulled out some gum from his back pocket and handed it to me. Axel was smiling.

I thanked Bryce and popped a piece into my mouth, chewing it. I chewed and chewed and looked back at Zenon.

He was still looking at me.

"Are you drunk?" he asked.

I almost choked on the gum. Axel's smile grew wider.

"It was a little drop," I said, raising my thumb and index finger so they were only a teeny weenie bit apart.

After a second of thought, I reconsidered. I slowly widened the gap as I had to admit to myself that the little drop had been a little bit bigger.

"OK," Zenon said, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the others.

"Where are we going? What are you doing? Heeeeerp," I complained, trying to scrape his fingers off me.

"Lighten up, Zenon," Axel called out after us, "Candace, are you going to share your stash so we can all get in on the fun?"

"Axel," Zenon replied in a warning tone.

"Oooooh," I mocked, looking over my shoulder at Axel, "You're in trouble."

Axel watched me go with a smile on his face, "Oh no, Mills. I think you are."

I didn't even notice Zenon open a door until he pulled me inside.

The door slammed shut and all the noise from the hallway disappeared. Instead, it was replaced by white walls and flushing sounds.

I didn't need to use the bathroom. I just came out of one.

"Get out," Zenon told a guy washing his hands.

The guy was taken aback. He nodded and quickly left, leaving the tap half on.

I went to close the tap while Zenon rapped his fist on a closed stall, "Out!"

How was he going to force the guy in there to hurry? But I heard scrambling sounds and a flush.

I really didn't want to be in the boy's bathroom. It smells bad.

The bathroom stall door swung open and a freshman stumbled out, buckling his belt. He scurried outside and I felt so bad... and then disgusted because he hadn't washed his hands.

Zenon turned back to me and twisted the tap I had just closed. Water came spraying out.

"I can't believe we're doing this right now," he muttered and pointed at the tap, "Wash your face."

I scowled at him, "Can you try being nicer, please?"

Sometimes, Zenon can be the arrogant j*e*r*k I met last summer. Moments like these give me evil satisfaction that I ran over his laptop.

Twice.

I'm evil.

"It's nine AM, Candace," Zenon said, "Why are you drunk in the morning?"

I commented sadly, "You called me Candace."

Zenon didn't respond, and his silence worried me more than his words ever could. I wasn't drunk!

So I tried to prove it to him. "Look, I can walk straight and hop on one leg-"

I started hopping around the boy's bathroom in front of an un-entertained Zenon, when the door opened.

And Jake walked in.

Jake stopped at the doorway and Axel and Bryce's voices were audibly telling him not to go inside. Jake looked from Zenon to me. I stopped hopping and lowered my leg.

Jake raised his hands in the air and said, "I'm not even going to ask."

He walked back out.

Zenon sighed and pressed his hands against the sink. He couldn't even look at me. "Candace, I know you're going through a lot right now, but this doesn't fix anything. We've had this conversation in Dubai-"

"I'm not drunk, Zenon!" I exclaimed, not understanding why he was exaggerating the situation, "And Dubai was different. There was so much-"

"Yeah, in Dubai I accepted part of the blame. Here it's all you, Candace," Zenon argued, before stopping and taking a step back, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Can you please wash your face?"

I was shocked at what he had just said and slowly lowered my head. I cupped my hands and let the water build up before splashing it on my face.

"Please don't be disappointed," I said.