Zenon's Game Chapter 55

Zenon kissed me. He kissed the tears on my cheeks, though I wished he would have kissed my lips. I didn't realize how he cared for me, until yesterday. Yesterday was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.

And he kissed me.

Did I mention that already?

It was the way a friend kisses a friend. Maybe more. Maybe less.  You kiss the tears off someone's face and what does that make you? 

It's sensual. But I don't know what to call us anymore. The most unusual relationship I've ever been in.

The kiss felt intimate, but that could just be my wishful thinking. He had every opportunity to kiss me properly, but he didn't.

He said he respected me – he didn't say he was attracted to me. Did he not like me that way?

I may not be what you want, but I'll protect you until you don't need me.

Zenon considered himself flawed. I called him egotistical, arrogant, cruel, careless... and he believed me. But nothing about last night was selfish. He had done more for me than my own family.

"I can't believe no one showed up. The LUCKY girls had a prior engagement and I was sick. I'm so sorry. Should we reschedule? Maybe something between you and me and L-"

I cut Julia off, "I had a nice birthday, so don't worry about it."

We were standing in the hallway beside our lockers.  Julia flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"How?" she asked bluntly.

True, I was sad that no one came to my birthday, but I wasn't angry. I had an incredible night and I wouldn't trade it.

How could I be annoyed when everyone acted in their nature? Once Zenon had rejected the invite at lunch yesterday, those LUCKY girls were out. I'm not that oblivious. I knew they planted the idea in Julia's mind just to get closer to Zenon.

And my sister was being my sister. She stuck to her word – she said she wasn't going to come, and she meant it.

So that explains why they didn't show up. Everyone behaved according to their nature, except Julia. Julia should have been there. 

She did have a cough today, but I don't know how much I believed her story. I didn't want to dwell on it though. Friendships depend on trust and if I started to doubt that, then I would be doubting our friendship.

Julia had been the one friend who stuck by me when my boyfriend started dating Kelly Mathers. My ex-boyfriend.  I had trusted him, though he lied to me.  That one was a mistake, I'll admit.  

Anyway, today Julia wasn't done reliving last night. She wanted to know all the details, wanted to relive every minute of my loneliness. We dodged out of the way as people started going to class.

"Did the restaurant make you pay? How long did you wait before leaving?"

"One hour," I said.

"And then what happened?" she asked while she ate a Mrs Fields' cookie, "Did they kick you out or did you eat something?"

"Zenon came."

Julia gasped, and stared at me like I'd just told her a ghost story. "But how? He said he couldn't make it. He said he was busy. If we'd known, we would've-"

"You would've what, Julia?" I asked, "You would've come?"

She awkwardly avoided eye contact. "No, I can't believe you think that. Did you make this up just to test me? Zenon never came, did he?"

"Why is it so hard to believe that Zenon and I are friends? After everything I've told you..." I lost steam and stared at her. I changed tactic and asked her something more personal, "Since you're my friend, why wouldn't you think he could see some of the qualities you see in me?"

If you see any in me at all.

I hear again and again how no one wants to be with me, and it's tiring. I just wanted one person to say, "Zenon's lucky to know you"instead of the other way round. 

Maybe it's wishful thinking.

I waited for Julia to answer but she struggled. The reason I had asked her, was not to press her. It was because part of me wondered it myself. What could Zenon see in me that no one else sees?

I understand our dynamic but, sometimes, it's hard to believe.  

"You're late, Candy." A confident voice sounded through the crowd.

Speak of the devil.

Julia looked like she saw a ghost. 

Zenon has that ability.  He changes the vibe the moment he walks into a room. I didn't need to turn around to know that most of our classmates were looking the same. 

Zenon confidently walked up to me and held my shoulder.

"You coming?" he asked, interrupting my conversation with Julia, "I'll walk you."

We had Comp Gov class together. I glanced at Julia. I didn't know what to say to her. She was so shocked, she definitely didn't look like she could say anything back.

"This a friend of yours?" he asked me and then looked at her directly, "Didn't see you yesterday."

Oof. I did not expect Zenon to be protective.

"It's OK, she was sick. Let's go," I said, pressing my hand against his arm to push him along.

I noticed a couple girls gasp and quickly removed my hand. I didn't realize it was that big of a deal to touch him – or at least to be comfortable around him.

"She's sick? That explains her face," he commented passively.

"Zenon!" I gasped, pressing my hand over his mouth, totally forgetting about the girls' reaction around me, "She's not sick right now!"

He mumbled something incoherently, but I kept him quiet.  Then he smirked under my fingers and I felt his warm breath on the palm of my hand.  Hot.