Zenon's Game Chapter 97

Thursday

I entered the mathlete classroom for the first time this school year. I had been avoiding this place.

Before my breakup, I was a member of the math club. I enjoyed the subject. My ex-boyfriend and I met each other through math, though that sounds weird to say.

And after we broke up, I ran away from this side of myself to avoid the memories. But now, I was back. To think I had ever left because of a man.

No. Because of a boy.

He's no man. I've met some real men now.

"Candace! Hi!" Joe popped his head up from an algorithm and stood up to give me an awkward pat on my shoulder.

That was Joe's way of saying hello. I smiled when I saw his red-and-white striped suspenders.It reminded me of Zenon and that night we kissed on the basketball court.

"How are you, Joe? I haven't seen you in a while," I said, though it was my fault he hadn't.

"You know where I am, Candace. I'm always here," he answered and gave me a big smile.

"Do you think if someone leaves, they can come back?" I asked, nervous that the mathletes wouldn't accept me again.

I wanted to never be pushed out of following my passion because of a boy. Fear is a mental state and that is nothing to be afraid of. Someone stubborn and cocky taught me that.

"Do you want to join the club again?" Joe asked me.

"Yes."

He didn't say much except, "Once a mathlete, always a mathlete."

It was that simple.

I laughed, "That makes me happy to hear."

I took a good look around the classroom, at all the charts that hung on the wall and the books we kept on the side of the classroom. It's been a while. That's when I noticed a Mrs Field's cookie wrapper stuck between two stools.

"Do you tutor here today? I thought tutoring was on Wednesdays," I said.

"Yeah it still is. Don't worry Candace, nothing's changed since you left."

Friday

The time at home passed by agonizingly slowly. Guilt ate away at me and every time I saw my mum, disappointment was on the tip of her tongue.  That necklace.

The only positive, is that I read Taming of the Shrew.  So that was good.

The book sat on the couch beside me.  And I was sitting next to my sister, who was watching TV.  The doorbell rang. 

She looked at me.  "Well? Are you going to get that?"

I sighed and didn't bother to argue. I got up and opened the door, though I immediately regretted it. I should really look through the eye hole before letting anyone in.

Heidi looked to see who was there and sighed.

"Is this still a thing? It's like watching a TV show and replaying it all the time. Can you just move on from this already?"

Jake and Zenon were at the door.

Neither of them were smiling.

"I don't know what you see in her," Heidi continued, eating chocolates as she commented, "Seriously, you could date any girl in our school-"

Zenon walked past me and took the remote out of her hand. He switched the TV off and said, "Could you give us a moment?"

She stared, chocolate midway to her mouth, and dropped it. "Y- y- yes, of course. I'll be in my room if you want to join."

"I don't."

Heidi scurried out of there and I stared at the two brothers. There was so much conflict between them and I really didn't know why they were at my door. Zenon walked back towards me. I hadn't budged from the door and neither had Jake.

"What's this about?" I asked.

"We got into another fight," Jake said.

"Jake still thinks he's got a shot."

"At what?" I asked.

They better not be talking about me in this way.

"I mean," Jake confessed, embarrassed, "I just want you to know how I really feel and if you'd consider giving me a chance. You don't know me or my brother that well. You haven't committed to any one of us. You haven't dated any one of us-"

"We're asking you to choose," Zenon finished the sentence.

"Once and for all," Jake added.

I stared at them. I stared from one handsome boy to the other and then back again.

"Did you hear us?" Jake asked.

I nodded, slowly. And then I grabbed Zenon and pushed him out of the door. He stumbled onto Jake and they fell back before I slammed the door shut.

The doorbell rang again.

And again.

And again.

"Answer the damn door!" Heidi screamed from upstairs.

I sighed and opened it. The two boys were still standing there, looking ashamed.

"Are you seriously coming here to give me an ultimatum in my own home?" I asked, "I will not be put in a situation where you give me a deadline. If I take more time than you want, you don't have to stay here. And I refuse to treat either of you in such a terrible way. Imagine what rejection feels like. You're brothers. You shouldn't compete like this and I won't take part."

It's twisted.

Jake accepted my words with a nod of his head, but he also asked, "What's holding you back though? We've both told you we liked you, but you haven't jumped on either one of us."

Zenon walked into the house. He wasn't about to be pushed out by me again.

"Truthfully, you came like a breath of fresh air, Jake," I said, though my eyes were on Zenon, "You've been kind and warm to me and I want to thank you for that. But I can't follow through with the date we agreed on because I'm in a situation with Zenon-"

"Is that what you call it?" Zenon interrupted, "A situation?"

"You think it's been a walk in the park?" I retorted.

He shrugged and casually leaned against the back of the couch, "I think it's been a slice of pie."

Candy's pie.