| | Chapter dedicated to  italian_food | |

~A/N~

Hi, there! It's been a long time comin', somethin' somethin' somethin'. Song referance there, but I don't even know what song I was referring to cuz all I know is that the first line was in that song. 99% of people don't read A/Ns, so to whoever is reading, I'm so sorry I took so long to updaaaatte!!! <3

And if you're new to my story and you had no clue that I took ages to update this chapter, then welcome and I hope you're enjoying the story!! As long as you are nice, you're welcome to comment anything you like or even PM me sometime, although I probably won't answer since I don't do much more than update my works on my account XD

Again, sorry for the long wait, but please enjoy the new update as you go forth! :D

~

/// S E V E N ///

** [kinda] EDITED **

IMPORTANT NOTE ***PLEASE READ

I have edited this part from the original version which had been unpublished after being published temporarily, so if you have already read this chapter then please know that the events take a different turn towards the end which contrasts to the previously published version of them. I apologize for that, but it was a crucial mistake in the storyline that I had to fix. In order to warn you of the beginning and ending of the newly updated section of this chapter, please stay alert for the following characters:

-(***)-

It will indicate the point at which the events start to differ from the original version and also when they come back to the originally published version of the story. Thank you for understanding the reasons for this inconvenience as well as reading the story - it means a lot to me.

~*continuation*~

*not counting days anymore, but it's Sunday at the beginning*

*Zella's POV*

"Scott! Scott, please, wait!" I hurried after him along the pavement, trying to sound as strong as possible - in truth, I just wanted to scramble onto my bed and cry myself to sleep. There was a lot I needed to cry about and it had been way too long since I last cried about anything, for that matter.

I saw him turn and scowl at me as he started to run.

Why did he have to make it so hard?

"Scott, please!" I shouted once more, trying to keep up. I was already tired as it was.

"Will you stop coming after me?!" he snapped before turning a corner, disappearing from my sight.

I should stop chasing him. I probably look like an idiot, too. Who cares if he feels bad? He doesn't want me around so might as well just walk away without wasting my time on him.

I panted and put my hands on my knees, my dark hair hanging from my head. I grabbed my hoodie and pulled it off, sighing at the cool feeling of the wind on my hot and sweaty skin.

I stood like that for a while before turning to walk back to Marcie's, preparing myself for a night of multiple anime episodes on YouTube with fangirling screams muffled by caramel popcorn.

This was why her house was my refuge. She had every flavour of popcorn along with every flavour of every other delicious snack on Earth.

Oh, and a forever undying WiFi connection.

But, of course, Scott didn't just leave me to return back to Marcie's and soon enough, I heard his light converse following up behind me on the pavement.

"Zella," I heard him say in a strained voice, as if he hated himself for being there, much less for talking to me after our feud.

I stopped walking in front of my house, trying to breathe steadily. Him physically being there, in front of my house, not walking away from me, in the middle of the night.. it all kind of scared me as well as confused me to no end. And that, for me, resulted in emotional instability.

Which was a very embarrassing thing, really.

"Zella, can you please talk to me? You never tell me what's really on your mind, so please, just tell me this time. I'm giving you a chance," he tried again, pleading for a response from me.

How could I tell him how I felt?

Wow, if only he did know how I felt...

Then, I would die of embarrassment and regret. Nothing amazing would come out of me letting out my true feelings, just like the last time.

A sudden touch on my arm made me flinch and step away from him, earning me a hurt look. Why did he always look so hurt when I pushed him away? Did he honestly need more than half the grade pining after him to be satisfied? Did he do this with every girl he found 'easy'?

Was I easy?

"Stop keeping everything to yourself, Zella," he repeats, letting me know with his expression that he was starting to get irritated.

Good.

That showed how little patience he had and how little he really cared about what I had to say or think. Hopefully, he'd walk away like the last time and let me retreat back into my lonely world with only my memories to keep me remotely happy. Sad, but true.

"I don't-"

I don't want you to walk away.

I bit my lip, shutting myself up before I spilled all my emotions out for him to hear. It wasn't in his place to know how I felt or what I was thinking. He didn't deserve to know any of that.

Infuriatingly, he snaked his arms around me from behind, wrapping them around my waist... and invading my personal space. I stood rooted to the spot, my arms locked at my sides and they almost touched his, but I refused to let them. I felt my skin burn at my waist, my face getting hot and my neck going warm with the sudden amount of affection he was giving me.

I had never hugged a person properly - other than my family, of course - and I never thought I would since I didn't want to; I was waiting for my 'one' love to give me all those things... all those 'first's. As angry as I was for Scott hugging me so wonderfully (I had to admit it, though), I couldn't help craving to be closer - to hug him back and have him hold me in his arms, as cliché as that sounded.

Nonetheless, I had to keep my ground and know when lines were crossed.

This time, they were. My first proper hug from a boy, from behind, was not supposed to be from Scott. Hell, it wasn't even supposed to happen to me at this age.

Right now, I felt repulse and anger. The spell cast by his affection had long weared away... Or I liked to believe so.

I yanked his hands off of me, growling under my breath and turning around to give him my deepest scowl. I hoped he knew how mad I was right now, I really did.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though he didn't.

"Zee, if you're not gonna do it yourself, I'll just have to make you tell me how you feel," he whispered matter-of-factly, as if hugging me like that would make me want to tell him everything, just like that.

As it always did with Scott, my anger evaporated and was replaced with desire.

I was practically itching to wrap my own arms around him and just hold him forever. Not only was he a great hugger, but he also had a great aroma. How did he smell so good all the time?

Wait, so we went from being angry at him to daydreaming about his captivating 'aroma'?

Wonderful. This was totally going to convince him of how much you supposedly hated him. Not.

"Zee, I know you want to..." he teased, playfully opening his arms out and gesturing for me to come closer.

Hell, no.

"Hell, no." I raised an eyebrow at him as if he was crazy for assuming that I would oblige.

Well, the only thing stopping me was my pride and anger.

Aw, but he is waiting for you with 'open arms'...

No.

He looks so sweet like that...

No, he didn't.

Don't you want to smell him again?

No, I didn't.

No.

No.

No.

I was about to tell him to drop his damned arms because he looked like an idiot, but he beat me to it and grabbed me by the waist, pulling me closer to him. My mind went completely blank and again, my skin burned and this time, my arms almost pulled him closer at their own will. Almost, though.

What was this?

What was even happening?

I was probably dreaming. Reality didn't do me such big favours.

He chuckled and gazed down at me, causing me to look up at the sky like a dumbass. What? Eye-contact was like hypnosis for me.

"Really, though," he said, securing both of his hands on my waist and tilting his head to the side as he looked at me through half-lidded eyes. "What makes you so perfect? Do you study for every time I don't or something? What's your secret?"

"I am not perfect, Scott," I replied stubbornly, forgetting about being angry at him. "Stop saying stuff like that."

"I guess I should," he said with an understanding expression. "Besides, Jazz is my kind of perfect, anyways."

My eyes snapped down to glare at him, my nerves causing me to automatically push him away before my feet lead me back into my house.

"It's so easy to make you jealous..." I heard him mumble between chuckles as I walked up to the door and opened it with an overly big force, huffing once I had stepped inside and banged the door shut.

Guys could be such dish-heads sometimes.

Yes, dish-heads.

- time leap -

"Mar, do you think he likes me?" I asked Marcie while we waited in line to buy some food from the canteen.

"I don't know," she replied dismissively, clearly showing me her lack of interest in what I was saying.

I cleared my throat and frowned at her response, knowing how she hadn't actually bothered to think about it before she answered so unhelpfully - she obviously didn't care.

I watched as she picked up a small puff pastry and walked away. Not hungry, either?

Marcie... not hungry...

Yep, something's definitely up.

I grabbed some food and caught up to her and started to give her my signature, speculative stare to silently tell her that I was suspicious.

She gave out an exasperated sigh when she realised my scrunched up face, judging her every move.

"Stop that, Zel," she demanded, but still held her blank expression.

I examined her from across the table that we sat at, picking out all the negative qualities she was showing off today. Her hair, for one, was not done up in some fancy hairstyle today - it was plainly tied up in a low ponytail. And I mean depressingly low; like how my mum made me wear my hair back in fourth grade.

"You not hungry?" I asked, attempting to talk to her about something other than myself, although I was already finding it quite agonizing since I had a lot to think out loud about my life right now.

She glanced up at me, but didn't answer - just went back to staring at the puff pastry before leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Marcie," I howled, pushing my food tray aside and giving her a pout. What was so wrong today? She barely got upset about things, so what was so horrible about today, specifically?

Silence followed as neither of us made an attempt to respond to the other.

"Fine, I'll just leave, then," I huffed, grabbing my tray and preparing myself to get up from my seat.

Of course, I wasn't actually going to get up from my seat.

It wasn't like I had anyone else to sit with.

I ended up stuck in mid-air looking constipated since I was trying to pause between getting up and staying seated - it failed miserably since Marcie didn't exactly change her mind as soon as I had expected.

"Okay, okay," she surrendered, stifling a laugh when my face lit up and I sat back on my seat.

"I think Scott is..." she began, but paused before avoiding contact with my eyes.

"Is what?" I asked, leaning forward curiously.

"I think he's in love with you," she said, the words tumbling out in a rush.

I stared at her.

And I continued to stare at her.

Some more staring.

Now, I let out a mocking laugh, giving her a 'haha, very funny' look. "Mar, what exactly led you to believe in such an absurd thing?"

"When we were at my house yesterday, all he could talk about was you," she told me solemnly, looking down at the pastry in front of her as she spoke. "Sure, we got the project completed and all, but every time I tried to talk to him about something, the conversation would take a sudden turn and we'd repeatedly end up discussing you and how perfect you are," she said, pulling an irritated face at the word 'perfect', but really, I wasn't even that perfect. "He started, like, interrogating me on you, asking me all these questions and trying to stick his nose into our business and what's meant to be our business only. Obviously, I got to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore and I told him to shut up, resulting in him lashing out on me for my 'rudeness' and storming off to where I was told to be the bathroom," she put emphasis on her last words, the sarcasm practically stinging me.

I hesitated, staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights. "You never know if it was just you who was thinki-"

"Shut up, Zel. Just shut up," she halted my words, raising a hand to keep me silent. "You guys are meant to be, you have to get back together, Jazz is just an obstacle and that's how fate wants it. The end. And I wish a happy ever after to you and your Scott in shining armour."

"But, we're only kids and no one is falling in love at this age. Also, what about you? Don't you like Scott, too?" I asked.

"Me? You think I still like that asshole, even after all of that? Honey, I'd rather a man who actually liked me rather than one who bombarded me with questions regarding my best friend." She gave me a reassuring look and picked up her pastry.

"So, why were you all 'expressionless Mrs Grumpy' before?" I questioned, giving her a confused expression.

"Oh, that's cuz I'm angry at you for ditching me after all the drama," she said angrily, biting into her pastry. "Okay, you guys fought. Okay, you guys were angry at each other. And okay, you stormed off, but girl, at least storm off in the direction of the best friend that you were supposed to spend the day with! Seriously, where did you disappear to? Did you completely forget the fact that I was still alive and expecting your return?"

I winced at that, knowing full well that it was rude of me to forget about her in the midst of my anger towards Scott.

"I guess it was such a great drama, that you were so in character, so absorbed in your performance that you completely forgot reality was still taking place," she continued, clearly unimpressed by my actions.

I couldn't bring myself to listen to the rest of what she was saying.

A minute later, I heard her outburst come to an abrupt halt as she smacked the surface of the table in front of me, glaring at me intensely. "Scott wanted you to have this," she said forcibly through gritted teeth and revealed a piece of paper once she removed her hand from where she had smacked it on the table.

With that, she stalked off.

She'd get over it. She always did.

I picked up the piece of paper hesitantly and as if right on cue, the bell rang in my ears, signalling that lunch break was over.

I was too excited to unfold the paper now, considering the fact that it was from Scott. Also, there's a possibility that it could be a prank from Marcie since she was angry at that moment when she gave it to me - you can't trust anyone when they're mad at you, right?

I quickly stuffed it into my breast pocket and rushed toward class, praying that it wasn't a life-ruining note or something like that; with how my life usually behaves, no one could ever be too sure.

-(***)-

When I got home that day, I was tired as per usual. But, I was also a little happier than I normally was when I came home.

"Mum, I can't believe the term is ending in, like, two days!" I squealed, dumping my bag on the floor as soon as I entered the house. The smell of toast and cooking eggs wafted past me, but for some reason, I didn't feel like eating.

I walked into the kitchen with a smile on my face, going up to my mum who was by the stove preparing lunch.

"Neither can I. If only they'd give you enough holiday homework to last you the whole holiday," she teased, chuckling and giving me a rub on the back with her free hand.

"Unfortunately for you, it's only a wish!" I teased back, giving her a smug look. I never really did my homework anymore, not even my holiday homework, but she never knew that since I somehow finished it all on the very day that it was due - just like I always did.

"Don't you have somewhere to be, later tonight?" my mum asked with a questioning eyebrow raised.

"No... wait, do I?" I dragged, thinking while I talked. What had I forgotten?

"Someone's party?" she hinted for me, serving lunch.

I gasped, almost letting out a loud squeak.

"Oh, shit!"

I caught my mum's scowl of disapproval and hurriedly stumbled out of the kitchen.

"Zella, you have to eat!" she called after me.

"Nah, not hungry, mum. Thanks, though!" I replied, waving her off when she made a low growl of more disapproval.

I pulled out my outfit and threw open the closet, rummaging for the accessories I had picked out that day.

I pulled everything on and pondered on how to improve the look - I looked good, but good wasn't enough. The party was in like three hours so I head plenty of time, but even still I had to make a solid decision on what I was going to wear or else it would end up a total disaster.

- time leap -

Three hours. Three hours of me stressing about the party, mum shoving toast and scrambled eggs down my throat and three hours of torture mixed with anticipation and finally, I was ready.

We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago, but our family never could leave on time even if their lives depended on it. I waved my parents and my little sister a hasty goodbye and walked out, seeing Marcie's car pulled up in front of our house.

Marcie opened the door to the backseat, scowling at me while I got in. "We waited for like fifteen minutes! My dad was about to-"

"Marcie," her dad's voice cut through her angry rant. She stopped talking, but didn't hesitate to keep her death glare glued onto her face.

I laughed. It was too good a day to let small things keep me from enjoying it - we were going to a party! It felt like years since I last attended a party, too. The excitement was practically ripping me to shreds.

Halfway to the party, the nerves started kicking in. It was more like something was ferociously clawing at my stomach now... and it wasn't the excitement. I began to feel nauseous and I crossed my arms in front of my stomach because it felt like if I wasn't careful, it would empty its contents in a matter of moments.

We arrived late and the gates to Max's colossal house was decorated with lots of balloons and ribbons, a small sign reading 'welcome to Max's 14th birthday party'.

The uncomfortable feeling I had been having seemed to have become an agonizing pain at seeing the entrance. Did I look ugly? Was the outfit too simple? Was Scott absent at the party? Was everyone going to laugh at me when I came in?

"Zella, c'mon. It'll be fine. You look like you're about to face a beast," Marcie comforted me, opening the car door and shoving me out onto the pavement.

"Bye, dad!"

"Have a great time, love," her dad replied and before I could jump back into the car, he had driven off, leaving us standing on the pavement.

We stood there ogling the mansion that had lights dancing everywhere through the windows and people screaming. I had no intention of going in at that moment, so I continued to peer at my friend from the corner of my eyes, wondering if she felt the same way.

"So, are we going in?" she asked enthusiastically, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was way too excited, unlike myself.

"Uh... I'll go in when you go in," I replied, looking back up at the balloons and the decorations as if they were flying monsters rather than innocent party decorations.

Before I could protest, she was entering through the open gates.

-(***)-  

-----------------------------------END OF CHAPTER ---------------------------------

~A/N~

Hewwo! :))

I'm sorry for the long wait, again, but I hope you liked the new chapter cuz I diiiiid!! (/030)/

BTW this story is a mess in my head rn and it's shit in my opinion, but I gotta finish it cuz it's the only book I have promised to complete without putting it to a permanent halt. I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU, MY FEW READERS! READ THIS FOR ME IF YOU ARE THANKFUUL. Kidding, but that would be great if you kept reading this book. <3

Question(s) of the chapter;

1|| Are you one of my few loyal readers who were waiting for an update (if I have any)?

2|| Do you like what's happened so far?

3|| What are your thoughts on the story so far in general (is it still cliché and are the major stereotypes still major stereotypes)?

4|| Do you like potatoes? If you do, how do you like them?

Positivism #AlexanderAndTheTerribleHorribleNoGoodVeryBadDay <3

... That is one long movie name. >.<

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