Waking up from the sound of her alarm, Zela's hand slapped around everywhere it could to find and silence her phone.

Groaning whenever she picked it up, instantly regretting not turning the brightness down before she slept, she quickly silenced her phone and plopped back down on the bed, looking at the time.

She was not used to the time difference, she was used to waking up at six am every morning in New York, but where Colorado is two hours behind, she decided to wake up at four am.

"I'm going to go shower and get dressed."

Zela announced to the slightly angry Jackie, who was awoken from Zela's alarm. Raising a hand in the air and waving her off, Jackie snuggled back into her covers wanting two more hours of sleep.

Walking out of the room, bathrobe in hand, along with her shampoo for her curly hair, she looked around noting that every door was closed and not a sound was heard.

Thankful that everyone was still fast asleep, Zela quietly tiptoed into the bathroom, and shut the door before she even turned on the light, as a way to not disturb anyone in case they woke up from the light under their door.

Locking the door, she turned the light on and looked at her reflection in the mirror, her eyebags were worse than the day before. Which would make sense, due to the fact she struggled to sleep around new circumstances.

Stripping of her clothes, she started the shower and grabbed her shampoo and conditioner from her shower bag, and quickly got under the water.

As she was relaxing under the water, she nearly jumped as a knock elighted on the door. Looking around, as she wiped away the water droplets from her face, she heard a voice call out.

"It's Nathan, I uh, just need to brush my teeth before my run."

Hearing his voice, she didn't recall meeting a Nathan, so Zela stepped out and grabbed her bathrobe, and unlocked the door cracking it.

Looking at the teenager in front of her, he just smiled at her, and motioned if he could come in. Looking around in panic, Nathan quickly realized and looked around to try and find a way to reveal he wasn't a pervert.

"Uh, I uhm. I like boys."

He quickly stammered out, and Zela blinked at him a couple times, as the two stood in silence. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she opened the door for him and Nathan slipped in, locking the door behind them.

"You're Zela, right?"

Nathan asked, as Zela nodded her head, and got back in the shower, taking her bathrobe off away from his line of vision.

"That's correct, it's nice to meet you, Nathan."

Zela voiced out, as Nathan chuckled, and Zela peeked her head out as the boy had his toothbrush in his mouth and his hand outreached.

Realizing what he had meant, she placed her bathrobe in his hand, and he neatly placed it down, and continued brushing his teeth.

"Do you run every morning?"

Zela asked, starting up a conversation and Nathan hummed as an answer, as he had toothpaste all in his mouth.

"Would you mind if I joined you? I promise it won't take me long to get ready. I brought my running clothes, I planned on changing when I got back."

She asked, and Nathan spit out the toothpaste and grinned at the shower curtain, and nodded his head.

"The more the merrier."

He said, as he quickly said his goodbyes, and locked the door behind him.

As Zela was finishing up, she quickly put a hair mask in, and put her wet hair up in a ponytail, as she put on her maroon leggings and jacket after drying off rather quickly.

Grabbing her face serum, she quickly put it on before she placed everything in her shower bag and walked out. Seeing Nathan wave at her from the stairs, she grinned and motioned to her shower bag and he nodded as he headed down the stairs.

Placing her bag down in her room, she closed the door quietly and turned around before she bumped into someone.

Groaning as her head came into contact with their chest rather harshly, she looked up and saw the blonde haired boy that was rude yesterday.

"You should probably watch where you're going, Apple."

He spoke up first, his hands firmly on her hips, in a way to hold her up, and Zela scrunched her eyebrows up in confusion at the nickname.

"Apple?"

She questioned, and he smirked before he let her go, and walked away and towards the bathroom.

"You're from the The Big Apple, right? Would seem kinda hurtful if I added the word 'big' in your nickname."

He said as he shut the door, and Zela just stared at the door for a couple of seconds before she shook her head and walked down the stairs, putting her airpods in.

"This place is gorgeous, Nathan."

Zela said, as she sat beside him, fixing her socks to where they were over her leggings and Nathan looked at her and smiled.

"It really is."

—

As the two jogged back up the stairs, they made it inside where Zela was just waiting for chaos. When she entered and realized only Katherine, George, Nathan, and her were the only ones awake, this caused her to look at the clock on the wall.

It was a little past six, and she hummed as Katherine gave her a smile.

"How was your run?"

She asked, as Zela took her airpods out and placed them back into their case, and Zela shrugged smiling at her.

"I didn't really run, persay."

She admitted, and Nathan chuckled, as he placed a hand on Zela's shoulder and grinned.

"She couldn't stop looking at the scenery. So we ran some and walked some."

He said, and Katherine hummed, as she looked at Zela.

"Coffee?"

She asked and Zela nodded her head, as she motioned to upstairs to go and get ready for school.

"It'll be down here for when you're ready."

As Zela walked back up the stairs, she once again bumped into someone's chest and she groaned again.

"We gotta stop meeting like this, Apple."

He said, and the voice automatically made Zela roll her eyes, and she finally looked up at him noticing that he only had a towel wrapped around his hips.

Clearing her throat she looked away, and walked around him as Nathan came up the stairs shortly after.

"I thought you showered at seven?"

He asked, and Cole just grinned as he made his way into his room.

"Couldn't go back to sleep."

Closing the door, Cole finally disappeared and Zela looked over at Nathan who only shrugged and frowned slightly.

"Just ignore him, he can be a dick sometimes."

He told her truthfully, and Zela sighed as she nodded and made her way into her bedroom, as Jackie was finally awake.

"I can't figure out what to wear."

She said as soon as she noticed her sister's presence. Looking at her, Zela hummed and plopped down on the bed and untied her shoes and placed them under her bed.

"Come on Z, you're the fashion designer in this family, help me."

Jackie said, annoyance in her tone as she kept looking through her clothes.

Sighing, Zela got up and looked at the options Jackie had chosen, and she grabbed a couple of clothing articles and placed them down pairing them together.

"There you go."

She told her, and Jackie just looked at the outfit, studying it before she nodded and grinned thanking her sister.

As Zela undressed, she grabbed her tan tights, and slipped them on before she grabbed her pink skirt that looked tie-dyed. Grabbing her black sweater crop top, she slipped it on, and put her black boots back on from yesterday.

"I let my hair air dry, does it look okay?"

Zela asked, as she took it out of the ponytail, and noticed it was still slightly damp in some areas.

"It looks fine."

—

As the two girls walked downstairs, the chaos that Zela prepared herself for earlier, was now there. Walking to where her coffee was, untouched, she grabbed one of the apples that were waiting for her and Jackie.

"So the boys are gonna take you guys to school. I'll see you guys later. I can't wait to hear all about your day. Good luck."

Katherine told them, as she left with a boy named Jordan following in behind her.

As the two girls headed out the front door, Zela held her tote bag over her shoulder, as she never really liked backpacks.

As the two stood on the porch, Cole looked up at them and smirked. Making eye contact with Jackie, and pretending that Zela didn't exist Cole grinned.

"Come on, New York. Get in."

He said, as Jackie walked down the stairs and Zela slowly followed in behind, as someone in a red shirt opened the door for them and motioned for them to get in.

As they got in, Zela was a little squished against Nathan, and Nathan realized this, and picked her legs up, placing them over his, and Zela gave him a smile of gratitude.

"You nervous?"

Nathan whispered to her, and Zela shrugged looking up at him, and looked down at her hands.

"It's okay to be nervous, I understand it's a big change."

He whispered to her once more, and Zela smiled at him, as she nodded her head.

"I'm nervous."

She told him truthfully, and Nathan grinned as he grabbed one of her hands squeezing it reassuringly.

Looking up at the front, as they started to head out, she could've sworn she saw Cole looking at her from the mirror.

"Hey, guys, we got a full car today, so that means, Isaac, no offering rides to random cheerleaders."

Cole said, and Zela looked back to see which one was Isaac, who answered quickly laughing.

As Nathan got out, Zela followed in behind, as Nathan grinned at her, "Welcome to my world."

He said, as Zela lightly laughed, and looked at the school swallowing nervously.

"So there is this rule that Cole likes to leave at three-thirty everyday. So don't be late, or you will be left behind."

He told her before the two started to walk someone grabbed her hand and she turned to look and sighed.

"If you need anything, Apple, and I mean anything. Don't come to me."

Cole said, and Zela scoffed as she tore her hand from his grip, as he chuckled before Zela heard his name being yelled.

As she watched a blonde girl walk up to him, she grimaced when they kissed and Nathan chuckled as he walked to stand beside her.

As the two were walking away, the girl stopped and studied Zela.

"Oh..! Cute outfit!"

She said, sickeningly sweet, and Zela could've sworn she got a cavity from it.

"Thanks."

Zela replied dryly, and the girl raised an eyebrow, halting her movements.

"It's cuter on me, since you know. I own that exact outfit."

She said, once again sweetly, a fake smile graced on her lips.

Zela tilted her head and grinned, as she stepped forward slowly, and Nathan grabbed her arm warningly.

"That's odd, since you know, I made this outfit. I bought the fabric and everything, it's one of a kind."

She said to her, and the girl's fake smile faltered before she tugged Cole along, who didn't turn around once to look at Zela.

"That's Erin. They're dating, but I give it a day or two and they're broke up, again."

Nathan said, and Zela hummed as she crossed her arms, and someone else stood on her other side.

"Cole likes to go through girls like nothing."

He said, and looked down at Zela before he stuck his hand out grinning.

"Danny."

He offered, and Zela smiled as she shook his hand, and looked over at Cole who was entering the building.

"Come on, I'll take you to your classes."

Nathan said, as the two walked off toward the school and Danny was left talking to Jackie.

"Do you have your schedule?"

Nathan asked, and Zela nodded grabbing it from her bag, and handed it over to Nathan.

"You're lucky, you got majority of my classes, but you have one with Cole."

Nathan said, as the two walked into a room, and he pulled out a chair for her to sit in, and he sat in the one beside her.

"Great. It's like he's just lurking at the back of my head."

Zela said, and before she could say anything else, she felt someone tap the back of her head and she turned around seeing a smirking Cole.

"Hey there, Apple."