CHAPTER ONE: WINNER

You can dance in the storm. Don't wait for the rain to be over before because it might take too long. You can do it now. Wherever you are, right now, you can start, right now; this very moment.
-Israelmore Ayivor

Since Monday Zeno has actually been saying "Hi." to me in the halls, and kicked the ball back to me in our gym class after I accidentally punted it to where he sits next to the tree during a fake soccer game.

However little these gestures are, they mean a lot to me.

I told Jae about him and she already said if I develop a crush, she supports it but if not, she still wants to meet him and give him the 'mandatory best friend check' that is just her asking him weird questions to see if he'll get mad, or if he'll answer them.

The bad people get mad, she tells me.

She's better at seeing people for what they are than I am, I just like to give everyone a chance is all.

Maybe I believe the best in people too much, oh well.

It's worth it because today Zeno walked up to my library table like a scared cat, tapped me on the shoulder, said "Done by lunch." and proceeded to speed walk away.

Which I found equally cute and awkward.

Apparently he only came to school to tell me that- -it being the only hour besides gym, which we have last hour, that he knows for sure I'll be at- -because he's skipping to get it done.

He doesn't like school, that's obvious.

And I like school, just not the people in it. So I understand the need to get away, and as soon as I finished eating I walked right out the doors, put my skateboard to the ground and headed straight over to Old Greggers.

A boy- -man?- -with dyed stark white hair, dark brown eyes and a cocky grin opens the garage for me, arms staying up to hang off the door lazily as his 6'4-ish frame leans over me. "Why are you here?"

"First of all, not for you. For Zeno?" Saying this, somehow, makes him really confused even though I'm decently sure the back I see poking out from behind a workstation is Zeno's. "Young guy, two different eyes, cute scar on his nose, about yea big."

I lift my hand to my nose and the guy scoffs, dropping his hold on the garage door to put them in his pocket. "Cute scar? Little lady, the thing looks like a baby crocodile bit him."

"Well he's cute, so it's cute." From the look on his face alone I can tell this guy isn't used to such blunt honesty. "But nice imagination. Anyway, can I go see him, or what?"

"You can." He shakes his head, chuckling to himself. "I'm Riggs, by the way."

Nodding, I hold my hand out to him. "Can't say it's nice to meet you yet, but my name is Eris!"

"Alright," Riggs says, not offended. "Follow me."

I do just that, feeling safe enough with the cameras outside, my dad knowing exactly where I am and the knife in my pocket that I don't hesitate. As soon as I get inside, the music that was just a background noise grows twice as intense and the bass from a heavy metal song makes me wince.

It makes sense this is what Zeno likes to listen to.

Riggs grabs his shoulders, jerking him where he's sitting on the ground to fix up the bike. "Careful with how loud you play that music, Zenny boy," He playfully tells him. "You might make yourself go deaf."

Fuck him, because that's actually funny.

Good thing that Zeno just shrugs and says "You're such an asshole." in a tone that tells me he's not bothered- -even though he says asshole like 'az-hoe'- -otherwise I would have thrown hands.

They must be close.

Stepping out from Riggs' shadow, I raise an eyebrow at Zeno and give him a little wave. "You good?"

"Yeah, he's good, give him a second." Riggs replies, giving his friend a second to put his hearing aids back in, pull a beanie on and wipe his hands down before expecting any answer from him. "I can only assume he invited you here to play the most dangerous game known to mankind."

I bet he thinks I'm gonna take this bait and, or be scared at the creepy look he had when he says this but I just nod along. "Right. Knife monopoly."

Instead of being scared in turn of how fast that came out of my mouth or just confused, Riggs puts a hand over his mouth and starts to laugh.

This is how I know I will vibe with him.

I speak chaos well.

Catching his confused noise, I look up to Zeno and find myself smiling at the confounded look in his eyes. I really do like his eyes.

"Zenny." Riggs says, crossing his arms, seeming to snap his friend out of a daze.

Hmm, I wonder if my call during that thunderstorm was right and he really does have ADHD.

Taking a few steps closer to him, spinning slowly to look around the space. I don't want him to seem like the only weird one. "Did you get my bike done? I mean, no problem if you didn't. I didn't think you'd be a magic man and get it done within a day or two."

Going over to my bike, I look it over and eventually just stand next to the seat.

After all, I know how long random shit when it comes to vehicle machinery takes, given how much whining I've heard from Atlas -my second oldest brother.

"Easy fix." Zeno explains.

He and Riggs flip one another off, making the white-haired boy- -man?- -grin widely as he asks, "Did you do that on your work time or off?"

"Off."

Wrinkling my nose, I look straight to Zeno. "What's that mean?"

"That you got that sweet ride," Riggs motions to my bike. "For free. This awkward asshole probably wouldn't let you pay for it anyway though."

What? I didn't agree for him to work on it because I thought it'd be free, and he skipped school for this.

That shouldn't be for nothing.

"That's not fair." I voice loudly. "You've already been so nice to me, you have to at least let me pay."

Zeno, hands now on his tools, doesn't spare me a glance. "No."

"'No.' That's bullshit." Stomping my foot, I cross my arms and glare over to the mechanic. "Let me pay. How much is it normally?"

"Zero." Zeno says, tone telling me this isn't something he wants to negotiate. "Not paying."

"Oh, bitch boy has his serious voice on." His friend teases him, nudging me in the bicep with his elbow. "Make your voice a little louder, Zenny, maybe that way you can hear how done with life you sound."

"Funny." He really does sound done with life. "No paying."

I press on, stepping closer to him. "But Zeno, that's not fair."

This time he looks up to me, mismatch eyes equally as serious. "Life."

"You're not being nice." I can't help but to pout but as he squints at me as if asking if I'm serious, I struggle to hold back any semblance of a smile. "Literally so rude."

Zeno points to me, "Lies."

Shaking my head, I openly scoff at him. "It's true, and it's not my fault you can't accept that. Whatever, I'll pay you back when you're not paying attention or can't stop me."

"You're stubborn." He sighs heavily, tugging cutely at the sides of his beanie. "Park?"

Humming in reply, I raise an eyebrow as I let myself grin as wide as I want at him. "The park? Sure! Is Madame Rigby here coming too, or just us?"

"Rigby," Riggs laughs at what I called him, brown eyes turning to lock with mine as he mocks my name right back. "Okay, Sir Eret, call me that. And nah, I have a customer coming here in half an hour to pick up that beaut'." He points to a random car. "Have fun, though."

"That will be no problem," I point my chin up. "I am a very fun person to be around!"

"Yes, very cool." Zeno agrees, making me grin but before he can finish Riggs is throwing the mechanic's jacket at him.

Grinning, I point my thumb back at the garage door. "Let's go then, I'd just have to grab my skateboard from the front though, if you want to leave through the back. It would be closer from the back, actually yeah!" I decide. "Lemme grab it, and I'll walk around back to meet you."

Zeno nods, shooting me a thumbs up. "Skateboard."

Walking faster than necessary, I grab my skateboard and make it all around back where Zeno's giant frame is leaning against the wall with his own skateboard in hand. I'd be lying if I said that didn't surprise me.

"Hey so-" My voice alone makes him jump, and I find it hard not to laugh. "Oops. Didn't mean to scare you. Ready to go?"

"Ready." Zeno confirms, dropping his board to his feet. "Game while we walk?"

"Sure, but whatever it is, I want to win!"

"Okay," He smiles at me- -and it's real and really cute- -before turning away from me. "Um... truth or dare?"

"I don't think I can win that," I find myself giggling. "But okay."

"Outlast." Outlast the other in a dare, or just willing to tell the truth or play the game, is what I'm guessing he's saying. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare!" I quickly decide.

"Hair tie." Him pointing down at my wrist makes me catch the red skin around it, letting me know I did my absent minded bullshit again. "Give?"

Putting my hair tie in his open hand, I shake my head at him. "Not much of a dare. Truth or dare, Zeno?"

I like his name, it's fun to say.

Zeno shrugs best he can on his board. "Truth."

Boring.

"Can you read this?" I make a split second decision to be a bit too honest and raise my hands to sign at him. "You are cute."

His skateboard swerves as he reels back in surprise, making an odd half-growl half-groan of surprise.

Red creeps up his cheeks, and his mismatch eyes flick around. "I, um... yes?"

"Good. Because someone had to tell you." Offering him a peaceful smile, it doesn't have to mean anything more than one word, I keep my steady pace on down the street. "It's your turn, by the way, and I choose dare again!"

"I...I did not have to be told that." Zeno denies, shaking his head but his ruby-red cheeks tell a different story. "Dare, right? Trick." He does a quick pop shuvit on his board, landing expertly. "Do one?"

Happier about this dare than I should be, I shout "Bet!" and skate faster down the sidewalk, jumping up into a muska flip and as I land back down I twist and do a kickflip facing the other way.

Turning the right way as Zeno kicks off the ground to catch up, I look back at him. "Or are you asking for an off board trick, because I can do those too! Never competed like my older sister, but I sure was taught."

"On board." He then grins at me, and I realize I like it more than I should. "Older sister?"

"I have three," Selene, Nemesis, Circe. "But the one I'm talking about is Nemesis, she's the one who paints all the time. She's like thirty now, married to her wife, Kaia. They're thinking about having kids."

And I will be positively offended if they don't name one after me.

"Cool, I always wanted siblings. I just have Riggs, he's an asshole."

"All my siblings are assholes too!" My reply is chirped out, and I grin over at him, not bothering to pay that much attention to where my wheels are headed. "I can't say you're not missing out on something, but sometimes best friends are family too. If that's Rigby, then you're set for life by that standard. We're friends, Zeno, and until you get tired of me you can consider me family too."

Zeno instantly shakes his head at me, nose wrinkling. "I don't want you to leave."

Does he think that family leaves each other?

That's not family at all, at least mine. Family, even if they don't get along all the time, protects each other. They might not be around or live with each other, but they're always there when you need them.

Family doesn't leave.

That makes me really sad, that he's conditioned to think that.

Someone has to prove to him family is supposed to be better than whatever he's experienced.

"Compromise?" Zeno breaks me from my thoughts, skating close enough to tap me on the shoulder. "Effort into being best friends?"

Eh, that's close enough.

"That sounds good to me." I tell him, adding a smile to prove it. "Who's turn is it anyway? We're playing until I definitely have won, remember?"

"Yours." He says, then backtracks as he pokes me again. "Upset?"

"What? Nah I'm good." I mimic his thumbs up from earlier. "Truth or dare?"

"Okay...dare."

"Oh, getting risky, are we? Sweet." Teasing him, I glance him over playfully. "Hmm, um, at the end of today, give me a hug. If you're comfortable with that, if not, just give me a really crisp high five."

You can't blame me, being that tall there's no way he gives bad hugs.

My love language is touch, he's my friend, and now I want hugs dammit!

We skate in silence for about ten seconds before Zeno looks back over to me. "Do you... want one right now?"

As fast as I can without falling, I stop my skateboard and watch as Zeno does the same, looking at me with a raised eyebrow and slightly-hopeful expression.

"Yeah, but not if you don't want one." Consent is important, and I was taught that young. "I just really like hugs! I'll always accept one."

Even if I was having a panic attack, that would probably still be true.

Zeno doesn't say anything else, just steps off from his skateboard and opens his arms wide. Instantly accepting this, I step off my own board and wrap my arms around the literal giant best I can, trying not to wiggle happily. "Yay!"

I was right, he does give good hugs.

"You're warm." Zeno notes.

Nodding, I giggle and snuggle into him more. "Hey Zeno? I think I won the game already."

"But...this is my dare?"

Looking up I put my chin against his chest and shrug, grinning. "Doesn't matter. I feel like a winner, isn't that enough?"

"Yeah," He nods, hand pressing into my lower back more. "That's enough."

This thing between us -this awkward little friendship we're both desperately trying to make work, it's enough too.

And I kinda like the way he makes me feel when I'm around him.