I haven't even edited. Sorry for the mistakes, I guess. Just wanted to post something, you know? Um, I'd really like it if you guys checked out my one shot called Colors of the Heart. Just check my profile. Maybe even review. Uhm. Sorry this was late. More notes at the end. Hope you enjoy.


His plan had been primped, plucked, and polished to perfection. There was no way it was going to fail. As far as the second grader knew, there were no flaws in his plan. It was full proof, absolutely full proof.

After he'd gone home sick, he skipped the next day at school. Partially due to the embarrassment of the situation, and mostly because he didn't really feel up to seeing Preston. Especially if it meant watching Cammie fawn over Preston.

So he took the day off, and he thought, and he thought some more. He thought and thought until he hit his lightbulb moment. Until he finally thought up a plan to get rid of Preston Winters. It wasn't that complicated, even. So simple, he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before, because Preston was a first grader. And Zach. Well, Zach was older than him, and that meant it was his job to teach the lesser how to behave.

Zach had a plan, and it was going to work.

/

Zach was giddy on the ride to school, excited and bouncy. Mr. Goode smiled in the review mirror, as he glanced back at his smiling son. The last couple days had been rough for Zach, and it was nice to see him happy again.

They left especially early in the morning on wednesdays because the Goodes carpooled with Cammie. Cammie's parents often time couldn't take her in the morning due to work, so Mr. Goode, who had later office hours was more than happy to drive the little first grader.

They pulled up to her driveway in a matter of minutes and saw little Cammie sitting out on the porch steps waiting for them. She smiled and waved before running up to the car and opening up the car door by pulling the handle out and back just like Zach had taught her. She quickly shut the door and settled her Toy Story backpack at her feet before buckling herself in.

"G'morning Mr. James!" Cammie chirped cheerfully and slightly out off breath.

Mr Goode chuckled, "Good Morning Cammie. How've you been?"

"I'm fantastic, Mom packed me a cookie in my lunch," Cammie bragged thrusting her lunch sack in the air, even though Mr. Goode's eyes were glued to the road.

"That's nice. Did she pack one for me?" He asked playfully smiling briefly in the review mirror.

Cammie crinkled her nose in response. "Nuh-uh! My cookies!" She bit back equally as playful.

Mr. Goode feigned sadness, knowing the first grader was looking. "Well darn, maybe next time."

Cammie giggled and shook her head, before she turned around so she was positioned to face Zach.

"Are you feeling okay? I heard you got sick. Grant says it's cooties, but I told him he was being silly. You told me only girls can get cooties, right?" Cammie didn't wait for a response before she continued on, "You said girls get cooties from touching a boy's hair too much and when they do that all their hair falls out." Cammie recited proudly.

Zach nodded in response, only half listening to what she was saying. He was too focused on his plan to notice much else. He caught the gist of what she was saying.

"I just had a cold, but I'm all better now, so you don't have to worry."

"Well good, I didn't have anyone to play with at lunch recess yesterday," Cammie said frowning.

Zach looked at her surprised. "What about Preston?" He asked trying to sound nonchalant, but the bitterness leaked into his voice, going unnoticed by Cammie.

Cammie looked down. "He uhm, he was busy." Her voice was weak and she didn't sound all too happy about it, but Zach paid no mind to it, because the sooner Preston was gone the better.

"Oh, well today we should play together at lunch. We can play soccer or I could try to teach you how to play tether ball," Zach suggested eager for her response.

Cammie immediately agreed, she had been trying to learn how to play tether ball since she had started school, but Zach was a bit impatient with her when it came to teaching a new game.

"Will Preston be at lunch today?" Zach asked avoiding eye contact. He was trying to sound like it didn't matter, but he wasn't exactly the best actor, but then again, Cammie wasn't really analyzing his behavior very closely if at all.

"Uhm I think so, Jonas left school early to go camping, so I think he'll sit with us," Cammie replied, but she looked uncertain. The more she pressed to be friends with Preston, the more he seemed to shy away. It was disheartening, to say the least, but she wasn't quite ready to call it quits.

Zach smiled. "Great."

/

So far, everything was going according to plan.

Lunch came quickly and after some coaxing on Cammie's part, Preston agreed to sit with her during lunch. Zach was all smiles when he saw the two first graders approach their table. Macey noted his unusual excitement, and it was so blatantly obvious that even Bex and Grant noticed a change in Zach's behavior. They didn't say anything, but watched with curious eyes as Zach got up and welcomed the two young ones into the group with a cheery smile.

Cammie easily replied with one of her own, whilst Preston viewed him with uneasy eyes, because this was Zach. And as far as he could tell, Zach didn't like him. He may of been just a first grader, but it's pretty obvious someone doesn't like you when all they do is glare at you during lunch. But, not today. Today, Zach was all cheer and no frown.

"What did you guys do today?" Zach asked smiling so hard Macey thought his face might break.

"Oh! We had a story teller come in during reading and she told us this story about the sun and the moon and it was so amazing and you would've loved it, because it was amazing and..." Cammie babbled on about the sun and the moon and the moon and the sun until Grant interrupted her with a loud burp and they all started laughing. Even Macey, who thought it was disgusting.

Soon enough, they all started packing up their lunches and it was time to go off recess. Zach looked around for a moment like he was searching for a missing item, and even though his movements were exaggerated and absurd, Cammie didn't question his movements. And she didn't question him when he opened his mouth and asked her sweetly if she would go get his jacket, which had somehow disappeared, and bring it to him. Cammie eagerly nodded her head, still having the urge to please the older boy. Besides, Zach was never this nice, it was the least she could do.

The moment Cammie was out of sight, Zach turned to the other first grader and shot him a wicked smirk.

"Hey Preston, wanna go out to field and play soccer?" Zach asked, his voice sickeningly sweet.

Preston's eyes widened as he recognized the immediate change in Zach's voice.

"I uh- I uhm, I..." He looked at the boy with slightly frightened eyes, not able to complete a full sentence.

"Come on, it'll be fun." Without warning, Zach grabbed the smaller boy's hand and tugged him out the door to the playground. Before the door shut behind him, he stopped it with his foot and called out to Macey, "If Cammie asks, I'm in the bathroom." He shot her a sly smirk, before the door shut and he was out of sight.

Macey looked after him bewildered. He had just said he was going to the field. He'd lied. She didn't know why, but obviously Zach was planning something. But, she didn't question it, it was none of her business. Besides, she didn't care what he and Preston did. She didn't care. Not one bit.

/

"Where are you taking me?" Preston asked frightened, finally ripping his wrist away from the older boy's tight grip.

They weren't in the boy's bathroom like he told Macey, and they weren't at the field like Zach had told him. They were currently under the play structure. The old one. The one that most kids didn't use anymore, so there wasn't really any adult supervision in the area. Perfect for what Zach had planned.

He turned around and smiled maliciously at the young first grader.

"What're are you, stupid? Can't you see we're under the slide?" He asked Preston in a mocking voice, his voice harsh and cold.

Preston's eyes were the size of saucers. He didn't know what to do. No one had ever spoken to him like this, especially not an older kid like a second grader. He merely gaped at him.

"What? You can't even speak? Are you really that stupid?" Zach asked tauntingly.

"It's a wonder why Cammie would be friends with someone like you," He muttered, glaring at him in disgust.

Preston just stared, but he could feel the urge to cry or throw up coming on strong.

"I've been thinking about it, and it doesn't make since as to why you and Cammie even became friends at all," Zach huffed out, all the anger he had harbored rising up again. He strode up real close to Preston so they were directly face to face. He was about an inch or two taller than him, so it made his intense glare all the more intimidating.

"You can't be friends with Cammie anymore. She's my friend and not yours. Don't even talk to her anymore!" Zach spat at the first grader, a dash of insecurity seeping into his voice. But, Preston, the poor boy, was far too scared to notice anything else except the ferociousness in Zach's gaze and tone.

"Okay," Preson squeaked out, while he prayed to God that he wouldn't pee his pants.

"Good." Zach smiled poisonously at Preston before stepping back and stalking away, but just before he was out of Preston's sight, he turned back.

"If you tell anyone anything, I'll..." Zach hadn't actually thought of what he might do, "I'll do something really bad." He glared for emphasis. It was a lame threat, but it did the job.

/

As soon as Zach was out of sight, Preston collapsed to the ground and burst out into tears. He sobbed so loud, on of the recess attendants heard him and scurried over to ask what was wrong with the poor boy.

He meekly claimed he wasn't feeling well, and was taken to the office. He sniffled quietly as he entered the big building and walked up to the secretary to explain his problem.

She smiled sympathetically at him, "Another sick one? Did you get it from that Zachary Goode kid? He was in here not too long ago."

Preston looked up, eyes wide at the mention of his name. He looked about as if he might pop up from somewhere. He looked back at the secretary who was still giving him a sad little look, not noticing the scared look in his eyes.

He responded with a strangled yes, before Preston broke down into another fit of tears.


Yeah, so again, sorry about the late update. I've been doing a lot of traveling and well, school is ending soon. So a lot of end exams and such things. Sorry. Uhm, as usual I want to thank you guys for taking the time for reading my story, because I swear you guys are just amazing when it comes to reviewing. Honestly. You lot are wonderful. Please pester me to update soon, and I hope you liked the chapter. (Again, sorry for all the mistakes, I'll edit later.) xx