Chapter 12:
Cammie POV:
"Right, do you think that's it?" We looked down at the poster that was lying across the bed. I swept my eyes over the information, making sure there were no spelling mistakes - I know I was a perfectionist. I glanced at the photos, scattered across the sugar-paper that we had used for the poster.
All at once I was broken from my trance, I felt very self-conscious and could feel my cheeks heating up, turning a rosy red. I felt that odd sensation, as if someone was looking at me. I spotted Zach staring in my direction, his eyes looking intensely at me, not blinking once. I could see the sparkle in his eyes that I had begun to recognise whenever he was being serious.
"I think it's great, Gallagher Girl." He replied sincerely, his eyes never leaving mine. I broke our eye contact by glancing down at the floor. I couldn't believe he called me Gallagher Girl again, I loved it when he called me that!
I was about to say some witty comment to try and hide my blush when I felt my phone vibrating in my back pocket. Quick, I had to answer it before…
"This one's for the boys with the boomin' system…"
NO! I had Super Bass as my ringtone! Bex dared me a few weeks ago to put it as my ringtone but I forgot to change it. Quick, I had to answer it, I pressed the answer button, not looking at Zach afraid to see his reaction.
"Hello?"
"Hey Cammie, it's me"
"Who's me?" I replied, really not knowing who was on the end of the line.
"Josh"
"Oh shit." I whispered before realising that now Zach was looking at me with one eyebrow raised and Josh was coughing awkwardly on the other end of the line. "Um, I meant, what do you want?" I said fiercely, purposefully leaving out Josh's name so Zach wouldn't get annoyed.
"I'd just like to say I'm sorry," Sorry? Yeah right. If he was sorry he would have said it to my face. I still let him continue however. "And I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me?" I laughed before noticing my mistake. I mean, he had to be kidding me.
"Josh," I started before noticing Zach's eyes narrow as he motioned for me to hand him the phone. Like that was going to happen. "Josh, I'm not going on a date with you. End of story." I heard him try to come up with some quick persuasive response but Zach had already quite rudely snatched my phone out of my hands leaving me dumbstruck and leaving him free to talk to Josh...
"She's not going out with you EVER fuckface." He said eerily calmly, but menacingly, which sent shivers down my spine. He proceeded to end the call before looking back to me with a quite impressive smug look on his face. I couldn't help but laugh at him while shaking my head in disbelief.
"Zach, there was no need for that! I was going to say no after everything that happened.." I trailed off, embarrassed to be discussing this with Zach of all people, about a kiss with Josh that I didn't want, when I wanted to kiss him. I bowed my head, looking down at the floor, trying to hide my blush from Zach.
I felt him still staring at me still, and breaking me from my trance I realised Zach's fingers were under my chin, making my eyes look directly into his. When my eyes reached his, he looked straight back at me with a sincere smile on his face, not a smirk, a smile!
"I'm glad to hear it. I wouldn't let you go out with that monster." He told me in a caring way before pulling me into a hug.
I smiled and hugged him back, immediately putting my arms around and cradling my head into his neck. "Thanks Zach for looking out for me" I mumbled into his neck.
I didn't know if he had heard me until a few seconds later, he pulled away, breaking the hug and looking me in the eye once again. "Always" he said and it was at this moment that I realised how lucky I was to have Zach in my life and just how caring he was.
The weekend flew by so quickly and now it's Monday again. Joy… I walked through the front doors towards my locker. I got out the books that needed for my next lesson which was Geography, it was time to present our project today. Joy… Thanks for your contribution Josh, you know what, I don't think we would have gotten this far without him, he helped us to no end, and I am forever truly in his debt... Note the sarcasm.
"Hey Cammie" said Bex as she leaned against the locker next to my locker, by doing so she was preventing some poor innocent soul from getting to their locker, not like she cared though.
"Hey," I smiled back at her.
"So… How was studying with Zachary on Saturday?" she wiggled her eyebrows at me in a suggestive manner. I rolled my eyes as I knew what she was implying
"It was fine" I said just when Macey and Liz appeared
"What was fine?" Macey asked
"Her little date with Zach" Bex grinned
"You went on a date with Zach and you didn't tell me! Tell me everything and don't leave out any details" Macey exclaimed.
I chuckled at her reaction, well done Bex. Macey would never let this go until she got the answers.
I was just about to open my mouth when the bell rang for next lesson - talk about saved by the bell! I leaned away from my locker, and walked to Geography with a smile on my face. I glanced over at my shoulder, looking back at my friends before calling, "I'll tell you later." I just hope they forget about this conversation before I see them again.
I walked into my Geography class with a huge smile on my face when I realised that Zach was there. I glanced over at the desk next to him and saw his rucksack on the chair. I ignored the little bit of jealousy that ran through my veins and headed to the seat on the other side. I just sat down when I heard his distinctive voice.
"Come sit next to me Gallagher girl, I don't bite" he smirked as he patted the sit next to him. Flustered, I moved to the seat and sat down after he removed the bag from the seat. I started looking for Josh and had a mixture of relief and annoyance flood through me as I couldn't find him. Annoyance because he was supposed to present the project with us, not like he did any of it... and relief that I wouldn't have to face him at all.
"Right, Zach and Cammie please be the first to present your project." Professor Buckingham said as she walked over to her desk. Zach and I let out a set of groans simultaneously but we both rose with the poster and booklet. I was going to kill Josh after this...
"What's your project on?" She asked.
"Madagascar and its climate." I responded and with a nod of her head Zach and I started to recall every fact and piece of data we had learnt and written and presented it quite successfully to the class. The lesson proceeded in this manner till every group had shown their piece and still Josh was no where to be seen.
The next lessons and break went smoothly enough, and it was only when lunch time arrived did things take a turn for the worst.
Anyway, I was at my locker trying to fit in all my books when Bex started rambling on about how the boys invited us to sit with them for lunch and of course it would be completely crazy of us to decline such an offer. I laughed at her insisting and agreed we should sit with them, only because it was nice to have a change of scenery. I pushed my sudden happiness that Zach would be there out of my mind and tried to act as if I wasn't about to win the lottery.
I put my books in my locker and walked with the girls to the picnic tables. We grabbed our lunches and glanced over the tables, scanning for the boys table. I thought I spotted Zach's familiar dark head multiple times but it never was him. I looked at the last table in the area and saw another dark head, but this time that head had company. Eugh, public displays of affection. I was stuck in that type of position when I didn't really want to look, but I was still captivated. Then it struck me, why I was so captivated, why that dark head was so familiar.
It was Zach.
It was Zach who was now sharing saliva with the school's drama queen Tina Walters. I didn't wait for an explanation, I didn't expect one either as they both seemed to be pretty busy sucking each others faces off. I left immediately telling myself that Zach did not deserve the tears that were threatening to fall down my face.
