I always think these chapters are going to be longer, but then it just feels right to stop there. Took a few more days this time, but I hope you enjoy it.

On the following Tuesday, Addison felt especially nervous as she walked to class. She had spent the last 30 minutes pacing in her dorm room, wasting time. Bree had finally gotten enough and had thrown a pillow at her, imploring her to leave. The air was getting colder as Addison walked to class, hiding her hands in her coat's pockets. She was playing a dangerous game. She was making the bet that seat would be taken by the time she got to class. If it was, she just might be able to sit next to Zed again.

Her pulse quickened as she paused in the doorway, anxious but also eager to see if her gamble had paid off. She took a deep breath and looked at the first row. Giddiness rose through her as she locked eyes on a girl sitting in her seat next to the two cheerleaders with whom she shared the lecture. She moved her gaze around the lecture hall, finally coming to a stop on Zed. Between the fact that he was so tall and his emerald hair, he was easy to spot. There was still an empty seat beside him, and Addison hurried down the stairs and through the aisles to claim it. She dropped her bag on the desk, opening her mouth to greet Zed when she noticed two paper cups on his desk. Her heart tightened painfully and she felt like crying. He was waiting for someone. As she wondered if she could switch seat without him noticing, he turned to face her and gave her a blinding smile.

"Hey Addison!"
"Hi Zed," she spoke softly.
"So, I swear I'm still not a stalker, but hum… I might have gotten here early this morning and noticed you weren't there yet. I mean – you usually sit with the other cheerleaders and all and well the uniforms are bright pink you know… But anyways, you weren't here and I was and I thought you might be having another rough morning… I forgot to grab a coffee earlier so I figured I might as well grab you one just in case it was a bad morning?" He hands her one of the paper cups. "Cause you looked really happy last week so I kinda wanted to make you smile ag- Hum, is that too presumptuous?"

Zed could have hit his head against his desk, he was such a blabbering idiot. Hopefully, she wouldn't think he was being creepy.

Addison looked back at Zed, hoping her face didn't let him see how star-struck she felt on the inside. He had been waiting for someone, he'd been waiting for her. He'd even bought her a coffee. People never did things like that for her, not unless they wanted something else in return.

"Not too presumptuous at all –" She whispered. "maybe I was hoping to get a better desk neighbor… I mean… my friends are always talking in class."

Addison moved a strand of hair behind her ear and sat down.

"Well, it'll be my honor to be your new desk neighbour from now on! This seat is yours anytime you want it," Zed offered, hoping she'd take it.
"I might just do that."

They smiled at each other, so completely taken by the other that they startled when the professor started the class.

AZAZAZ

For the next five weeks, Zed and Addison took to sitting with each other. Zed who hated a.m. lectures with a passion rivaled only by zombie phobia suddenly started to wake up extra early, much to the bewilderment of his roommates. While Bonzo thought the whole thing was adorable, Eliza spent most of her time endlessly teasing him. She was a human cheerleader – the baby cousin to the squad's captain – and he was a zombie. Cheerleaders were monsters. Why would he want to date a girl who would only sit with him because she was late, anyway? Zed didn't care. He continued getting to class early, dropped his stuff and went for coffees like clockwork.

Week number three saw Addison arriving with pastries, arguing that if Zed was going to bring coffee, she could at least take care of breakfast. They barely talked past greetings and quick conversations about homework and assigned readings. Sometimes, Addison had doubts he even wanted her there, but he kept welcoming her with wide smiles and coffee and she just wasn't strong enough to break her new habit.

Things were stuck in the status quo for those five weeks until they came back from Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving weekend was the weekend Addison's world was turned upside down.

AZAZAZ

Thanksgiving might have been a family event for most people, but not for cheerleaders. Thanksgiving football was a big tradition for many people. And where football was, so were cheerleaders. Bucky had been running the squad even harder than usual. Forget perfection, he wanted godly.

The football team was playing for the win, they were even better than usual, and the crowd was energized. Addison couldn't help but think that this was what cheerleading was all about. She was having fun; the crowd was having fun, and everyone was screaming their heart's out. She'd take that any day over godly perfection. It did help that the star player of the game, of the team even, seemed to be showing off more than usual. Addison was woman enough to admit to herself that watching Zed run up and down the field in those tight pants before tackling guys twice as wide as him was making her all flustered and tingly. With every play Zed made, Addison yelled the loudest of the squad, hoping foolishly that Zed would here her voice above all the others.

On the field, Zed was feeling rather proud with himself. He was playing the best he had the entire season, maybe even the best he had in all his college years. He knew it had everything to do with the blonde cheerleader that had smiled and waved at him as he walked onto the football field earlier. Knowing she was probably looking at him play, Zed was giving it all he could, going as far as taping into his zombie side with the help of his Z-band. Thankfully after a few trials and errors in high school, Eliza had managed to keep side effects pretty much nonexistent. It seemed to be working as he looked at her grinning and screaming is name on the sidelines. Of course, the whole cheerleading squad was chanting his name, but a zombie could dream hopelessly.

Zed's team ended up winning by a large margin and everyone was in high spirit. Addison had congratulated Zed for a job well done before they'd both been called back by their respective coaches. Needless to say, he was walking on cloud nine when he met up with his father and little sister to head home and celebrate Thanksgiving with Eliza's family. They were going to eat turkey-shaped and caulibrains and they'd probably play some games that'll end up pissing Eliza off before dessert. Zed can't wait.

Addison's Thanksgiving was less pleasant. Bucky's parents were hosting Thanksgiving this year. It was only the six of them, but Addison found the entire evening to be agonising. Bucky kept talking about the exhibition the next day and how perfect it needed to be. Of course, that ended up bringing the subject of college cheerleading requirements and the weekly weigh-in Bucky had to oversee which, of course made Addison's mother and aunt turned towards her. She blushed furiously as her mother asked her if she really needed to eat those mashed potatoes. She hung her head as her aunt pointed out she already had a dinner roll beforehand. Addison waited until she could politely excuse herself and walk home under the pretense of turning in early for the exhibition. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself as she walked the few blocks to her house in the cold. Her mother was always worst when she was surrounded by family, like she needed Addison to be even more perfect than usual. She knew it had to do with the state of her hair; Addison had been trying to atone for that genetic quirk forever. At the very least, her family had stayed cleared of that conversation. She didn't think she could have taken it, not after the quips about her weight or the discussion about zombies. She had to sat there and let them tear down people for the fact that they were born different. She'd tried to say something, to speak in defense of zombies, of Zed as he was the only one she knew; however, the simple mention of the fullback zombie had sent her uncle in a long rant, followed by a lecture on safety and self-defence in case of rogue zombies. She'd lost whatever appetite she had left and didn't dare speak another word all evening. As she went to bed, she reminded herself that she only had to survive the exhibition the next morning, then she could make excuses and she'd head back to campus and pretend to study or something.

AZAZAZ

Addison and Bree were standing side by side, smiling and shaking their pompoms. They were both weary of the day they were having, mostly PR stuff: pictures, gymnastic moves and teaching kids how to cheer and do cartwheels. Addison usually loved anything to do about kids, but it had been a long two days. She only had to get trough their routine. Bree had agreed to go back to campus with her and eat copious amount of ice cream and bitch about her family.

Thankfully, Bucky finally called the team for a pep talk; not that he was really good at it, it was more of a threat talk. Vaguely listening to the speech, she could quote by memory by the time she graduated freshman year, Addison looked around the crowd and sighed in exasperation. Both her parents had shown up and they'd brought Warner with them. There went her plans with Bree. She supposed she should have been glad to see her boyfriend, but she didn't want him there. He'd probably wait for her with roses and charm her teammates with a story of a candlelit dinner. The dinner would probably happen, but he'd talk over her and try to convince her to go out at some event before bringing her back to his apartment off-campus… Addison was used to his M.O. by now and she was really tired of it.

Bucky blew his whistle and they all lined up perfectly. 120 seconds and she'd be heading home with Bree. As her best friend, Bree had to help her get out of dinner.

There was nothing Addison could have done to stop it. 15 years of cheerleading and she'd never came close to such a disaster. She was in the air, minding her own part of the routine, when someone wobbled. The flyer on top of the pyramid started to fall down and her instinct was to grab anything on the way down to slow her fall. She grabbed a fistful of Addison's hair.

Addison knew what was about to happen, but she could only watch as time slowed down, powerless to prevent the disaster.

Anyone else would be crying in pain, but it was not like the blonde hair was actually attached to her scalp. The flyer did end up on the floor, clutching Addison's wig in her fist. By some miracle or was it rotten luck, Addison was still up in the air, in view of everyone as her dirty little secret was revealed. Addison almost didn't dare look at her parents, but just like people can't keep looking at a car crash, she did. The same horrified look was etched in her parents and Warner's faces. The silence that followed the accident was soon replaced by mumbles and gasps. The way everyone was looking at her letting Addison know just who they were talking about.

So yeah, Thanksgiving weekend? World-shattering.

Let me know what you think!