SEASON SPECIAL

“Someone get him some water. Hayden, how are we doing?”

I dart my eyes up to find an unconscious Zach lying on the ground and the boys surrounding him.

Fuck. I dash over to him with a quick run as a gripping worry encloses me. What the hell happened?

“Move!” I shuffle past the players and get a look at him. I kneel down to get a better look and his face is excessively sweaty and his hands are shaky as he holds on to his forehead.

At least he’s conscious, then.

“Zach, can you see clearly?”

He just grunts in response and I immediately realise the trouble. He has been skipping meals again.

I fish into my pocket with a desperate shred of hope, and fortunately find a chocolate bar.

I move closer to him and I sense Nathaniel’s eyes on me as he sat on his other side rubbing his hands.

“Zach, eat this. Just don’t do this right now, okay!” He shoves away my hand as I reach out the bar to him after shouting.

“Alanna, are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Yes, Nate. He does this all the time. His sugar level has gone down, and he needs to take this now!”

Nathaniel immediately helps Zach up to sitting position and his head falls on to my shoulder reflexively. He breathes heavily into my neck as I unwrap the chocolate quickly.

Be okay, Zach. Please be okay.

I give him a bite and this time he takes it. His eyes are closed and I gently remove the hair off his face that has stuck due to too much sweat.

Zach’s hand falls tiredly onto my knee and I continue to pat his hair gently.

“It’s all good. It’s fine. Just calm down.” I whisper lightly to him as he continues to eat with deep breaths.

Josh brings over a bottle of water and Nathaniel forwards it to Zach. Whose eyes are closed.

“Open it, Nate.” He complies immediately and I pause my caressing to move my hand forward, cupping it, where Nate pours some of the water.

My palm shakes a bit, and I internally scold myself for panicking.

I splash it on to Zach’s face and rub it gently. Nate pours some more and this time I rub his head and his neck.

He visibly relaxes as he finishes the chocolate. I rub him arms once again before finally speaking up.

“Okay? You okay?” Zach nods lightly, his head still buried in the crook of my neck and eyes closed.

“Get him to the infirmary, boys. Come on.” Coach Priestley speaks up and they help him up.

Nate props up his weight onto himself as I remove his head from myself.

Josh accompanies him and all three make over to the infirmary.

“Thank you Alanna, that was helpful.”

“Not at all, Sir. Excuse me.” I pick up my papers hurriedly and follow them to the infirmary.

I just want to check if Zach’s okay. And then I’m gonna give him a good lashing for skipping meals again.

My neck has become all wet, partly due to the water and partly due to Zach’s sweat.

I wipe off a bit, and his scent lingers on my skin, making me still wonder how worried I still get when Zach’s not okay.

I take a deep breath and tuck a strand of hair being my ear.

The thought of Zach getting hurt is… bad. And it’s annoyingly unbearable.

This whole incident just reminds me of no matter what, Zach is always going to hold a place within me. I can’t have anything to do with him, but I just can’t bloody bring myself to want the same.

Have I been lying to myself? Is there some part of me that’s still isn’t over him, after all?

*

“Oh dear God, what happened to him?”

“His sugar level dropped, I guess. He was given a chocolate bar.”

“Ah, that’s good then. I’ll take over from here boys.”

Nate and Josh take the other exit towards the field once again after a few minutes. While I stand a minute longer to see him, from the door.

Nurse Willa gives him some glucose drink and he like a kid, drinks in compliance, for once.

Zach and compliance rarely went together but when they did, I hated that I surprisingly didn’t like it too much. I guess I have become used to his rebelliousness. But in this case, it is needed.

He drinks the whole glass, and slowly with his eyes closed, I see his face reviving. I continue to look on from undiscoverable territory when a sound disrupts me.

“Adalanna Callister required at Professor Collins’ office. Adalanna Callister.”

Shit! I had to give him the list!

I shuffle my papers while running my way back. Where is it?!

“Alanna! We need to talk.” I hear Nate striding alongside me as I search for the list over again.

“Not now, Nate. I’m running late.”

“Alanna, it’s too important okay. Just listen to m-“

“You heard the announcement, right? And where is this goddamned list?” I reshuffle through the pile for a final search.

“Are you or are you not listening to me?”

“Nate, I told you I-“ I’m cut off as Nate pushes me against the wall of the now empty hallway to the infirmary.

My breath is knocked out of me and I’m suddenly aware of just Nate and him standing too close.

He holds both my hands in his own on either side of me and gazes into me, hard and intense as his blue orbs flicker dangerously.

I move down to look at his lips that look a darker shade of pink than usual and his face is so close that his hair fringe falling on his forehead touches my own.

I try to find my voice but suddenly my mouth is too dry.

“How do you go back to the apartment?” What?

“What?”

“Alanna, I do the questions here, and you do the answers for me. Are we in agreement?” His authoritative demeanour and hushed whispers intimidate me as he towers effectively over me.

“That’s a question.”

“Yeah. I mean, yes.” I breathe out roughly and involuntarily lick my lips to find my voice.

“Good.” His eyes travel down to my lips and I feel weak in the knees.

“Now – how do you go back to the apartment?”

“Uh, Lily.”

“And when she’s busy or rather moody enough to leave you?”

“Cab.”

“Nathaniel Alderidge requested on the basketball field by Coach Priestley. Nathaniel Alderidge.”

“Which you will not. Henceforth, you will not travel alone. You will travel either with Lily, Zach or me.”

“But I don’t-“

“Alanna, Dan cannot be trusted right now. Especially after today. So you will listen to me. Are we clear?”

I process the information with a reeled head and close my eyes momentarily, before he speaks up again.

“I hate to break it but I’m running-“ The speaker booms above us yet again and I snap out of my daze.

“Nathaniel Alderidge requested on the basketball field by Coach Priestley. Nathaniel Alderidge.”

“-late right now. So I’m gonna need that answer.”

“Okay.”

“Call for Nathaniel Alderidge, on the basketball court. Nathaniel Alderidge.”

“The list you were looking for.” He hands me a paper and I look down to find the list I had been in the desperate lookout for.

“You left it on the field when uh, your first aid abilities were at its finest.”

I cough lightly and bring myself to look up to him, finding my voice back and swallowing to be able to use it.

“Nate, I know you must have heard Zach earlier, when he was, uh talking about us and the, you know, the kiss, so I just-“

“Love the perfume by the way. Vanilla?” I widen my eyes bewildered and shudder lightly when he takes a gentle sniff.

How in the world am I supposed to fight that? My eyes roll back and I close them, as my body crumbles down. I open them back and nod absentmindedly and he smiles lightly.

“How do you like mine?” He cocks an eyebrow and my eyes must have fallen out of the sockets for having widened them so much.

Are we actually discussing perfumes? With our names being announced overhead. How do I like his perfume?

I breathe in slowly, trying to make it appear inconspicuous and a whiff of fragrance enters my nostrils.

“Good.”

“What do you think it is?”

Bodywash. Aftershave. Lime. Musk. Rain.

“You.” I breathe out a whisper and he continues to look at me with his one hand still holding one of mine.

His gaze is so intense yet so homely, I don’t want to leave.

“Fourth call for Nathaniel Alderidge. On the basketball court immediately. Nathaniel Alderidge.”

“You have to go.” He makes no move and looks on silently for a minute before speaking.

“I figured.”

We continue to remain this way for a few minutes more, basking in the comfort and closeness when he decides to end it.

“I had to uh, create the proximity to get your attention. Remember what I said.” He pushes himself off of me as his hand slides reluctantly down mine, to separate.

Cold air hits me and I breathe deeply looking at his retreating back.

Do all boys have such mood hurricanes or am I in for some season special?

First Zach and now, Nate?! These two boys have completely lost their heads and now I’m losing mine with them. I don’t get i-

Shit. The paper. Collins, the third in the list.

Author's note:

Definitely a season special. Collins gone bonkers. Nate gone bonkers. Zach gon-

Zach is always bonkers.

We’re getting started.

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