36| Horizontal Tango

With another high jump, Zachary scored his final basket and the practice game came to an end. He bumped against Ethan cheerily and gave a high-five to another one of his friends. Then he went rushing to Maya who was sitting on the stairs of the ground, engrossed in her work.

"You stink, Zachary." She said on noticing his arrival. "Here, I have checked your assignment. There were some mistakes. I marked those with pencil."

"Thank you, my knight in shining hoodie." Zachary said, pointing at her dark hoodie.

"The pleasure is all mine, my damsel in distress." She smiled back.

He liked her smile. It deepens her dimples and brightens her beautiful eyes.

"I'll go freshen up in five minutes. Stay here. Don't move." Zachary said and then ran to the locker room to take a quick bath.

By the time he returned, Maya was sitting on the same spot with her eyes fixated on a large group of girls lurking around in a corner. Althea was sitting in the middle of those girls, dictating the rules of the beauty pageant.

"Are you participating in that fundraising beauty pageant?" Zachary asked, sitting beside her.

Every year, their school holds a beauty pageant for the girls of senior year and all the money collected from the tickets goes to charity. He knows about it because Althea had been planning for it since she was a freshmen.

"No." Maya said. "These are not for girls like me."

"Girls like you?" Zachary asked in confused voice.

"Yes. Girls that aren't traditionally beautiful, according to stupid high school standards." She replied and turned her attention to her notebook.

Zachary assessed her gorgeous grey eyes and stunning curly hair. She was definitely one of the most beautiful girls he had ever laid his eyes on. It was strange to hear her say that she didn't consider herself beautiful according to society norms.

"You are gorgeous, Maya." Zachary said and a light blush appeared on Maya's cheeks.

"I bet you say this to every girl." She rolled her eyes while a weak smile lingered on her lips.

Zachary turned his body towards her and said, "No, seriously. You should take part. I am sure you will win."

"Stop it, Zachary. I don't want to participate when I know I don't have any chance to win." Maya said in annoyance.

"Of course you have. You are just as pretty as any other girl here." Zachary said and once again, butterflies appeared in Maya's stomach.

"Maybe. But still, it's high school. Here, people have a very limited opinion of beauty. Only girls like Althea or Blaire can win here." She said dejectedly.

"But---"

"I am not participating, Zachary. Let's not talk about it." Maya said and stood up to leave. "I have a class. Bye."

"Bye." Zachary said and watched her leave. He could see it in her eyes that she wanted to participate but she was scared to lose or make a fool of herself.

What he was going to do next could be counted as crossing a line but as her friend, it was his job to make sure she won't end up with any regrets. With that thought in mind, he made his way through the loud girls towards Althea who was sitting there like a queen.

"I want to submit a name." He said.

"Do you want to tell me something first, brother?" She asked with an amused smile on her face.

"It's not me, idiot. I want to submit Maya's name." He said.

"Maya? Sorry but she doesn't look like someone interested in a fashion show." Althea dismissed.

"She is." Zachary requested. "Please, just write her name."

"The seats are full." Althea said in a plain voice.

"Oh come on, sis. Just do me a favour. Tell me, what do you want in return?" Zachary pouted.

"Let me think." She paused and rested her finger on her chin, as if she was in some deep contemplation. "Your car for a whole day. Deal?" Althea smirked and Zachary groaned in return.

The car was like a child to Zachary but then there was Maya, the girl who always helps everyone. "Fine." He clenched his eyes shut.

••••••••••

"What happened to you?" Zoey asked Maya after few minutes of entering the store. Maya looked like she wanted to crush someone's skull in between her palms.

"Your friend happened." She snarled. "He submitted my name in the fundraiser pageant without asking me."

"Oh." Zoey mumbled. "Do you want to participate?"

"No, I don't. Pageants like these are stupid and only stupid girls participate in these." Maya groaned.

"Um... Well, I am participating." Zoey said awkwardly and she heard a small chuckle from Travis. Giving him a glare, she turned her attention back to Maya.

"I... I am sorry, Zoey. I didn't mean it. I really didn't." Maya apologised instantly. "I just... I guess I am projecting my own insecurities to other girls."

"You have nothing to be insecure about. Besides, it looks quite fun. I was invited to the after-party last year and it was a total blast." Zoey told her.

"But---"

"If you want to do something, just do it. Don't think about anyone else." Zoey advised.

"Well, there is no harm in trying." Maya whispered under her breath. "But I am still not talking to your friend."

Zoey chuckled at this. "Okay, I will tell him that."

After Maya left, Zoey gave a glance to Travis talking to a customer at the counter. She smiled at how his hair was falling on his forehead and he was trying again and again to set them back. She wanted to talk to him but then she remembered their small fight and a frown appeared on her forehead.

As far as Travis was concerned, it was becoming hard for him to watch her and not talk to her. But he couldn't dare to speak a word after what happened in the school and how she got to know about his little crush on her. This had boosted her ego and it was going to be even more difficult to deal with her now.

Again and again, his eyes diverted to her. She looked so innocent as she talked to the customers nervously and tried to understand their concerns. Despite being so spoilt, Zoey had still not run away from the job and it amazed him. If it was not for money, he would never spend a major part of his day in a dull store. But she was here, without the desire to earn money but just to prove herself to the people who consider her a brat, including Travis himself.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he engrossed himself in the work. He would have successful in completely ignoring her if it was not the same guy that flirted with her yesterday.

He appeared once again today and made his way straight to Zoey. Travis tried to ignore the burning in his stomach as he watched him flirt with her but he couldn't. He hated feeling like this, miserable and jealous. Zoey always brings out the worst of him without even trying.

He tried to block their voices but the loud laughter of Zoey pierced through his eardrum. He watched through his peripheral vision that she was leaning against him, the sides of their bodies almost touching.

Different thoughts ran through his mind, murderous thoughts related to that Josh, other thoughts that involved pressing Zoey against the aisle and kissing the hell out of her. But then he took some deep breaths and tried to focus on work.

Once that guy left, Zoey made her way to the counter to take some things. Their eyes locked for a moment but Travis immediately averted his eyes.

"He asked me out on a date." She told Travis with a smirk on her face while she searched for whatever she was looking for.

"Good for you. Hope you get to meet his grandkids." Travis said dryly.

"You crack me up, Anderson." Zoey fake laughed at the stupid joke.

"I try my best." He said again in a dry voice.

"Dinner date." She repeated. "You know what dinner dates lead to? Horizontal tango."

"Your sex life is the least of my concerns, Zoey." Travis said although he knew he was lying.

"Well, as someone who have a crush on me---"

"Had." Travis corrected her.

"There is a very thin line between 'had' and 'have', Travis." She teased.

"On the contrary, I think the line is quite adequately sized." Travis replied.

"You know what else is adequately sized?" She winked mischievously, making him flustered.

"Zoey!" Travis admonished. "Go back to your aisle."

Zoey rolled her eyes at this and asked, "Well, I am going out with my friends tonight and Cody said I can leave early if you don't have anything for me to do."

"You can leave." Travis said.

"Great." She said and stood there, waiting for him to say something but he blatantly ignored her and kept his focus on his work, much to her disappointment. When he didn't speak anything for five minutes, she turned around to leave.

Maya, who was noticing the exchange between them, stepped towards her friend after Zoey left. "Idiot, why can't you be nice to her? Is she too much for your fragile masculine ego?"

"I am nice to her. She is the one who always pushes my button." Travis accused.

"Really? I didn't see her do anything wrong." Maya said.

"Really? What about her shamelessly flirting with that guy?" Travis asked.

"Why do you care if she flirts with anyone? Last I remember, you said you don't feel anything for her anymore." She said and Travis flushed on getting caught.

"I... I don't." Travis gulped.

"Come on, Travis. You act like those shallow guys who bully the girls they like." Maya said.

"I don't bully her. It's the other way around." Travis said.

Maya heaved a sigh at his stubbornness. "Fine. Don't come crying to me when this Josh guy takes advantage of this whole situation."

"Zoey won't mind anyone taking advantage of her." Travis muttered under his breath.

"Don't be a jerk, Travis. You know you are better than this." Maya exasperated.

"Whatever." Travis avoided answering and Maya rolled her eyes.

Leaving him sulking, she made her way back to her usual spot and found her phone ringing there. It was Zachary calling. She had been ignoring his calls since she found out how he added her name in the pageant.

She wanted to cut the call one more time but instead, she decided to answer it. "Do you have anything to say in your defence?" She asked.

Zachary spoke after a moment of contemplation. "Um... No but---"

"Figured." She said and attempted to cut the call but Zachary's begging voice spoke out from other side.

"Please, Maya. Listen to me, please. I know I shouldn't have listed your name. I am sorry." He said.

"Yes, you shouldn't have." Maya grunted.

"But I know you want to participate. As your friend, it was my job to make sure you do." His voice rose from the other side.

"No. As my friend, it was your job to honour my decision of not participating." She commented.

"So what do you want me to do? Ask Althea to remove your name?" Zachary sighed in defeat.

"No. I have decided to participate now." She said and Zachary let out a girly squeal in response. "And you are going to help me."

"Anytime." Zachary replied immediately.

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