Nico shifted deeper in her bed, pulling herself under her covers even more, and suddenly the was a knock on her front door. Ignoring it, Nico pulled the covers over her face thinking that whoever it was would disappear. After five minutes of knocking, Nico huffed, throwing her blanket off, moving her legs off the bed, planting them firmly on the floor. Nico sighed, brushing her curls back, turning to the window looking at the sunny day. The knock started to get louder, and Nico rolled her eyes angrily, groaning because whoever was at the door was not leaving anytime soon. Nico stretched her arms in the air letting out a slight squeak before relaxing her body and pushing herself off the bed. Nico didn't get that far before tripping against something and causing her to fall to the ground. Nico's impact on the floor was different she was expecting a hard, uncomfortable carpeted floor. This was different it was warm and frim instinctively; she snuggled up against it until whatever she landed on started to move, making the teenage girl frozen in place.
"You know, if this is the treatment I get waking up at your house, then I should sleep over more often," Nico heard.
She slowly raised her head and locked in on a pair of amused amber eyes. Zane had a smirk on his face with one arm tucked behind his head. Zane rested his hand on Nico's lower back and gave her a small smile, only for her to turn her head away from him and push herself off of him, scrambling to her feet.
"H- how long were you up?" Nico asked, brushing herself up.
"Well, I was woked up by the knocking, so I would say for about ten minutes," Zane said, sitting up. Nico went to open her mouth to say something but was interpreted with the banging at the front door. Nico walked towards her bedroom door, throwing it open, stopping in the doorway. Nico looked back at the teenage boy who was now folding the blankets that he was using. Zane felt Nico burning a hole in the side of his head, and he turned to Nico with his eyebrow raised.
"Don't you have a door to get?" Zane asked.
"Yes, I do, but this is also the part where you are following me so you can leave," Nico said, crossing her arms leaning against the doorframe.
"Yeah, I will be down in a minute. I am going to clean up my mess," Zane said.
"That shouldn't take long, and this is my house so I can clean up the mess," Nico said.
"Well, I am not going to let you clean up my mess. I am your guest. I should be responsible for my own mess. Besides, I think you worry about whoever has been knocking on your door for ten minutes," Zane said, giving Nico a cocky smirk. Nico huffed, muttering something before walking out of her room slamming the door behind her. Then, after the door closed, Zane placed the folded blanket on Nico's bed gently before he turned towards her nightstand. Then, he walked a couple steps toward it, reaching down grabbing his jacket. Then, as he was standing up, he spotted a worn leather book was placed on top. Finally, Zane tilted his head in curiosity and picked it up, looking at it before sitting on Nico's bed. Finally, he opened the book and started to flip through some pages, and the more he read through it, the curiosity he had soon became concerned.
Nico walked down the hall, rubbing her temples at how the morning went for her so far. Her thoughts started to drift towards how Zane smiled at her, how his messy black hair looked good on him and how the way she felt hot under his touch as he held her. Nico stopped feeling her heart race, and he cheeks heat up. She shook her head, trying to calm herself down; thankfully, the knocking at the front door distracted her from her mind wandering to Zane. As soon as Nico reached the top of the stairs, the banging got louder, and she thought whoever was at the door better had a good reason waking her up with each step she took down the stairs.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming to relax," Nico said, approaching the door. Nico threw it open, ready to yell at whoever it was, but her anger was soon replaced with fear when she stared at her two best friends standing on the other side of the door.
"Hey, girl, about time- "Emily said before the door was slammed in her face. Nico locked the door and leaned against it looking around in a panic.
"What the hell, Nic, open the door," Emily muffled voice yelled from behind the door.
"J-just a second," Nico called out in a shaky voice.
"What are you doing? Open the door," Nate muffled now called out.
Nico's mind was going a mile a minute as her friends were calling out to her, banging on the door. Nico closed her eyes, taking a deep breath calming herself down when she heard footsteps coming from upstairs. Nico shot her eyes open, locking eyes with Zane, standing on the top of the stairs looking at her confused.
"What is going on? Why do you look freaked out" Zane said, walking down the stairs. Nico stared at Nico, and she didn't say anything, and he watched her open and close her mouth like a fish out of water.
"Uh Nico, what is goi-" Zane started but stopped when Nico rushed over to him placing her hand on his mouth and placing a finger to her lips.
"Keep your voice down," Nico whispered angrily. Zane gently removed her hands from his mouth and held them in his hands.
"Well, how about you tell me what is going on," Zane whispered back.
"Isn't it obvious? We have a guest," Nico said, snatching her hands back from Zane's hold.
"Yea, I figured. Who are these guests? "Zane said.
"My friends, you idiot," Nico snapped at him.
"How was I supposed to know that? You were acting like an ax murderer was at the door," Zane said, rolling his eyes, annoyed.
Nico remained quiet, shaking her head and pacing in front of Zane. He glanced at the door and the back at Nico's manic pacing. Zane sighed and started to walk toward the door, and Nico stopped in her tracks and watched Zane walking towards the door and rushed towards Zane, tackling him to the ground with a heavy thud. Zane turned his body, so he was lying on his back, to get a better view of the girl who was straddling him with a shock painted across her face.
"Are you crazy?" Nico questioned him.
"No, but apparently, you are. Just go and let your friends in," Zane said, propping himself up with his elbows staring at Nico, who lowered his head down, and her hair fell in front of her face covering her face like a curtain.
"I can't do that," Nico muttered. Zane sighed, reaching his hand up to Nico, brushing some of her curls behind her ear, resting his hand against her cheek. Nico looked up, and Zane was staring deep into her eyes.
"And why not," Zane asked in a soft voice, not breaking his eye contact with her making the girl shift uncomfortably on his lap, trying to avoid his eyes.
"I- I um, I just don't want to deal with them, Nico said, glancing at him.
"Okay, what is so bad about that," Zane asked, removing his hand from her cheek.
"Nothing, I just don't want to deal with it," Nico said, turning her attention to the floor shifting uncomfortably again. Instead, Zane sighed, running a hand down his face resting his hands on her shoulders, and slowly went down her arms, calling her name softly, causing her to slowly look back at him.
"It is going to be okay," Zane said in a reassuring tone.
"How would you know?" Nico asked.
"Well, we can start by you getting off of my lap," Zane said, gesturing to the fact that Nico was still sitting in his lap. Nico felt the heat rush to her cheeks, and she scrambled off his lap and to her feet. Zane chuckled to himself and got up and looked at Nico, fidgeting with the ends of her shorts, staring at the floor.
"Let them in," Zane said, taking a step towards her.
"But-" Nico started to object but was cut off by Zane placing a finger underneath her chin, tilting her head up, making eye contact with her.
"I'll wait upstairs until the coast is clear for me to leave," Zane said, sliding his hand down resting it on her shoulder. Nico let out a breath only nodded to him. Zane smiled at her giving her shoulder a small pat, pulling his hands from her shoulder, and proceeded up the stairs. After reaching the last step, he turned back and saw that Nico hadn't moved an inch.
"I don't think that you want to keep them waiting. You better open it before your friends break down the door," Zane said.
"R-right," Nico manages to get out, causing Zane to chuckle to himself before turning down the hall toward Nico's room. Nico walked up to the door and turned back one last time to make sure he was truly upstairs before unlocking the door and opening it. Then, as soon as she opened the door, an inch Emily leading the charge pushed her way through with Nate in tow.
"Nico! Nico, where are you?" Emily called out.
"I'm here," Nico said weakly. Emily whipped toward the entrance and saw Nico slowly poke her head out behind the door. Emily stared at Nico, frustrated and confused but primarily confused, trying to understand what just happened.
"So, do you want to tell me what the hell was that? "Emily huffed out in annoyance as she crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. Nico stepped out from behind the door and started to push it close. Once the door was closed and locked, she turned back around to her two best friends with a confused look on their faces.
"I'm sorry about that. I made a mess here last night and forgot to clean up, and I didn't want you guys walking into a mess," Nico lied.
"You never cared about cleaning up all the times we came over," Emily replied with a look that showed that she was not convinced with Nico's story.
"Well, yea, but I promised my dad that I would start to help out a little more by cleaning up a little," Nico said, rubbing the back of her arm.
"Okay, so what was that thud we heard," Emily said.
"Oh well, I tripped over one of my boots and fell," Nico nervously said.
"Well, that makes more sense than what I thought," Nate shrugging his shoulders.
"And that did you think I was doing," Nico questioned, crossing her arms.
"Well, I thought you had someone over, and you were sneaking them out," Nate rubbed his chin.
"W-what," Nico said, breaking out into a cold sweat.
"Yea, okay, like that would ever happen," Emily said, laughing at the thought of it Nico sneaking a guy out of the house.
"What's that supposed to mean," Nico asked, a little offended. Emily's laughter died down, and she stared at Nico tilting her head.
"Well, Nico, you are really not what they call a 'social butterfly,' you know. Let alone you'll let some guy spend the night," Emily stated.
"You know she's not wrong," Nate agreed. Nico felt anger rise in her, but she quickly pushed it down, knowing that her getting upset would blow Zane's cover.
"Yeah, I guess," Nico muttered, turning away from her friends.
"So, how was the studying last night?" Nate changed the subject by walking into the living room, hopping on Nico's worn dark blue sofa.
"Boring, but that is how studying is supposed to be. How was bowling? Did you guys have fun," Nico asked, earning a groan from Nate.
"No, Emily is the worst wing-woman there is," Nate said, laying on the couch looking up at Nico.
"You know I am standing right here," Emily said, somewhat annoyed. Nate just ignored it, waving Emily off, and she rolled her eyes and sat in the chair facing Nico, that stood in the doorway.
"I'm sorry," Nico said, but Nate sighed dramatically at her.
"And you should be, but I will forgive you this time, but you are coming next time," Nate said, sitting up looking at Nico with a grin on his face.
"If I have the day off again, then I will come," Nico said, smirking at him, earning a pout from Nate.
"Ugh, fine, come sit. We have to tell you about the plans about what is happening tonight," Nate told Nico, patting the empty spot next to him.
"I'll be there in a second. I just have to go brush my teeth," Nico said, retreating towards the stairs.
"Oh, please do. I can smell your morning breath from here," Nate said, turning his nose up in disgust.
Nico rolled her eyes, turning on her heels, raced upstairs, and she hurried down the hall to her room as fast as she could, like she was being chased. As Nico threw open her bedroom door, she noticed that Zane was sitting comfortably in her bed with his feet up reading. Zane looked up and stared at Nico in the doorway before looking back down at the book he was reading.
"What are you doing," Nico asked, making Zane stop reading and looking back up at her again.
"What does it look like I am reading," Zane said, holding up the book in his hands. Nico looked at the book that was in his hands, and it clicked that it was the book Nico was so excited to read last night before she was interrupted by the very guy that was sitting on her bed. She forgot to put it away last night, and now Zane was reading through it, laying on her bed like this was his house.
"What do you think you're doing," Nico said again, with some irritation laced in her voice.
"I thought we just discussed this," Zane said as he rolled his eyes and continued to read it.
"No, I mean, what are you doing with my book," Nico said, walking up to Zane and snatching the book out of his hands.
"Well, I was reading it as I said the last two times before, you rudely snatching it out of my hands," Zane said, sitting up. Nico rolled her eyes walked to her nightstand, and opened the draw before shoving her book inside, slamming the drawer close. She redirects her attention back to Zane. He was staring at her with a calculated look edge into his face like he was studying her.
"What," Nico asked, shifting uncomfortably. Zane sighed, moving off her bed, planting his feet on the ground, sliding further off of the edge of her bed, and turning his attention back to Nico. Nico started to shift uncomfortably at the fact Zane was not saying anything. After a while, he finally broke the uncomfortable silence leaning towards her.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Zane asked stunning Nico a bit with this straightforward question.
"What? N-no. Of course not!" Nico stated, stepping away from him.
"Interesting," Zane said, nodding his head turning his head away from her.
"What does that suppose to mean?" Nico questioned Zane, causing him to shrug his shoulder, getting up from the bed, taking a step close enough to Nico to where he was towering over her. Every time Zane walked up to Nico, she never once felt uncomfortable with him; she actually felt the opposite, which scared her. Nico walked away from him, facing the open door of her bedroom, avoiding that piercing gaze he always has. Instead, Zane sighed, walking toward her again, but this time he walked past her towards her bedroom door and closed it before turning back.
"So I am guessing that you came up here to tell me that the coast isn't clear. "Zane said, leaning against the door crossing his arms.
"They are camped out in the living room, so the chances of you walking out the front door undetected are slim to none," Nico replied.
"So, what's the plan," Zane questioned.
"I don't know, let me think," Nico said as she started pacing, trying to come up with a plan. Then, suddenly, Nico had an idea and turned to face Zane with a mischievous look on her face.
"I don't like that look," Zane said.
"Why you should love this look. Many of my good ideas come from this look," Nico boasted about herself.
"Okay, tell me about this 'good idea' then," Zane said, arching his eyebrow, and Nico's smile grew wider.
"So, there is a way for you to leave without my friends noticing you," Nico said.
"And that is?" Zane questioned.
"Well, it's pretty simple you leave the same way you came," Nico said, gesturing towards the window and Zane's mouth gaped open slightly.
"Oh hell no. I am not doing that," Zane objected.
"Why not you manage to climb up her last night, "Nico said, crossing her arms.
"That was different," Zane responded. Nico rolled her eyes. Before she could answer back, their argument was interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door followed by Emily's.
"Hey, Nico, you okay in there?" Emily asked. Nico walked towards the door, pushing Zane behind the door before opening it enough to where she could slip out, not overexposing her room.
"Hey, sorry. What up?" Nico said, blocking the entrance to her room.
"Well, you have been up here for a while. I just wanted to see if you are okay and who were you talking to?" Emily asked.
"Oh, I was on the phone with my dad. He was just checking in, making sure I was okay and that he would be home soon," Nico said, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Hey, listen, I am sorry about what I said downstairs. I didn't mean to make you upset," Emily said, playing with the end of her ponytail.
"What made you think I was upset?" Nico asked.
"Come on, Nic, we've known each other since the 5th grade. I think I know what you look like when you are upset,"
Emily said.
"Oh yeah, well, it is fine, Emily," Nico said.
"No, it is not. I just meant that you always seemed responsible, and I doubt that you would have a guy spending the night," Emily said.
"Well, what if I did?" Nico asked.
"Well, that would be a surprise," Emily said.
"Why would it be surprising?" Nico asked, tilting her head.
"Well, think about it you never had a boyfriend before, and you- wait did you have a boy spend the night," Emily said, leaning towards Nico, slightly excited.
"What no, of course not. I was just asking," Nico said, feeling her cheeks heat up, and Emily pouted.
"I see, okay, I am going back downstairs. Are you coming?" Emily responded.
"Yeah, I'll be down in a second. I just have to change," Nico said, moving back into her room.
"Okay, well, don't take too long. We don't have all day," Emily announced as she walked down the hall, waving Nico off. Nico closed the door rushed toward the window, throwing it open before running to her closet. Instead, Zane walked up to her bed and watched Nico grab a blue shirt and some black sweatpants and throws them over her shoulder, landing on her bed. Nico stopped for a moment turning to Zane, noticing that he was not leaving.
"Why are you not leaving? You gotta go. You ain't staying here," Nico told Zane.
"Well, I am not climbing out the window," Zane objected. Nico pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned at Zane's stubbornness. She walked up to Zane, grabbing ahold of his wrist, pulling him towards the window.
"Go," Nico said, letting go of his wrist.
"No, I am not going," Zane said.
"Look, I am not going to do this back and forth with you. There are two ways you're leaving. Either you are leaving through the window by your own free will, or I'm pushing you out there myself. The choice is yours," Nico stated, crossing her arms staring at the teenage boy.
"Fine," Zane groaned and began to climb out the window. Once he was out, Zane turned back to Nico, leaning on one side of the windowsill.
"You know when people spend the night, they are usually treated with breakfast and such, not being threatened to be thrown out a window," Zane told Nico. Instead, she smiled at Zane and leaned against the opposite side of the windowsill.
"Well, maybe you should have gone to those other people's house if you want that treatment," Nico responded.
"That may be true, but they are missing one thing," Zane replied, drifting closer to Nico.
"Yeah, and what is that," Nico asked, and Zane placed a finger under Nico's chin making the girl go stiff.
"Having a beautiful view to wake up to," Zane answered, removing his hand. Nico felt her cheeks heating up and backing away from him, spinning around, covering her face, embarrassed.
"W-well, don't expect it to happen again." Nico manages to get out as her hands are still covering her face as her back faces him.
"Goodbye, Nico. Thanks again," Zane called out, chuckling to himself. Nico turned around to say bye, but she was met with an empty window.
Nico felt her chest tighten up, and she was confused because she was disappointed that Nico felt when he was gone, but she decided to push that thought away. Nico grabbed the clothes placed on her bed and threw them on before Emily came back up there asking where she was again. Nico, now dressed, opened her bedroom door, looking back to the window one last time before sighing to herself before walking out the door, shutting it close.