Nico threw the school doors open, stomping into the building, and marched down the hallway furiously. After her talk with the police captain, he offered Nico a ride home, but she insisted on going back to school because she left her bike there. As soon as he dropped Nico off, she rushed inside because she had a score to settle with Zane. Ever since Towns told her what Zane said, it has been bothering her. Even though school was over for the day, the hallway had some people scattered around but only for school activities. Nico reached the gym and stomped over to the boy's locker rooms standing there for a bit, collecting her thoughts before slamming the doors open. Nico walked into the boy's locker room and her face twisted in disgust at the stench that filled the locker room. The teenage girl rolled her shoulders and pushed on, passing by some boys changing into their football jerseys, commenting about her being there, but Nico pushed on because she had more pressing matters to deal with. Nico stopped dead in her tracks, spotting Zane in front of his locker, opening it, with her back facing her. Nico walked up behind Zane, and he was too busy being lost in thought to acknowledge her. Nico crossed her arms, waiting for Zane to turn around, burning a hole into his back but instead of turning around, Zane grabbed the ends of his shirt, pulling it upward, revealing his muscular back. The teenage girl watched his muscles flex under each movement he did, and Nico felt the heat rush to her cheeks the longer she looked at him and was praying that her knees didn't give up on her. Her thoughts of Zane were soon interrupted by Zane's teammate calling out to Zane.
"Aye yo, Zane, I think your fangirl is waiting for you," Zane's teammate called out.
Zane turned around, and his eyes met with Nico. His amber's eyes widen in surprise and confusion, but after Nico looked at him dazed, Zane only rolled his eyes, turning back to his locker.
"What the hell are you going here, Nico?" Zane vocalized, throwing his shirt inside the locker. Nico looked at Zane, and she remembered why she came here, and she felt her anger grow again.
"You know, have some nerve," Nico angrily responded. Zane turned around to face Nico fully with his eyebrow arched.
"What are you talking about?" Zane asked, and the anger grew in Nico.
"I am talking about the fact that you are an asshole," Nico stated, practically shaking in anger.
Zane opened his mouth to respond but heard a few snickers and shut his mouth, pressing his lips into a thin line frowning at Nico, who was glaring at him. Zane slammed his locker, making the others around him except for Nico jump in, surprised. Zane grabbed ahold of Nico's wrist and yanked her towards him, and began to pull her out of the locker room. Zane kicked the door open, marching towards the staircase, pulling Nico off to the side pressing her against the wall. Zane stared down the hallway making sure that they were alone before looking back at Nico, who was looking at him, confused.
"What are you doing?" Nico demanded.
"I rather talk without an audience," Zane said, taking a step back from Nico.
"Really?" Nico said, bothered.
"Well, what do you expect? I don't want to deal with people thinking that something is going on between us," Zane told Nico, shrugging his shoulders. Nico started to shake in anger at the words coming out of Zane's mouth.
"I can't believe you. You're such an ass," Nico said in a harsh tone.
"What?" Zane questioned, arching his eyebrow.
"You only care about your image," Nico stated, pushing Zane away from her.
"What that is not true," Zane responded.
"Bull shit, you literary dragged me to a place that nobody can see us, and to top it off, you give some dumbass excuses saying that you don't want people to think that something is going on," Nico spat out.
"First of all, I dragged you out of the locker room because it is the BOY'S locker room, you are not suppose to be there, and you were acting like a maniac screaming at me for no reason," Zane said, annoyed.
"For no reason! Zane, I had a reason," Nico shouted.
"So what was is, huh? Wait, let me guess, was it you coming to apologize to me because if that is it, then I am all ears," Zane said, rolling his eyes, crossing his arms over his bare chest.
"You know Zane, I was going to at first, but now I am only feeling sorry for myself," Nico stated, clenching her fists.
"What are you talking about?" Zane questioned.
"I am talking about you went behind my back and going telling Towns that I am putting you guys in danger," Nico stated, crossing her arms glaring at him.
"So you are mad at me because of that? Unbelievable! You know what, Nico, I am not even going to have this stupid conversation with you! I am out of here!" Zane shouted, turning around to walk away.
"Typical Zane, when things get complicated, you run away!" Nico called out, making Zane stop in place.
Zane slowly turned to Nico with an angry look now painted across his face and a fire in his eyes. He slowly stalked towards Nico, and she didn't back down even though Zane was towering over her, looking like he was ready to attack.
"You wanna know why I told Towns it was because you are too stubborn to realize that you are actually putting people in danger because of what? Because of a stupid feeling that you had. I told you that it was too dangerous, but you wouldn't listen because you acted like you have something to prove. Well, let me tell you something, Nico, you don't, you never did, and I am not going to get myself killed because you wanna play freaking Nancy Drew," Zane told her in a harsh tone.
"I should have known you only care about yourself when things get tough. I told you that I would be fine by myself, but you could have stayed home, but you act a hero and insisted that you had to come. I didn't twist your arm, forcing you to come," Nico announced, leaving Zane to groaned in frustration, aggressively running a hand through his hair.
"There you go again! Don't you realize how inconsiderate you are being," Zane shouted.
"I'm inconsiderate! What about you?" Nico screamed.
"What about me? What have I done?" Zane yelled, scowling at Nico.
"You could have at least talked to me before going to Towns, but no, you wanted to look out for only yourself because you wanted to save your own ass!" Nico screamed.
"And would you even listen to me if I came to you about it?" Zane responded, shuffled closer to Nico.
"Of course I would have, but now I have to deal with the police breathing down my neck because you cried wolf," Nico said, inching towards Zane.
"So what? Do you want me to say that I regret that I told the Towns? Well, I don't regret telling Towns, and I would do it again," Zane responded.
Nico fell silent and looked at the ground frowning, Zane sighed and reached for her, but he was suddenly pushed by Nico, shoving him toward the wall hard. Zane snapped his head up at Nico, and his breath hitch, at Nico's face, mostly her eyes. Nico's eyes filled with sadness, and Zane realized how hurt she was. Zane went to open his mouth to say something, but Nico's sadness was soon replaced with anger. Nico marched up to Zane and continued to shove him repeatedly but was quickly stopped by Zane grabbing her wrists, forcing her to look at him. Zane looked at Nico and watched her lip quivered a bit before she shook her head, pulling him from his grasp, lengthening the distance between the two. They stood there in silence, and Zane didn't take his eyes off Nico, who was staring at the ground, unsettled. Zane called her name, but that only up the teenage girl even more. Nico looked up at him with fury in her eyes, clenching her fist so tight that her knuckles turned white.
"I trusted you. I trusted the fact that you would have my back, but silly me, I was wrong. Worst of all, I thought that maybe just maybe we were becoming friends, but you are just like everyone else!" Nico shouted as she held herself, tears threatening to spill over.
"Nico," Zane began pushing himself off the wall, carefully walking towards her, trying not to anger her again, but Nico shoved him back into the wall stepping away from him again.
"No, I don't want to hear it. You can go back to your cushy life and your stupid friends and leave me alone. I want nothing to do with you," Nico said, turning on her heels rushing down the hall, leaving Zane alone.
Zane watched Nico running away, and he sank to the ground clutching his chest with an uncomfortable feeling that he couldn't shake. As Zane sat on the floor, he remembered Nico's sadness on her face that made him feel worst. Zane ran a hair through his head, and he had a realization, and that was in this moment, he truly felt alone.