"Okay." He looked down at the ground. "Let's go." He headed back the same route they came, it was easier down than up. It was a steep climb which meant you had to run up the edges of the path with grass so you wouldn't fall. "You ok?" He asked with a quick glance back.
"I'm fine," she replied with a chuckle. "And I thought I was the worrywort."
He laughed a little as they reached the top. "Well, you've been replaced." He was only generally worried about his grandma. Anyone else would have to have a someone else to worry about them. That is, until now. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he was. He still couldn't understand his own mind.
She sighed with mock exasperation. “Well what am I supposed to do now?” She teased.
He laughed. "I don't know, I guess you'll have to apply for something else." His heart dropped a little as they neared the fence. The worse part for him was facing reality again.
She smirked, not noticing his sudden change in mood. “Too bad, I was getting pretty good at worrying about nothing,” she replied lightly. “Hey look, we’re almost there!”
He smiled lightly. "Yeah." Unfortunately. Every part of him ached to be back in there- it always did, but sometimes it was better than others.
Fern smiled back. “This has been pretty fun,” she said, taking a sweeping look back a ton the forest.
"It has." He doubted it would happen again seeing as how the next time she'd see him he'd be the jerk from school. He sighed. "You have a ride, right?" In the pit of his gut, he didn't want her to leave. She made him want to be a better person.
She ran her hand through her hair. “I should probably call my mom and get her to pick me up,” she replied. “I normally would’ve driven myself but my car’s in the shop.” She blushed a little.
"I mean-" he coughed a little to hide his embarrassment. "I have a car?" He wasn't sure why it was a question, but it came out like one.
Fern looked at him with a smirk. “Are you offering to drive me?” She asked him. Why did I just ask that?!?
"I-" *Dang. She's becoming more of me than I am. "Why not." He sighed. "I mean, I don't have to, you could call your mom. Or walk." He turned away. "I could care less."
Fern frowned. I knew I shouldn’t have said that. Why did I say that?! “Well there’s no way I’m going to walk home, and my mom would have to drive here so we’d just be waiting for her to pick me up. So if it’s less time you want to spend with me than I’d suggest you take me home.” She tried not to trip up when speaking, since she wasn’t always this bold, but the way he said those words annoyed her more than she let on.
He turned around and showed his well known smirk. "No problem, Ms.Feisty." He laughed a little. "I just got to talk to my gran real quick."
She nodded. “Okay,” she replied, rolling her eyes at the nickname. “I’ll get my stuff.”
He walked inside and into her room. He gently shook her until she opened her eyes. "Hey, Gran, I'm just going to take Fern home real quick." She turned slightly to face him. "Okay, hurry back." He gave ger a small smile. "Okay."
Fern got her camera and put it back into its case. She went into the other room and grabbed her papers and the rest of her stuff as well. She took one last long look at the room before walking to the front door and waiting for Zavian.
(psst what if she (doesn't know that) took some of his song papers and is like boi what is this???)
Zavian made his way to the front where he found her waiting. "You ready?" A little part of him drooped further. He grabbed his keys off the hook and opened the door for her.
Ooh yesss I like it//
“Thanks,” She said, stepping through the door. She wished that she didn’t have to leave. Who knew how Zavian would act come Monday? She hoped that he would stay like this but she doubted it. She didn’t know why he was so secretive.
"Mhmm." He walked to his car. It was an old, rusty truck, but it had been all he could afford. All that him and his grandma could afford. He walked to the driver's side, getting in and buckling himself in before starting the car.
Fern hopped into the passenger seat, buckling herself in and closing the door as well. She turned to him. “Thanks for everything,” she said, with a small smile before turning and looking out the window.
"Yeah, no problem." His throat seemed to be tightening up, so he quickly cleared it before beginning drive.
(Time skip? To either when she finds the paper or Monday maybe?? Idk)
Monday is good, I can have her find them over the weekend and then give them back to him//
Fern walked into the English that Monday with mounting dread. She already had her mask in place, almost glaring because of her apprehension. She sat down in her seat, waiting for Zavian to come in to give him back the papers she had found while looking through their project. It looked like song lyrics—heartfelt, touching song lyrics—and while she didn’t want Zavian to know she had seen them, she had to give them back to him. So she waited in her seat, her anxiety increasing.
Zavian walked into class, late as always. He hadn't seen Jay all day, and yet, he knew he was here. He was probably just skipping. But without me? That's odd. He walked in, laughing with everyone at a joke from before. Jess, who's considered the "hottest" in the school sat in the front row as they walked in. "DANG, JESS!" His friends began to catcall her as they made their ways to his seat. And he was forced to do so with them. He hated it, every second of it.
Fern grimaced with distaste as they catcalled Jess, sighing because she would have to interact with Zavian again. She walked to up to him. “Hey I need to talk to you about the project really quick,” she hoped that the look in her eyes told him she didn’t want to hand him the papers in front of his friends.
He smirked a little as he and his friends dispersed throughout the classroom. He looked back to her. She seemed to be serious, but he ignored it. "What's up, Ms.Feisty?" A few snickers came from behind him.
“Alone,” she snapped, indicating where she meant to go with her head. She took a deep breath and tried not to say anything else rude. She put her hands on her hips.