Chapter 5 - A Walk

Zelena.

“Hey Zelena” Smith called out in a sing-song voice. I glanced up and saw Cole elbow him in the ribs, Smith looked at him and mouthed ‘what’.

I put my head back down and continued for the gate.

“Hey there” smirked Gunner,

“I thought we might walk you home” he said nodding to his friends behind him.

Why would they want to walk me home? Are they just trying to get me alone so they can attack me? I started to feel a little scared and confused. Why were they showing me so much attention? The three boys stood by the gate looking at me intently, waiting for me to respond.

“W-why?” I questioned quietly.

“Well, because it would be a good chance for us to talk” Gunner responded without hesitation. What would we have to talk about, we are nothing alike and I doubt we have anything in common.

“Why would you want to talk to me?” I asked assertively.

Gunner tilted his head to the side, a confused look spread across his face.

“You’re beautiful, Zelena, why wouldn’t I want to talk to a beautiful girl?”.

I scoffed quietly at his remark. What on earth is he talking about? I'm not beautiful, I'm broken. He is either playing some kind of game, or he’s blind.

“I'm not beautiful, I’m an ugly swamp monster” I whispered with a hint of disdain in my tone. I dropped my head, letting my hair cover my face and I crossed my arms with a slouch to my shoulders.

Smith let out a giggle and Gunner snapped his head around and growled a deep ferocious growl, the kind an animal would make. I’ve never heard a human growl like that before, it was strange, to say the least.

“What?” Smith squeaked, throwing his hands in the air,

“She’s funny” he chuckled. Cole hit him over the back of the head and Gunner huffed at him, turning his gaze back to me.

“Don’t ever say that about yourself again” Gunner said as he leaned forward, crouching down so that his face was in line with mine.

“You, Zelena, are breathtaking”.

My insides melted, and my knees felt weak under my tiny frame. I stumbled back a bit as I was caught off guard by his intensity and warmth. He quickly stood up straight and stepped back away from me. I looked up at him, his brilliant blue eyes still set on mine. I must be out of my damn mind.

“Okay” I said as I zigzagged through the giant boys and out the gate. The three boys followed closely behind me.

We were walking through the forest, taking my usual route home. Gunner was walking next to me, Cole and Smith were just behind us.

“So, tell me about yourself” Gunner said with a smile. I shook my head a little, not looking up at him.

“Not a big talker, are you?” he asked, and I shook my head again.

“This is going great so far” I heard Smith whisper to Cole,

“Shut up” Cole whispered back. I don’t think they knew I could hear them. Gunner growled out of the corner of his mouth at them. I looked up at him and he quickly smiled back at me. I glanced behind me, and Cole and Smith were behind us, close but definitely not close enough to hear them whisper. Weird.

“You lived here long?” Gunner asked,

“As long as I can remember”

“Wow ay, you’ve never lived anywhere else then?”

“No” I shrugged

“So why are you so quiet at school?” he looked down at me, waiting for me to answer.

“I, I um, I-I just don’t fit in there” I mumbled. He was quiet for a minute as we kept walking slowly.

“That Demi sure is a piece of work”.

I huffed at him, of course he thinks she’s gorgeous, why wouldn't he. So that’s why he is talking to me, he thinks that messing with me is going to somehow impress Demi.

“Yeah, a right piece of shit” Cole yelled out from behind us. He and Smith laughed and nudged each other. I looked up at Gunner, he was laughing too. Wait, so he doesn’t like Demi then? He looked down at me and our eyes met for a second. I felt butterflies in my stomach and a burning in my chest. I’ve never had a crush before, is this what a crush feels like? He smiled at me and his blue eyes sparkled. I felt a tingle run through my body. From my toes to my fingers, up and down my arms and legs. It was like hot needles were poking into my spine and a pang of fiery pain hit me in the chest, knocking the wind out of me. I stopped walking and grabbed at my chest leaning forward. What was happening to me?