The Coach's Daughter

Chapter 7

The way my high school works is that everyone has their own cliques. Although there's those few people who get along with everyone, typically people stay within their groups.

For example, I'm a quiet orchestra kid who you'll never just see casually hanging out with the football players, which is why I nearly have a panic attack when I see Zack Darrington standing smack dab in the center of a group of football players and cheerleaders. My grip tightens on the keychain that I found on the floor of my car after I dropped him back at school.

All I have to do is return it. I'm not nervous about talking to him; it's the people surrounding him that intimidate me.

At that moment, he smirks at something the girl next to him says and when he looks up, his eyes lock with mine.

Well, he's seen me staring. I guess it's time. Without a word, I walk over and simply hold out the keychain. The girl next to him looks me up and down, and the others send me confused looks but I stay unaffected.

"Take it." I wait. Zack's face is oddly ghastly as he stares down at the keychain in my hands.

"Where did you get that?" His voice is low.

"I found it," I answer simply. No one needs to know that he was in my car a couple days ago.

He collects himself and he moves away from the group to take the keychain out of my hands. His fingers brush against mine. I turn to leave when he grabs my wrist in an oddly familiar fashion.

"Why are you giving this to me?" he asks.

I blink. "Because it's yours?" I answer. Does he think I'm a thief or something? The keychain isn't even that cute; it's a simple silver football.

"Well, why didn't you just give it to your dad?"

Oh. I see.

"Does my presence bother you that badly?" I say with bitter undertones.

His eyes flicker. "That's not... Why won't you answer my question?"

"Why do you care?"

His gaze drops to his hand still holding onto my wrist. His hand is so large, it wraps around my wrist completely.

He lets go. "I don't."

He turns away and so do I. I've barely taken a step away when I hear the girl ask, "who was that?"

"No one," he replies. "Just the coach's daughter."

---

Now that I'm aware of Zack's existence, it's like he's everywhere. It's honestly surprising that he's in a lot of my AP classes because most athletes don't have the time or need for weighted classes. Not that it matters; we ignore each other.

Jaden is the only football player in my stats class and the second I sit down, he's ready with an apology.

"I'm really sorry, Amelia. Lola's mom needed a ride to her doctor's appointment and I-"

"It's okay," I assure him. It really is. He doesn't owe me anything. "Thanks for sending Zack."

He winces. "I didn't know that you guys didn't get along until after I already asked him. It was last minute and he had already stopped his workout and left the gym so I didn't wanna make him come back... I know he can be an ass sometimes."

"It's really okay," I insist with a hint of guilt. So that's why he was late: he came from the gym. Damn. He stopped his workout just to fix my car? Now I feel like a jerk.

"I owe you," Jaden says and rubs the top of his head. "Can I buy you food after school?"

"Um..."

"With Lola," he clarifies as if reading my mind.

Third wheeling again? Honestly, I don't really want to but something tells me that if I don't say yes, he's going to keep apologizing.

"Okay, sure," I agree.

"Great," he says, relieved, and gives me a sparkling smile.

I can't help but smile back.