Against the Odds (Book 2)

♡ Chapter VII ♡

♡Zahair♡

One of the best things about living alone was the space. But that was one of the worse things too.

A year passed since the change in my living situation but it was better than what I had going on before. Now, I was ready to leave altogether. So for the next few weeks, I'm working, saving, and getting ready to ship out of this place.

I have friends, sure... They were more people I hung out with—acquaintances—than friends, they matter all the same, though. But there were times in every person's life where they had to make life-changing decisions for themselves. I had to face the fact that there wasn't anything holding me here and there was somewhere else I wanted to be for the next eighteen years of my life.

For today, I was living in the moment. And at the moment, I was out, not shopping for myself but watching the few acquaintances I came here with max out their credit cards.

It used to be weird, hanging out with kids who had enough money to buy my house, and it used to bother me. I got over it.

It took years, me figuring out who I was and what wanted out of life, for that to happen. So it wasn't an easy road but now I hardly let it affect me. What made it easier to be around them was that they didn't treat me like I was some charity case or looked down on me.

"I'm this close to saying fuck it and dip," Kaid said from next to me.

I chuckled as I scrolled threw my Instagram feed, shaking my head.

I'd only known him for a few months since I'd transferred to his school for my last year. He was cool but he had little patience for almost everything. In his defense, we've been standing outside Victoria Secret for almost an hour, waiting on the other half of our group since they'd gone inside.

We were supposed to be college shopping, until we came across this amazing store.

"I'm serious," he said, leaning away from the wall both of us were standing against. "If I walk in there right now and start acting out, they gonna call the police and I don't got patience for this shit."

"You wanna go, go," I told him, exiting Instagram and locking my phone before looking at him.

His expression blanked and I shrugged. He threw his head back and groaned. "Nah, I'm good."

Holding back a snort, I said, "You sure?"

He eyed me with a funny look. "Fuck you, man. I could've been doing valuable shit with my time." He shook his head, peering into the store.

"You could've went in and helped them pick stuff out," I said, my tone half teasing. I crossed my arms, turning to see if I could spot Shenae and Cindra from here.

Visibly cringing, Kaid shook his head. "That would be weird."

Kaid and Shen had been friends since middle school they say. Even when I'd just transferred and met them, I could tell they had something going on. They spend so much time denying it and forcing this whole "we're just friends" thing that there was nothing no one could do if they wanted to live in denial until they ended up in a loveless marriage in ten years.

I haven't said anything about it because it's none of my business, but nothing stopped other people from pointing it out. All I did all those times was watch the both of them get flustered and embarrassed as they try to convince people they weren't going to happen. Numerous times. Even I got embarrassed sometimes, it was damn sad.

"Would it?"

Now he was glaring at me, and I laughed—unable to help myself.

"Okay, okay," I said, chuckling and holding my hands up in surrender.