Age Is Just a Number

Zara’s POV: 

William marches towards me and wipes my forehead with his sleeve until it starts. giving me a burn. “Stop it!” I smack his arm away and rub my aching forehead 

“He kissed you. I don’t like that.” 

I roll my eyes and walk into the kitchen, in need of some water. “Look, it’s only at kiss on the forehead.” 

I grab a cup, “It means nothing.” I filled it with water and drank it… 

“Geez, you’re acting like an annoying older brother.” I mumble under my breath. and set it on the counter. 

Turning around, William was right in front of me. “You got to stop sneaking up-” he cups my face, and I stop talking. With wide eyes, I can only stare at him. 

“Nothing? A kiss on the forehead is nothing?” 

My heart picks up its pace seeing him move in towards me, kissing the same place Randy did. 

“Was that nothing?” He asks, and I couldn’t make up any words to respond. 

He continues to stare at me. 

I opened my mouth, but his phone rang. He slides his hand inside, not removing his body against mine, and he picks it up. “What?” He said in a cold tone. 

William takes a step back, then points at the other side of the room, and I nod my head. I can hear him mumbling some words, but I wasn’t quite sure. 

1/5 

I know I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but- 

I twirl towards the door and crack it open. 

“What the fuck do you mean he got away?” William practically shouts, running his hands on the back of his red neck. “Well, fucking find him!” he screams, and I was taken aback a little. 

Turning around, I rush back towards the counter, pretending to get water. I can hear the door creaked open, and William walks in. “I have to go,” he said, and I nod. There was this awkward atmosphere lingering in the air, and soon William left. 

I release a deep breath, ready to sleep for the day, forget homework. I need my bed right now. 

The next day, things did not get better. 

My head drops to the ground, and I start walking to school. I kick some pebble, dragging my leg on the cement but stop when I feel someone’s chest. Eyes were slowly lurking up, and I saw William standing there in his usual businessman suit. I didn’t know what to do except stare at him and his damn handsome face. 

Slowly, he lifted a hand towards my cheeks, and I suddenly found it harder to breathe. He traces his thumb against my cheekbones, and I couldn’t help but tremble at his touch. He grabs my hand and leads me to his car. I was fidgeting in my seat, wanting to say something but nothing came out. So, we drove in complete silence the whole time. 

We stop in front of my school, and I quickly grab my backpack. “Thank you for the ride,” I mumble and hop out before he can even say anything. Immediately, I rush into school and towards my locker. 

My breathing was heavy, uneven as if I just ran a marathon or about to have a heart attack, I shake off the sensation and dial in my combination to grab the back breaking books. 

“Boo!” Someone shouts, placing two hands against my shoulders, and I slam my back against the lockers, eyes widening to see Nina laughing at me. 

2/5 

“What the shithole! You scared me!” I shouted, then went back to my business. 

“Well, I’ve been calling you since you entered school, but you didn’t listen to me and-” she pauses, then grabs my elbow and turns me towards her. She closes the distance between us. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” I threw my books inside my backpack. 

* 

I hear a few girls squealing, and I turn to see Randy walking in the halls, and cuts covering his face. He stopped in front of us and messed with my hair. “Hey, Zara. Hi Nina.” 

“Woah, what happened, Randy?” Nina asks. 

He shrugs as a response. Unlike me, Randy doesn’t like lying, so when someone asks him, and he doesn’t want to tell them the truth, he shrugged. 

“Another fight?” she questions, and he shrugs again. 

We stand in the hallway, talking with one another about irrelevant things. Ninal noticed that Randy doesn’t want to talk about what, so she dropped it. That’s one of the things that I’m afraid most about her. She can read the atmosphere around her pretty well, and if you aren’t cautious, she will catch you. But, she will never bring up the topic first unless she has to. 

“Hey, guys!” Carla came up to us, giving each of us a hug, a long one, 

particularly for Randy. I know she has a thing for him, but she didn’t want to be pushy. I waved at the crew standing behind her, who acknowledged me in return. There is a part of me that believes Randy has a thing for her too, but he doesn’t want to drag her into his world, or, more precisely, his alcoholic father. 

Soon, we all went our own way. I leaned my head against Nina while we walked to class. “So, how is Princeton going?” 

“I don’t know,” I lied. Princeton had been sending me pamphlets and all those other things, wanting to intrigue me more regarding their campus. It wasn’t just Princeton. But a few other colleges have been recruiting me, but I haven’t responded. I guessed being young and considered a genius or something is a big deal. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

3/5 

“Zara,” she said in a severe tone. 

“Hm?” I reply, taking a seat on the desk and unpack my stuff. 

“Tell me you aren’t throwing away your life merely, so you can stay in this tiny town to see William.” 

I chew on my lower lips, taking out a pencil. “Of course not, only a stupid person will throw away their future for someone who doesn’t feel the same way as they do,” I 

mumble. 

She pinches my cheek, turning my face towards hers. “Do not throw your future away for someone who doesn’t realize how precious you are,” she said slowly as if I am her goldfish, Matthew. Yes, she named her goldfish Matthew or Matt for short. When Nina turned fifteen, before she got together with Kevin, she went to Chicago, on a last–minute visit to her aunt, who passed. She met this older guy named Matt. She had no idea how he looked, but she said he was probably damn hot because the kiss they share was terrific. 

Even though she is together with Kevin, she still can’t forget their heated makeout session in his car during Valentine. 

There was something about him that made her super attracted to him, but she decided to move on with her life. 

She met him, a stranger in Washington. What’s the chances of her meeting him. again? Mainly since she never told him her real name and left the morning after. 

Sometimes, I don’t understand Nina. She is this smart violinist who is the head of the student council. She has boundaries, and she lives by the damn rules. She is the type of girl who wears ponytails with her giant glasses and dressed pretty conservative, or like a grandma. 

And then she throws you off by humping and strangling a stranger with her tongue in his car. 

“You made out with a stranger,” I mumble, knowing what I say was utterly irrelevant.