Age Is Just a Number by Jeffery zedd

Chapter 21 

Zara’s POV: 

Suddenly, lan rushes towards me, throwing an arm around my shoulder. “Quick, act like you love me. Kayla is coming.” he whispers, planting a fake smile on his face. 

I wrap my arms around his waist, a smile on my face, “And you say my smile is fake.” 

“It is fake,” he responds, laughing out of nowhere. 

“Yours ishi!” I threw out my happy face. 

My eyes examine Kayla, who had short blue hair, with tiny bits of freckles across her cheeks. Scanning downward, she was wearing a black leather jacket and tight jeans along with combat boots. In no doubt, she is the exact opposite of me with my long brown hair, flowy white shirt tucked into my pink skirt, wearing light blue tennis shoes, I like her style; I wonder where she got that jacket. 

“Hey Kayla, lan said, letting out a loving sigh. 

She lifts a brow at me, scanning my body. “Hi,” she responds slowly while three others arrive. 

“Woah! This is your new girl lan? Blonde hair guy said, playfully punching lan’s arms. I can see him scanning my body. “I am Devon, the best looking guy in the group. Ditch the stiff, and I can give you the time of your life, baby,” he winks. 

I glance up at lan, who’s ogling over Kayla, and nudge him on his rib. He releases a few coughs. “D–Don’t hit on my girl,” he attempts to sound serious. 

I held the urge to roll my eyes. 

The black hair guy came up and smiled at me. “Carol,” he said, shaking my hand. 

I peered over to see a redhead girl who was glaring at me, almost as if burying me with her eyes. Someone poke me in the side, and I leap back, seeing Nina. “We got cooking, let’s go.” 

“Cooking,” the redhead girl scoffed out. 

“Excuse you? What’s wrong with cooking?” Nina responds. I knew something was stuffed up her ass today. Usually, she isn’t rude, always politely replying to others, unless she is pissed. 

“Nothing,” she responds. 

The look on her face says otherwise. 

“What is going on here?” A teacher yell, feeling the hostility in the air. “Pamela and Kayla, were you two making trouble again?” He glares at them. 

1/3 

said. 

Pamela glared at Nina, “I didn’t do anything” 

He crossed his arms, ‘Oh, so you expect me to believe Nina or Zara did something?” 

Pamela rolls her eyes, muttering: “Obviously.” 

“Look, why can’t the two of you behave just for one day. Why can’t you two be more like Nina or Zara,” he 

I 

At that exact moment, I knew what was going on. They hate us because people are always comparing them with us 

“Mr.Benz, nothing is going on here. We are just talking.” I said. 

“Okay, carry on,” he cleared his throat. leaning towards me. “Zara, thanks for the cookie recipe, by the way. My kids love it.” he whispers. 

When he walked away, I can hear a: “Teacher pet, coughs out. 

I roll my eyes, “I’ll see you later, lan,” I said. I could care less about high school drama. 

He mouths: “Sorry,” and hands me my backpack. 

Walking to class with Nina, I can hear her mumbling: “Bitch.” 

In the middle of class, I had a tremendous urge to pee, so I rushed to the bathroom. Pulling down my panties, I release a deep, breath of relief, hearing the waterfall, I listen to a few girls giggling, walking inside. “I’m telling you, Carla is a total slut.” 

“Why would you think that?” the other question, laughing at her statement. 

“It’s obvious! She walks around in her tiny cheerleader skirt, seducing all the guys. An attention whore and a slut. It goes hand in hand,” she replies, and the two girls giggle, 

I roll my eyes, flush the toilet, and pull up my panties. Slamming the door open, I shot them a glare when ‘they saw me. “Don’t say bad things about Carla; she isn’t a slut.” 

One of them chuckled. “Of course, a slut would defend another slut.” 

“What?” 

She rolls her eyes. “You may have got the whole school fool, with your goody two shoe image act, but i know you’re nothing more than a little slut, prancing around in that tiny skirt. After all, that’s how you got lan, right? You spread those legs and bang.” 

I clenched my fists, “I am not a slut.” 

“Oh please, Zara, we saw you flirting with older guys. Plus, if you weren’t a slut, you wouldn’t be hanging out with those slutty cheerleaders,” she smirks. “Pretty sure Nina is a slut too.” 

| 

1/3 

I punch her. 

Afterward, we were all pulled into the office. The principal kept us there for two hours, investigating why we were fighting in the middle of class, in the girl’s bathroom. The bitch told me I started it, but I’m not stupid. I recorded our whole conversation, starting with how she called Carla a slut. 

Bitch got it coming 

No one calls my friends any names, 

I stuff my things inside my backpack, cursing the number of books I have. “Hey, Zara?” someone said, and 

I turned around to see Carla along with some other cheerleaders, 

I zip up my backpack, throwing it on. “Oh, hey, what’s up?” 

“We heard how you stand up for us this morning, and we want to thank you,” Carla pulls me in for a hug. and all the other girls went in, giving thanks. 

“You don’t know how much it means to us that you did that. Yes, a few girls enjoy sex who are cheerleaders, but somehow everyone thinks we are all sluts because of those few. It’s so stupid because many people do it, but somehow we are the slutty ones. So, thank you for backing us up.” Carla wiped the tears from her eyes. 

She grabs my hands. “If you ever want to be a cheerleader, anytime, no tryouts. You come to us, no! If anyone messes with you, come to us, and we will give them a piece of our bitchiness,” she said, and I nod 

Throughout the day, nearly every student threw themselves at lan or me, harassing us about how we got. together. We told them how we coincidentally met in New Jersey and hung out, that’s all. 

Then, the cheerleaders think I am all of their friends, not giving me room to breathe. They would invite Nina and me to every event they have, causing us to hide in the library at lunch. I sat in the front of the school, releasing a deep breath, praying someone will shoot the sundown. 

After school, I waited for lan. Only to receive a last–minute message from him saying Kayla needs some help with a school project. “What the fuck, ditching your fake girlfriend for your real crush. That’s just cold,” I mumble to myself, turning off the power. 

Glancing up, the sun was shining, and I regret denying Nina’s parent’s offer for a ride home. Releasing another deep breath, I started walking home, blocking the sun from my 

ace with my jacket. 

When I hear a horn honk, I look up to see William’s car. He rolls down the window. “Need a ride?” He asks.