Zain didn’t know why he thought today would be any different.
As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, his mom was already there, flipping pancakes like she’d been up for hours. She smiled, but it was that tight smile, the one that meant she had something to say.
“Morning,” Zain mumbled, grabbing a glass of water.
“Morning, honey. Ella’s coming over after school. I told her you could help her with math.”
Zain froze mid-sip. “Mom, I suck at math.”
“She doesn’t know that,” his mom said, waving him off. “Just spend some time with her. She’s such a sweet girl.”
“Yeah,” Zain muttered. Sweet. And clingy. And definitely not someone he wanted to be alone with.
Before he could come up with an excuse, his dad walked in, adjusting his tie like he was late for something important, he always was.
“Morning, Zain. Keeping up with school?” his dad asked, barely glancing his way.
“Yeah,” Zain lied.
His dad nodded, already halfway out the door. “Good. Don’t let Theo distract you.”
Zain’s grip on the glass tightened, but he didn’t say anything.
It wasn’t like Theo was trying to get him in trouble.
“Ella’s a better influence,” his dad added as the door shut behind him.
Zain exhaled slowly, placing the glass down harder than he meant to. His mom raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
By the time lunch rolled around, Zain was done.
He slid into the seat across from Theo, dropping his tray with a loud clunk.
“What’s wrong with you?” Theo asked, eyeing him.
“My parents.” Zain stabbed his fork into the sad excuse for pasta. “They’re obsessed with Ella. I swear, they’d adopt her if they could.”
Theo snorted. “I told you to scare her off.”
“Dude, you’re not helping.”
Theo grinned, stealing a fry from Zain’s tray. “Relax. It’s not that bad. You could be dating her for real.”
Zain gagged dramatically, making Theo laugh.
“I’m serious, man. I gotta get out of this somehow.”
Theo leaned back, folding his arms. “Then skip out. Come over after school.”
“What about Ella?”
Theo smirked. “She’ll survive. I’m more fun anyway.”
Zain shook his head, but he was already thinking of excuses to text Ella.
One afternoon away wouldn’t kill her.
Or at least, that’s what he told himself.
ns 15.158.61.17da2
