I've been posting this on AO3 but I wanted to put it up on here as well. It's a three shot, basically. Link to AO3 post will be on my profile.

It really shouldn't have been a big deal. The slight look, the nod in his direction; it was polite and formal and normal.

It just wasn't right. Zach (the nerd yes that one) Goode shouldn't be crushing over the beautiful, sassy and smart Cammie Morgan.

One, slight, fleeting glance Zach. Pull yourself together man.

It wasn't like Zach was a stranger to feelings, it was just Cammie freaking Morgan godammit and the idea of him crushing over her was just no in the eyes of basically everyone in the general vicinity of the high school.

She was a cheerleader who actually did well in other classes and he was that guy who sits at the back of the class reading books.

The main giveaway was the pair of glasses he wore which required him to constantly push them back up onto the bridge of his nose and the fact that his lunchtimes were either spent in the library or in the computer room.

He lugged around a huge backpack filled to the brim with textbooks because a) You never know when you may receive a pop quiz on the relative atomic mass of certain elements in the periodic table (which he knew off by heart anyway) and b) The last time he had even tried to approach his locker someone had pushed him out of the way and busted the lock.

Zach just never got people; he was shocked at everyone's surprise when it was revealed that Bex Baxter had cheated on Nick Cross with Grant Newman - he'd known for months.

He'd just never understood how someone could be so oblivious when the situation was staring at them in the face. And of course, he knew that Cammie understood this.

She always stood against normal cheerleader conventions. Unlike her friend Macey McHenry she didn't claim the 'popular' title and then used it against people. In fact, Cammie was pretty oblivious to her own popularity and Zach was sure that it would be the only type of obliviousness he would gladly accept from anyone.

She didn't sit at the 'popular' table and made friends with many of Zach's friends, for example Liz Sutton: a pale but frequently sunburned blonde who had a higher IQ than Zach and Jonas Anderson (Zach's other friend) combined. Liz was pale and pretty and dainty and Zach was almost 100% sure Jonas had a heart aching crush on the southern belle.

Jonas himself was quiet and nerdy like Zach and was a whizz with computers and electronics. He had helped the IT Department out on several occasions and let them take the credit for his work. Jonas didn't like to be in the spotlight yet always seemed to find himself in it as the football team needs eligible tutors and Jonas was always too glad to help.

It was quite ridiculous really. The admiration he had for Cammie was stupid and it shouldn't be there because it isn't normal for his popularity level, but then again who cares about that anymore? He knew Cammie didn't but the jocks on the football team did and so did Josh Abrams; the jerk of a guy who kept jumping onto Cammie like a puppy does with it's owner.

It wasn't like Zach purposely hunted down every last story and piece of gossip about Cammie, it was just that Josh had been boasting about his apparent 'amazing night' with her in the locker room after Gym once and when a member of the football team mentioned something about her and Josh later on in World Culture (a waste of a lesson, if you ask Zach) he noticed the beyond pissed look on her face and he put two and two together. Granted, he'd been pissed at Josh at that point and may or may not have lead to one or two glares in his direction at lunch which then may or may not have resulted in the locker-graffiti incident, but in the end, Zach was happy that Josh and Cammie weren't a 'thing'.

He didn't know when he started liking Cammie. She's just always been there and so has Zach and his feelings. Seeing her and smiling at her every morning was just normality to him and if she wasn't there it seemed like the world would take a turn for the worse.

To put it bluntly, every time Cammie acknowledged his existence with a smile of her watermelon flavour lip glossed lips and a swish of her dirty blonde hair meant the world to him and (as much as he sounds like a girl for saying, this he really doesn't care) made his heart feel like it was wearing out from how much it thudded.

Zach hoped Cammie considered him as a friend at least. Friendship is the way forward in these situations and he'd like to spend plenty of time with Cammie. If that does include just being sat at the same table as her, he's satisfied.

Either way, Zach's feelings for Cammie Morgan aren't going to go away any time soon and he knows it all too well.

-x-

"Morning Cammie!" Zach called to the girl making her way towards the English class they share.

"Oh, morning Zach!" Cammie smiled brightly at him and he smiled back genuinely.

Her smile was so perfect. It made her eyes just crinkle slightly at the edges and a small light flicker in them. Her eyes were a beautifully warm chocolate brown which felt like it enveloped you in cushiony brown softness.

Cammie's pace slowed down to match Zach's as they walked together to class.

"So...um...did you do the homework?" Zach stuttered.

She laughed slightly, "Yeah, bit of a rush job though. I had to babysit the twins next door last night so I finished it this morning. You?"

"I did it, yeah"

"Let me guess, the night you got it?" Cammie winked and Zach's cheeks flushed a prominent shade of red. He wasn't sure whether it was from the comment or the wink.

"In my defence, I've had to revise for that COW exam constantly and the day that I received the homework was the only available time slot to do it" He looked at the floor, trying to hide his blush that still tainted his cheeks.

Cammie nodded, "Ah, I see. Aiming for that A plus?"

He laughed, "You could say that, yeah"

"Well I'm sure you'll get it! You barely even have to try; I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous"

...Cammie? Jealous of him?!

"Cammie, you are brilliant, smart and intelligent. Stop being jealous of me when you have nothing to be jealous of" Zach gave her a look.

Before Cammie could reply, they were outside their English classroom and the teacher was ushering them in. Zach hurried in faster than the others and sat in his place. Cammie stood at the door and frowned, before walking into the classroom and taking her own place.

If only she knew...

-x-

"Cammie's jealous of me"

"Well that isn't exactly a first, Zach"

Zach and Liz were seated underneath a tree during break, allowing the tree to shelter them from the burning sunlight and create an atmosphere of calm.

It was mainly just a really good hiding place where he and Liz could talk.

"Wait, you knew?"

Liz rolled her eyes, "Of course I did. Best friends, remember?"

"Oh yeah" Zach cracked a smile.

Zach couldn't believe that Cammie was jealous of him. Of all the people Cammie could possibly be jealous of, she was jealous of him for his intelligence.

"You like her, don't you?" Liz said bluntly, no sign of tease in her her voice whatsoever.

"You could say that" Zach was equally as blunt.

Liz was the only person (apart from Jonas) that he wasn't afraid to talk to, especially when it came to feelings. If anyone else had asked the same question, he would have blushed and denied it. But not Liz. He can talk to Liz about anything and she won't judge him for it, which is one of the main things he really loves about her.

Liz giggled, "You're like a lovesick puppy when it comes to her. I have noticed, you know. You aren't quite as sneaky with your glances as you might seem"

Zach groaned, "Has anyone else noticed? I'm guessing you told Jonas already"

She giggled again, "Yeah, sorry. I don't think anyone has, so I wouldn't worry"

Zach just nodded and looked up at the light filtering through the green leaves above him.

"It'll be okay. I know it hurts, but it'll be okay" Liz said soothingly and Zach gave himself an imaginary pat on the back for picking one of the best friends he'd ever had to share his secret.

-x-

Zach wandered through through the corridors, not really doing anything in particular.

"Oi, Goode!"

Shit.

Josh Abrams.

Play it cool, Zach.

"Josh!", he started off brightly, "How may I help you?"

Josh leaned closer to him and looked at him in the eye, "I've heard some very bad news"

"Oh, what might that be?"

Josh sneered, "That you are hanging around my Cammie. Now listen 'ere, Goode, I don't want any of your nerdy freakiness rubbing off on her, you hear? So stay well away from her, understood? Otherwise I might have to mess up that face of yours"

By now, a small crowd had gathered to see what all the fuss was about.

Zach just laughed.

"Josh, I've never met someone so ridiculous in all of my life. You are telling me to stay away from someone you have no control over. If Cammie decides to speak to me, she can. I'm not pushing her like you do. She's my friend, Josh. I care about her and I don't see her as an object like you do. You've clearly come to talk to me because you feel threatened by our friendship, which in itself is quite funny because there is nothing going on. Maybe Cammie likes to spend more time with me and my friends rather than you and your friends because we appreciate her, her thoughts and opinions and not just her body. So, maybe I'm the one that should be telling you to stay away from Cammie" Zach gave his speech, gave Josh a quick smile and walked away from him.

"GET BACK 'ERE, GOODE!" Josh shouted and started running towards him until someone stopped him.

"Leave him alone" Jonas said, grabbed Zach's arm and dragged him away before he could even think twice.

Once safely away from the scene, Jonas stopped and released Zach's arm. They'd just so happened to have ended up under the same tree he and Liz were at earlier.

"I guess I owe you one, thanks" Zach smiled at Jonas.

Jonas shook his head, "No, thank you. It's about time someone brought that idiot down a peg or two. Cam was too scared to do it"

Zach laughed and rubbed his face, "No, really, thanks. I was about to get beat up"

They both sat down by the trunk and admired the scenery, before Jonas said, "Oh come on Zach, we both know why you did it"

Zach blushed.

"I think it's cute, by the way. You and Cammie would be really sweet" Jonas winked at Zach.

"Oh, just like you and Liz then?" He teased.

Jonas punched Zach's arm lightly and Zach laughed.

"Yes, Zach, I like Liz. A lot"

Zach grinned, "I know"

Both boys fell into a comfortable silence, their thoughts being on the girl they admire.