“Go, run and touch base!” your teammates screamed at you. You didn’t dare look back. How you had managed to be the only robber left in the game, you had no clue. You hated Cops and Robbers and you hated to run.

            The person after you was ruthless. He had his arms outstretched and looked every bit like the bad cop who was supposedly after justice. You put on a burst of speed before slamming into a solid mass of human. You let out a tinny oomph and a hand came out to steady you.

            By now the game had ended and everyone walked out. “Hey Zelo. Welcome back man. How was Seoul?”

            You caught your breath and tried to focus. There was no way it was him. He had moved away. He couldn’t be back. You looked up and your heart nearly failed you. It was indeed Zelo. He had changed so much. He grew taller and his face had hardened, gaining a bit of maturity. You could still feel his hand around your arm and yanked it away.

            A year didn’t change anything. He had still tormented you and you would never forgive him for hurting you. You turned around and tried to push past the crowd. Everyone was thrilled. He had been popular in your school and was greatly missed when he left. Nobody understood your reaction but they let you pass.

            “That’s weird. She just left,” they were whispering.

            You walked away, trying to control your emotions. Someone called your name and you saw your best friend jogging up to you. “Hey, we’re still playing. Come back. Zelo is going to be a cop. We need more robbers. Come on,” she tugged on your arm.

            You dug your heels in. “I really don’t feel like it. I’m a bit tired anyway.”

            She pouted. “Please? Zelo just came back too! Come on, you guys were super close last year.”

            You gave her a pointed look. “That was last year. The past is the past.”

            She grabbed your arm and tugged you back. “You’re spoiling our fun. This could be the last time all the neighborhood kids play together. We’re all going to college in a month. Stop ruining the atmosphere and come back.”

            She was right. You shouldn’t let your emotions get in the way of other people’s good times. You sighed and made your way back, unsure of how you would confront him. But you decided to ignore him. There were twelve other people playing the game. You could avoid him.

            Zelo smiled at you when you rejoined, acting as if nothing had happened. You split into the different groups and he winked at you when the countdown began. You prayed that he would know what was good for him and stay away from you.

            The whistle blew and you ran, trying to find some place to hide. You needed someplace with an escape route. You scanned the playground and when you saw a crawl in tube. You smirked. This would be perfect. You could crawl in and hide.      

            You stared at your watch until the five minutes ended and heard the pounding steps of the cops. They had already split into who was chasing who and you waited. Once or twice, you tensed when you heard someone approach you. But the twist in this game was you had no idea who was chasing you.

            “Boo!” you screamed. Zelo’s head popped into the hole and he grinned. You scowled and began crawling backwards, trying to escape. Of course he would choose to come after you. The boy really hadn’t learned.

            You slid out of your hiding place and began to run in any random direction. Too late you realized you were running to the handball parks and that was a dead end. He chased you in and you saw that nobody had chosen to hide here. Zelo’s legs were long and he caught up easily.

            You faced him with your back against the wall and doubled over, trying to catch your breath. “Go ahead. Arrest me. You won,” you said, glaring at him.

            Zelo grinned and advanced closer, not touching you yet. “But then what’s the fun in that? I’ve missed you this past year.”

            You could not believe his nerve. “You’re insane. You were the one who told me you liked me but not enough to date me and now you tell me that you miss me? That’s nice. But we have a game to play.”

            He came closer and stared into your eyes. “Forgive me and I won’t tag you out?”

            Impatiently you reach a hand out to touch his arm. He was being ridiculous. Zelo grabbed your hand and pulled you so that you were against his chest. He was so tall now you had to snap your head back far to see his face. His eyes were blazing. “What if I told you that I want to date you? What if I told you that I regretted not asking you out back when I could?”

            You couldn’t look away. He was deadly serious and there was something y about a serious Zelo. “Too late?”

            He bared his teeth slightly. “Is it really?”

            You looked down and his hand slipped to the small of your back. He was practically crushing you against him. “Maybe,” you whispered. His head dipped down and his lips met yours. His tongue probed against your lips, trying to get you to open up. His fingers dug into your skin. “Maybe not.”

            Your head was swimming and you clung onto him. When you were almost out of air, you pushed him away and scowled. “You know, there are other ways to tag me out.”

            Zelo winked at you. “Forgiven?”

            You rolled your eyes as he took your hand and marched you towards the jail. “You’re throwing your girlfriend into jail?” you asked him incredulously.

            He shrugged. “We’re still playing a game, aren’t we?” 

plot requested

:) Thank you guys for supporting me ^^