centvr:
-
caz distantly catalogues the slowness of kieran’s steps, the annoying cut of his smile, the dripping cadence of his tone : all of it adds up into the perfect cocktail to get under his skin ( and it works ; god, he hates that it works ). it seemed kieran halliday broke every single rule caz set for himself in the worst possible way. PRIDEFUL in his cool composure, he was hardly proud of the way kieran always seemed to get a rise out of him, especially when it always seemed to be with as little effort as breathing. but the particular brand of animosity reserved for kieran was always simmering just under the surface, begging to be tapped into and too easily found by the one it was for ( perhaps in a way, that made kieran special — mostly, it just made him enemy no. 2 ).
caz is hardly the same now as he was sixteen and angry, but it’s still evident enough : the faintest red marching up his neck, pale cheeks betraying the beginnings of a flush that might’ve been pretty if not attributed to brewing rage. his grip on the strap of his backpack tightens, knuckles near white. the two miles between the halliday and zeckhauser monterey estates had never felt like ENOUGH space, two households struggling to contain the enormity of their egos constantly bleeding into one another — but now caz would give anything to have those two meager miles back. ( wanting to punch kieran is hardly a new urge, just one he’s never acted on because he’s not so certain he’d WIN ). his rage burns hot but caz’s eyes are cold, colorless grey in the florescent light of the classroom. " what ?? you wanna hear you’re a fucking saint ?? — just get out of my fucking way already if you want me to fuck off so bad. “
coaxing a reaction out of caz is almost satisfying enough to melt away the natural annoyance that comes whenever a zeckhauser is in his presence . almost . the sight of him alone brings back a plethora of memories that makes his fingers twitch , wanting to curl into a fist . it’s an emotion that’s been embedded into his head , a bond with his father was out of the question , their differences highly outweighing their similarities ; but if it was one thing they still shared -- it was a dislike towards caz’s family . and maybe that’s why he still takes his father’s side when it comes to them ; holding onto the one thing that they can still agree on . at surface level , he can’t even remember the reason behind it all and he rarely ever takes the time to think about it -- but he knows caz himself , has nothing to do with it - and neither does kieran .
“ i prefer GOD , ” he shoots back without a beat , the words come out dryly but their hardly sarcastic . he’d been called the american god back at yale , his destructive behavior and balancing on the edge of life and death earning him a reputation that the boy was practically immortal . he stops abruptly , which puts a halt in caz’s steps too . he leans forward , dipping his head down slightly -- only holding a couple inches over caz , “ jesus fucking christ - ” he says , the words wrapped into a half laugh , “ somebody get this guy a xanax before the vein in his forehead fucking EXPLODES . ” it’s directed towards the students walking past them but his eyes don’t break contact with caz’s , “ --- or do you need me to PERSONALLY hire someone to pry that stick out of your ass ? ” he lets out a bark of a laugh , one that’s he sure is infuriating as his smirk as his hand springs up cupping his cheek and giving it a few light taps , “ lighten the fuck up caz . or what’s the point of even being here ? ” he backs up , dropping his hand and sidestepping him , arm swinging out and gesturing him forward -- now out of his way .
