Title: The Fateful Flagpole
Fandom: Zoey 101
Pairing: Zoey Brooks/Chase Matthews
Prompt: 001: Beginnings
Word Count: 669
Rating: PG
Summary: Hello flagpole, meet a boy and his bike.
Author's Notes: This is *my own* take on the first time Chase and Zoey met. It does not follow the first episode exactly.
Disclaimer: I do not own Zoey 101.
And here we go again, he thinks as he turns the key and opens the door to room 148, Maxwell Hall.
It’s the first day of another school year at Pacific Coast Academy, his sophomore year. But this year is different. This year, PCA, previously an all boys’ school, is letting in girls.
He enters his room and finds that he’s the first one there; Michael and Logan haven’t arrived yet. He throws his stuff on his bed - the bottom bunk - and tries to decide what to do next. Hang around and wait for Michael and Logan? Start unpacking? Go for a bike ride around campus? He decides to go for the bike ride, get a little fresh air and some exercise.
He leaves his room, locking the door behind him, and heads down to the bike rack out in back of Maxwell Hall. Once outside, he sees a familiar face.
“Logan! Hey man, what’s-”
“No time to talk! Do you see all these girls?” And with that, Logan’s gone.
He shakes his head and laughs as his friend runs off. Some people never change.
He gets to the bike rack, unchains his bike, and hops on. He heads out toward the front of the school, where most of the students are getting dropped off. It’s odd seeing all these girls after nothing but guys for the past six years. They’re everywhere, groups of girls, talking and giggling and pointing. There aren’t many his age though, he passes mostly younger girls that must being going to the lower school.
But then he sees one that looks to be his age, a pretty blonde girl standing by herself, looking around at the campus. He wonders if he should go introduce himself when she turns around and looks right at him. She smiles at him and he smiles back. He lifts his hand to wave and then BAM - hello flagpole, meet a boy and his bike.
And then comes the pain. He’s lying on the ground groaning, his bike on top of him, wishing the Earth would just open up and swallow him whole. Then, to add insult to injury, the flag comes loose and falls down on top of him.
“Ohmygod, are you okay?” A girl’s voice.
He looks up and sees the pretty blonde girl standing over him. Great job, he thinks. You haven’t even known her for two minutes and you’ve already made an ass of yourself.
He pushes the bike off and slowly gets to his feet. “Oh yeah, I’m fine. I’m just, you know, checking this out.” He bends down and picks up the flag, holding it at arm’s length and pretending to study it. “Yep, definitely a flag.”
The girl giggles. “Are you sure you’re okay though? You had a pretty nasty fall there.”
He waves a hand. “Nah, I meant to do that. Just more practice for my future career as a stuntman.”
More giggling. “I’m Zoey, by the way. Zoey Brooks.”
“Welcome to PCA, Zoey. Chase Matthews, at your service.” He bows elaborately, bending almost completely in half, making Zoey laugh again.
“Well, now that you mention it, I do need some help finding my way around. I have no idea where my dorm is. Or where anything is, for that matter,” she says.
“Lucky for you, I also happen to be an excellent tour guide. I could show you around, if you’d like.” Please say yes, please say yes.
“I’m down, as long as there are no crazy stunts planned for your tour!”
“Awh, chicken are we? But I’ll give you the stunt-free version, if you insist.” Thank you, thank you. He picks up his bike and sets it upright. Then he clears his throat, puts on a fake British voice, and says, “Follow me, miss.”
“So you’re British now?” Zoey says, laughing.
“Oh, but of course,” he replies in his ridiculous accent. They set off, and Chase smiles, thinking how glad he is that he met Zoey before Logan did.