They Say Love is the Key

Zach laughed quietly at how childish she was acting. Shaking his head, he unlocked the car and gestured for her to get in before he got into the driver's side and started the car up. "Well, damn. I thought you would have forgotten all about it by now," he said before chuckling a bit and buckling up, glancing over at her to see if she was ready to leave or not.

Lily froze at Josh's voice before she sighed softly. "If it's an inanimate object, it obviously wouldn't be a 'he.' It'd be an 'it,' Josh," she muttered, though she honestly just wanted to distract him from the fact that she had basically just lost her damn mind. She bit her lip before pushing the thought away. It didn't matter, anyways.

Addy smiled as he admitted that he thought she would've forgotten all about the little talk that she hoped to have. God, what little faith Zach had in her. "Well, I did forget for the most part," she started with a poke in the ribs to tease him. "Then I saw your handsome face and I remembered! So do tell!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ugh, Lily!" He laughed as she corrected him. "'He'... 'It'... What does it matter?!" He smirked at her. Something still seemed off with Lily today though, and he hadn't the faintest clue of what it could be. "Aw, cutie! What's wrong?" He questioned her, ruffling her hair.

Zach smiled before he rolled his eyes slightly and began to drive to the park. "Well, what exactly do you want to know?" he asked with an arched eyebrow as he kept his eyes on the road. "Oh, do you want to stop somewhere to get food, in case we stay long at the park and get hungry?" He gave a shrug, wondering if that was a good idea or not.

Lily gave a sigh to his words before shaking her head. "All guys are idiots," she said simply, though she was mostly just talking about him. She didn't bother going into further detail as she adjusted her backpack on her shoulder. "Let's just leave. If we stay in here any longer and your 'potential dates' see us, they'll just jump to conclusions."

Addy studied him as he drove and sighed a little, almost wanting to kiss him. "Yeah, let's get some food!" She answered when Zach tried to change the subject instantly, though she wasn't letting him get away with that. "And you know what I want... The details! Your mom, your dad, what's going on... How you're feeling about it..." She trailed off. More than anything she wanted to know if he really thought love didn't exist when it was sitting right next to him.

Josh's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion at her words but he tried to not let it get to him. "Guys? Are there some guys that are after you?" He asked with a smile and a wink. Still, he knew their time would run out before some girls might see him, so he nodded his head in agreement. "Well? Should I beat these guys up for you, or what?"

Zach gave a sigh to everything she said, especially the 'feeling' part. What was he supposed to feel? "My dad came over to get me. I refused to go, so he got into an argument with my mom," he explained before shrugging slightly, "Like I said, it's just the usual. As for how I'm 'feeling' about it, I don't care. It doesn't matter to me." It was one of the main reasons why he just didn't bother with it anymore; he didn't bother with going to his dad's, nor did he bother sitting around to listen to them argue.

Lily gave a sigh before she shook her head a bit. "Don't bother with it," she said simply before looking at him and forcing a smile to her face. "It doesn't matter, anyways, right? Boys are just idiots who don't pay attention to what's right in front of them." She made sure to keep her attention on him while she said that before she leaned back against her locker. "I think I'm going to head home, though."

Addy sighed a little as she listened to Zach talk about his problems. It was like he had lost all sense of emotion and nothing bothered him anymore... It bothered her a lot. She wanted nothing more than for Zach to be genuinely happy again... Not just the happy that he felt every time he partied and had hookup after hookup. "I know you do care," she argued with him. "I know you've just been hiding all of your feelings since your parents' relationship turned bad..."

"Well, I hope that someday you end up with a really great guy!" Josh answered Lily as he leaned against the lockers beside hers. "You're a special girl who deserves a special guy." He cared for his friend so much that he just hoped she had someone good. "And please don't go! I thought we were hanging out today!"

Zach sighed after hearing her words, soon stopping at a small store. "I really don't care," he said before shrugging slightly, "Feelings don't matter. They only get you hurt in the end." Just like his mother's feelings for his father had gotten her hurt. Shrugging the thought away, he looked at get and grinned. "Let's get some snacks, alright?" He opened the door and got out of the car, waiting on her.

Lily looked over at him and arched an eyebrow. "This is coming from the guy who doesn't believe in love," she said before sighing softly, "I still need to go home. My mom baked some cookies. You know I never pass those up. Besides, I never said that you couldn't come." She stuck her tongue out at him rather childishly.

Addy shrugged in annoyance. Why didn't he get it?! Guys were obviously so blind since he was oblivious to the way that she looked at him. She knew it was written all over her face... She almost wished that she was like him. She wished that she had no feelings anymore and it just didn't matter... Then her heart wouldn't hurt every time she looked at him. "Alright." She agreed as they got out of the car. "But on the other topic, I don't think all emotions are all bad either..."

Josh chuckled at the way that he had contradicted himself. No, love didn't exist, but why send such negative notions into Lily's brain?! She deserved to be happier than that. "Cookies?!" He asked happily. Her mom always made the best cookies. "Let's get going then!" He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to his truck.

Zach looked over at her and gave a small smile. "I'd rather you keep that notion," he said before shrugging slightly, "As long as you think like that, then you won't turn out like me." What he meant was that she wouldn't turn into a partier who would bang a different person after each party. Letting her believe that there was a such thing as love was really the only good thing he could do for her, since he thought she deserved everything that the world had to offer. "C'mon." He gestured to her to follow him as he made his way into the store.

Lily smiled slightly and rolled her eyes slightly as she followed after him. "If you eat all the cookies this time, I'm going to put ice in your shirt," she warned before pouting slightly. She soon grinned, though, finding his excitement rather childish and even adorable. She pushed that thought away, though. There was no point in thinking such things about him. She knew that, but she couldn't help it.

Addy sighed in annoyance as Zach said such things. It was just making her crazy to be so estranged with him. As long as Zach didn't believe in love, neither could she - because he was her sense of love, or maybe just a cruel game that the heavens were playing with her. It hurt to think about, but it was obviously true. "Then why don't you start thinking like that?" She asked, hoping someday that he might see her the way that she saw him.

Josh gasped a little at her childish threat. "Well don't do that, meanie!" He chuckled a little. He cared about her so much - in a friend type of way but nothing more. Love didn't exist, as was seen from the way his parents had ended up, but Lily was the only one he could trust without worrying about her getting too attached. They were only best friends. "Anyways, I won't all of them; I'll be nicer than that for my best friend!" He laughed a little.

Zach shrugged slightly to her question. "Because I know how much emotions can hurt people," he said simply, having witnessed it first-hand with his mother. She had been so torn apart and heart-broken when his father had left her. Emotions like love were of no use to him. Getting attached to somebody in that sort of way... It wasn't possible for him; he refused to allow himself to worry about those types of things. "But, don't let my own thoughts stop you from believing in emotions. But, if some guy hurts you, I'll make sure to beat the hell out of him!"

Lily smiled slightly before rolling her eyes slightly. This was the closest that the two of them would ever be; best friends. Nothing more. No matter how much she wanted it to be more, it never would be. A sigh left her lips before she tried to shake the thoughts away. "Just make sure that you don't eat my favorite ones," she said simply before shrugging. She shouldn't let her emotions get to her; she knew that. She couldn't help it, though. She loved him; she always had and she always would.

Addy groaned internally as she listened to Zach's explanation. It wasn't that she was desensitized from his parents' divorce - because she knew how much it had hurt him - but she just wished that she could show him what love felt like. It was right there in front of him... He just had to open his eyes. She shrugged a little. "I'm beginning to believe love doesn't exist..." She sighed honestly. "It's just... I don't know if it's worth it! I mean the guy I like would never work out with me..."

Josh chuckled to himself as Lily was being greedy with her cookies. He knew her so well that he already knew it. "I won't, silly! I'm not that mean!" They were walking again and he looked at her to study her. There was something about her that seemed different and he couldn't place it. She didn't seem to be as happy and bouncy today, and it almost bothered him... He didn't like when she was upset. She was his best friend and she deserved to be happy. "Something wrong, Lil?"

Zach arched an eyebrow to her words before tilting his head to the side slightly. "Why would you think that?" he asked before teasingly ruffling up her hair and grabbing a few snacks. "Any guy would be lucky to have you! You're my best friend, after all, and I only stick close to the best of people!" He grinned before gently nudging her, trying to lift her spirits, since she seemed down a bit. "As long as they don't steal my time with you, I'll help you out with getting them."

Lily blinked at his question before looking at him and smiling. "Course not," she lied easily. She had grown accustomed to doing so ever since she had realized her own feelings for him so long ago. "Why would anything be wrong? Besides, why would I be upset, anyways, when I'm looking forward to cookies?" She shrugged slightly before glancing around a bit, hoping that her words would end the subject and he'd just start a new topic. How was she supposed to tell him the truth, anyways? It wasn't possible.

Addy smiled and bit her lip. She loved his words but they only scared her more... Why did he insist on sweet-talking her like this?! It just wasn't fair since he was obviously leading her on. How he could be so blind and not see how her face brightened at his words, she wasn't sure - but he accomplished doing so. "Thanks," she beamed at him, "but you don't need to do that! It's not happening anyways, cuz he'll never be interested in me..." She looked him up and down. She didn't know if she really wanted to have this in-depth of a conversation, but it was happening...

Josh sighed a little at his best friend. There was something melancholy in her smile and he knew there was something she wasn't telling him. Sometimes it sucked being friends with a girl because they always tried to pent up their emotions so much. He wished she would talk to him in the way that he vented about his parents' divorce and such. "Lily, I know you think you're a good liar, but not even the subject of cookies can hide your sadness." He called her out for her lie. "Come on! I'm your best friend; you can tell me anything!"

Zach arched an eyebrow at her words before tilting his head to the side slightly. "Why would you think he wouldn't be interested in you?" he asked, honestly confused about it. What type of guy wouldn't be interested in Addy? She was completely awesome, so there was no reason for a guy not to like her. It confused him that she would think so. Silently, he wondered if it was self-esteem or something; he didn't ask, though. "Whatever guy wouldn't be interested in you would be a complete idiot."

Lily sighed softly at his words. "No, I can't," she said before shaking her head slightly, "There are some things that are best kept to oneself. And this is one of those things." She gave a slight shrug before running a hand through her hair and smiling a bit. "Besides, it's not like it's anything serious, anyways. It's just me being stupid."

Addy only sighed at his words. It made it hurt all the more, and she wished she hadn't started such a conversation. If he thought any guy was idiotic to not like her, wasn't he being contradictory? He didn't like her. She might as well just get used to that fact and let life go on. She wished she could be his - god, at this point she would be happy just being his random hookup... "It doesn't matter ok?! He'll never be interested in me and I just have to get used to that..."

Josh breathed out with the slightest bit of annoyance. Lily was his best friend; he wished that things could be simpler. Maybe if they were, she wouldn't hide anything from him. Maybe if things were simpler, they wouldn't slowly be growing apart. It was a natural thing since she was his best friend and he was the guy who liked having girls, but he wasn't exactly okay with losing her. "Good, so you're not pregnant then?!" He joked, trying to lighten the mood. He needed something to get his mind off of the fact that Lily wasn't being honest with him.

Zach blinked a few times at her words before sighing softly. "Alright," he muttered before running a hand through his hair. He grabbed a few drinks and a few more snacks before getting in line, soon paying for everything. He took the bags and looked at her. "Let's get to the park, alright?" Everything felt rather awkward and he didn't quite understand why, though he wished that he knew who it was that Addy liked so that he could help her.

Lily sighed softly and rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm not pregnant," she said, finding the thought rather ridiculous. She only had interest in him; besides, she was still a virgin. "I wouldn't be surprised if you end up getting some chick pregnant during one of you're drunk encounters." She gave a slight shrug before stretching her arms out in front of her.

Addy felt weird as she got into line with him and Zach prepared to pay for everything. Luckily he had chosen to drop the subject but still there was an awkward silence. No matter how Addy tried right now, she just couldn't make herself be happy! A smile wouldn't even think about dancing on her lips and her eyes lost their sparkle. "Sure," she muttered quietly. She had often thought about being with Zach; him being her first - well, everything! She hated him almost that he couldn't see it...

Josh snorted a little when she said such a ridiculous thing. "No way! When I hookup, I'm more careful that that!" He asked. He had never used condoms or anything, but he had been careful enough to know what he was doing. Most of the sluts were on birth control anyways, so if didn't matter. He could sense the slightest annoyance from Lily, but he ignored it. It couldn't be anything serious except for the talks she had about how hookups and drunkness weren't good.

Zach ran a hand through his hair before sighing softly and looking towards Addy. The awkwardness was back and he couldn't think of a way to get rid of it. Shaking the thoughts away, he made his way to the car and unlocked it, climbing in and setting everything in the back. He then buckled up and waited for Addy to get in. "If you want, we can feed the ducks. I got bread for that," he said before shrugging slightly.

Lily gave a slight shrug to his words, not really believing them. "If you say so," she said simply before glancing around a bit. Maybe she was being unfair to him, but honestly, she felt like he was the one being unfair to her. After all, she was completely in love with him and he didn't even believe in love. It wasn't fair to her and it just hurt her more each time that she thought about it.

Addy smiled in the slightest. She was still really upset with Zach though, and she was trying to keep back all of the tears. Her heart was crying out for him and he just couldn't see it! "That's awesome!" She said, her voice starting out with excitement and then falling at the end. Who knew two short words could have so much emotion change. "Just like when we were kids," and I was your only girl she though, but didn't voice.

Josh rolled his eyes slightly as he noticed her apprehension and annoyance. "Come on, really? What's wrong with you today?" He asked her. He could sense the way that something was bothering her and he didn't know what to say to her to make it better... She wouldn't even tell him what was wrong!