Tomorrow May Never Come

DAY THREE

Hailing a cab on his way home from work, Zack opened the door, about to get in when he heard Brian calling for him.

"Hey Zack..."

"Yeah, I hear you. What is it?" Zack asked, wondering why he wasn't just getting in the cab to finish their conversation.

"Zack..."

"What?..."

"I'm standing right behind you," Brian replied, and Zack turned to see the amused look on his friend's face. Shaking his head, he closed the door of the taxi and watched as it drove off.

"Did you want something?" he asked.

"Yup. You're not going to class today, at all," Brian said.

"Okay--Woah, wait! I want to go to class today!" Zack said, eyes going wide at the fact that Brian was telling him to ditch not only Kate today, but his education.

"Shut up, we're going back to your place," Brian replied, rolling his eyes at Zack's outrage though he knew that Zack wouldn't say no to him. Sighing, Zack did just that, leading Brian back to his apartment.

Once there, Brian smiled and lounged back on Zack's couch, a content look on his face.

"I don't know if you're realizing this, but your plan is complete shit, dude. I haven't spoken to Kate in three days, and it's really starting to piss me off."

"I haven't spoken to her for three days either," Brian pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.

"But you're not the one that's in love with her!" Zack shouted, wondering what exactly was going through Brian's head.

"...You do have a point there," Brian stated after a moment, nodding his head. "Anyways, Kate's going to call you, but when she does, you're not going to answer the phone."

"Yes, I am," Zack countered as he took a seat on the couch next to Brian, knowing full well that he was going to talk to Kate whether Brian liked it or not. It was killing him to not have any contact with not only the girl he loved, but his best friend.

"No, you're not," Brian shot back, throwing one of his legs over Zack's.

"Yes, I am!" Zack growled, throwing Brian's leg off him, only to have Brian counter him once more and throw his leg back over Zack's.

Suddenly the phone rang, and Zack shoved Brian away, trying to reach the phone before Brian did, and he was successful.

"Kate, I love you," he rushed into the phone, and Brian cursed him under his breath. The plan was blown.

"Um...is Brian there? It's his mother," Zack heard come over the phone, and his cheeks flushed three shades darker.

"Sorry about that..." he told Suzy, handing Brian the phone. "How does your mother know my number?"

"I told her I was going to be here.... Moms always come to the rescue. You could have blown the plan completely, dude," Brian said with a smug smile before taking the phone and putting it to his ear. "Hi Mom...yes, I took my meds," he sighed in exasperation before crossing his fingers, unaware that Zack was standing just a few feet from him. "Why would I lie to you Mom? ....Yes....Okay....Bye." Hanging up, Brian set the phone back down on the coffee table, turning to Zack who was holding his own hand up, fingers crossed.

"...What's this?" he asked, curious.

"Those are two fingers, what of it?" Brian asked, cheekily.

"Sorry I asked.... Brian, you said Kate was going to call. Does it look like she's calling?" Brian just smiled.

"Don't worry, Zack. I know Kate. She'll pick up the phone to call you, but her ego will stop her. She obviously misses you, so she'll get up again, pick up the phone, curse you twice, and then...she will definitely call."

No sooner had Brian said that, the phone rang, causing both of them to jump.

"...I don't believe you. It's probably your mother again," Zack said, crossing his arms, though part of him told him that it was definitely Kate calling. So why wasn't he picking up the phone?...

Letting it ring, the answering machine picked up the call.

"Hello? Zack..." Kate's voice rang clear through the speaker, and Zack's eyes went wide as he dove for the phone, but Brian caught him and pulled him away. "Brian, let me get the damn phone!" he shouted.

"No! You can't talk to her!"

"Give it to me!" Zack yelled, trying to hit Brian off him, who instead wrapped his arms around Zack's waist, tugging him backwards just as Janette walked in.

"Oh my God!?" she practically screamed, seeing the position the two men were in before quickly shuffling out of the room.

"...What happened to her?" Zack asked, calming down slightly since Kate's call had ended.

"I don't know..." Brian answered, and it was then that Zack realized how compromising their position looked.

"Oh, dude! Get off me!"

DAY FOUR

"Today you will talk to Kate. And you will say exactly what we discussed earlier, understand?" Brian spoke through the Bluetooth the next day, as Zack was walking onto campus. He could see Kate from where he was stood, making her own way toward the building.

"Got it," Zack answered before quickly making his way over to her and tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey Kate." Without hesitation, she whipped around, anger showing through her eyes.

"Don't you 'Hey Kate' me!" she growled before she turned to walk away.

"Hey, wait a second!" Zack called after her, quickly grabbing her arm. "How far do you think you can run from me?"

"Just leave me alone Zack. I don't know what the hell has gotten into you, but you've obviously gone crazy. For the past three days I've been trying to talk to you, and you've completely ignored me! Where were you? When I needed a friend, where were you?" she pleaded, and Zack could see the anguish in her eyes. He almost didn't want to go through with the plan at this point.

"I'm tired, okay?" he sighed.

"...What?"

"I'm really tired of being your friend."

Eyes wide with shock, Kate couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What...?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? When you want to laugh, it's Zack. When you need a shoulder to cry on, it's Zack. But when you want to love...it's someone else. It's not going to work anymore, alright?" Zack said, speaking quickly.

"Zack, are you okay?" Kate asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. There had to be something wrong with him for him to speak that way to her, she just knew it.

"No, I'm not. Just....just listen to me, okay? We're friends, right?"

"Yes, but--"

"A very intelligent man once said that the first step to love is friendship, and the last step is friendship too. It's the middle that's left.... Take a step, Kate, and you'll find your path. Think...just think," Zack said, his voice reducing to almost a whisper as he looked sincerely into her eyes, the words finally meaning something to him. "And to think, I give you..." he said, looking down at his watch, "...my whole life."

Kate felt her heart skip a beat at his words. Certainly he wasn't....?

But her thoughts were cut off short when Zack leaned in and kissed her, his lips pressing softly into hers and taking her completely by surprise before he parted and walked away. Zack smiled to himself, his heart pumping madly at the fact that he had just kissed her, something he'd wanted to do for quite some time. And it wasn't even part of the initial plan. It was all of his own doing. He just couldn't help himself...

Watching him walk away, Kate brought her fingers to her lips. Zack had really just kissed her, and she almost didn't know what to think. Sure, before Brian had come along, Kate harbored rather strong feelings for Zack, but as soon as Brian came into her life she seemed to forget all about those feelings. And now they were slowly coming back. That day, she felt that Zack had ceased to be a friend, but had become something else. Something more...

DAY FIVE

On the final day of the plan, Zack was sat on a bench in the park Kate frequented, waiting for her to arrive. Brian had prepared him for the final leg of the plan, so no Bluetooth would be needed, though Brian had said he would be close by to make sure everything went as planned, and to intervene if needed.

As soon as Kate came into sight, Zack smiled. He was still reeling from the kiss the day before, and he hadn't been able to think of anything else. He just hoped that he hadn't upset her by doing so, and the fact that she had agreed to meet him at the park told him that she wasn't upset.

"You wanted to meet?" Kate asked as she took a seat next to Zack on the bench.

"Yeah," he answered, pausing a moment as he looked down at his hands. "I need something from you."

"...What is it?"

Slowly, Zack pulled out a brochure from his pocket, handing it over to Kate. "Dance classes."

"Dance classes?" she asked, repeating him as she looked up at him with a raised brow.

"Yeah...the salsa, to be exact."

"And why do you need me for dance classes?" Kate asked, an impish smile pulling at her lips.

"I need to learn some sort of ballroom dancing for my parent's anniversary party, even though I told them I didn't want to dance, and I figured...why not the salsa?" Zack asked, looking up to catch Kate's gaze. "And I need you because the salsa classes require partners. And I figure...why not you?"

"Hah. No," Kate answered with a smile, wondering what he would do if she shot down his request.

"Please Kate? I really need this, and there's no one I'd rather do it with than you," he said, only realizing moments afterward that what he said might not have come out exactly how he wanted it to. Kate chuckled as she watched his cheeks turn a few shades darker.

"Fine...I'll do it, you just let me know when these classes start, and I'll go with you," she answered, and Zack quickly kissed her cheek before she got up with a smile and a blush of her own and walked off.

Zack smiled and sighed to himself as he watched the way her hips sway as she left him, and a moment later Brian took the seat Kate had been previously occupying.

"Atta boy. You did well, grasshopper," he joked, crossing his arms.

"God, I really love her..." Zack sighed, wondering if he should tell Brian of the kiss he had given Kate the day before.

"I love her, too..." he heard Brian sigh from next to him, and felt his stomach drop.

"What!?"

"Uh..." Brian said with a grin, before quickly pulling his hand up, showing his crossed fingers. "Kidding, man."

Feeling the relief wash over him, Zack shook his head and smiled. "Ass... I'll see you later," he said before he stood up and walked away, leaving Brian on his own.

And so Kate and Zack enrolled in the salsa class together. They weren't any good and would step on each other's feet all the time, but slowly they were learning, and it was the most fun they had had together in a long time. And, slowly, they were getting closer and closer together. Kate was finding the bond she had with Zack was growing stronger and stronger. But the feelings she had for Brian, despite the fact that she couldn't be his, were still there.

But...maybe all she needed was a little time.... Just a little time.