Promise Me Forever

“I’ll get the umbrella and beach towels out of the trunk and you can go find a good spot,” Zacky says when he finds a parking spot.

The beach wasn’t as crowded as I thought it would be today. The sun was out but there were quite a few clouds in the sky. It was Thursday, so that would also mean that most people were at work or school.

I found a spot that was near the water and in the sun. Zacky was walking toward me with the blue and white umbrella in one hand and the two beach towels in the other.

“When did you say that the others were going to be here. I need to talk to Val about something,” I asked pulling the purple shirt over my head and throwing it down on top of my beach bag.

“They left about ten minutes after we did, give them life five minutes because they all live closer to the beach then we do,” he answered.

I laid out our two towels as Zacky tried to get the umbrella to stay standing up in the sand. He looked aggravated after a while and I finally decided to help him.

I held up finger signaling for him to hand on a second, and I dug a small hole in between the top of the towels. He placed the pole into the hole and I filled it again, this time it stayed up.

“Showoff,” he murmured collapsing next to me.

It was quiet between us until I heard a car honking from a distance, that would be the rest of the guy telling us to come help carry the stuff down here.

Jumping up, I grabbed a bottle of water and ran back to where we’d just parked the car, Matt’s Black Dodge charger was next to Zacky’s car. Matt was lifting a red and white cooler out of the truck that I suspected had beer in it.

“Val, can I talk to you for a second?” I asked after putting the lid back onto my water.

She gave me a questioning look but followed when I turned and walked away. I stopped and made sure that I guys were out of earshot. I didn’t know if Zacky had told anyone.

“Do you know?” I asked making sure before I started ranting about something she already knew about.

“Know what?” she questioned, I’ll take that as a no.

“You didn’t hear? I’m surprised Zacky didn’t tell Matt. Anyway, he asked me out yesterday, and I said yes. But he’s not seeing anyone right? And he’s not just using me to make someone else jealous?”

“Who? Tell me that you’re talking about Zacky!” she said sounding worried. She looked worried also.

“No, I’ve suddenly taken a liking to Matt. Of course I’m talking about fucking Zacky,” I responded. Then I thought about what I’d said what I noticed the look on her face. “No, I didn’t mean, actually fucking Zacky. I-I really shouldn’t have said that.”

“I get what you’re saying. And I’m glad that he asked you out. No, he isn’t dating anyone else. And I don’t think so. But back to before, would you fuck Zacky?” she asked, curiosity clear on her face.

“I’m not having this conversation with you!” I yelled and sprinted back to the spot on the beach, where everyone else was. Jimmy and Johnny were the only people missing and it looked like they were in the water and Jimmy was trying to drown Johnny.

I sat down onmy Zacky’s red, white, and blue towel. I reached into my bag and pulled out some sun screen. Putting it on my legs and arms was easy, it was just my back that I needed help with. I looked up at Val, but she just nodded towards Zacky, who wasn’t doing anything.

“Hey, Zack. Can you help me?” I asked reaching to give him the bottle, then pull my hair out of the way. I acted like I didn’t notice the smirk he got from Matt or the persuading nod from Brian.

Val, Michelle, and I all got in the water after that. The water was about to my shoulders when we stopped.

“So, how’d he ask?” Val asked her excitement showing.

“Who ask what?” Michelle wondered, completely lost.

“Zacky asked Jade out. Yesterday, I’m guess. I just want to know how,” Val explained to her.

“He asked me on a date for tonight,” I answered then continued to explain more. “He texted me yesterday right after he came home from Jimmy’s house.”

“Maybe that’s why he seemed pretty distant yesterday,” Michelle stated.

I just shrugged. I wasn’t going to complain, Zacky was the nicest person that I’d met in a while.

I started to head back to shore, telling the girl’s that I’d be back and that I was going to the bathroom. I looked around, searching to make sure that any of Josh’s friends weren’t here, or even worse Josh himself, I didn’t seem likely that he would come to a beach looking for me.

He’d probably forgotten, and would been here hanging out with friends, before he would be looking for me.

I waited in line, went the bathroom, and was walking to the water fountain to get a drink.

“How could you just leave me like that?” A man that sounded an awful lot like Josh spoke. I looked up hoping that it was just an ordinary guy talking to and ex or a current girlfriend. I have shitty luck.

“Oh my God,” I whispered backing up towards the stair, he started walking towards me and clutched my wrist in his strong grasp. “Don’t yell,” he commanded putting a hand over my mouth and pulling me into the men’s room. Luck for me that there was no one in there.

I bit his hand, the salt water taste was horrible. He released me and I screamed for help, for Zacky, for someone.

I started running towards the door but someone tripped me. I flung my arms out hoping that they would catch me before I hit anything. My head smacked against the corner of a bench that was by the door, and my head started pounding immediately.

“Stupid bitch,” Josh said kicking me hard right before I blacked out.

(Zacky’s POV)

Jade had been gone for only a couple minutes, but I knew that it didn’t take this long to go to the bathroom.

Matt was giving me curious looks, probably wondering why I was so concerned about Jade. I didn’t tell them yet. But, now just seemed like the opportune moment.

“You’re wondering what’s going on right?” I asked Matt, then gained the attention of Brian also.

“Yeah, kinda. I mean you have her have been acting pretty close today,” Matt said.

“I asked her out on a da-,” I began but was cut off when I heard a scream in the distance.

All three of us jumped up and looked towards the bathrooms. I took off running as fast as I could and made it up the steps and into the men’s bathroom just as someone else was coming out. He looked really familiar. And I wish that I could have placed him.

“Jade?!” Matt gasped coming up next to me and looking into the restroom before I had a chance to.

My head snapped forward and then down onto the ground where, she laid.