Fake My Smile

Zachary James Baker

“Dad,” I laughed, rolling my eyes slightly. “I’ll be okay. I’m just going down to the beach.”

“I know. But we haven’t been here long. I just don’t want you getting lost...or hurt. Even if it’s just for your old man’s peace of mind...please let me drive you?”

“Dad I’ll be...”

“Fine,” Mandy interrupted, placing a gentle hand on my dad’s arm. “Sweetheart. We’ve been here for three weeks now. Give Rosie a chance to explore without us being by her side. I’m sure she’s got her phone...”

Mandy trailed off and glanced at me. I smiled and nodded, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

“Fully charged and everything,” I added.

Mandy smiled and turned her attention back to my dad.

“If she needs us, she can always call okay? Rosie is perfectly safe.”

I grinned and nodded, watching my dad as he looked between Mandy and I before he sighed.

“Fine. But if anything happens...”

“I will send out the dad signal,” I grinned before throwing my arms around my dad and step-mum. “Thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah,” my dad chuckled. “Now get, before I change my mind.”

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“So how’s it been since we last spoke?”

I shrugged even though she couldn’t see me and adjusted my bag, making sure not to drop my phone that was precariously tucked between my shoulder and my ear.

“Pretty much the same Lee,” I replied, my eyes scanning my surroundings.

“You not met anyone yet?”

“School hasn’t...”

“I know school hasn’t started yet but that doesn’t mean you can’t meet people Rosie,” Hayley argued. “You’ve been over there for three weeks. What have you been doing? Sitting at the house?”

I rolled my eyes as I pushed through a crowd of people.

“I’m the shy twin remember?”

Hayley sighed and I could almost hear her running her fingers through her long dark brown hair.

“I really miss you Rosie,” she admitted after a while.

“I miss you too ducky,” I replied softly and ran my hand through my own hair, the red waves tumbling against my shoulders once I’d done so.

“Mum has been driving me insane.”

I chuckled and pushed my way through another group of people, though this time my gaze connected with the bright green eyes of one of the boys. He smiled and I felt myself blush as I flashed him a shy smile.

“Of course she’s driving you insane. Since I left, she’s not got anyone to bash heads with.”

“Rosie,” Hayley sighed. “It wasn’t like that.”

“It was Lee. It was always like that,” I pointed out, resignation tainting my speech. “I’ve got to go now. Need to try and remember how to get home. I’ll talk to you soon okay?”

“Okay. Talk to you soon. Be careful you hear me?”

I smiled and nodded. “I will. You know me. I’m always careful.”

“Sure you are,” Hayley laughed. “Love you Zee.”

“Love you too.”

I hung up just as I stepped off the curb to cross the road, my hand loosely holding my phone as I went to slip it back in my jeans pocket.

“Watch out!”

My head snapped up to see why someone was shouting only for my eyes to widen as I realised that they may have been shouting at me. And the reason was the car that was heading in my direction. I screamed as I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me back, the car zooming past us and so close that I could feel a breeze wash past me due to the motion.

“Fucker didn’t even stop!” I heard someone shout.

My heart was beating at a mile a minute and I could hear it pulsing in my head. I took a deep breath as my body began to shake and stepped to the side slightly, only to trip over my own feet and fall to the ground the person who was still holding me coming down with me.

“Shit,” I stuttered through a groan as I fell on my ankle at an awkward angle.

“You okay?”

I looked to the side as I felt the arms that had been around me leave me and found myself staring into the bright green eyes from before.

“Stupid question, I know,” he smiled nervously, his eyes scanning me as if looking for an obvious injury.

“I’m okay,” I whispered, swallowing and taking yet another deep breath in order to try and control the panic attack that was welling up inside of me.

My eyes went to around us and my breath caught in my throat as I realised that the guys who had been with him were now crowding beside us, watching us. I bit my lip as I tried to ignore the feeling of claustrophobia that was pulsing through me. I averted my gaze and grumbled as I saw the shattered remains of my phone on the floor a few feet in front of me.

“Damn it,” I muttered and ran a shaking hand through my hair, feeling tears begin to prick at my eyes.

I looked back at the green-eyed boy and took a deep breath as something occurred to me.

“Who...who pulled me out of the way?”

“That was me,” he replied with a small smile and stuck out his hand. “I’m Zacky.”

I smiled shyly in return and placed my hand in his, not missing the small shock that burned through my veins as his hand wrapped around mine.

“I’m Rosie and...thank you.”

Zacky smiled in return before helping me to my feet. I yelped and stumbled against him as my weight fell on my right ankle.

“Shit,” Zacky stated as he caught me, his eyes immediately falling to my ankle. “You okay?”

I swallowed and nodded, feeling my heart beat finally fall back to its usual gentle thump. I looked down at my ankle and turned it slightly, cringing somewhat as I noticed that it was already beginning to swell slightly and was turning red.

“I think I just landed on it funny...probably twisted it,” I replied quietly, looking back up at Zacky to see him looking at me in concern. “I’m fine honestly.”

To prove my point, or at least try and prove my point, I stepped away from him but I stumbled again. Zacky caught me before I could hit the ground and I smiled in thanks, a small sigh falling from my lips as a blush fell across my cheeks. I had a feeling that I’d been permanently red since he first smiled at me.

“You don’t seem fine to me sweetie,” a soft voice spoke up and I looked to my side to see a girl coming towards us, her hand slipping away from a boy with dark, dark brown eyes. “We were all going to the diner over there. Why not join us for a bit? Even if it’s just to keep your weight off your ankle for a bit.”

“I don’t know,” I hesitated as I glanced at everyone around me, noting that there were five boys, including Zacky, and just this one girl. “I told my dad that I wouldn’t be gone for long. And now that my phone’s bust...if I stay out longer than I said I would I can’t get in touch with him and he’ll be freaking out.”

The girl nodded before looking behind her as the boy with dark eyes stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“You want a lift home?” He offered.

I shook my head and went to say ‘no’ but Zacky placed a hand over my mouth as a small smirk crept across his lips.

“You’re not going to get far on your ankle,” he pointed out as we both glanced down at my ever-growing ankle. “And it would make me feel better knowing you aren’t under a car somewhere.”

I blushed again, making Zacky chuckle. I hesitated and shifted my weight, hissing as pain ripped through my ankle again. I sighed and bit my lip before slowly nodding as I shyly looked over at the boy who had offered me the lift.

“Thank you,” I stated quietly.

He flashed me a smile before shrugging. “No problem. I’m Brian by the way and this is Lyndsey.”

She smiled and waved at me. I smiled back and looked over at Zacky as he wrapped an arm around me.

“Lean your weight on me,” he explained once I’d shot him a questioning look. “I’ll help you to Brian’s car.”

“Thank you,” I commented quietly as we walked, or in my case hobbled, over to the car. “For everything. I’m just some random arse...”

Zacky shook his head and smiled, making me melt just a little bit. “No problem. And you’re welcome.”


That was the moment I knew that Zacky would make an impact on the rest of my life.
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Flashback!! =D The next two chapters will also be flashbacks.

Hope you liked this one.
Comments brighten up my otherwise miserable day. Thanks for reading =D x