Dark Eyed Dreamers

I couldn’t figure out what was going on with Zack. I mean, yeah. He was always quiet, but he was keeping extra quiet that night. Along with being silent he was acting distant, no hello kiss and no snuggling during the movie.

It was so unlike him, it wasn’t Zack at all. I was the one who always had to break the hello kiss in fear of my dad walking in and seeing Zack all over his oldest little girl. Zack was always the one who insisted on watching all the previews and credits just so we could stay cuddled together longer.

The Zack that was sitting in the recliner (while I was sprawled out on the couch) was not my Zack. That was not the boy who stuttered nervously and played with his hands when he asked me out. That was not the boy who would drive completely out of his way to drive me home from school. That was not the boy who kicked Jack Barakat in the stomach for making a crude comment about my chest. The Zack sitting in the recliner was not the boy I fell in love with.

This is not the way I wanted to spend our last summer together. I wanted us to act normal. We agreed not to be distant. We knew it was coming to an end but we weren’t supposed to act like we knew that.

I sighed in hopes that Zack would ask me what was wrong, but he didn’t. Zack didn’t even look at me, he kept his eyes on the televison screen. I couldn’t even focus on the movie. When the credits finally started to roll I stopped the movie. Zack turned and gave me a look that suggested that I was the only one acting weird.

“What’s going on with you?” He asked. It reminded me of the time my dad asked me the same question when I was purposely failing English in hopes of getting my crush as a tutor.

“Nothing’s going on with me. I can’t say the same for you.” I replied and crossed my arms as I stormed out of the living room and into my bedroom. I slammed the door behind me and said on my bed fuming. What was going on with me? What was going on with him!

“Braelyn, I”

“I don’t know what I did! I didn’t do anything! So why are you so pissed at me?” I asked, finally feeling the urge to cry.

“Because Brae, you didn’t even tell me!”

“Tell you what, Zack? I don’t know what you wanted me to tell you!” I yelled at him, completely forgetting about Mikayla sleeping across the hall.

“That you might be pregnant! Don’t you think that’s something I should know!” Zack yelled, which didn’t happen too often.

“How did you”

“I went to school with the girl who check you out at Rite-Aid, we talk sometimes. She told me.” Zack said calmly. “At least someone had the decency to tell me.” That one stung.

“I’m not pregnant.”

“That’s not what matters here, Braelyn! What matters is that you kept the fact that you could have been pregnant from me! You wouldn’t have even told me if I didn’t bring it up!” Zack said on the edge of my bed and ran his fingers through his mess of curls. “I would have gone with you, Brae.”

“I didn’t”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I bit my lip, I promised Mikayla I wouldn’t tell Zack anything. I promised her that and I couldn’t break a promise like that. It was Mikayla’s secret, it wasn’t mine to tell. I wouldn’t tell, even if that meant Zack getting even angrier at me.

“Because I told her not to.” Mikayla’s voice broke through the silence between Zack and I. Zack looked so cute when he looked at her with confusion written all over his face.“Brealyn bought the test for me. I wanted to tell all of you guys at the same time but...I’m pregnant.” Mikayla blushed as she said it. “Um, well I guess I better go call everyone else and tell them to come over.” Mikayla wondered out of the room.

I sat down on my bed next to Zack, he looked more shocked than ever. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been such a dick. I should have let you explain. I’m sorry I just assumed things and”

“It’s okay.” I told him look down at my feet. I’ve always felt awkward after a fight.

“I love you.” Zack mumbled and crushed me between my bed and himself in one of those kisses that I always made me fear for his life, but only when we were at my house.

“Where do babies come from?” Jack’s voice filled the room. Zack pulled away from me only enough to look at his friend and laugh. I found Jack peeking his head through my doorway with his normally goofy grin.

“I hate you so much sometimes.” Zack replied pulling himself off of me.