To Speak.

Zacky cringed. He hated his voice. To him, it was unpleasant. To him, it was ugly. He regretted talking but couldn't take it back. It was too late now. Seeing as Indy was frozen to her spot, he hesitantly walked to her, lightly putting his hand on her shoulder.

This seemed to bring Indy back to reality. Her crying had stopped, but her breathing was still shaky.

"You.. Zacky.."

Zacky bit his lip. Was he supposed to say something? He gulped. "S-sorry.. I'm s-sorry.."

Neither knew what to say or do. Zacky couldn't help but feel nervous.. So.. Nervous.. She said she was leaving..

"A-are you.. r-really leav-leaving?" he whispered. "D-don't leave.. I'm s-sorry.."

Indy felt her heart break at his quiet, grief-stricken tone. This wasn't how she imagined it would be like when Zacky would talk to her for the first time. It was so far from it. How could she turn her back on him now? It would make her the selfish person in the end.

She shook her head after sighing. "No, Zacky. I'm not going to leave."

"Real-really?"

Indy cracked a weak smile and answered softly, "Really. But I think we should go to your house and talk a bit first."

------------------------------------

Zacky had a stutter.

Zacky was teased because of this. By his classmates, by his father.

Zacky stopped talking.

As for Amber...

She was friends with all of them and she and Zacky went out for six months.

She was going behind his back the whole six months and cheated on him numerous times. She broke his heart and left with her parents.

Indy learned about his whole life in a span of thirty minutes. Zacky had tried to tell her vocally, but got too frustrated and ended up writing everything out. She was stunned. She never knew how little she actually knew Zacky. It kind of disheartened her truthfully.

It was silent for several minutes. Zacky wanted to apologize but didn't know whether to talk or to write it out. He decided to go with the former.

"S-sorry.." he gulped. "F-for being so w-weak around h-her.."

Indy moved closer to where he sat on his bed and laced her fingers with his. "It's okay.." she whispered. "I understand."

She kissed him for a few seconds and when she pulled away, Zacky was smiling shyly at her.

"I prom-promise.. I-I'll do something ab-about it.."

Indy kissed him again before saying, "You don't have to, Zacky, really."

"..Want to." he mumbled, picking at his jeans.

Despite the situation, Indy felt a bit gleeful at Zacky's statement. She brushed her lips against his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm just glad you're talking now."

Zacky frowned. "Sound st-stupid.."

Indy pulled away to look at him. "Don't say that Zacky! You don't sound stupid at all. You have a wonderful voice and I honestly don't care that you have a slight stutter. The others won't mind, you know. Who cares about what other people think? It's your friends that matter."

He sighed and said quietly, "I wish I c-could t-t-talk normally.."

Indy smiled warmly at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You can get over it if you practice. I promise you you'll lose your stutter soon."

"...Okay.."

Zacky felt that Indy was too good for him. He had made her cry three times and didn't think he was exactly the best boyfriend ever. What did she see in a socially challenged boy with a horrible stutter anyway? It was beyond him, that was for sure. The thought of her leaving him was enough to send him in a panicked frenzy. He was still sorry, but she would just brush him off if he tried to apologize. He would make it up to her one day, he vowed, whether it would be in the next few days or years, he would pay Indy back for everything she's done for him. It was only the least he could do for a girl like her.

He was soon pulled out of his thoughts by Indy crawling onto his lap and asking, "What do you wanna do today?"

"St-stay here.. T-talk with you.."

Indy giggled causing him to smile. "Sounds good. I'm pretty tired anyway. Can I sleep over?"

Zacky was going to tell her that she didn't even need to ask him, but ended up just nodding instead.

"..Just need to call my mom. Hold on."

Indy walked over to his desk where she had put her bag and took her phone out. While she phoned her mother, Zacky dug through his closet until he found her spare clothes. She was running out, he noticed, and made a note to himself to do the laundry of all his friends' extra clothes as he sat down on the edge of his bed.

"She said, yes, of course."

"Th-that's good."

Indy grinned and set the clothing Zacky had gotten out on his desk chair then straddled him to kiss him.

"I have a question." she said. Zacky raised and eyebrow while resting his hands on her hips and she continued.

"Remember that night where we all slept over at Brian's house?"

He nodded and she said, "And remember how I couldn't sleep but then I ended up falling asleep on you outside?"

Another nod.

"So I was wondering, did you really talk that time? Or was I dreaming? 'Cause I've been thinking about it and sometimes it seems real and other times it seems like is isn't."

Zacky blushed lightly as he responded, "Uh.. Y-yeah.. I-I didn't know you.. h-heard.."

Indy's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! I didn't-- if I knew for sure that you did talk I would've totally done something and.. Why didn't you say anything the morning after?"

"L-like I said.. I didn't know you heard i-it."

She blinked. "Oh!"

"Yeah.."

Laughing, she planted a kiss on his nose then moved around to move herself in between his legs.

"I don't think you stammered that night."

Zacky merely shrugged and, after a few moments, picked her up, leaving his room.

Indy giggled as they went downstairs. "And where are you taking me?"

"Kitchen."

"Hungry?"

"Mhm."

"But we just ate."

A grunt in response.

After Zacky put Indy down on a chair, she laughed and asked, "What are you gonna make?"

"Macaroni." he replied, rummaging through his pantry.

"I want some!"

Now Zacky laughed and nodded pulling out the ingredients he would need. Indy watched him carefully with a small smile on her face and got up to see him cook.

"You really should teach me to cook something."

"No."

"What?! Why?" Indy asked in disbelief.

It took a while for Zacky to answer. He was deciding whether or not to be truthful.

"I-I.. want you to depend on me.. i-in the f-future.." he mumbled shyly, turning slightly red and suddenly seeming very much interested in the pasta.

In the future.

The thought made Indy grin. It was wonderful knowing that Zacky, too, could envision the two of them in a long, long term relationship.

She pressed the matter further eagerly. "You mean when we're adults? And we live together? Without our parents? And share a bedroom and living room and bathroom and kitchen and dining room?"

Still red, he nodded once and Indy went on. "Oh, and you mean after you get famous and make a bunch of money and buy a new house while the girls and I work as merch girls or manager?"

Before Zacky could reply, Brian and Michelle burst through his front door.

"Honey, I'm home!" Brian yelled.

The food was done. As Indy greeted the two, Zacky set up extra plates before going to say hi.

"What's up, Zack?"

"Oh.. N-not much.."

"Really? Well 'Chelle and I--" Brian stopped himself, when he suddenly realized what happened.

Stunned silence. Indy grinned. Zacky waited patiently. Brian and Michelle stared at him.

"Dude!"