I Remember When

Emerson and Zacky were best friends since they were in first grade. After being with each other for so long, they realized there was something more then friendship between the two of them. In eighth grade, they began dating. Nothing serious, but they enjoyed each others company.

Things were going smoothly for the two until they hit the twelve grade and Zack began looking at other girls. One in particular caught his eye and her name was Gena.

Zacky dumped Emerson on the spot to go after Gena. After all, Emerson was his first and only girlfriend and he wanted to play the field before taking his dick off the map.

Emerson understood, or so she thought. She tried telling herself, almost every day of her life, that he would realize that they belonged together, even if it took ten years.

That ten years was up in a heartbeat. Emerson was now dating her boyfriend of two years, Ben. They were happy with each other. Zacky was still dating Gena, and they had now been dating for ten years.

But a tragedy struck when they lost there dear friend, Jimmy. Emerson was devastated because Jimmy was the one that she went to when she just couldn't get over Zacky. The nights when she thought she could just end it all. When she could have sworn Zacky would be knocking at her door, begging her to take him back. Jimmy was always there for her, no matter what.

A year had gone by since the passing of Jimmy. Not a day went by that she didn't think of him. His funny jokes, his contagious laugh, that smile that made him ten times more adorable. But Emerson knew that Jimmy would be kicking her ass if she wasn't enjoying her life, even if Jimmy wasn't there. But Emerson was depressed on the anniversary of his death, as everyone else was. But it was taking a really big impact on Emerson.

So she left the city, finding the spot where Zacky and her used to spend almost every weekend at. The lake. Through all the hard times in their lives, those nights kept them alive.

Ben urgently dialed Matt's number, "What the fuck do you want, Ben?" Matt asked in a groggy voice.

"Is Em there? Her phone keeps going to her voicemail and her car is gone." He said frantically.

Matt sat up from his bed and looked at the wall, "No, she's not here. When Is the last time you talked to her?" He asked, starting to sound worried. Matt always worried about Emerson because she was a like a little sister to him.

"Last night. She went to bed with me, but when I woke up she was gone." Ben said, letting out a heavy sigh.

Matt furrowed his eyebrows before he saw Val with a saddened look on her face. Reality hit him and he remembered that today was December twenty-eighth, two-thousand-ten. It's been a year without Jimmy. "Ben, don't worry about her. I'm sure she's just trying to have some time for herself."

Ben quickly caught on to his sudden change of attitude, "Okay, sorry for waking you." Ben said goodbye and hung up the phone.



"Hope your having a fun time up there, Jimmy." Emerson mumbled to the sky. Her arms were crossed over her chest, trying to contain her warmth.

Emerson spent the whole day there, sitting beside the lake, mumbling to the sky and laughing at certain thoughts that entered her brain. Mostly thoughts about Jimmy.

Emerson looked around the scenery, realizing how much she missed the place. Her and Zacky spent so much time here, they practically called it there second home. All the nights when they would sit in the back of his truck and watch the sun disappear behind the mountains.

A sigh escaped her lips as she felt her eyes tearing up once again. This time not about Jimmy, it was about Zacky.

Emerson looked up towards the sky, seeing the clouds break slightly, sending a ray of sunshine down on Emerson. She smiled at the sudden warmth. "Hey Jimbo." She said, smiling.

"Emerson," Someone breathed behind her.

Emerson looked behind her to see Zacky in front of her eyes. She wanted to smile but something was telling her not to. "What are you doing here?" She asked, trying not to sound bitter.

"Just wanted to get away." He murmured, ignoring her attitude. "How are you?" He asked.

Emerson was trying her best to ignore the fact that they hardly talked since high school. Sure, they made small talk on occasion but it's been months since they had any form of small talk. "I'm fine." She said firmly.

Zacky stayed there the entire time Emerson was there. He tried to make things less awkward then what they already were but that wasn't happening.

"Em, I'm sorry for everything that happened in high school." He suddenly said.

Emerson looked up from where she was sitting and scoffed. "Sure." She said, dragging the word on.

"I mean it. I didn't really know what I was thinking and I regret it." He said, sitting beside her.

She kept eyes away from him, hoping and praying he would just shut up. She ignored what he just said.

"Can you at least accept my apology?" He pleaded.

Emerson looked at him, finding his jade green eyes with her bright blue ones. "No." She said coldly.

He was taken a back when she said that. "W-what?" He asked, shaking his head.

"I said no. N-O. No." She rolled her eyes and looked at the water.

Zacky stayed quiet after that. Emerson really wished he would just leave. He wasn't making this day any easier.

Somehow, the tension had eased between the two of them and Zacky started chuckling. Emerson furrowed her eyebrows when she looked at him. "What's so funny?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I remember when you tried jumping off that swing into the lake and almost broke your foot." He said with an amused smile.

Emerson's smile somehow made her way onto her face. "I remember when you ran in the lake butt naked." Emerson grinned.

Zacky's laugh had disappeared. "That wasn't funny. I didn't know this lake had snapping turtles." He grumbled.

Emerson giggled and Zacky smiled. It had been so long since he heard her giggle. "I dare you." He suddenly said, looking at her.

"Excuse me?"

"I dare you to jump off the swing into the water." He said, standing up, helping her off the ground as well.

"Uhm, no. Are you crazy? It's freezing!" She exclaimed.

"It was no colder then this when you did it." He reminded her and she let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine. But you have to run in the lake butt naked." She smirked.

"It's freezing!" He complained.

"It was no colder then this when you did it." She smirked, throwing his words back at him.

He scowled her and nodded in agreement. Emerson grabbed the old swing and put a little pressure on it to see if it would break because it had been so long since she had done this. "If it breaks, I'm suing you!" She warned and he nodded with a smile on his face.

Emerson took in a deep breath before getting on the swing and letting herself fly towards the water. She swung a few times before her hands let go of the rope and she splashed into the water. She came up for a breath. "Oh, my fucking God, it's cold!"

"I think you used that same exact phrase when you did it the first time!" He yelled to her, an amused grin spread across his face.

She rolled her eyes when she got out of the water but she had a smile on her face. "You're turn." She smirked.

Zacky sighed and started stripping his clothes. Emerson tried not looking at him but it had been so long since she had seen with no clothes on. Ten years to be exact. Zacky smirked a little when he noticed Emerson checking him out. "Here goes nothing," He mumbled to know one and ran into the water. Emerson started laughing when he began shivering. "Ha! No snapping tur- Ow, fuck!" He yelled, running out of the water. "Never mind," He said, pulling on his pants.



Emerson was finally dried off and the sun was now setting behind the mountains. Zacky had opened the back of his truck and they laid there together, just like old times. "I forgot how comforting it was out here," Zacky sighed.

Emerson nodded, unable to find words. She was so amazed that she was laying here with Zacky, in his truck watching the sunset.

Emerson remained deep in her thoughts as Zacky rubbed her shoulder lightly, warming her up a bit. She never wanted this moment to end. This was like a dream come true to her. She had finally gotten her Zacky back. Even though it was just for one night, it was enough for her. Enough for her to remember it forever.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, looking down beside her.

Emerson looked up at him, "How well we worked things out." She admitted.

Zacky sighed at how much he had left behind when he broke it off with Emerson. He lost a lot. He lost his best friend, his first love. Gena was just a piece of meat to him. She was gorgeous with curves. Emerson had that, he just never noticed because he was with her for so long he had forgotten how good he had it. Now Emerson was living with some guy named Ben and they were happy. Zacky envied it. Gena and him were not happy. They acted as if they were but he didn't want to admit his relationship was going down the drain.

"I remember when we'd listen to the radio play all night." She murmured against his shoulder, sending shivers down his spine.

"You didn't want to go home to your fighting parents." He said before kissing her temple softly.

"Through all the hard times in my life, those nights kept me alive." Emerson said, watching the final few of the sun set.

"Those nights belong to us." He told her, meeting her ocean blue eyes with his green ones. She smiled up at him and he returned the smile. He was trying so hard to not press his lips to hers. She returned her gaze towards the trees in front of them.

Emerson suddenly got up from the truck and smirked at Zacky. "Come on," She said, taking his hand and pulling him off the truck. She walked to a tree and smiled at Zacky. He looked at her confused before tracing his finger over the words. Zacky&Emmy, forever. He smiled down at the craving he did more then ten years ago. He hardly remembered that was the tree. When he had craved that into the tree, it was a baby. It was fully grown now.

"That's the day you told me you loved me," Zacky breathed, feeling guilty when he read the word forever. Emerson looked at him and noticed his change in emotion.

"I still love you." She told him, feeling like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. Zacky's looked at her, trying to tell himself that he wasn't still in love with her but his lips told him otherwise. Emerson's lips immediately reacted, kissing him back with passion that was still obvious between the two.

Emerson pulled away from him, blushing. "I love you too, Emerson. Always have, always will. Forever." Emerson was more excited to hear those words. She locked lips with Zacky again, and the kiss lasted longer this time.

Zacky pulled out his pocket knife, craving into the tree again. Zacky&Emmy, foREVer, was what he craved. Emerson ran her fingers over it and smiled at Zacky.

Emerson had Zacky back. Granted they both had significant others, they soon wouldn't. They wouldn't have had this day without Jimmy. Emerson smiled up towards the sky again, Thanks, Jimmy. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now, she thought. Looking back at Zacky, she pressed her lips against his and smiled.

I remember when we used to laugh, and now I wish those nights would last.