Friends Before Lovers

“Your neighbors are assholes,” I told her pointedly before I snatched a cupcake from the table. “You sure went all out, Beth.”

“Actually Benny cooked the sweets, I was busy barbequing because he was scared he’d burn his eyebrows,” she rolled her eyes and pulled me with her towards the grill, I ate the cupcake as she talked. “I am so sorry about blowing up on you this morning, I’m a total bitch.”

“Yup,” I agreed with a single nod. “But your right, thank you.”

“I am?” she asked as I winked and walked off. She watched me with a confused stare as I took a seat beside Zacky at the picnic table in her backyard.

“I totally don’t see how they are related. Matt can’t cook, Beth can cook up a storm,” Zacky muttered as I sat down beside him, he always did have difficulty figuring out how Matt, Beth and Benny were related. It was easy to explain but there was no resemblance in the family tree, at all. Beth and Benny are twins, Matt is their cousin. It’s simple really but Zacky just couldn’t believe it. “Beth is pretty but looks nothing like Matt.”

“You’re saying Matt isn’t pretty? That’s not nice,” I smiled before I took a lick of the icing off the cupcake. “I’m going to tell.”

“No you won’t,” he smiled back before nudging me in the shoulder. “Beth sees something is different, she’s holding a group huddle with the guys over there.”

“Think we should break it to them suddenly or slowly?” I asked, genuinely curious as to what he thought. Would they freak out if we kissed or would they freak out if we held hands in plain view?

“I have an idea, go with it,” Zacky announced, he looked ahead thoughtfully for a minute and then suddenly his hand was on my face holding me in place as his lips moved against mine. I could have laughed had I not opened my mouth for the kiss and was letting his tongue fight against mine.

“I fucking knew it!” Brian shouted so loud that it broke Zacky and I apart, I raised my eyebrows at Brian who was punching the air.

“Oh shut up you knew nothing,” I called out to Brian. Beth did a happy dance with Benny, they were way too happy. “Listen, we’re giving it a try. Don’t jinx it.”

“Right, it’s not like we haven’t been waiting for this to happen for ten years and are just happy or anything?” Beth held her arms out to calm herself down; she recited the mantra woosah-woosah over and over before she put her arms down and smiled.

“She’s so not right in the head,” Zacky muttered as we watched her with confused expression.

“Now do you see the resemblance?” I asked shaking my head.

“Ten years of waiting, I feel like a weight has been lifted, I don’t know about you guys,” Brian collapsed into a chair beside Johnny and snatched the beer from his hand.

“Jesus, they are so dramatic,” I commented laughing.

Soon enough we were all allowed to eat the food that Benny and Beth made and it was delicious to say lightly. We hurried to get done and leave because Beth’s café that was in her renovated garage was closed for her lunch break and she was a local favorite so she was losing business the longer it stayed closed.

We went back to the studio for three more hours before everyone agreed that they wanted to end the day early. “See you later,” Matt hugged me to his side and kissed the top of my head, something he always did.

“Bye Matt, drive careful,” I hugged him back and watched as he walked to the driver’s side of his truck.

“Bye Mylo, see you tomorrow, bring me a pop tart and I’ll be your best friend. Later Zach!” Brian waved as he climbed into the truck with Matt. They carpooled because Brian is lazy as hell.

“Are you going home?” Zacky asked walking over with his bag slung over his shoulder. He looked just like he did in high school at that moment, asking me behind the parking lot gates if I would ever give him a chance. The memory made my stomach turn to knots, had I really been such a stone hearted bitch to him for so long?

“Thought about it, got a better offer?” I asked curiously, pulling my purse closer to fish out my car keys.

“Why don’t we catch a movie?” he offered with a shrug. I could tell he was nervous, he fidgeted with his bag and his eyes kept looking away from me.

“Like a date?” I snickered when his cheeks turned red, I loved embarrassing him. He looked adorable all red faced.

“If you don’t want a date-“he scratched nervously at the base of his neck.

“I’d like a date Zacky,” I interrupted him with a smile. “Take it slow right? Nothing slower than catching a flick with a new boyfriend.”

“I’ve wanted this for so long I don’t know what to do now that it’s happening. I don’t want to screw this up,” he babbled until I smacked him in the arm, he looked at me stunned as I pointed at him.

“You are not going to screw anything up. Just be you,” I told him simply and then added. “If anyone screws this up, it’ll be me. I don’t know how to act other than we’ve always acted.”

“We can keep doing that,” Zacky offered with a shrug. “Just more kisses and hand holding?”

“Sounds like a plan to me, partner. I want to see that new Liam Neeson movie, think it’ll be any good?” we talked as we got in his car, figuring we’d do like we had before by leaving my car to get later on after the movie ends.

“Looks like a good thriller, I think it’ll be awesome,” Zacky agreed unlocking the car doors.