Brighter Than the Stars

Michael's POV

Today is my cousin's party. I haven't seen him in a long time. He found out I was in town and told me to go to his party so I'm taking my friends with me. Zach really needs to go out, he has become so quiet. Cam and Tori are always together, Zach has also slowly been getting away from us, so that leaves me with my lovely Kira. I think this party will be fun, and we need more fun.

"Are you all ready?" I asked and everyone nodded.

"I guess." Zach mumbled sighing.

"Smile, cheer up. What's wrong?" Kira asked him

"Doesn't matter." he said

"Ok, let’s go." Cam said cheerfully.

We got to the party and there already were a lot of people. The music was blasting through the speakers. I wonder if his parents are here, they love to be in parties.

"Let's dance." Cam suggested

"I don't want to." Zach said

"Why not?" Kira asked

"It makes me feel exposed." he said

"Exposed to what?" I asked

"Nothing, never mind." he said. I couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable he was.

"I'll just let my cousin know we are here and we can go somewhere I think there won’t be any people." I said, and then started walking. Soon enough we found my cousin and we talked for a bit then he was called for something. I lead the guys and the girls outside to the very back of the house. There are two houses here but the one in the back is empty, ever since I can remember his parents have been preparing that house for him. There is a pretty big space in between the two houses but there is also a back yard to the house in the back and that is where we are going. I haven't been here in five years so I don't know how much has changed.

"Is your cousin rich or something?" Kira asked

"Not really, this territory has been passed down since generations." I explained

"That makes sense." Cam said

"Zach, guess what's back here?" Kira asked stopping him.

"A pool or something." he replied

"Well that too, but something else." she said

"An alien?" he asked

"NO! A tetherball." Kira exclaimed

"Really?" Zach asked, I heard excitement in his voice.

"What's a Tetherball?" Tori asked

"You don't know?" Zach asked

"Me neither." I said

"And me." Cam said

"Really?" he was surprised

"Let's show them how it’s done." Kira said, Zach grinned and ran off to one of side of the pole. A ball was attached to a rope that was connected with the pole. Both of them were on opposite sides hitting the ball back and forth. Apparently, you can't do ropies, which means to not touch the rope and swing it to one side. Also you have to stay on your side. They played for a long time and you could tell none of them was going easy. We were cheering them on, boys vs. girls. Finally Zach won, to win you the rope wrap all the way around the pole to your side.

"That was so fun!" Zach exclaimed jumping up and down.

"You just won because I'm a little rusty, I haven’t played since I was like in the sixth grade." Kira said

"You? Rusty? Naww, you two played like pros, whatever that looks like. Teach me how to play!" Cam insisted. They taught us how to play and now we are pretty good.

"I remember how I got in trouble the first day of first grade and I had to sit on a bench during recess and lunch for two days." Zach said pointing his lip.

"What did you do?" I asked

"It wasn't my fault no one told me I couldn't play where ever I wanted and that each class had a court assigned!" he defended

"What a loser!" Cam teased

"I know, I ran all over the play ground and played on all the games." Zach said

"Remember how we used to play handball with basketballs on your garage and then your dad would get mad at us." Kira said

"Yea that was so fun." Zach said smiling.

"Do you guys mind explaining what that is?" I asked

"Ok so you have a wall or in our case, a garage. You also need a ball and you have to hit the ball and make it bounce to the wall. But since we didn't have a bouncy ball we had to use a basketball. Yes it hurt a lot in the beginning but we got used to it after a while." Zach explained

"Sounds like it hurt." Tori said

"How old were you guys when you played those games?" Cam asked

"We were pretty young I guess, we were in elementary school- Hey, let's play duck duck goose!" Zach suggested. We sat in a circle and began to play. Kira looked at Zach chasing Cameron in circles and smiled. Zach does seem back to his normal self. We played out favorite childhood games and enjoyed ourselves until my cousin interrupted us.

"You know we can hear you guys screaming all the way over there, what are you guys doing?" my cousin asked

"Playing games." I said

"What kind of games?" he asked

"Kid games." I replied

"Sounds fun. I'm gonna call some people to come play with us." he said running back then came back with a few friends. That is how the party went, twenty year olds playing kid games. We were running away from who was "it" and Zach suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" I asked pulling him aside.

"It doesn't matter." he muttered "Apparently it does because it's bothering you." I said

"It's something stupid, it doesn't matter. Go have fun, I'll wait in the car." he said

"Just tell me." I pleaded getting imatient. "I felt someone watching me ok! Every time I see a stranger looking at me, I can't help but think that it's that one guy! I wish you guys would just leave me alone! I'm scared and I don't know what to do." he said whispering the last part then tried to push his way through me.

"Hold on." I said pulling him back by his shoulder.

"What?" he asked

"I want you to relax." I said

"Are you serious?" he asked

"I am so listen to me, I need you to relax. No one is after you ok. That was a long time ago and if someone really did want to do something to you, it would have happened by now. Nothing will happen to you, I promise, just like I promised your mom- don't look at me like that, I just promised to look after you so you have nothing to worry about. There is nothing for you to be scared of and we WON'T leave you alone." I said firmly

"I can't stop feeling that was, it's like something in my head it telling me to watch my back and it won't leave me alone." he said

"You have to stop feeling that way. You will be fine-"

"Yeah Zach, you'll be fine." Kira said interrupting me and coming out of nowhere. Zach jumped and almost punched her.

"Don't need to be so jumpy. Sorry I overheard your conversation but I agree with everything Mike said." Kira said touching his face.

"We can leave now if you want, but you have to promise me to stop trying to deal with things on your own." I said

"Ok." Zach mumbled

"Zach, I love you and I hate seeing like this. You're crazy if you think I would let someone hurt you." she said and he hugged her.

"Ok let's go." I said.

We are back at the hotel and Kira convinced us to watch kid movies, really old ones and the new ones as well.

"Ey Zach remember when we used to act out movies?" Kira asked Zach, who was hooked on the movie.

"uh huh" Zach mumbled smiling at something from the movie.

"You know what I want to watch?" I asked

"What?" the asked "Aliens in the Attic." I said

"I love that movie!" Zach exclaimed. We watched the movie and couldn't stop laughing.

"What if something similar to that happens to us?" Cam asked

"Let's hope it doesn't." Tori said

"I remember, when it was Thursday my mom and I would watch a movie." I said

"That's cute." Kira said

"I didn't have that but I think overall I had a good childhood." Zach said

"Oh, I know you did." Kira said

"Why do you say that?" Zach asked

"Because all Zach had to do to get what he wanted was to look someone in the eye, he wouldn't do it on purpose and people, especially people not his patents would do what he wanted because he was so different, in a good way." Kira said

"It's not like I asked for impossible things." Zach said

"I know, but you were cute so you got away with it." Kira said

"My mom would have me model things for stores like Sears, Payless and other stores similar." Cam said

"Really? I should ask for your autograph." Zach said

"I bet you were a cute little sexy model." Tori said kissing Cam's cheek

"You guys do a really good job on cheering people up." Zach said

"It's cus we koo like dat." Kira said

"Cheers for the freaken weekend!" I yelled turning the music up

"No! It's cheers for Allstar Weekend!" Kira corrected

"Whatever you say." I said rolling my eyes.

"Let's party." Cam said

"I hope we don't wake up everyone in the hotel." Tori said

"I don't think we'll wake up EVERYONE exactly." I said

"I wonder what your cousin does to entertain herself?" I asked

"Who cares." Zach said. Sexy and I know it came out and everyone went crazy.