Clumsy Little Heart

Three weeks after date number one and Zack’s just about given up the hope of being asked out on another one. Seriously, is he doing something wrong? He’s almost positive that the texts he’s been exchanging with Martin are flirty enough – not too much but enough to be obvious. And he is definitely giving out signs that he wants to go out again. So what the fuck is Martin’s issue? Was date number one not good enough, or something?

He kissed Zack, so that has to count for something. Doesn’t it?

“Zack? Have you mailed back that dorming application yet?” his mother calls up the steps and her voice barely makes it to his room, but she’s been asking the same thing for the past week so Zack kind of just knows what she’s asking. He groans and leans back in his computer chair. The application is still sitting on the desk in front of him, half filled out and barely any effort put into it. He’s been meaning to do it but…things have gotten in the way. Martin has gotten in the way.

“I’m almost done with it!” he shouts back to her and he really has no intention on finishing it today. Or this week. Maybe next week. But definitely not this one. He pushes it to the side and pulls his laptop open and presses the on button, waiting for it to start up. He knows that John said he was going to drop by soon and Sierra and Matt are down at the beach for some kind of anniversary date type thing and Alex is harassing his new neighbor’s daughter. So he’s just expecting to see John today and as great as John is, Zack’s not really in the mood.

When his phone buzzes, Zack assumes it's just alerting him to a text from John saying he's on his way. When he unlocks the screen, he quickly realizes he's wrong. Martin's name and a new text from him are displayed on the touch screen and Zack kind of doesn't want to open it. But he quickly reminds himself that he has no reason to be nervous and gets it over with.

"So I've been saving up and I got two tickets to the Yankee game tomorrow night. Wanna go?"

Zack's heart flips and he can barely contain his smile because okay. This is something he's been waiting for. A second date. At least, he thinks it's a second date. What else would it be, though?

He's about to type a 'yeah, that sounds great!’ text, but then his door flies open and John is stumbling in, hands clutching a stack of video games and two bottles of diet coke.

"I brought provisions. And some news," he says, grinning as if he's just presented Zack with a million dollar check.

"Okay. Let's hear this news, then."

"So your new love interest? Not who you think he is," John declares, tossing his cell phone down on the bed and kicking off his sneakers before sitting down on the edge. He drops the coke and games beside him and continues, "I found some things."

"Things? About Martin?" Zack questions, feeling a bit wary. John looks a little too happy to be bringing Zack bad news. "Good things?"

John shrugs, "That depends. I know this guy Rian from Baldwin who graduated this year too, and I saw him at Dunkin Donuts this morning and we were talking, right? And he happened to mention someone named Ryan Key and a party this guy had the other night."

Zack swallows. "And?"

"And, I mentioned that you were there with this guy Martin and how I didn't really know much about him aside from that he's 21 and doesn't even have a Facebook for me to stalk. And what do you know, Rian tells me that he knows Martin too and that both Ryan and Martin graduated from a high school in Oneonta. Oneonta, Zack. Do you know where that is?"

"Upstate," Zack responds, but he's quiet and looks down at his cell phone. Martin's text is now all too obvious. "Well...I mean, it's not like he lied to me, John. He never told me where he graduated from. He never claimed to be from Long Island."

"Dude. Upstate? Upstate produces some weird people. Like my cousin! And Matt's step-sister! I swear to God she's into witchcraft or something-"

"Okay, well Martin's not into witchcraft so I don't really need to worry about that. And listen, he didn't lie," Zack reminds him, "So I'm not going to get mad about it."

"I'm not saying you should," John adds quickly, "Just that it's interesting that he never mentioned it. That's all. There might be other things that he’s not telling you. Just…be careful."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Okay good, that's all I ask. Remember what happened with Gabe when he failed to mention that whole 'oh hey I'm totally into that kinky shit-'"

"Okay enough out of you, let's play X-Box."

And he presses send on the open text to Martin, hoping that John doesn't dig any deeper and find something else about Martin that won't exactly help his reputation.