The Wrong One

“Stop it.”

“Come on, please?”

“Zack, I’m trying to study, stop it.”

“Fine,” Zacky groaned, flopping back onto his side of the couch. “You’re no fun anymore.”

“Zack, I have to get through finals. I’m going to Europe next week. I have to get these done. Play time comes later.”

“Yeah, but you’re leaving next week. There’s not going to be a whole lot of play time. I’m not going to see you for like four months, Sam.”

“I know I am, Zack, but if I can finish studying and get these finals over, we’ll have more time.”

“I still can’t believe you’re going to Europe the one summer we’re not touring.”

“This was decided before you decided not to tour.”

“I know, but I’m going to miss you,” Zacky said.

Samantha stopped highlighting and looked at him. He looked so sad, and she couldn’t help it. She leaned over to him and kissed him on the mouth.

After a few minutes, she pushed him away and turned back to pick up her book. She pulled it with her and leaned over against Zacky’s body while he watched television.

“Samantha, can I ask you something?”

“Anything, honey.”

“I know you need to focus on your schooling and this whole trip to Europe is going to be good for you and everything… but I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now.”

“What is it, Zacky?” she asked, leaning her head back to look at him.

He kissed her forehead, and reached both hands around her.

She looked down and saw his hands holding a light blue box with a white bow. Her breathing stopped. She lifted the box from his hands and carefully opened it. Inside was the brightest diamond she had ever seen. It sat in a band of smaller diamonds and she pulled it out of the box.

“Will you marry me, Samantha Jane?” Zacky whispered in her ear.

She slipped it on her left hand, and her books forgotten, she turned around and kissed Zacky.

“Yes, of course I will.”



“You promise you’re not going to run off with any European guys, right?”

“I promise, Zack.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t eat too much spaghetti. You’ll get fat,” Brian said.

“Yeah, like that could happen,” Val said from beside him.

Samantha looked out over her friends and laughed. She waved goodbye to them as she and Zacky moved hand in hand to the security gates where they stopped.

“I’ll call you every day.”

“I’ll answer.”

“I’ll text you, and e-mail you, and call, and whatever else I can do,” Samantha said.

“I’ll answer, I promise,” Zacky said with a smile.

They hugged one last time as her flight was announced over the speaker.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you, too.”

They kissed one last time and Zacky watched as she walked through the gate. She turned around one last time, and waved. He waved back and remained in place until she was gone from his sight. He sighed, and turned around to leave the airport with his friends.