Status: This story wil start as PG but as time progresses, I plan on an R rating.
Are You Listening?
Chapter One
“Why are you so worked up about this guy anyways?” my friend yelled from the kitchen. “You haven’t even seen him in like ten years.”
“Randi, you don’t get it. Zac was my savior. He was by my side for so much… he was my best friend, my confidant, my everything.”
“Ahem!” she coughed.
“I said WAS!” I yelled back, putting in my earrings. I took one last look at myself in the mirror, smoothing down my shirt before flipping off the light. “I haven’t seen him in ten years, true. But we have talked a good bit since then.”
“When he decided to have time for you.” Randi was my best friend from the age of twelve and she always kind of looked out for me.
“Look, I’m not expecting you two to be besties or anything, I just want you to meet,” I explained, straightening up my couch.
“When can I eat? Or do I have to wait for your majesty to show up for that too?”
“Thanks, but you can call me Zac,” a voice called from the doorway. I spun to look into those familiar brown eyes and my heart skipped a beat. I almost sprinted to open the screen door and allow him to enter. “Miss me?” he asked with a smirk.
I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes as he wrapped me in a warm hug. I felt like I was melting into his embrace. He had gotten so tall and broad since I’d seen him last. But those eyes were exactly as I’d remembered them in my dreams. “I’m so glad you’re here! There is so much to catch up on! I know we’ve talked here and there but its not the same.”
“Tell me about it,” he replied, following me to the kitchen. “Things really have changed- look at you!”
“Yeah, I lost a lot of weight.”
“You look good.” I felt my cheeks flush at the compliment but quickly shrugged it off to play good hostess. “So I hope you don’t mind, Ike and Tay said they want to swing by later. They wanted to unpack first.”
“Oh that’s fine. I have a few friends coming by later too,” I called back, walking into the kitchen. I took a soda in for him and waved for Randi to come into the living room with us. “Zac, this is Randi, my friend and roommate… Randi, this is Zac.”
“Or yanno, your majesty,” he smiled at her, shaking her hand.
“Sorry,” she apologized, “don’t take it personal. I’m just really hungry.”
“No worries. I could use some food, too. With the time change, I’d say I haven’t eaten anything but airplane peanuts for about thirty-two hours.” As the two of them headed to the kitchen to tear up some snacks, I was thinking about how excited I actually was to see Tay and Ike again. Isaac had always been the big brother I’d wished I’d had. I loved Dakota but I felt like I was always looking out for him. Isaac was always protective of me- a trait he and Randi shared, I noticed. Taylor was always a good listener for me… he knew me better than Zac did I think. But the difference was, I always had feeling for Zac, whereas Tay was just a really great friend. He was shy, but artsy… he would be a great companion for someone someday. A knock on the door startled me and I opened it to see my other friends Ann and Renee. I saw Ann almost once a week because she was dating my brother, and Renee and I worked at the same school district so I saw her quite often.
“Hey girlies!” I greeted them excitedly.
“Is he here? Does he look good?” Ann asked, peeking around me.
“Rude much?” Renee asked, jokingly. “But seriously is he hot?”
“Yes he’s here. And yes he looks amazing. But you guys, try not to make me any more nervous than I already am ok? Plus he has no clue I’m into him so be cool,’ I replied, shutting the door behind them.
“Hey Chey, Tay just texted me; said he and Ike are on their way…” he stopped short when he saw my friends. “Oh hello.” After another round of introductions and a thumbs up from Ann, we all grabbed a drink and sat around Randi and my living room. As I watched my friends all bombard him with questions, I saw Zac shoot me a smile and I was filled with a happiness I’d been missing.
“Randi, you don’t get it. Zac was my savior. He was by my side for so much… he was my best friend, my confidant, my everything.”
“Ahem!” she coughed.
“I said WAS!” I yelled back, putting in my earrings. I took one last look at myself in the mirror, smoothing down my shirt before flipping off the light. “I haven’t seen him in ten years, true. But we have talked a good bit since then.”
“When he decided to have time for you.” Randi was my best friend from the age of twelve and she always kind of looked out for me.
“Look, I’m not expecting you two to be besties or anything, I just want you to meet,” I explained, straightening up my couch.
“When can I eat? Or do I have to wait for your majesty to show up for that too?”
“Thanks, but you can call me Zac,” a voice called from the doorway. I spun to look into those familiar brown eyes and my heart skipped a beat. I almost sprinted to open the screen door and allow him to enter. “Miss me?” he asked with a smirk.
I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes as he wrapped me in a warm hug. I felt like I was melting into his embrace. He had gotten so tall and broad since I’d seen him last. But those eyes were exactly as I’d remembered them in my dreams. “I’m so glad you’re here! There is so much to catch up on! I know we’ve talked here and there but its not the same.”
“Tell me about it,” he replied, following me to the kitchen. “Things really have changed- look at you!”
“Yeah, I lost a lot of weight.”
“You look good.” I felt my cheeks flush at the compliment but quickly shrugged it off to play good hostess. “So I hope you don’t mind, Ike and Tay said they want to swing by later. They wanted to unpack first.”
“Oh that’s fine. I have a few friends coming by later too,” I called back, walking into the kitchen. I took a soda in for him and waved for Randi to come into the living room with us. “Zac, this is Randi, my friend and roommate… Randi, this is Zac.”
“Or yanno, your majesty,” he smiled at her, shaking her hand.
“Sorry,” she apologized, “don’t take it personal. I’m just really hungry.”
“No worries. I could use some food, too. With the time change, I’d say I haven’t eaten anything but airplane peanuts for about thirty-two hours.” As the two of them headed to the kitchen to tear up some snacks, I was thinking about how excited I actually was to see Tay and Ike again. Isaac had always been the big brother I’d wished I’d had. I loved Dakota but I felt like I was always looking out for him. Isaac was always protective of me- a trait he and Randi shared, I noticed. Taylor was always a good listener for me… he knew me better than Zac did I think. But the difference was, I always had feeling for Zac, whereas Tay was just a really great friend. He was shy, but artsy… he would be a great companion for someone someday. A knock on the door startled me and I opened it to see my other friends Ann and Renee. I saw Ann almost once a week because she was dating my brother, and Renee and I worked at the same school district so I saw her quite often.
“Hey girlies!” I greeted them excitedly.
“Is he here? Does he look good?” Ann asked, peeking around me.
“Rude much?” Renee asked, jokingly. “But seriously is he hot?”
“Yes he’s here. And yes he looks amazing. But you guys, try not to make me any more nervous than I already am ok? Plus he has no clue I’m into him so be cool,’ I replied, shutting the door behind them.
“Hey Chey, Tay just texted me; said he and Ike are on their way…” he stopped short when he saw my friends. “Oh hello.” After another round of introductions and a thumbs up from Ann, we all grabbed a drink and sat around Randi and my living room. As I watched my friends all bombard him with questions, I saw Zac shoot me a smile and I was filled with a happiness I’d been missing.