Forever Ends Too Soon
Growing Up
Zach's POV:
"She's different." I tell the guys on Thursday.
"How, Zach?" Michael asks me.
"I don't want to hurt her. She's been through so much and, for once, she's important to me. Not that the others haven't been, they were just fun relationships."
"Our Zach is changing." Cameron says.
"You have to meet Laura." I tell them. "She's amazing even if she is still wearing the ring her fiancé gave her."
"What?" Michael asks.
"Oh, no, he died. I'm sure it's part of the grieving process."
"And what does your mom think of that?" Cameron asks me.
"I haven't told her. Remember that guy in the paper 8 months ago? My mom went to his funeral. I'm dating the girl he was engaged to."
"You're dating the fiancé of a dead military guy!" Cameron yells.
"Guess so. Sounds kinda wrong when you put it that way."
"It really does." Michael laughs and then I hear her angelic voice.
"Zach? Hi." I turn around.
"Hey, Laura. What are you doing out?" I ask her and she points to a group of girls.
"They wanted to take me shopping. They said I need new clothes now that I'm happy again." She tells me and I laugh. Then I see it.
"You took the ring off?" I ask her and she bites her lip.
"It was time." Her smile is enough to kill me.
"Oh, my gosh! You're you!" One girl screams.
"Jen, please be calm." Laura begs her.
"Damn! Sexier in person."
"Marcella, please don't." Laura is turning red.
"You, Zach, don't hurt my sister." Some chick is right in my face. It's the same one from the concert last week. All the girls were there.
"Ali, down girl. He's not even my boyfriend yet; it was one date and another date tomorrow." Laura tells the girl and it kind of hurts, even though it's true.
"Sure, Laurie, you go with that."
"Hey, I don't mind." I tell Laura and she smiles.
"Thank you, Zach."
"So you're the famous Laura." Cameron tells her and she looks at me.
"Famous?" She asks.
"He can't shut up about you." Michael says.
"Now it's my turn to be embarrassed." I tell her and she laughs.
"Gotta love friends." I put my arm around her.
"Would you all like to walk around with us." I ask the girls, but I see two of them are occupied.
"Looks like Marcella is meeting Cameron while Jennifer gets to know Michael." Laura tells me.
"That would be just like them."
"You're all gross!" Laura's sister yells and we laugh.
"Don't be jealous." Laura tells her.
"Alison Louise Gilbert does not get jealous!"
"Sure, sis. I don't know about you all, but I'm taking Zach up on the offer."
"Me, too." Her friends say at the same time.
"Guess I better go, too, and keep you all in line." Alison says.
"Thanks, Ali, now you can get to know Zach." Laura says and I pull her a little closer.
"Hopefully there's plenty of time for me to get to know her."
"Man, I remember James was afraid to meet me. Sorry." Ali says. I'm not sure who she's apologizing to.
"She's different." I tell the guys on Thursday.
"How, Zach?" Michael asks me.
"I don't want to hurt her. She's been through so much and, for once, she's important to me. Not that the others haven't been, they were just fun relationships."
"Our Zach is changing." Cameron says.
"You have to meet Laura." I tell them. "She's amazing even if she is still wearing the ring her fiancé gave her."
"What?" Michael asks.
"Oh, no, he died. I'm sure it's part of the grieving process."
"And what does your mom think of that?" Cameron asks me.
"I haven't told her. Remember that guy in the paper 8 months ago? My mom went to his funeral. I'm dating the girl he was engaged to."
"You're dating the fiancé of a dead military guy!" Cameron yells.
"Guess so. Sounds kinda wrong when you put it that way."
"It really does." Michael laughs and then I hear her angelic voice.
"Zach? Hi." I turn around.
"Hey, Laura. What are you doing out?" I ask her and she points to a group of girls.
"They wanted to take me shopping. They said I need new clothes now that I'm happy again." She tells me and I laugh. Then I see it.
"You took the ring off?" I ask her and she bites her lip.
"It was time." Her smile is enough to kill me.
"Oh, my gosh! You're you!" One girl screams.
"Jen, please be calm." Laura begs her.
"Damn! Sexier in person."
"Marcella, please don't." Laura is turning red.
"You, Zach, don't hurt my sister." Some chick is right in my face. It's the same one from the concert last week. All the girls were there.
"Ali, down girl. He's not even my boyfriend yet; it was one date and another date tomorrow." Laura tells the girl and it kind of hurts, even though it's true.
"Sure, Laurie, you go with that."
"Hey, I don't mind." I tell Laura and she smiles.
"Thank you, Zach."
"So you're the famous Laura." Cameron tells her and she looks at me.
"Famous?" She asks.
"He can't shut up about you." Michael says.
"Now it's my turn to be embarrassed." I tell her and she laughs.
"Gotta love friends." I put my arm around her.
"Would you all like to walk around with us." I ask the girls, but I see two of them are occupied.
"Looks like Marcella is meeting Cameron while Jennifer gets to know Michael." Laura tells me.
"That would be just like them."
"You're all gross!" Laura's sister yells and we laugh.
"Don't be jealous." Laura tells her.
"Alison Louise Gilbert does not get jealous!"
"Sure, sis. I don't know about you all, but I'm taking Zach up on the offer."
"Me, too." Her friends say at the same time.
"Guess I better go, too, and keep you all in line." Alison says.
"Thanks, Ali, now you can get to know Zach." Laura says and I pull her a little closer.
"Hopefully there's plenty of time for me to get to know her."
"Man, I remember James was afraid to meet me. Sorry." Ali says. I'm not sure who she's apologizing to.