Long Live the Kids

Chapter 10

Haley's POV
​​​With a little help from everyone we managed to serve our friends a decent meal a couple of hours later. We finished eating hours ago, but we had to catch up about so many things that everyone was still here even though it was getting close to midnight. I was getting kind of tired and didn't really bother to listen to the conversation taking place around me. I noticed Zack's chair was still empty. I'm pretty sure he left for the bathroom about 20 minutes ago. I should probably go check if the toilet didn't swallow him or something.

​I got up and headed for the house. We were barbecuing in the back of our fairly big yard as I didn't want the whole house to smell burned. I entered the house through the kitchen door, to find Zack sitting at the kitchen island. I guess it's safe to say the toilet didn't swallow him.

​"What are you doing here all alone?" I asked him.
​He apparently hadn't noticed me and jumped when I started to speak.
​"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you" I muttered.
​"It's okay, I don't know, I just felt like being alone for a moment" Zack replied.
​"Do you want me to go?" I asked.
​"No you don't have to" he replied.

​"Okay, so I'm guessing this too has to do with Jenna?" I guessed as I sat down next to him.
​"Probably" he sighed. "I forgot ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​that being in love isn't that great."
​"Hey, don't say that" I said. "It can be great."
​"Yeah well, I suppose it's just not in the cards for me" he replied.

​​​​"Shut up Zack. From what Alex told me things were going great between you two, so why are you so gloomy?" I asked him.
​"Because Jenna lives on the other side of the world?" he said wryly.
​"So?" I asked.
​​"So, that means it won't ever work between us" he replied.
​"You don't know that until you try. I don't see Alex 90% of the time either but we make it work" I said.
​"Yeah well, you're probably just better at long distance relationships than I am. It didn't work with Megan either" he whined.

​​​​"Just because it didn't work with Megan doesn't mean it won't work with Jenna. And even if it won't last, so what? Take a chance, live a little. Would you rather be the guy who tried even though it didn't work, or the guy who didn't try at all and is left with nothing but what ifs in a couple of years?" I said sternly.
​"Okay, you might be right" Zack said doubtfully.
​​​
​"Have you talked to her since this morning?" I asked.​​​​
​"No... She hasn't texted me and I don't want to annoy her" Zack muttered.
​"Text her" I commanded him.
​"But..." Zack started.
​"Now."

​Zack hesitated but after a few seconds he did grab his phone.
​"But what do I text her?" he asked.
​I had to hold back a sigh. If I had to do everything for him this relationship would indeed not work.
​"I don't know, if she got home safe, how she's doing?" I replied.

​Zack's POV
​Though I was scared of texting Jenna, I did know Haley was right. And I wasn't exactly scared of texting Jenna, I was just scared of her not replying or getting annoyed with me. I unlocked my phone and searched for her name in my texts. Once I found it I pressed her name and hesitated again. Okay, I had to do this. Even if she didn't reply, Haley was right in saying that I at least tried. I started typing.

Zack: ​Hey Jenna! How are you? Did you get home safe?

​I wasn't sure whether or not I had to end it with my name, and if I did I didn't know what to put in front of it... X's? Love? I decided not to type my name and just hope she hadn't deleted my number. I quickly pressed Send before I changed my mind.

​"I did it" I told Haley.
​"Good" she said. "I bet she'll reply."
​"I don't..." I started, but before I could finish my sentence my phone beeped.
​I looked at the screen. It was Jenna.
​"Told you" Haley said triumphant. "What does she say?"

​​​​I opened the text and read it in my head before I read it out loud.
​"Hey Zack! I'm doing pretty good, got home safe, and am now hanging at the beach, enjoying the sun. According to Instagram you're barbecuing with your friends, seems fun! x Jenna" I read.
​"Don't you dare tell me she doesn't like you!" Haley exclaimed. "She literally replied immediately as if she'd been waiting for you to text her. Ah, you're blushing!"

​"What are you doing with my girlfriend?" I heard an angry voice behind me, but as I turned around I noticed Alex standing in the doorway with a big smile on his face.
​"You should be proud of me, I'm setting him and Jenna up" Haley explained.
​"But we already did that" Alex replied.
​"Yes, but then Zack got scared that she didn't like him and didn't dare to text her so I made him" Haley said.
​"That's my girl" Alex said proudly.

​​​​"Uh yeah I'm sorry for keeping your girlfriend occupied" I muttered.
​"Well, it's for a good cause. You can have her all night" Alex replied.
​Both Haley and I started to laugh and Alex's face turned red. "Not like that!" he exclaimed. "Unless you're willing to pay." He winked.
​"Do I have a say in this?" Haley asked.
​"Not really" Alex replied.
​"Okay good to know..." she said.
​"Well, I'll let you two get back to Zack's love life." Alex said and he went back outside.

​I read Jenna's text again. "Should I reply?" I asked Haley.
​"Uh yes? You always reply if you like someone! Otherwise she might think you don't like her" Haley said matter-of-factly.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​"Really?" I asked surprised.
​"Uh-huh, girls are needy" she nodded.
​I composed another text.

​Zack: Yeah, the barbecue is great. It's nice to catch up with everyone. I wish we had an actual beach over here. I miss surfing

​I had barely put my phone away when it beeped again.

​Jenna: Well, if you're ever in the area we'll go surf together! ;) I'm not that good but it's still fun​​​​​​​​!

​"Well, I have a feeling you are going to be just fine" Haley said after I read the texts out loud to her. I should probably get back to the barbecue and make sure the guys aren't trashing the place. You're gonna be okay?" she asked.
​I nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine" I said, feeling a lot better than 20 minutes ago.
​"Good" she replied. "Tell Jenna I said hi."
​"Oh yeah, right after I tell her you had to help me texting her. I don't think so, but thank you" I replied.
​"No problem" Haley said smiling, before she went outside.

​Zack: Deal! Probably won't be in the area for a while though haha.

​Jenna: Too bad! Well, at least I do still get to hang out with you in two weeks, even if it's not on a surfboard :)

​She was excited about hanging out with me! Haley was right. Jenna did like me and I had to stop overthinking everything, just like Jenna kept telling me.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ I wasn't sure as to how I should reply as I didn't want to seem too eager.​​

Zack: ​That's true! Gonna be fun :)

​I ended up sitting in Haley's kitchen for another hour texting Jenna about all kinds of stuff - music, Warped Tour, animals, you name it - until everyone went home. I decided to do the same, but continued texting Jenna at home until about 4 AM. She kept telling me to go to sleep and that we'll talk in the morning but I refused to. I enjoyed talking to Jenna as we could talk about anything for hours. I don't think there was anyone else that got me to talk as much as Jenna did. Of course I preferred talking face to face, but ​​​​​​​​​​well, we didn't have that luxury. At 4 AM I really couldn't keep my eyes open anymore and decided to go to sleep.

Zack: ​I'm gonna go to sleep, can't keep my eyes open anymore. Goodnight! (Or well, good evening I guess? What time is it there?)

Jenna: ​Good idea sleepyhead :) It's 6 PM over here. ​​We should do this more often ;) Goodnight! x

Zack: ​How about tomorrow? ;)

Jenna: ​If you're lucky ;)​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​Zack: Don't be such a tease :(

​Jenna: You know you love it ;) Now go to sleep!

​I decided to listen to her and finally go to sleep. As soon as I put my phone down, I fell asleep.​​​​​​​​
♠ ♠ ♠
If I messed up with the timezones, I'm sorry, I really tried to get it right :) A lot of Zack and Jenna but I don't know, I think they're cute. The story won't be all about them from now on though, don't worry :)