Keep Me Guessing

The weather was calling for thunderstorms tonight; I hate them. Ever since I was a little girl I have been petrified of thunderstorms, it seems like an irrational fear, and maybe it is, but that doesn't change the fact that they scare me. Luckily it hasn't started yet, even though that means that it's going to be ten times scarier since it will be happening in the dark. I had stayed after school to talk to my English teacher about the project, so now I was stuck walking home, in the freezing cold. Suddenly a pair of footsteps fell into sync with mine, I was thankful when I realized it was just Zack.

I stayed silent, therefore so did he; I was thankful. It was just moments ago that I had left the school to walk home, but I was already deep in thought. My parents would joke around that I left reality too often when I thought; but I knew that they loved how I was. Zack reached out and took my hand, I relented and let him grip it. Still, I kept my mouth shut, not saying one word, something that more than likely was driving Zack insane.

"Is something wrong Addie?" he asked me. I could feel him scrutinizing me.

"No, there's not." I said, my voice faint, as if I was far away. "I'm just thinking."

"You sure do that a lot." He teased lightly. "What have you been thinking about lately, Addie?"

"Just things." I replied back absentmindedly. "Life, school, the future, my family."

"Everything, to be short?"

I nodded my head, focusing on the steps I took and the horizon in the distance. He must have took my not so subtle hint for he didn't try to start another conversation with me. My backpack began to grow heavy, I sighed and adjusted the straps, only to have Zack take it off of me, and put it on his own back.

"I'll take it, Addie."

The breeze picked up, I shivered and tightened my jacket, bracing myself for the rain that would be starting anytime now. We were almost back to my house when something else dawned on me. I stopped walking, Zack stopped seconds later after realizing I wasn't next to him anymore. He looked at me curiously; I looked at him oddly.

"You've been calling me Addie."

"What's wrong with that?" he was clearly puzzled.

"You never call me Addie." I said tensely. "You always call me Soph."

"I still call you Soph."

"Not like you did." I shot back. His eyes were growing wide and his expression was becoming unreadable. "Something has changed between us since the summer, don't you think?"

"Everything changes. Nothing can stay the same."

"I love you Zack, I really do. And it's not even that you call me Addie, but you've seemed so distant."

"Well I am sorry that I have been concentrating on the band and my school work."

"Bullshit Zack!" I said loudly, pulling completely away from him. "The band practices maybe two times a week, three at most. You finish your homework the day you get it or Saturday. Stop lying like that Zack, what's been going on?"

"Nothing." Anger flashed in his eyes. "Everything is fine."

"Obviously not because you are being a dick! God Zack, if somethings wrong just tell me, okay?"

"Nothings wrong Addison, stop being such a baby about things!"

I gave him a spiteful look, took my backpack, and started running. I turned around and headed off towards a whole different destination; unable to bare having to go home in a mood like this. I had to get away from him, if he was going to be like this I couldn't be around him; I had just asked simple questions. Fighting, even in the simplest of forms, with Zack instantly brought me back to the memories of James; I shuddered as I felt pain strike through my body, remembering all the beatings. I knocked rapidly on the door, waiting for an answer as tears portended to fall from my eyes.

"Addie, what's wrong?" he asked, opening the door wider, to engulf me in a hug.

"Just drive." I begged him.

He told me he would be right out, he just had to get his keys. I waited by his car, as patiently as I could, tapping my foot lightly, and sighing out when he came running out of his house and towards the Audi he owned, not the bands van. I limbed in the passengers seat and didn't offer any sort of explanation, but with Alex, one was never needed. For the whole car ride, neither of us spoke a word, there was complete silence: he didn't turn on the radio. Not too much longer, we had reached the cliff, the moment the car stopped I was out and sitting down on the cold, damp ground. Alex walked over to me at a slower pace, taking a seat, and staring out at the town.

"It was Zack." I said to him. Alex didn't even turn to look at me. "We got into a fight. I guess it was really stupid, I just blew up."

Alex shifted so that he was now looking at me, as if telling me I could go on, but only if I wanted to.

"I questioned him because he hasn't called me Soph in the longest time." My voice quavered. "And then I asked him if something was wrong because things were different then they were this summer. Then he lied. Saying that he was too busy with the band and homework! But I know the bands schedule and how he does his homework! Is there something wrong with me or something?"

"There is nothing wrong with you at all Addie." He said softly. I looked up at him and saw him looking out at the town again, a serious expression on his face.

"Alex are you okay?" I asked, wiping away my own tears.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I am."

"Alex, you seem more out of it and depressed than me, and I'm the one that just had a stupid fight with her boyfriend and don’t know how he's going to react later. Somethings wrong."

"Nothing, seriously." He turned back to look at me. "I'm just taking in what you're telling me."

"Do you know why he has been acting so weird?" I asked curiously.

"No." he said flatly. "But I'll talk to him if you want me to. I doubt that he's intentionally trying to do something to make you upset, Zack adores you."

"You're probably right. I'm just overreacting I guess."

"Yeah, but you have good reason to. Zack has been acting different lately."

"Do you think that something happened?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, something with his family or something?"

"No, he would have told us."

"I'm just going to have to talk to him."

Once again, we fell into a silence; until the rain started. I screeched and ran to the car that Alex was fumbling to unlock. When he finally got it, the two of us climbed in, to return back to the town. Alex asked me where he should go, his house or mine, I told him to go to his. My phone began to ring, however, it was just a text from Cheyenne, asking where I was; I replied, saying that I was with Alex, please tell my aunt and uncle. Thunder was rumbling, and I swear that I saw lightning in the distance, I trembled slightly, just enough to make Alex notice.

He took one hand off the steering wheel, to take my hand instead, as an attempt to comfort me. I smiled, he was doing a good job, it amazed me how comfortable I can be with Alex. How I am with Alex right now, almost reminds me of the early relationship that I had with James: not a good thing. Truth be told, when I first came here, I had a little crush on Alex, he was sweet, and funny, but then Zack came into the picture and he intrigued me so much more. But right now, my emotions were being messed with, I couldn't say for sure if my crush towards Alex ever stopped or if I just feel like this because he is my best friend.

When we got to Alex's the first thing we did was head up to his bedroom; his parents were in the living room. I sat down on his bed, scrunched up in the corner between two walls, hugging my knees. Alex turned to look at me, after hanging his hoodie lopsidedly on a hanger, giving me a weird look. There was another burst of thunder and I jumped, Alex laughed softly.

"Afraid of thunderstorms Addie?"

"Just a tad." I whispered. "What time is it?"

"Seven." He said mildly.

"We were at the cliff for that long?" I asked disbelievingly.

"I guess so. Let's watch a movie, 'kay?"

"Okay!"

Of course, he chose a scary movie, Scream, one movie that absolutely terrifies me. I lied down on his bed, getting ready so that I could bury my face in his pillow when I needed, but Alex moved me so he was by the wall. Somebody was killed and I yelped, burying my face deep into his pillow, not wanting to see such gruesome things. Alex just laughed and patted my shoulder, telling me it was fine.

Before the end of the movie, I must have fallen asleep because I woke up when the sun was shining, cuddled into the chest of Alex Gaskarth. I blushed and tired to sit up, but was stopped by his arm that was looped around my waist. Carefully I disentangled myself from him and sat up, to check my phone. It was nine in the morning and I had twelve missed calls; Cheyenne, Jack, aunt Michelle, Brie, Rian, Cheyenne, uncle Dan, Jack, Cheyenne, Kara, Brie, Zack. I sighed and put my phone back in my pocket.

"Alex," I said, shaking him. "We fell asleep, I have to get home."

"Oh, okay. Call me later okay?"

"I will."

Now, I had to go find out if I was grounded, and then talk to Zack. Even if there was something wrong, I would just have to trust that he will tell me what is wrong when he is ready; I can't force it out of him.