Read The Unofficial Zack Warren Fan Club Online
Authors: J.C. Isabella
“Ouch.”
“And not because of this supposed hatred I you thought I had for you, Chloe.”
“Then what is that you have for me?”
“You’re different.”
“Well that explains a whole lot.”
“Really?”
“No.”
We stopped by his room to grab a bat, and found Kirk sniffing around. We shut him in the bathroom, since we knew the rat wasn’t in there. Once we were sure the rat wasn’t upstairs, we headed down.
“You’re different because you make me think. You say something interesting, and I end up replaying it in my head for a week, wondering what you meant.” Zack said.
“Is there anything particular I say?”
“No, just stuff I find interesting. You are the only person I know who says things like, ‘holy crap on a cracker’.”
“And you like that.”
“Yes, I told you earlier. You don’t sugar coat things. And you have a sense of humor. There are so many girls I’ve gone out with, they look horrified if a hair is out of place. They worry about what everyone else is thinking about them.”
“Ah, you must be referring to the bimbo’s like Regina.”
“Exactly, and there you go again. Who says bimbo?”
“Uh, I do. And I think about what people think about me.”
“The difference is that I never would have known if you hadn’t told me. I think about the same things, but it’s bad when you have that deer in the headlights look and you’re walking through the halls with a paranoid expression.”
“The spastic smilers, always the life of the party.” I said. “I’d hate to be there when the party ends.”
“How do you come up with that stuff?” he lit our way down to the living room.
“I have something called an overactive imagination. I’m thinking it could become an actual problem if it gets any worse.”
“Chloe, I have to say I like your imagination.”
“Aw, that’s one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me.” I giggled, “I like your confidence…since were complementing each other.”
“My confidence?”
“You are cocky, I’m sure you know that. You face everything head-on. I don’t know if I’ve ever been as brave as that.” We stood in the center of the room and waited for signs of our furry houseguest.
“I think you’re plenty brave. But I’m a guy, it’s different for us.”
“I bet.” I slipped across the room to look behind the couch, now wielding a book light mom kept in the drawer of the side table. No rat there.
“Is it cool if I’m the one squealing because I’m afraid of a little rat, and you’re the one trying to kill it?”
“Uh, that’s just our personalities.” I said, peeking into the kitchen. No rat there either. “Would you be okay if the roles were reversed?”
He dropped to his hands and knees and looked under a bookcase. “I’ve never thought about it.”
“Lets say it was some other couple…er, pair of people. The girl was killing the rat, and the guy was standing on top of the chair squealing.”
“Is the dude gay?”
“Uh, no.”
“Okay, that would be cool for them.”
I paused. “Yeah?”
“Sure, why not? Glad we cleared that up. It’s probably the strangest conversation I’ve had…maybe ever.”
“Really?” I went back to the couch and lifted pillows, wondering if the rat was trying to find a place to hide.
“Yup.”
I lifted my mom’s tie-dye blanket off the couch and a pair of beady eyes gleamed up at me. The rat jumped onto the floor. I shrieked and darted around the coffee table.
Zack went after him with the bat, chasing him toward the front of the house. I ran ahead and wrenched open the front door. The rat shot out into the rain. We slammed it shut.
“Whew,” I threw the deadbolt.
Zack propped the bat on his shoulder, and a smile filled his voice. “Quick thinking.”
“I’m just glad you didn’t squish him.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t looking forward to cleaning that up.”
We made our way back upstairs, and he gave me his flashlight, since the book light didn’t do much. He was being nice about the fact that I hated the dark.
I went to my room and changed in to a tank top and cotton pants.
I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom when Zack poked his head in. “Still up?”
“Yeah,” I shut the water off. “Why?”
“I’m too wound to sleep.”
“So you’re going to bug me?”
“Nah, just looking for something to do.”
“I’ve got a deck of cards and a jar of change.” I said, remembering his comment. “How about poker?”
“Sure, but I’m warning you. I really do suck.”
I followed him back into his room and we sat across from each other on the bed. I proceeded to kick his but. He lost all of his pennies, plus five dollars in quarters, dimes and nickels.
He threw the cards down. “Care to try Go Fish?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yep.” He wagged his eyebrows. “Lets make it interesting.”
“How?”
“Strip Go Fish.”
I shook my head. “Dream on.”
“Oh, believe me, I will. That image of you in your underwear is burned into my memory.”
I could say the same about him in boxers. But I didn’t.
After two games of Go Fish, we put away the cards. I made it halfway though the bathroom. Then the flashlight decided to die. I still had the book light. I kept it off to save battery and dove under the covers and listened to the thunder and lighting. It was loud and unsettling. My room felt too warm so I peeled off everything I was wearing, except my underwear.
I started counting Kirk’s, sheep didn’t do anything for me, when I heard the floorboards creek.
“Hey, Baker?”
“What?” I turned on the book light to see Zack standing next to my bed in his boxers. He had no shame, or self-consciousness. I held the covers tight, hoping he couldn’t see me in the dark.
“Scoot over.”
I stared at him. “Huh?”
“Just scoot.”
“What are you doing?” I had a full size bed. There was room. Zack climbed in next to me, lying down on top of the covers.
“You’re afraid of the dark and the flashlight went out.” He said, taking the book light from me and flicking it off. I grabbed it back and stuffed it under my pillow.
“Which means what to you exactly?” I asked.
“Are you going to be able to sleep?”
“Maybe.”
He snorted.
“Fine, probably not.”
“Allow me to help by keeping you company.”
I sighed. “You’re not good with the warm fuzzy stuff, are you?”
“Nope.”
“So, give it another try. I promise I wont laugh.”
He let out a breath. “I like you Chloe.”
This was repetitive progress, but progress nonetheless.
“Thank you, and what exactly do you like about me?”
He was quiet for a minute. “For starters, you’re hot.”
I smacked his arm. “Be serious.”
“I am. Have you seen your ass?”
“Zackary Andrew Warren, if you don’t cut the crap, I’m going to throw you out of my room.” I crossed my arms and stared at the ceiling as best I could in the blackness.
“I’m sorry, Chloe Ann Baker.”
I glowered at the ceiling now. “Who told you my middle name?”
“A little birdie.” He whistled. “Chloe Ann. It’s kind of pretty.”
“I’m going to sleep, good night.”
“I’m not finished.”
“Fine.”
“You seem to really go for the Hallmark stuff. I’ll mush it up a bit, okay?” He cleared his throat. “When you are happy, I am happy. Your smile makes my heart flutter. And my tummy feels warm and gooey, like melted butter.”
“That’s it, that’s all you’ve got?”
“No, there’s more.” He continued. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “Oh, Chloe, dear Chloe, I love it when you are near. My heart goes pitter patter, and it makes me feel…”
“Queer?”
“No, that’s not what I was going for.”
“Darn.” I liked this funny side of Zack.
He rested his head near mine. “I was a jerk to you because the feelings I had scared the absolute shit out of me. I won’t be surprised if I made you hate me.”
“At one point, maybe I didn’t like you. But we are friends now.” I said. “What kind of friends though?”
“Friends can have benefits.” He teased, sliding closer.
I rolled my eyes, turning to face him even though I really couldn’t see him. He couldn’t see me either. As long as we kept our hands to ourselves, he would never know I was in my underwear. “Of course they can. But I’m not going to be that kind of friend.”
“It can lead to other things.” He countered, lifting his head and pressing his lips to my forehead, my chin, and my nose. Anywhere except my mouth. It drove me crazy. I gripped the covers tighter, thinking I should tell him to leave, but not wanting to.
“Like?” I asked. Trying to move so he accidently met my lips.
“Oh, things that takes two people to do, who are together, exclusively.”
“But it wouldn’t be for pretend. Just because of someone you don’t like.”
“No, it would be for real.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Oh yeah.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “Chloe, can I kiss you?”
“Finally, yes.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, running my fingers through his hair. He kissed me like before in the pool. It was just as deep and passionate, but completely different. We both knew what the other wanted. It was mutual, this heat between us.
I kissed him with every ounce of energy I possessed. Forgetting about everything that could go wrong, I let feelings overtake me.
Zack moved closer, coming over me. The covers slipped, and our skin touched.
He froze.
“Chloe?”
I sighed, digging my nails into his shoulders when he pressed me into the mattress. “Hmm?”
“Where are your clothes? Um, more specifically, your shirt.”
“I got hot.”
“Good—I mean, that’s okay, you know, I get hot too.”
I laughed. “Hey, you get to sleep without a shirt, why shouldn’t I?”
“So this is normal for you?” he settled his full weight into me, nothing between us.
I kissed him. “Sometimes.”
“I promise I wont peek.” He pulled the covers over us. “Mind if I ask you a question?”
“No.” I said.
“How’d you get to be so afraid of the dark?”
“On Halloween, the night before Vince left mom and me for good, I fell asleep in the family room watching TV. Vince had been with me, but I couldn’t find him. So I went to bed. Halfway down the hall to my room, Vince jumps out of a closet wearing a sheet. I didn’t recognize him, tripped, fell and broke my arm.”
“What a jerk.” He grunted, fingers trailing over my hip, up my stomach. His touched tickled and soothed. “I know he’s your dad and all, but the man needs a set of balls.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s not his fault he’s stupid.” I closed my eyes, smiling, and hunkered down into the pillows.
“You’re falling asleep on me, Baker?”
“Yep, you wore me out.”
“I’m thinking that is a complement.”
“Depends on how you interpret it. Your welcome.”
“Goodnight Chloe.” He nuzzled my neck, whispering in my ear as I fell asleep.
Chapter 26
Zack
Rays of sun streamed in through the window. For a while I stared at the blinds, watching shadows dance as they drifted through the slats. A wet nose nudged my arm. I reached out to pat Kirk on his head. He didn’t seem happy with me, since he was relegated to the floor. But when I took the toy out of his mouth and chucked it, he galloped after it. I guess playing fetch was the key to his liking me again.