I'm not sure if anyone actually likes this story that isn't someone I know. So If i don't know you and you're not some serial killer, you're generally awesome.
The song in the description; She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5
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Zack gazed at Thea, his heart beating at a rate that felt inhumanly possible. He liked being this close to her, it was close enough that he could see every little detail on her face. Like the dimple that formed only on her left cheek, or the tiny scars running up her nose. For a brief moment he wondered. Which of her parent gave her those big brown eyes and how she got those tiny scars, running along her nose.
He wanted to know everything about this mysterious girl. The girl who didn't mind crying her eyes out on a park bench with a face covered in sharpies markings. The girl who seemed to carry the weight of a thousand men on her thin shoulders.
but more than anything he wanted to know the feeling of his lips pressed against hers. A kiss that wasn't forced out of panic but passion.
Finally he gave into the temptation mixed with lust. Leaning in closer until his lips met hers, and the feeling was electric. The warmth of his lips sent tiny little currents down Thea's spine. Leaving her breathless and wanting more. She wrapped her arms around him deepening the kiss, not ever wanting to the moment to end. Zack felt himself melt under her touch. The way her lips tasted faintly like coffee, and the way her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer. Unfortunately all good things eventually have to pass and the pair pulled away. Their surroundings coming to life again.
Shaking her head with a smile, Thea looked into Zack's eyes before saying "You're an idiot".
Zack looked down at his hands, playing with a piece of thread that had unwound on his hoodie. He knew he should reply but he couldn't speak, the words seemed to get muddled up in his brain.
Smiling softy at her words "You're an idiot." he wondered what she meant, she hadn't spoken in a tone of mockery but in a more affectionate voice. "Um, should we head back now?" Zack asked, hoping like hell that Thea didn't take his words in an. 'I regret the decision and want to get as far away from you.' way because that was far from the truth.
Letting out a tiny laugh at how awkward Zack was, Thea replied "Yeah sure. Um, do you mind if I have a few minutes to myself before going"
Zack nodded "Um, I'll just go admire that tree or something, until you're ready".
"Thanks Zack, this means a lot. Oh, I'm not trying to get away from you. I just need to talk to my sister; yea I know that sounds crazy" cutting her off Zack just said "Say no more".
Getting up, he brushed the dirt from his jeans before heading over to a cluster of trees. He was far enough away that he could still see Thea but not hear her. Sitting down under a massive oak tree, Zack studied Thea from a distance. Wondering if he had made the right choice of kissing her.
Thea searched the park making sure nobody was insight. Except for Zack who was sitting with his legs crossed under a tree. To anybody else, it probably looked like Thea was selling drugs. She looked sick enough to be a drug addict and the huge coat didn't help her either. Finally taking one last look around the park. She took a huge breath before launching into a conversation. Which still didn't help with the ideal that she looked like a drug dealer.
"Hey Persie, I know you're up in the clouds somewhere." She said out loud, taking a second to work out what to say next.
"I think I told you this before, you know you're the main reason I don't believe in god. I can't understand why he would take you away so soon. Yet and I'm praying that there's a heaven where your safe and sound, wreaking havoc. Making daisy chains for all the other kids like you did down here." Taking another deep breath, blinking back tears that threaten to spill, she continued.
"I still can't believe it, you're not here. Did I ever tell you that I visited your grave a while ago? It took a lot of effort not to cross out Persephone. They should have engraved Persie instead, seeing how much you hated your full name. I think mom still visits your grave. There was one of those daisy chains she taught us to make sitting on your headstone. Do you miss her and Dad? I miss them; I haven't seen them in years.
I bet Dad's still goes on about Greek gods, lecturing the neighbors about history. And Mom still listens to his boring stories, I wonder if she still works as a mechanic? I'm sorry Persie, I know I should be looking after them but I can't, I can't go back. Athena and Thea are two different people; I'm no longer their daughter. I don't deserve to be your sister either."
Letting a few tears spill, Thea vaguely pointed at Zack. "That person you saw with me, that's Zack. I haven't known him long but he just as stubborn as you, I bet you would have liked him. Although I think you would have tried pulling his nose ring. Like you did to our cousin Tyler's friend when the visited. To be honest, you were a little demon child. Always getting grumpy, stomping down the hall. You always hated when people were unhappy and tried pulling their faces into a smile. Which would have been cute, if you didn't try ripping their faces off while doing it. It also meant you couldn't go to our uncles funeral. But, um, I miss you and I would continue talking but I think I kept Zack waiting too long".
Zack got up as he saw Thea making her way towards him. "Thee are you okay" he asked when they pair got to talking distance. Nodding, Thea took his hand to steady her body.
"Can we please go get some of my stuff, then go back to yours." she whispered, her body finally starting to catch up with how sick it was.
Zack agreed, trying to hide the blush from his face. He never knew that someone grabbing his hand could make him feel so alive and awkward. They walked back to Zack's car in silence except, for Zack humming fall out boy and the trees creaking in the wind.
Finally getting to his car, Zack tried opening the door for Thea, earning him a piercing look. "Zack I can open the door myself." she muttered stubbornly like a little kid demanding they were grown up enough to do something.
"Awh, did I hurt the poor princess's feelings." he joked, refusing to let her open the door.
"Shut up" Thea muttered, gripping his hand tighter. Raising his eyebrow, Zack had a sudden mischievous thought. Wondering how far he could push her.
"Oh, really? Make me." he smirked, normally this conversation would make him feel uncomfortable. But some part of him wanted to see how far he could push her.
"So help me Zack, I will personally shove my shoe so far up your ass" Thea threaten, giving Zack her best evil stare.
"Ooooo kinky" Zack teased, laughing as her face went red.
"Zachary Steven Merrick, the day I get rid of this sickness is the day you'll regret ever talking." she snarled, taking his baffled moment to let go of his hand and slide into the car locking the doors behind her.
Zack stood in shock, he wondered if it was a mistake messing with the devil. Walking over to the driver's door, he tried pulling the handle to only find that Thea had locked him out. Pouting he banged on the window, pulling an over dramatically sad expression.
"Thee, let me in" he begged pulling his face against the cold window. Smirking, Thea flipped him off. "Awh, did I hurt the poor princess's feelings." she mimicked, making Zack regret his words.
"Please Thea, it's cold" he asked.
"Do you apologize?" she said, playing with the tiny teddy bear sitting on his dashboard.
"Nope" Zack replied, refusing to lose the battle he had already lost.
"Then, enjoy your stay outside" Thea spoke, still grinning.
It took Zack ten minutes of deciding whether wining was worth standing in the cold for to come to a conclusion. "Okay, Thee I give up let me in, I'm sorry" he asked.
Finally happy with her success, Thea unlocked the door. Letting Zack slide into the driver's seat beside her. Once Zack was sitting in the warmth of his car did we speak up "I lied" he admitted.
Thea just laughed at his confession, he didn't know it yet but she was going to get him back. After a few minutes of driving to Thea's apartment. Zack finally gave in asking the two questions that had been tugging on his mind. "Thea, how do you know my full name" he asked, earning a small smirk from her.
"Ways" she replied not bothering to answer his stupid question.
"Okay then, if you won't answer that then. I'll ask something else." Zack grumbled, staring at the traffic light that refused to go green.
"Shoot" she said not paying much attention.
"What's your sister's name?" Zack asked, making Thea tense up a little
"Persephone, my dad had some weird fascination with Greek mythology. So he named her that but she hated it and so do I. Everyone except for my dad called her Persie, it was just easier. Not to mention she hated Persephone." She replied, still playing with the tiny blue teddy bear.
"How come you weren't named after a goddess then?" he asked, before swearing and slamming on the breaks, as a car pulled out in front of them.
"Zack you're an idiot, Thea isn't my real name my full name is Athena. I just ended on bad terms with my parents so I don't go by that anymore". Nodding Zack decided it wouldn't be best to pry.
***
Alex drove in silence, occasionally cracking a joke or talking about some trivial matter.
"Are we there yet." Jack asked, leaning his face against the window. The vibrations hurt but he couldn't care less. Ignoring the pain he watched the landscape change, losing himself in thought.
"I have no idea." Alex replied sighing. They had wanted to go to the supermarket before heading back to his house. Alex must of taken the wrong turn because the supermarket was nowhere in sight. They had already been to another supermarket. That unfortunately didn't have then ingredients Alex wanted or the candy Jack was craving.
They had also been the mall, standing painstaking long in a queue to buy the burritos the pair had been craving. But there was something ticking the pair off. The fact the familiar supermarket was nowhere in sight just topped it off. It seemed like a haunting reminder. That something as stupid as a supermarket could easily become a part of your life. Then one day it's just gone.
The air between them was thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. But it was the silence that was the worst part. The kind of silence that sits at the pit of your stomach, slowly destroying you from the inside out. leaving only an uncanny and bitter feeling.
The two didn't know why the mood had become so sour; they were laughing and smiling before. When they were at Zack's place but the mood had taken a dramatic turn for the worse since then.
Alex looked over at his best friend. he knew something was upsetting Jack; it scared him that Jack wasn't his normal happy self. "Oh God, what if it's my fault, I'm the thing upsetting Jack, and he hates me. Is it because I'm not talking? Shit, I should talk to him but what if I'm annoying him" Alex began panicking, his hands shaking as he gripped the steering wheel.
"ALEX." Jack screamed leaning over and grabbing the steering wheel. As they pulled out in front of a car similar to Zack's. Alex all the sudden couldn't breathe, his hands shook violently. It felt like he wasn't in control of his body, his vision going black at the edges, he lost control of the wheel.
It was pure luck that Jack's reflexes had kicked in. Grabbing the steering wheel before they crashed. Somehow managing to pull the car over, Jack tried calming his friend down.
"Lex, you're alright, just take slow breathes in and out. Fuck I'm bad at this, but breathe in and out, like you're at one of those pregnancy classes." Jack softly commanded, not caring that they had parked over a yellow line. Focusing on Jack's words, Alex tried regulated his breathing, blocking out any negative thoughts. It took about six minutes of Jack, calming down Alex for his breathing to steady.
"Right, Lex you take it easy. I'll drive and try not to kill us." Jack informed, carefully helping his friend into the backseat. Not listening to his talk about being fine to drive.
When Alex was in the backseat. Jack pulled back onto the road, praying that he wouldn't hit the curb or have to parallel park. Alex sat in the back feeling awful that he made Jack worry. He couldn't help the wave of panic that had hit him while driving. Still it made him feel terrible that he wasn't a capable enough human to drive to the supermarket. Jack drove incredibly careful. He hated driving, but he knew that having to drive was better than Alex almost crashing. Someone must have heard his prays. Because the drive to Alex's house was smoother than Jack had ever remembered.
Rian pulled a grey sweatshirt on as he waited anxiously for Alex's car to pull up into the driveway. He wasn't sure how to react to what his girlfriend had told him. He hoped that Alex and Jack had some more wisdom on the matter.
He had known that Thea's face was incredibly familiar and now all the pieces were falling into place. He couldn't help but feel a sickness forming at the pit of his stomach. There was a wave of relief and adrenaline washing over him. The moment he heard the familiar screech of tires and loud buzz of a car engine pull into the drive.