I was sitting on the sofa, a bowl of cereal on my lap, flicking through the channels. Mainly because everything else had commercials on it, I started to watch some random daytime soap series which seemed to have been scripted by a monkey and acted by attractive people dropped on their heads as a baby. It was literally so cringe worthy sometimes that I laughed out loud.
But when a semi-attractive man went to call on his third mistress within the twenty minutes I was watching, it became too ridiculous to bear. I mean c'mon, three women? And one of them was his ex-stepdaughter? That was simply sick and incestous. I skipped to the Simpsons instead, a safe option which never failed to make me laugh.
Cam's bedroom door opened and he walked out blearily. I said hi to which he barely responded. I turned back to the television, focusing on Homer's 'Dohs!'. They never failed to get old, I thought while shaking my head.
I heard the sound of whipped cream and turned around expectantly. Cam was stood behind me, scratching his head and looking toward the TV screen.
"I thought you were meant to be eating healthy for the whole modelling stitch," I said.
He groaned and looked at the can in his hand, "I know but I miss it so much, man."
"I'm not a man, woman," I responded quickly, and he started to laugh, "but I'll have some."
Cam growled in annoyance that he couldn't have it but I could. I smirked at him, but of course I laughed too soon. He pressed my jaw shut and then clutched my face in one of his hands. He then started to spray whipped cream completely and utterly over my face, leaving no inch uncovered. I let out a scream but he was far stronger than I. The little rat had even gotten it in my hair!
Cam released me, happy with his work. I wiped my face clean, trying to salvage most of the cream but most had gone in my hair. It was disgusting. After five minutes of scrubbing I felt like I had covered most of the bases, but I had a little inkling that I was forgetting a place. When I asked Cam, he simply waggled his eyebrows and disappeared into his room. Boys were utterly useless.
I turned back to the Simpsons when I heard the pad of feet on the ground. To my relief it was a shirtless Ace ( not the whole shirtless thing, although admittedly it was a huge plus he wasn't wearing a shirt) and not an evil Cam, ready for some new way to irk me.
"You missed a spot," he said and pointed to my nose.
I went basically cross-eyed attempting to find where the whipped cream had been hiding. Ace laughed and leaned over me, before kissing the cream right off my nose. I giggled, unable to stop myself, and wound my arms around his back.
"MY EYES!"
My hands dropped to the sofa and Ace jumped back, banging the backs of his legs into the coffee table in suprise. Cam was glaring at us in absolute disgust.
"Hola," I grinned.
"Since when has this been going?" Cam demanded, gesturing at Ace and I as if we had committed the worst crime of the 21th century.
"Meh, not too long," Ace shrugged and settled onto the sofa, putting an arm around my shoulders.
"And you were going to tell me when?"
"Whenever we felt like it," Ace said smugly.
Cam went back inside his room and slammed the door behind him. I rolled my eyes at Ace who laughed in return, at ease with the thought of Cam's anger. I felt kind of bad though, after all Zac and Jane knew, Tom knew (it had come into conversation at the café), and one of my best friends had been left in the dark. I couldn't really blame him for his mini-tantrum.
But then Ace did this really distracting thing with his lips and I stopped thinking about Cam.
***
I was in the shopping mall with Cam, desperatly trying to make it up to him for the whole leaving him out thing. But he was stony-faced and ignored me most of the time. God, he was frustrating. I was angrily checking out some forks (we needed some new cutlery. Zac had been helpful and bent most of our knives and spoons to try and impress Jane before he left. I'd been putting it off because who was even interested in dinnerware? Exactly, no one).
I then heard a little cough and I turned round, my eyebrows raised. It was a blast of the past... it was Nicolette and to my suprise, Nick, the guy I had gone on a date with and kissed. I hadn't heard from them in ages. Especially seeing as Nicolette had done some damage to Zacs heart. I wasn't sure how to act in front of them, and looked to Cam for help, but he was off somewhere with some fans. Ugh.
"Serena... hi," Nicolette said awkwardly.
She looked better than ever, in all honesty. Her hair was healthy and thick, in a bob cut. She wasn't wearing so much makeup and pulled off a natural look flawlessly. She had even gained a little weight which stopped her from looking so scarily skinny, and now instead she actually had a few curves to her name, although far from fat or chubby.
Nick, too, looked relaxed and happy. They were holding hands and I noticed they were both wearing wedding bands.
"No!" I yelped, "you two? But you texted Zac you were together with some Marco!"
Nicolette bit her nicely glossed pink lips and then turned to Nick for help. He cleared his throat a little hesitantly and then scratched his head. Could they stop stalling? Jeesh.
"We... we did that because you know Zac had quite a temper and he would have killed me," Nick admitted.
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. I was so glad I had never called Nick or he me in return. Are you kidding me? This was the 21th century knight in shining armour- he wouldn't even let you tell the truth to your ex boyfriend because he was afraid of the beating he would get. Nicolette saw my Obvious contempt toward them and shot forward, capturing my forearm so I wouldn't be able to leave them so soak in their own cowardly behaviour.
"Please, Serena, you don't understand. Nick and I met up after that date and something just clicked. Like with Zac, I Always knew he didn't love me like I loved him. And it broke my heart that everytime I looked at him, he was looking away. It drove me insane; having him yet not having him. I even strangled you! I was nuts!"
The three of us had to laugh at that bit. Nicolette was blushing as she was telling it, but then she looked at Nick who returned her gaze lovingly, like he thought she was adorable. And my own opinion softened a little toward them.
"But Nick doesn''t make me feel dumb for wanting to be near him and he doesn't smell of other girls perfume and he actually wants to marry him and be with me."
I was a little riled up by that. Zac was not a bad guy- I hadn't dated him, but he had been there for me when I was at my lowest point. I had been reeling from the blows that Selena and Alex had dealt me, and he had made me laugh and smile and even given me a freaking makeover. I owed him a lot. I had seen how miserable he had been after that stupid texts, and I wouldn't stand for him being painted like a villian.
"Zac is a great guy. Don't you dare stand here and try to make your own cowardly actions justifiable by making him look bad. I was there when he got that text and he felt like crap," I said heatedly.
"Stop! I know that, okay? Don't you think I felt bad? And I am not insisting that I was some angel and that Zac took advantage of me. But you don't know what it feels like when you are trying so hard to hold onto someone who doesn't even care that much. How long was he sad? A day? A week? He can't have been that upset or he wouldn't be backpacking the world with some English girl."
I sucked in a breath. Nick was chewing a piece of gum, on his Phone. I figured it was just a ruse, because I could see that this meeting was important to him as well. He kept on glancing up at us and then darting his gaze back to his Phone. He was even a little scared of me- I had to supress a small smile. Look at me now, mom!
"Look, I am not going to Judge you and tell you you're going to hell. It was a relationship which ended badly," I sighed, "but if you're trying to get my blessing, think again. Before anyone- I don't care who it is, I am on my best friends side. And that is Zac. So sure, he may have been an assbutt, but that doesn't mean you get to text someone you're getting married."
Nicolette looked down at the ground, seemingly a little ashamed. Nick glowered at me and I stuck out my tongue in return. I wasn't exactly going to lie to them and say everything was dandy because they were together. It suddenly clicked why she was confessing it all to me, in this shop with cheap knives and forks. I was a stranger to her, but with a connection to Zac.
"You have a lot to get off your chest. But all this- you don't want to say it to me. You need to say it to Zac but you're scared. I get that, I really do. But you obviously need to apologize and talk it out, because otherwise you wouldn't be saying this all to me."
I then walked out, too tired to deal with all this relationship drama. After all, I had enough for a lifetime between the 'I love you's' stuck in my throat, and an ex and a twin about to walk down the aisle.
***
Ace and I were eating dinner, since Cam had angrily gone out by himself. I was saying that it was his rebellious teenage phase and Ace was agreeing, but he seemed a little distracted. I was trying to make him laugh, all the way through the meal but he just wouldn't bite. It made me a little sad, seeing his grouchy face and his one word answers.
We even ended up doing the dishes in silence, totally silent. This was a first. It was never quiet in the Zac's house. Cam and Zac were Always bickering, I was Always dropping things and laughing too loud, Cam was continually blasting loud music from his room, Ace was Always watching the news or else he was making a dry-comment which never failed to both amuse and offend a little. Even at night, there were small noises like snoring, sleep-talking or else the little sighs which Always happen in sleep.
But there was nothing but the drip-drip-drip of the tap, and the sloshing of water. And this scared me. I looked to Ace, my eyes a little wide, and drying the last plate. He let the water drain out of the sink, and wiped his hands on a dish-rag.
"I'm in my room," he declared.
"Ace!" I called and he turned back, his arched brows raised even higher, "what is up?"
"Look I don't want to be a pansy. I am not a guy who likes talking about his feelings and-"
"You don't say," I scoffed under my breath and he shot me a glare which silenced me once again.
"But why don't you ever say I love you back?"
The silence, the monsterous thing overtook us again. I tried to say something, but my throat blocked up once more. But my legs and arms would still move, and so, mostly to stall I grabbed his hand tightly within my own and I saw a look of relief passing over his face. He thought I was going to say it back finally.
And then the door opened, and Cam walked in. I released Ace's hand immediately and bounded over to Cam, throwing my arms around him. I caught him in suprise and he was sent spiralling back into the wall. The air was knocked out of his lungs and I let out a too loud laugh while Ace detatched us from one another.
I clung to Ace instead, he looked very grumpy but the anger which had been directed at me had disappeared. I was incredibly thankful for Cam's bad timing.
"Okay, I get it," Cam started to laugh, "you want me to stop being mad. Fine, I forgive you guys for making me the last to know."
Well, that hadn't really been the reason for me throwing myself at him, but sure. Now at least I didn't have to worry about that.
"Hey, man. I am sorry, you're my friend and you have a right to know," Ace suddenly said and we both turned to him in suprise. He seemed very genuine and Cam nodded at him, forgiving him with a simple look.
"Aw, you guys!" I cooed, "group hug!"
Ace and Cam sighed in unison and then turned to stare at me, "you ruined it."
Then they both walked to the kitchen, joking about me being stupid and sappy. I kicked at a sock discarded on the ground. I so did not ruin it. They ruined it with their stupid faces. I blew a raspberry at their direction which made them laugh harder.
I had to laugh to, and then went to my room to dock an early night. But as my head hit the pillow, twenty minutes later, I still had a knot in my stomach. I needed to figure out why my throat was so blocked up. I needed to tell Ace the truth.
But I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried, my throat was blocked.