~37~ Give Me Your Eyes
I looked down to my left hand. It was attached to Zac’s. My eyes trailed up his muscled arm and rested on his face. His defined jaw was moving as he mouthed the words to the song on the radio. Suddenly, he stopped singing and then smiled to where his dimples concaved. That’s all I needed before I snapped my head away just in time for him to look over at me.
“What?” he asked. I could already hear the sense of humor in his voice.
“Nothing,” I lied.
Why was he so…different now? It couldn’t just be his fancy clothes. It was everything. He seemed more mature and…adoring towards everything. When he said he wanted and deserved a day with me, he meant it. He held my hand or waist at any chance he got. He kissed my cheek often and even the small gesture made my heart start to flutter and the cuteness of it all.
If only he would’ve been this way with Lulu. Then I wouldn’t have hated him all these years. Wait. Lulu…
“Zac…”
“Angel…” he mimicked.
“You have to drop me off right now,” I said, shifting in position.
“Why would I do that?” he asked, frowning.
“Cuz once I step foot outside your car at school, she’s gonna hate me,” I said, starting to panic.
“Who?”
“Lulu!” I started to pull my hand out of his, but he tightened the grip. I then noticed that he pulled the car to the side of the road. Maybe he’d let me go?
“Stop,” he stated. I looked over to him and his beautiful blue and green eyes that matched the color of the clearest oceans. “It’s not about Lulu.”
“She’s my best friend,” I reminded.
“So what? Brian’s my best friend and he doesn’t have a problem with it,” he replied.
“Lulu’s different—”
“I don’t care,” he stated. “I and she are done. She has no say in anything that I do and if she’s willing to let us come in between your friendship just because of one day, then she’s not truly your best friend, Angel.”
He was right. She had given up any right of claim to him and I had said that to her face before. I remember it so because that’s when we had gotten in a fight at the mall and later that day, she had burned all memories of her and Zac. I took a deep breath and then closed my eyes. I felt a squeeze at my hand and then felt the car drive on once more.
For my sake, he didn’t hold my hand when we walked into school. Nonetheless, he had opened my car door and then walked in with me. When we were alone, walking to my locker before first period, he held my backpack and work. I took it from him to organize it in my locker as he leaned against the adjacent locker and looked at me. I had shut my locker and he immediately reached a hand up my face and pulled my bangs back behind my ear. I grabbed his arm as he just stood there, staring at me. He shut my locker and then with that same hand that rested on my neck, he pulled me into him and kissed my head. That’s when I had dropped my backpack and wrapped my arms around his torso. His arms coiled around my shoulders and he squeezed tight. My eyes were shut and then I realized that I had missed him more than I thought.
He pulled away and the warmth escaped me, but then returned when he grabbed my hand after picking up my bag.
The real challenge started when we had left that empty locker hallway for the main one.
***
Girls. Girls and punk boys congratulated Zac for his graduation and I had snuck away to go with my friends.
“Morning,” I said to Lulu and Lacy as they ate the school’s breakfast.
“Good morning,” Lacy greeted. I looked to Lulu. She said nothing as I sat down.
“Where’s Mr. Graduate?” Lulu asked.
“Inside being, well, Mr. Graduate,” I somehow joked.
“Wow. You’ve gone out for a day and he already ignores you,” Lacy laughed as if she was about to say “I told you so”.
“He’s not ignoring her,” Lulu said. “He just…didn’t notice she left.”
“That’s better,” I nodded, sarcastically and then rolled my eyes. Lulu and I shared a smile and I started to think that maybe she wouldn’t hate me being with Zac because he was starting to treat me like he had treated her. “And I’m not even going out with him.”
“Ouch,” a new voice expressed. I looked up and saw it to be…Zac. He had his backpack on that probably had tons of cards and letters from his adoring girls.
“Well you know it’s—”
“We’ve kissed, hugged, held hands; I’ve drove you to school, I’ve walked you to your locker and carried your things,” he listed for some reason. “H3ll, you’re wearing my clothes.”
So that’s why I didn’t recognize the track pants…
“So what?”
“We’re going out,” he replied.
“Yeah, right,” Lulu or maybe Lacy hissed beneath their breath. When I looked over, both of their heads snapped down.
“Come here,” Zac said, holding his hand out to me. I took it and sighed as I followed him away from the girls.
“What; your crowd died down?” I asked with a slight bit of humor.
“No…” he answered. “Your presence was the only one missing that I cared about.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Bulls—”
“Stop,” he interrupted. “Stop trying to tear me down like I’m acting.”
“You are.”
“I’m not!” he yelled.
“You are—” I bit my own tongue, knowing that I shouldn’t let my anger get the best of me. Maybe I should’ve told him that, because I wasn’t the only one getting frustrated. His beautiful eyes from earlier had changed into burning amber. I knew enough that it meant he was getting mad and when he was mad, he produced fire. I cringed at the word and then he grabbed my waist and pulled me into him.
“Don’t be afraid of me,” he whispered by my ear. The school bell rang and students started to pile out, so I started to pull away. Only, he didn’t allow me. “Angel, please.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I lied, looking him in the eyes. They were now black and slowly starting to outline in dark blue.
“Don’t lie to me,” he hissed. They softened and then changed to green. “I’m never ever gonna hurt you, Angel.”
I had to believe him. Ever since the fire, all he’s done is saved me. But the fear and existence of fire still scared me. Even in the past six months without him, all I dreamt about was flames and the possibility of Zac using his powers on me for his own sick amusement. How was it possible to believe him, but still be afraid?
And plus, he’d already hurt me enough.
“We’ll see about that,” I said, finally breaking his grasp and walking away from him to my first period. I know I owed him a “day of going out with me”, but I needed a break already.
(Brian’s POV)
“Where’s your other half?” I joked to Angel in class as she walked in seconds before the late bell. “Or is he why you’re late…?”
“Shut up,” she hissed and then took the seat right behind me. I turned to her and saw her look out of the second story window in the class room.
Something’s wrong.
“What happened?” I frowned. Zac did something.
But how would I know what that was? I didn’t have a class with him until later and it was clear that Angel wasn’t gonna tell me. But she did flash me the best fake smile she could manage.
“Why would anything be wrong?” she asked in a grin. “I have the absolutely perfect boyfriend, an absolutely perfect best friend, and an absolutely terrifically perfect family.”
I gave her a new look.
“Just tell me,” I ordered.
“No,” she said, her shining smile dropping.
“Fine; I’ll just ask Zac,” I figured, turning around in my seat.
How was it possible that Angel could be so…clueless? Or was it Zac? They were perfect for each other, but not even a day of them being “together”, and she’s already pissed off and holding grudges. I know Zac. He loves her and will treat her a million times better than he did with Lulu or anyone else for that matter. And unlike me when I dated her, he’d listen to her and find out what was wrong at the time being. Knowing Angel, that’s all she really needed in someone.
(Zac’s POV)
I love her. I love her so much that it hurts.
But she doesn’t love me—she probably barely even likes me considering that she’s afraid of me and HATES who I am because of all these powers and sh!t. But that’s not why she’s being hesitant with me.
It’s Lulu. All of this is because I treated Lulu like crap and I’m sure that that’s how she thinks this is gonna be. I mean, she already doesn’t believe that I’m serious with every time I touch her or every time I give her a compliment. I mean it. Wouldn’t you?
And the worst part of it all is that I can feel Angel. That emotion she has, I see it in her eyes and feel it run through my veins as if threatening to be my own emotion. I thought it was just because I knew her well enough, but now I know it’s because Devin was right when he said Angel was a part of me now. When she was frustrated earlier, that shifted to me, even though I know that in my right mind, I’d never ever get mad at her like that for my eyes to change as if threatening her.
Once first period was over, I met her at her door and she sighed when she saw me.
“I’m not gonna fight with you,” I promised, reaching out for her hand.
“Good,” she mumbled before accepting my hand and lacing our fingers. I took her bag from her and started walking her to her next period that was with me. Guilt ate at me the entire time.
“Can I ask you something?” I inquired.
“Shoot…”
“Is Lulu the only reason why you’re being so…” I couldn’t find the right word.
“No,” she answered anyways.
“Then what is?” I asked, frowning. She shrugged. “Sweetheart, trust me. Forget about—”
Why was I even bothering? I sighed. She was calm now and it felt as if she was going to be quiet and open to whatever I said. Maybe. But who knows? She changed her feelings about me more than anyone else I’ve ever seen. Only, when I finally screw up, that’s all the chance I have. She won’t take me back after that. That’s all Brian warned me about months back.
Only, I was going to test her. I know why she did that. She lived in the past and if someone wronged her, they’d continue to. It made me wonder why the h3ll I had so many chances, but maybe that was an affect of the Drug. Anyway, I was going to test her. Because even if I screw this up, I know for a fact that deep down in her heart, she really wants me and wouldn’t be able to resist my constant begging to her. Only, she would have no clue if I’d beg or not.
“We’re only together for a day,” I started. “You know how I feel about you and you obviously accept it, you know why? Because you like me back. You either you do or you don’t and I know that you do. Or else you wouldn’t have given me all those chances or kissed me back the way you did yesterday, or even agreed to today.”
She stayed quiet as we continued to walk down the hall as if we weren’t having this intense conversation. I stopped walking when we reached a corner that was only a short amount of feet away from our class.
“So then put whatever’s holding you back aside and just…be with me,” I ended. “Please. Just be with me.”
That’s all I wanted. That’s all I had wanted since middle school, but never realized it.
Suddenly, she reached up and kissed my cheek.
“Fine,” she said before coming back down to her balanced feet. Relief. “But only for today.”
“That’s all I asked for,” I reasoned. That annoying-ness feeling from long ago started to arrive; that jerk-side of Zac that was present when I “hated” Angel. Maybe because I needed “him” to help test her. “Who said I could deal with you for more than a day, anyways?”
Surprisingly, she chuckled once.
“That’s the Zac I know,” she commented before squeezing our hands. Wait, what? She thought that was funny?
“And…”
“And maybe I like him more than you give me credit,” she flirted. Wait. Angel just flirted with me…in public…while holding my hand. Thank God things were finally starting to go my way.
But only for a day. She was sure to hate me by tomorrow after I’m done showing her a year’s worth of love in a day only to leave her.