Zach Prentiss

I climb inside without making a sound… I think. I don’t have an alarm set, since it’s Saturday. I check  my clock, it’s 9:37. I’m usually up around 10. Perfect, my mom hasn’t checked my room. My pillows and blankets are still in the exact order I had them in, so nobody touched them. I move them, some go back into a closet so I leave them on my floor, and decide to put them away later. The others are from bed so I put them on it. It’s about 9:45 when I’m done. I decide that’s good enough and walk out of my room. I walk past the bathroom, then in front of Claire’s door. Her door quickly opens, I see her hand grab my arm, and I am thrown into her room. “Jesus Christ, what was that for.” I say, as I stand up. “You didn’t come home last night.” She says sitting on her bed. “Yeah, why do you care.” “Cause if you go missing, Moms going to go all psycho and get the FBI involved in your search or something like that.” “Relax, I’m fine.” I say, trying to walk towards her door. “No so fast.” I roll my eyes, “What now?” “Where were you last night. Besides that party,” “After the party, me and Harry went back to his house to watch a movie, then I planned to leave but then I fell  asleep, can I go now?” “No. Why was Harry dropping you off, what happened to your Jeep?” Im thinking about making a run for it, if she asks anymore questions. “It’s at Harry, my battery is dead, I’m going to walk over there and jump start it later today. Wait how did you know Harry dropped me off?” “I watched you get dropped off, I though it was you, when I heard the car door shut.” “Wait did Mom hear.” “Relax, she got called into work at about 6 this morning. She’s not here.” “Oh thank God. Now may I please leave.” “Fine, dipshit…. I KNOW YOU LIKE HIM,” she yells the last part when I shut her door. “STOP DENYING IT” she yells even louder, as I reach the kitchen. “SHUT UP.” I yell back up at her. If she could have seen my face, she would have laughed. It was bright red, and I could feel the heat radiating off it. Why does she have to be so right all the time. Yes, I am denying my feelings for Harry, because there is no chance ever, he will like me as more than a friend. I have tried to stop feeling so nervous around him, or happy when he asks me to work on a project, or when he comes over to help study, but it’s just so hard. That’s why I bury my feeling, it’s easier that way. I grab a box of cereal from the top of the fridge and then grab the milk from inside. I pour the cereal and milk into the bowl I set on the counter. I grab the bowl, and carry it carefully up the stairs, back to my room. I set it on my desk and grab my phone. There are two new text messages from Hunter:

DRIVE TO MY HOUSE ASAP

I NEED HELP

I text him back, I’ll be there as quick as I can, then realize I don’t have a car. “CLAIRE.” I yell, then taking a bite of cereal. “WHAT,” she yells back from her room down the hall. “CAN YOU DRIVE ME TO HUNTERS, UNLESS YOU TRUST ME ENOUGH TO DRIVE YOUR CAR,” “I WILL DRIVE YOU THERE, UNDER ONE CONDITIONS,” “WHAT?” I shovel the rest of my cereal into my mouth and take my bowl down stairs. “YOU CONFESS YOUR FEELINGS FOR HARRY, IN WORDS.,”She yells, as she walks down the stairs. “You are literally the worst sister,” I say, glaring at her. “That’s not a confession,”she says smirks, standing next to the keys on the key rack “I’m going to kill you,” “Not a confession.” She says grabbing the keys and moving towards the door that leads into the garage. “Fine, this is the one and only time you will hear me say this, I like Harry, as more than friends. But, he likes me just as friends, so I’m just going to keep denying the feelings to you, and myself. Happy?” “Very,” She says, opening the door and heading into the garage. We arrive at Hunter’s House about 15 minutes later. “I will pick you up around 12:00, don’t make me wait for you, you will walk home.” It’s true, I’ve walked home on many occasions. “Yeah Yeah, I know,” she smirks and drives off. I ring the doorbell and Hunter answers almost immediately. “Upstairs, help, now.” He drags me up to his room. “What the hell is going on?” He sits me on his bed and stands in front of me. “I want to ask Ester to that stupid school dance.” He sighs. “Ha, I knew you liked her. Wait, don’t you have a girlfriend?” “I did have a girlfriend, yesterday I broke up with her. I really like Ester, it’s driving me bloody insane,” “Well, I’m not exactly one to give relationship advice, but I would say just go for it. Plus, I think she likes you back.” I say, just as my phone rings, “One second, just think about.” I answer the phone, it’s Ester. “Zach, get your ass over to my house right now.” She yells “Why,” I ask putting the phone a few inches away from my ear “I need help, RIGHT NOW.” “Hey man, I have to go early, sorry. I seriously think you should ask her, good luck.” “Bloody hell,” he mumbles under his breath, nodding and waving at me. I exit his room and then realize I don’t have a car, once again. I run back upstairs and open Hunters door again, “Can I borrow your bike?” “Sure, mate.” He says, and I can tell he is internally freaking out. “Thanks,” I head down to there garage, and take his black bike. Ester lives just down the street and to the right, so I get there in about 5 minutes, pedaling as fast as I can. I ring the door bell and Esters mom answers the door, “Hey, Mrs. Clemson.” “Hey, Zach. Esters just down the hall, in her room.” “Thank you,” I walk into her room, and she’s pacing. “What’s up?” She pauses and looks up, “I want to ask Hunter to that’s retarded school dance.” What a coincidence, I decide to take the same approach I did on Hunter. “What about Peter?” “Oh, he’s been out of my life since Tuesday. I’ve liked Hunter since the 7th grade, but I though it would mess up our friendship, so I never said anything.” She says, sheepishly “Well, if you really like him, I say you ask him. And if I’m being honest, I think he really likes you too. More than you know,” “You know, Zach. Your right, I will ask him tomorrow in first period.” “Good for you and good luck.” I turn toward the door, “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” “Zach wait, are you going to the dance. You know if me and Hunter go together, you can still hang out with us., I’ll even invite Harry..He gave me his number a few weeks ago. He’s so nice, I’m so glad you and him are friends” I smile, “Yeah, me too. Also, I’m not really a dance person, but if you two go, I bet you’ll have fun. Maybe you’ll even see Harry there.” “Oh okay, well I’ll text you how it goes tomorrow.” She says, beaming. “Okay. Good luck again. See ya,” I say with a quick wave. “Wait, why did you ride Hunters bike here. I saw you threw the window,” I stop again a the door. “My cars at Harry’s, Claire dropped me off at Hunters, then you texted me to come here, so I took Hunters bike.” “Why is your car at Harry’s?” I take a seat in the bed, I am going to tell the whole story all over again. “Me and Harry went to Jackson’s party, just to check it out. Then we went back to his house and watched a Movie. I fell asleep and accidentally spent the night, then woke up and my car battery was dead. So Harry gave me a ride home, and now I will be using a bike, my legs, and my sister for transportation, until I can get over to Harry’s and jumpstart my car.”  “You spend the night at Harry’s,” She says in a sing song voice. “That’s all you took out of the story, your almost as worse as Claire,” I say sarcastically. “It’s not like that we are just friend,” I say, she skilled and nods, and I know she isn’t believing me. “I swear, now I really need to get back, to Hunters and give his bike back. It’s almost 12.” “Okay okay, Bye” “Bye,” I say and start heading back down the hallway, towards Hunters bike. I hop on and ride back to his house. I get there, and it’s 11:58. Perfect. I open his garage, cause I know every password in and out of his house. And put his bike away. Claire’s car pulls up and I hop in. “Did you solve World Hunger yet? How about Climate Change?” “Something very close to that,” I say, rolling my eyes as she starts the route back home.