Zach and Abby

Prologue - Edited

Hello everyone and thanks for reading! Just letting you know, this book is slowly being edited seeing as how almost all the chapters have not been checked for grammar and spelling. Also I started this a long time ago and my writing is almost embarassing to look back on. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Also, if Zach and Abby had a playlist, the first song would be 'I Want You' by Saint Raymond. It's on the side.

- Jules

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Zach - Edited

"And his parents are leaving for vacation tonight, so double the alcohol!" Austin shouted in my ear, making me roll my eyes once again. He would not stop talking about some stupid kegger Mike LaClaire was throwing after graduation. I had no interest in going, but I wouldn't tell Austin that. He just kept on rambling.

Numerous people stood on stage to speak to our class and cameras clicked throughout the auditorium but no one was paying attention. I drifted in and out of sleep, tuning into what Austin was saying only a few times. For a while, his voice was tolerable, but the moment our class speaker stepped on stage, I told Austin to shut it so I could hear every word. Ignoring the confused look he gave me as to why I suddenly wanted to listen so badly, I turned my whole body to face the stage - to face her.

I wouldn't call it a crush, because I've never really talked to her, but I've always paid attention to Abby Mitchell. She was the quiet wallflower of the grade but when she smiled or laugh at something someone said in class, I admit I liked it. She was one of the nicest people you'd ever meet, how could I not like her?

However, no matter how big a dent it put in my ego, I knew for a fact she didn't like me at all. I played football, simple as that. It was well known around the campus who her brother was and how he didn't let her date around, much less someone who plays football. Michael was a great guy and teammate, but he knew what we could be like. Honestly, I think it was smart for him to keep his little sister away from guys on the team, from guys like Austin.


I repsected her brother but in my pathetic defense, I wasn't like the rest. That's what everyone says about themselves but for some reason, I'd tricked myself into thinking that would be enough for Abby. I didn't date, monitored my drinking, made sure to get the good grades. I was an unlikely jock but if a few jokes from the team about my clean record was all it took, I'd gladly suffer through it to get Abby to notice.

But like I knew all along, none of it mattered. After today, I would never see Abby again. She was headed off to some small university in Glendale, Arizona and I was going to Michigan State on a full football scholarship. This should have been the best day of my life, but in the end it wasn't all that happy like I'd imagined most of my life. All I had to keep with me were the few conversations we'd had about a question on homework or the biology project we did together sophomore year.

God, I was pathetic.

After she finished her speech that everyone knew would be amazing, we gave her a standing ovation and a slight blush covered her face. Then marathon of diplomas started at a record slow pace.

What seemed like years passed before the last kid finally walked the stage. All of a sudden like we were synchronized together, hundreds of hats flew high into the air, cheers poured us from the parents, feet started stomping. I didn't celebrate, my hat stayed on my head, I knew my family wouldn't be looking for me.

So instead, all I did was look for her. I finally saw Abby's short body in the crowd, just standing there awkwardly. She didn't look much into the hat thing either.

I really didn't have a plan, so I acted on impulse. I slowly walked up to her and when she sensed someone behind her, she spun around to meet me with wide eyes, probably confused and shocked that I was here looking at her. We stood facing one another, until once again, I did without thinking.

I wrapped my arms around her small shoulders and paused a minute to see if she would pull away or hit me because this was as far from characerstic as I'd ever gone. But she stayed and I couldn't keep my smile in check anymore when she wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed lightly. And even though it wasn't what most would expect, this was enough. Every glance we exchanged in the hallway, every borrowed pencil that I never returned to her was worth it in that moment.

I knew that was all I was going to get and it was okay. But just when she had pulled back to say something, Austin was suddenly next to me.

"Let's get out of here!" He screamed at a deafening volume, making me flinch away from him. Abby immediately tensed in my arms, for reasons I wasn't sure.

Right before I knew Austin would drag me away I bent down and kissed her on the cheek - not even a second later, my shoulder was yanked away.

As I was leaving, I glanced back at Abby, who looked more than confused but with that same small blush coloring her cheeks. And that was the last look I ever got at her.