Water Doesn't Wash Away Everything (Zack Merrick)

Chapter 7

For the two weeks that Megan had been staying with Alex everyday consisted of hanging out with Alex and at least one other person. She didn’t mind, it was fun actually. It was a big difference from what she did everyday back at home though.

Meg tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she sat down on the couch next to Alex. Jack and Zack were over also but they were in the kitchen. There was Chinese take out in the kitchen that they had just finished. Zack cracked opened his fortune cookie and pulled the slip of paper out.

“What’s it say?” Jack asked him.

“’The one you love is closer than you think’,” he read. “Huh.”

“Sorry bro but you can’t have me,” Jack said.

“I don’t think it meant you,” Zack chuckled. Jack laughed then glanced over into the living room when Megan laughed.

“Do you have a thing for Meg?” he asked bluntly. Zack starting choking on the cookie he was trying to swallow.

“What?”

“See when a guy likes a girl—“

“I think I got it!”

“So do you?” Zack shrugged and threw away his trash.

“I don’t know. I don’t know her that well.”

“Really? Because from the looks of it you guys talk all the time.” Zack shrugged again. Him and Megan had gotten kind of close since she got there. He didn’t know what to think of it though.

“She’s cool.” The whole time Zack had kept his eyes away from Jack. He played with the stray string on his shirt, took a drink, anything just to seem distracted.

“She’s cool? Dude, she’s awesome!”

“Then why don’t you ask her out?” he asked with a hint of irritation that wasn’t meant to be there. Zack wanted to bang his head on the wall. Jack chuckled and then shrugged.

“Ok,” he said starting off towards the living room. Zack snapped his head up with wide eyes to see Jack walking away.

“What? Wait, Jack!” Jack sat on the couch next to Megan. She rose a brow at his grinning face.

“Hey Megan can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Will you go on a date with me?” Meg’s eyes bulged out of her head. Alex sat up straight.

“What!?” he yelled shocked. Zack stood by the wall staring at Meg’s face waiting for her answer.

“Uh, um, I-I.” Zack looked at Jack, who was grinning, then back at Meg. “Sorry Jack, but I, I don’t like you that way.”

“Ok,” Jack shrugged and then grabbed the remote from the coffee table.

“Ok? What the heck was that Jack?”

“Dude, don’t worrying, I did it for a reason.”

“What? To get into her pants?” Meg felt the warmth rushing to her cheeks.

“Alex! I’m sitting right here!”

“No, for another reason that doesn’t deal with that. But if Megan changes her mind I’m willing to do that,” he said winking at Meg. Her cheeks got even more red and stood up quickly.

“Ok, I’m leaving the room now.” Alex and Jack laughed as she hurried down the hall into her room.

“So what was the reason you did that?” Alex asked Jack. Zack sat down in the love seat.

“Because lover boy over here won’t admit that he likes Meg.”

“You like Meg?!” Zack threw a pillow at Alex’s face.

“Dude, shut up! She can probably hear you!” he yelled in a whisper.

“I doubt it, right now she’s probably blasting her ipod trying to drone us out,” he said throwing the pillow back at Zack. “So you like her?”

“I don’t know,” he groaned throwing his head back. “Can we please stop talking about this?”

Alex and Jack looked at each other then said in unison, “No.” 

“You guys are such jerks.”

Jack gasped dramatically. “I am not!”

“Whatever,” he grumbled as he laid back and let his legs hang over the arm rest. Zack still wasn’t sure what he thought towards Meg. He liked her but he wasn’t really willing to say it. It would be so much easier if he knew what she thought of him.