Forever and Always ✔️

Chapter forty three - Zack/Penelope.

I've lost her. I've lost her to the point where I wanted scream at everything. She was gone and she was not coming back to me. If I could, I would write a million letters to her and send them but I couldn't seem to find the right words.

After speaking with Penelope, I bumped into Gray in the P.E boy's locker room and we were all alone. Gray flat out ignored my existence as he was drying the sweat off his face, looking blank like he felt nothing.

"Grayson," I said, slamming my locker shut and walking up to him, "how many times do I have to say that I'm sorry? I stopped sleeping with Molly, isn't that enough?"

I really wanted to make amends with him. He was my best friend and we've been through a lot together. He was good with Matt and even though he never supported me with Penelope, he didn't want me to get hurt because he saw that Penelope did that whenever she pushed me away.

I just needed things to be alright again and I knew they wouldn't change overnight but I had to try. I wouldn't give up on any one of them. I needed them in my life because without them, I wouldn't be the Zack they knew today.

He sighed heavily, putting the towel away. "No, the fact that you actually slept with my former girlfriend while I was crazy in love with her is unforgivable and you know it."

"I told you already that I stopped sleeping with her for you! I knew it would hurt you but I stopped it before things progressed even further." I almost yelled, getting frustrated. It was hard to explain myself when he wouldn't listen.

"For months, Zack! You could have stopped it when you first kissed, before things got worse but no, it went on for months and I was still seeing her when you guys were doing things behind my back!" This time, he screamed. The locker room echoed and I was hoping no teacher would come in to tell us to shut up.

"It was a huge mistake, one that I regret. Can't you see that? People make mistakes, Gray and I'm sorry that I hurt you. Every day, I regret it and Molly knows it too." I said with a huge sigh afterwards, I really needed a break from all of this tension.

"Sometimes mistakes are bigger than they seem." He said in a softer tone, making me rethink my previous statement.

I didn't expect him to say anything to me at all but he did. "Gray, what is it going to take for you to forgive me?"

He pushed past me, shoving me on the way. He stopped by the door and turned around. "A lot more than that."

He left me in the locker room alone, I sighed and realised that I had lost a lot more than I thought. I kept blaming myself but Molly was in on this too.

Yeah. But she didn't harm her best friend in the process.

*

After coming home from school, I got a text hoping it was from Penelope but it was from Flynn instead. He was hosting a party at his place this Saturday, he invited me and the rest of the school. I wondered if Gray would be there but I knew Penelope wouldn't be going.

After her drinking, I doubt she would want to mess that up. I sighed and RSVP to his party, I needed to get out more. After I closed my front door, I noticed that something was different. Something had changed.

Mom walked downstairs and noticed me looking shocked at the missing pieces that once made this house a home. "He's left," I said, "right?"

My mother touched my shoulder and nodded. "Yes, he left this morning. Took everything he owned with him."

"What about Matt?" I whispered, feeling sadness for my ten year old brother who would be missing out, "doesn't he care about him?"