Second Heartbeat

(Un)Happy Reunions

It turns out that Zack is the ideal houseguest. He makes his bed in the morning (in fact, it looked like he hadn't even touched his bed!), he helps out with the chores, and he even makes breakfast for you and your brother. You were still wary of the man and his indefinable perfection, but it was hard to distrust him. After breakfast he requested a tour of your town, and you found yourself more than happy to oblige. 

Who could say no to such an eager face?

"This place is really old, isn't it?" Zack asks as the two of you pass the church.

The church is relatively small, white building, with a white picket fence surrounding it. Red flowers are blooming all around, in the middle of a lush green field.

"One of the oldest towns in America," you agree with a nod.

"Such towns come with a lot of... history, right?" he presses with a raise of his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh... You know. I'm sure Virginia isn't that much different than Texas. All of our old cities have a lot of tales of monsters and creatures of the night."

You glance up at him, a bewildered expression on your face. He laughs slightly, shaking his head.

"Okay, I guess not," he chuckles.

"No... No, there are lots of stories. I just don't know how you've heard of them," you point out.

He merely looks down at you with a smirk, not divulging whatever is running through his mind. Luckily for him, someone calling out your name serves as the perfect distraction. You turn around, smiling when you spot your best and oldest friend jogging towards you. The hat resting atop his blond head almost falls off as he comes to a stop in front of you, his eyes narrowed at a frowning Zack.

"Good morning, Ven," you greet with a smile.

He and Zack turn to you.

"Ven?" Zack repeats, glancing between you and the confused blond.

"Yeah, that's my name," Ven laughs. "And... who are you?"

"This is Zack. He's... new to town," you introduce. Truthfully, you had no idea how long he was planning on staying. But he doesn't correct you. "Zack, this is Ven. My... friend."

Zack looks completely perplexed, but the smile is soon on his face as he nods at the blond.

"Sorry, you just look like this guy I know..." Zack mutters, shaking his head a little. "I'll, uh... leave you guys to it. See you back at home?"

"Do you know how to get back?" you ask as Zack starts to walk away.