Catacomb Heart

Group force

I slowly ate my breakfast whilst watching Zak carefully from across the table, his eyes were transfixed on the magazine in front of him as he flicked through it, stopping occasionally to read an article.

"I have lived alone for many years." He spoke out loud making me stop mid chew. "So I can tell when someone is staring." He added looking directly at me.

My face flushed under his gaze causing me to turn back to the bowl of cereal. My grip tightening on the spoon as he set the magazine down properly in order to return the favour of staring. "What are you looking at?"

I gulped the sharp flakes down stifling a choke from nervousness. "N-nothing."

"Develop a stutter overnight too?" He asked amused.

"No, sir."

He exhaled.. "Back to sir again are we?"

I shrugged.

"Haven I thought we were.. well not okay, cause I said some awful things but we were on the same page?"

"We are."

"Then drop the sir business. Call me Zak, you live with me." He answered looking back at the cover of the magazine.

"Right.. About that.."

"I know, you wanna move ou-"

"Could I possibly stay a little longer?" I asked pulling an unsure face.

He tried to hide his smile but failed "Of course you can."

"Just so I can save some money up, I need to have some kind of nest egg.. Is that okay?"

"Haven.. It's fine. The room is always empty anyway. Besides, it's nice to have someone else living here.." he replied looking around his home.

"It's just until I can afford some place."

"Sure thing... Read the emails this morning?" He asked making me stop mid chew again.

I looked at the clock "It's not even 8am.. Do you ever stop?"

"Kinda.. But only for certain reasons. This company wants to do an interview with me." He spoke tapping his finger on the magazine.

I blinked "Really? That's great right?"

"I think so, my kinda thing, cars." He smiled.

"Awesome. So you want a date for them to come over?"

He pulled a guilty face "Kind of already organised it."

"Oh. Okay.."

"It's at 4pm."

"What?!" I almost shouted.

"Relax everything is taken care o-"

"Are the cars even clean? Is the drive clean? Has the gardeners been? Have you sorted out what you are wearing?" I asked making him pause. "Oh Zak!"

He laughed "Um.. Maybe, think so, no and no."

"Maybe? Thin- Oh to heck!" I cried jumping up.

"Sit and eat your breakfast-"

"No time! You will be the death of me Bagans!" I replied ditching my cereal and placing my bowl in the washer.

"Where are you going?" He called as I ran out the kitchen.

"To ring the gardeners!"