walmart. | zach herron

Sixteen

Madeline was hauled up in the room, still laying on the bed while Zach was intently watching her.

"You okay?" He mumbled, concern dripping through his voice. Madeline froze, unsure of what to say. She slowly shook her head, letting tears fall onto her pale cheeks. She and Zach were similar in skin, they were both pale and had naturally rosy cheeks.

"Well," She mumbled, her eyes glossy. "Would it be okay if I said I'm not?" She chuckled darkly, her hands pressed against her stomach while she took deep breathes.

"I mean," Zach responded, laying down next to her in the bed, his arms wrapping around her petite figure. "I'm glad you told the truth instead of making up a useless lie."

"What's wrong?" He cooed, his hands gently playing with Madeline's hair, his breathing calming her down. She sighed, coughing to clear her throat.

"I -- uh," She coughed, covering her face in her hands. " I used to be anorexic."

Zach sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes closing tighlty.

"You said used to?" He repeated, furrowing his brows, squeezing her tighter. He felt her nod.

"Doesn't mean I'm not completely over it." She mumbled, reaching her hands out to play with Zach's fingers. "Anorexia isn't as easy to get rid of as they make it to be. The easy part is getting it. Getting rid of it is a whole different story."

"You don't look anorexic-"

Madeline pulled down her long sleeved shirt, exposing her thin arms. They weren't extremely thin, but they were thin enough to think that something was wrong.

"I've been taking pills." She swallowed, her focus on the carpet she saw in front of her on the floor. "They've been working quite a bit."

Zach's breath hitched in his throat, his eyes still on her arms. His hand slowly graced over them, gently rubbing her wrists. He sighed, removing his hands and placing them on her face.

"Madeline," He started, his voice raspy and calm. "I'm glad you told me. I really am. I'm going to help you get through this -- we're going to help you. The boys and I." He smiled at Madeline, using his thumb to wipe away her tears. Madeline nodded, sucking in a sharp breath.

"Thank you." She whispered, her voice slightly breaking from all the emotions that were charged into her. "It means a lot."

Zach held his breath for a couple of seconds, flicking his gaze towards Madeline's lips. He slowly looked back at her eyes, silently asking for permission. She slightly nodded, taking a deep breath. They both closed their eyes, both a little nervous. Zach grew tired of the tension and immediately leaned forward to kiss her. Her eyes slightly widened, surprised by Zach's sudden movements.

Their kiss was lomg and passionate, slowly savoring the moment. Madeline pulled away, looking away from Zach and hiding her face in her hands. She lightly laughed, shaking her head.

"Wow," She laughed, her hands still on her pink face. "That was-"

"Amazing." Zach interuppeted, leaving towards her to give her another peck. Madeline smiled at him, her eyes looking at the floor.

"You're amazing."

°°°
AHHHH THEY FINALLY DID IT!

How'd you guys like that ;)

Sorry I haven't updated, yesterday was my birthday so I was pretty busy.

-Melissa