(✔) 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙗𝙤𝙮 ↳ (𝔃.𝓭.𝓱)

twenty-two !

     When Everly awoke the next day, she heard loud arguing and screams coming from downstairs and panic shot through her chest. Was the whole situation with her coming to live with Zach was one big dream that was too good to be true and she was still stuck in her parents' house with the shouting and yelling?

     But when her eyes flew open, she found herself still in Zach's bedroom, on his couch. The shouting was still ringing from outside.

     "Mom, what are you even sayi—" Zach's voice cried out.

     "No, Zach! What the hell are you even saying? This girl is just a burden on our whole family! We already have y—" Myta's voice shrieked and she stopped herself before she could finish the sentence.
    
     Everly's eyes flickered towards Zach's alarm clock on the bedside table. It was only seven in the morning on a school day and this was ensuing.

     "Mom, please! How can you even say that, Everly is—" Zach argued before being cut off by his mom. Everly froze. They were talking about her. They were fighting about her. She already knew it was about her but her worst suspicions were confirmed.

     "She's a burden! She's not helping us at all, she's making things worse and—" Myta's voice was getting shriller every word she spoke.

     "Mom, she literally offered to help pay part of the rent and she's helping to clean our freaking house and you just reject all her o—" Zach was interrupted by a loud angry scream that echoed all the way up the stairs to Zach's bedroom. "Shut the hell up, Zach! Please! Just shut it!"

     Everly clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. She heard Zach mutter some things that were incoherent from where she was and then she heard his footsteps on the staircase and she leaped back into her couch and pulled the blanket up to her chin.

     A few moments later, she heard the door swing open and shut with a firm snap as Zach entered the room. He was still in his pyjamas and he collapsed on his bed, sighing. He buried his head in his hands, tugging lightly on his hair.

     Everly fake yawned and sat up, pretending to have just woken up. "Morning," She greeted. Zach's head snapped up in surprise and he shot her a quick smile. "Hey."

     "Are you okay?" She inquired in a small voice. Zach forced another smile and nodded stiffly. "Yeah. I'm okay."

     He wasn't a good actor, and Everly could obviously see that he wasn't alright. But she had a feeling that if she asked him about it now he wouldn't react very well. So she let it be. She would ask him about it later when it was the right time.

     "Hey, we should probably get ready for school if we don't wanna be late," Everly suggested, trying to swallow her guilt. She was tearing families apart. Zach snapped out of his trance. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Right. Okay." He murmured distractedly and he got up off the bed.

     Soon, both of them were fully dressed and ready. When they were finished and were heading down the staircase, Zach said he didn't want to stay and eat breakfast at home and Everly agreed wholeheartedly. She had overheard the argument earlier and she could clearly understand why he didn't want to stay.

     "So are we walking to school then?" Everly questioned as they headed down the front steps of Zach's house. He shook his head in response and he suddenly got a cheeky smile on his face. "C'mon, let me show you my ride."

     Everly perked up with excitement. His ride? Was it a car? Or even better, a motorcycle? But as Zach led her around to the side of the house she burst out laughing. Leaning against the brick wall was a hot pink bicycle with pastel yellow wheels. It hurt her eyes just looking at it. "That's your ride?"

     Zach puffed his chest out in pride. "Yes."

     Everly was doubled over with uncontrollable giggles. "Hey, it isn't that funny!" Zach whined, crossing his arms over his chest.

     "Where'd you even get that from?" Everly asked, breathless as she sat down on the little metal platform thing behind the bicycle seat, letting her feet dangle off the edge. She sat in a way so that her right shoulder was facing Zach's back.

     Zach grinned as he swung his leg over the bicycle seat and got on. "One of my aunts got it for Reese but it was too big for her to ride and Ryan didn't want it, so now it belongs to me," He said fondly, like a grandmother telling a story about her life to her grandkids.

     Everly laughed as Zach started pedaling away from his house along the empty sidewalks. She looked out at the roads they were passing by, the cars on the highway zooming along. She watched shop owners roll up the metal shutters over their stores and bakeries and the sky gradually becoming lighter as the morning sunlight shone down above them. She enjoyed the feeling of the cool early air against her face and in her hair. She closed her eyes and breathed in. She didn't get to feel like that very often, especially when she was still living in her old home.
    
    In no time, Everly and Zach arrived at the school, and the latter manoeuvred the bicycle into the back alley of the school where all the bicycles were parked.

     The two of them climbed of the bike, brushing off their slightly wrinkled clothes. "Well, I've got to go now," Everly told Zach. "I have math next and I have Ms. Jackson. She's gonna get so pissed if I'm late." She turned to leave, hitching her bag over her shoulders but not before Zach stopped her.
   
    "Hey, Everly wait!" He called out. The girl turned around, raising a confused eyebrow. "Uh, I-I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after school? Like a date?" He stuttered. "Like a friend date, I mean!" He corrected himself and felt his cheeks burning like crazy.

     Everly grinned. "Sure thing! I'll meet you at the front gates after school!" She agreed. Zach almost sagged in relief.

     "See you later!" Everly called, waving cheerily over her shoulder as she walked away.

     Once she had disappeared, Zach collapsed against the wall and leaned his head back against the bricks.

     A friend date? Was everything they were going to do, they were going to do as just friends? Zach knew the answer to that question, and it was a hard, solid yes.

     He ran his fingers through his hair. But what if he didn't want to be just friends anymore?

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forgive me for making myta a bitch in this😭 i love her in real life im doing this only for the story guysssss!

~k