All The Reason I Know [#JustWriteIt]

Reason Five

“So have you ever met Ellen again?”

I bring my gaze up and land it on Zach. We are now in his shop. I finish my work earlier and since I have more time, I go to Zach’s. Of course it is already closed but Zach usually stays there until ten before eventually goes home. I don’t know why and I never ask. Curious? Yes of course, but he may keep his own business. So here I am, sitting in his office, doing nothing.

“Yes,” I answer him.

Zach furrows his eyebrows, looking suspicious, and then he asks, “Why?”

Fact number one about Zachariah Jones, he always asks obvious things. And I guess the answer is clear and obvious enough? The answer is, of course, “Because I’m freaking embarrassed, for the love of God.”

“Chill,” is what he says. “And why is it so embarrassing?”

Now you get it? He asks every obvious question. Like, yeah, he wastes his energy and voice to say something so obvious and useless. But yet, I keep answering him, “Because she rejected me. Like don’t you think it’s really embarrassing to be rejected by your own girlfriend?”

“I’ve told you,” Zach huffs. “Ellen is a real smart woman. Why should you be surprised?”

“Because I thought she loves me.”

Zach rolls his eyes. “Carter Williams, she is in love with you and there is no doubt at it. That is why she gives you one more chance and stop whining like a little crybaby and an up. Give her good reasons and she’ll be yours.”

I just sigh, folding my arms on the table and resting my head on it. I give no answer, instead, I wait a moment or two of silence before asking, “Why did you lied to me?”

“H-huh?” Zach stutters.

“Why,” I repeat. “did you lie to me?”

“About what?” he asks, even though I know he knows what I mean.

“Don’t play dumb at me, Zach. I know you know what I mean,” pause. Then, “Why did you lie and told me you had to meet Derek?”

“Oh,” he says. Then a pause. I’m about to remind him I’m here when he says, “It was him.”

I raise my eyebrows. I open my mouth and, “But Derek said you lied?” comes out of my mouth.

Zach shrugs. He says, “I swear to God, Carter, I was with him that day,” he takes a cup of tea from his table and sips it. I look at him in disbelief, so he says to me, rather annoyed, “Believe me. He loves to lie to confuse everyone so ignore him.”

“He loves to lie to confuse everyone,” I repeat. Then continue, “Or did he hide something?”

Zach almost chokes on his drink.

He takes away the cup from his lips and looks at me as if I have caught him stealing some candy bars from a candy shop. “W-what—?”

I shrug nonchalantly as if I don’t notice his reaction. I say, “Don’t know. He might, right? Well, I’m not that close to him, so...” and a shrug again.

Zach shakes his head and puts his tea down. He turns around so his back facing me and I can’t see his expression. The back of his left hand covering his face and his head bends down. Well, I wonder what is wrong with him.

I open my mouth, about to say a thing, when he then shakes his head. “Geez,” he groans. Then he mutters, maybe hoping I won’t hear it, “That idiot...” and then he turns back to me, looking a bit messed up. He says, “That’s it. Don’t tell me you’re here just to ask that kind of dumb question.”