Playing Games // a Zach Herron fanfic // Finished ✨

chapter 1

"Sshhht, stupid ass you're waking everyone up" the fake-mad voice of Liv whisper-shouted after I bumped my toe against the door. She shined the blinding light of her phone straight in my eyes.
'ouch Liv, stop.. That makes it worse.'
She giggled.
The both of us were sneaking out in the dark after midnight while we actually should be asleep. It was the first night of summer camp and this was a tradition we had for years now. We'd sneak out at the first night to play truth or dare with our group of camp friends. Most of them I only saw once in the year, which was now, when it was summer camp and that made the first night even more special.

Liv and I made it to the outside of our bungalow. Sarah stood there already since she sleeps in an other building. While giggling and laughing of excitement the three of us ran to the same old spot just out of the camp terrain: a Fallin tree on an open place somewhere in the wood. It wasn't that far away from the camp, just 2 minutes walking, but the fact that we were doing something illegal made it just as exciting as the first time we did this, when you were 12 years old. Now, 5 years later, the spot didn't change. When we arrived, the boys sat there already. All with the same little-boyish smile as 5 years ago.
"Hope y'all have been waiting for us because the game isn't half as fun without me." Sarah said. I laughed and rolled my eyes.
We sat down on the ground since the boys took all the space on the Fallin tree. There were 4 of them: Simon, Josh, Zach and Collin.
"The only reason why we've been waiting for you girls is because Sarah would kill us if we started without her." Collin answered.
Sarah laughed.
Sarah: "Yeahh sure.. I' ll kill you anyways, softy. I have a whole list of questions you prefer not to answer. Now lets start already"
I giggled "I'll start"
Sarah pushed me a bit jokingly and then we started to play. It started innocent with questions like 'Do you still sleep with that Teddy bear?' And 'What was the longest you didn't shower?' And dares like 'Climb in that tree over there'
But the questions got more embarrassing and the dares harder. So told Simon in detail how he did it with his first girlfriend, did Josh licked the ground and Liv ended up on Collins lap, giving him a lapdance and making moan noises. They didn't do anything really serious but Sarah got so jealous. She and Collin have been in a relationship for a month now and even tho it was just a game, Sarah was pretty much the type to get jealous easily. When Liv got up Sarah took immediately her place on his lap, kinda claiming him.
After a while it was my turn to choose again.. the game was really on fire right now. At first I wanted to say truth again like I did the whole game until now already but then I realised how the others have been choosing dare the whole time. It was time for a risk now.
Audrey: '..dare' the word came out of my mouth really slowly and the others started to cheer right after. I looked at Liv and saw a smirk appearing on her face. This couldn't mean anything good... I already regretted my choice.
"Now look who actually decide to choose dare" Sarah grinned 'I know a good one.. what if-'
Liv cut her off "Stop.. let me pick this one"
Liv was my very best friend, not only in camp; also just through the year.. but still I was really worried about what she would do to me. That smirk on her face made my worries even worse.
"I dare you to pretend like you're Zach's girlfriend.. for this entire week." She said with the triumph of a sporter who just ran the marathon. I got the feeling that she had been waiting for me to choose dare for the whole game already.
I dropped my jaw and looked over to Zach who showed the same reaction.
"And make sure everyone except for us 7 believes you are actually a couple cause otherwise you failed.." Liv continued with the same expression.
I already wanted to resist but suddenly Simon told us to be quiet. We immediately stopped with any noise we were making and listened to the silence of the wood. Then I heard some voices coming closer.
Simon: "someone's coming.. we better run now."
I breathed out.. I apparently was holding my breath without realising it. We all stood up and started running back to the camp like freaks but still as quiet as possible. In a rush we said our goodnights and headed back to our bungalows.

As Liv and I got in I whispered to her: "really Liv.. why you had to do that to me.. and why Zach?"
She shrugged and smiled.
"Well Collin is already taken and you saw how jealous Sarah can be.. Simon, well you know I have a crush on him so I'm not gonna let you and your beautiful eyes ruin that and take him away from me. And Josh... I mean, everyone in this camp can see he is gay. Nobody would believe that. Zach was simply my only option."
"But why the hell did you have to do this to me? You know how Zach and I are so awkward together."
"Yes I know" she answered cheerful like it wasn't a big deal "but I also know how you had a crush on him on our first camp year... and you've been single for so long already. I just thought it would be fun to make everyone believe you and Zach are a couple since you two are so different."

Zach was my first love.. I hate to admit that. I was young dumb and very very naive. I even thought sometimes he liked me back. But then a year later when I was 13 I found out he and Sarah had a thing. Completely heartbroken as I was I shouted at him that I liked him. After that we hardly talked to each other without the other one's arround and only if it was necessary. My crush on him faded but so did our friendship. I got over him but every time we saw each other again I tried to not look at him, every time we talked it was so awkward. Afterwards, when I look back at it, I realise maybe it's better that it turned out like this.. if it went different I would have maybe made some embarrassing memories I wouldn't get rid of again. We are so different. I am thoughtful, quiet and shy while he's one of the most extravert persons I ever met. He enjoyed being around other people, making a lot of friends while I'd rather stay alone at home or with just a few friends. I don't know how I ever loved him.

I laid in bed staring at the ceiling. After a while I figured out that Liv already fell asleep because I heard snorting coming from her side of the room. I rolled over to my other side and thought about how I ever would pass this week. I stayed awake for another 2 hours. I was overthinking everything I remembered about the time that I had a crush on Zach, everything I said to him and everytime again I concluded that it was just me who was dumb and who ruined our friendship. Did I even want to be friends with him again? Damn why did I get in this mess.
With these thoughts on my mind I fell asleep.