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

Chapter 14

My head bumped into the window I was leaning on. Apparently I fell asleep and with the bus that came to halt, the shook woke me up.
I rubbed my head on the painful place where I bumped it. Then I looked out of the window, a bit worried that we maybe might have drove past Los Angeles already while I was peacefully asleep.
But no. When I looked around I saw the familiar view of the streets of LA.
I sighed. Maybe that being home again could let me leave all these crazy stuff that happened the past week behind.
I got up and stretched. This nap in the bus was 10 times better than any night of sleep during the week of camp.
While I grabbed my handbag, I looked around to see if I could find my friends.
I couldn't. They were probably on the other side or even in another bus. Sarah and Simon got out in San Francisco and Josh in Sacramento already. Liv, Zach and I would have to leave the bus in LA and after that, Collin would be the only one of us 7 who would stay in the bus until they arrived in San Diego where he lives.
I felt bad.. because I was sitting separate from my friends I couldn't say goodbye to Josh.
But okay, if I sat with them I probably would have to deal with Zach too and I didn't want that.. not for a million dollars.
I got out of the bus and started searching for my suitcase. My back was aching after more than 12 hours of sitting in the bus and being on my phone until it died.
It was late already, about an hour after sunset. It was dark but the streetlights made us still able to search for our stuff.
I finally found my suitcase and started to look for Liv in between this madding crowd of all the other LA kids.
Liv was the only one of us 2 with a car so I needed her to drive us to our apartment.
I tried to stand on my tiptoes and stretched my neck to seek her. But instead of Liv with her glasses and her long black hair pulled behind her head in a messy braid, I bumped into Zach.
As soon as my eyes met his, I wanted to turn away and leave but he grabbed my wrist. I tried to resist but obviously he was stronger and with his hand still holding my wrist tightly, he pulled me away from the crowd.
When he stood still, he still didn't let go of me.
"What do you want, Zach?" I snarled at him. He looked back at me with a soft look in his eyes. "I want to talk.."
"Why?" I said in the same tone again. "Everything that had to be said is said."
I didn't feel bad for him. I didn't want to. He probably just came to apologize for me to give him even more attention than he already got.
He sighed. "I am sorry-"
I rolled my eyes. "You know what.. stop. I am sorry. I am sorry for ever meeting you! I am happy that this camp is over and that you can now finally disappear from my life forever."
Eventually I made myself shook my hand out of Zach's grip and walked in the direction where Liv had parked the car a week ago.
But then I changed my mind and turned my head to him again.
"I never liked you anyway.." Probably the biggest lie I've ever told but also maybe the only way to leave him behind. Convinced that he didn't broke me. But most of all convincing myself.
I turned my head away again and walked away with my suitcase rolling behind me and my bag hanging over my shoulder, Zach behind me with a blank expression on his face.
I was on the edge of crying but held it back. No tears, not here.
I made it to the car where Liv was waiting for me. She helped me with loading my stuff into the car. "Where were you during the drive? I couldn't find you."
I shrugged and slammed the tailgate close. "I was in another bus."
We stepped into the car.
"Why?" She asked me. In the weird look she gave me I could see that she was worried.
"I'll tell you when we're home.." I said, closing my eyes to hold back the tears that kept coming. I just wanted to go home now.
Liv started the car without any more questions and during the ride home it was quiet.

As soon as we put our suitcases into our room and flopped on the bed, I started telling her what actually happened. Halfway I started crying.
She pulled me into a hug while I was trying to tell the rest of my story in between the sobs.
Even when I was done she kept holding me in her arms and hugging me tight, waiting patiently for me to calm down.
When I finally did, she whispered to me: "Would you like me to order pizza?"
I smiled softly through the tears and nodded thankfully. "y-yes pleas.."
That night we ate pizza and stayed awake a little later than we were supposed to after such a long week. But since we both slept in the bus it was all fine.
She helped me with deleting Zach from my contact and unfollowed him in all the social media platforms that I had.. as if it never happened and I never knew him.
When that was done Liv and I watched movies and made popcorn for the rest of the night and talked until we both fell asleep at 5 am in the morning.