Forbidden Territories

Chapter 9: A Liar

I couldn't stomach the disappointment written all over Zach's face, regardless of how hard he was trying to hide it. I wanted to say that Tyler had the worst timing but I knew I had no one to blame but myself. I found myself in such an odd situation and I never wanted to be that girl. I never wanted to make someone feel like I'm leading them on but mine and Zach's ... friendship was hard to describe and explain. Much harder when I didn't even fully understand what I wanted from him. He was kind and sweet as always. But the smile didn't reach his eyes when he said goodbye that morning. I have been unfair to him and it just kept piling up. Fuck. 

I leaned my back against the front door and ran my hand down my face, trying my best to pull myself together and make at least some sense out of my scattered thoughts. I still hadn't replied to Tyler and I wasn't sure if I would at all. It was the right thing to do, no? To clear the air? 

Dragging my feet across the hardwood floor, I plopped down on the couch and tugged my knees up to my chest. Resting my chin atop them, my green hues resting on my phone screen. My thumb hovered above the keyboard, trying to come up with a good explanation as to why I couldn't see him again without giving too much away. What was there to even give away? Zach and I had nothing between us. We were friends. Maybe we slept in the same bed last night but it didn't mean anything. Right? 

With an exaggerated sigh passing my lips, I tossed the phone aside and dug my fingers into my blonde mane. Frustration didn't even begin to cover it. 

***

With a pizza slice right in front of my mouth, I entered the classroom. The Blue Prints Gallery was a well-organized establishment it seemed and so were the people inside. Mr. McDonnell was already waiting for me by his desk and five elderly women sitting in, what I assumed, their regular spots. The man offered me a smile and I beamed back at him as I hung up my jacket and approached him. 

"Good afternoon, Via," he said in his low voice and tapped the cap of his pen against the blank canvas on top of his desk. 

"Hi," I replied, almost timidly as I looked at the ladies stopping their chatter to look at me. I waved at them with a soft smile upon my rosy brims. 

"Oh, she's cute!" one of the ladies with a lavender scarf exclaimed. "Marge, is your grandson still single? Look at her." 

The woman, whom I assumed was Marge rolled her eyes at her friend and scoffed. "He wouldn't see a good thing if it smacked him in the face. I keep telling Jason, you need to find yourself a wife. You're not gonna look like that forever. Then he says he's married to his job. His job is not going to give me no great-grandchildren."

I chuckled to myself as the group laughed and continued the chatting before I returned to Mr. McDonnell. "They're adorable." 

He snickered. "Just wait until they start complaining over their husbands. 50 years of marriage does things to you. Or so I've heard." 

Although that wasn't his goal, the thought of what it would be like finding that person you literally wanted to spend the rest of your life with. For some reason, my mind went straight to Zach. In my head, I could vividly imagine his wide, dimpled smile, his face covered with spaghetti sauce because he still hasn't fully figured out how to properly eat them without getting dirty. The picture wasn't perfect without that innocent look in his eyes that contradicted his large, tattooed frame. His entire personality didn't truly match the rough exterior. 

"Via?" I heard a distant voice call my name. "Earth to Via!" 

My head snapped back and I blinked. "What?" 

Looking over at Mr. McDonnell, he looked extremely amused. It wasn't until then that I realized that I've been blankly staring at the wall for a good minute and a half with a stupid grin on my face. How embarrassing.