Perfect Places

The Sky

I handed Zane a few fuzzy blankets and pillows, then led him to one of the many guest bedrooms. I gave him the one with the largest windows because I knew that he liked looking up at the sky. Especially at night.

I could feel Tyler lurking somewhere in the background, but I ignored it. I wasn't going to waste my time fighting with him. It just wasn't worth it.

"Don't worry about him," I told Zane, "He's just trying to scare you."

He gave a weak smile, "Alright."

Zane looked around the room in awe, and I walked across the room to the massive window. I gently opened the window to reveal a sky full of stars. The bright crescent moon gave light down to the ground, shining onto blades of grass.

I looked to the outside world with curiosity, full of questions about it. I actually had a head full of questions, and a heart full of love.

"You alright?" He asked me.

"Oh, yeah." I snapped back into reality.

I knocked myself out of the haze I was stuck in, and looked over at Zane. He was standing there, like someone who had been waiting a lifetime for something.

"What is it?" He muttered.

Zane knew I was thinking. He knew I was lost within myself, which I was.

"Nothing." I lied.

He looked down at his hands, "You sure?"

"No." I replied almost instantly, "No I'm not."

"Tell me." Zane's nose was slowly turning red.

He was either cold, or he was getting sad.

"It's just ..." I started, "I can't remember when life was normal."

Zane sat down at the end of the bed, then slowly let himself down. He laid his head down on one of the decorative pillows.

I slowly laid down on the bed next to him, and exhaled. I needed to vent.

"Do you remember when we were kids and we didn't have any worries? We didn't have a care in the world." I stared up at the ceiling, "Remember when we would rush to the bus in the mornings, and when we would play on the playground, and we would just have fun?"

I swear I could feel hot tears forming, but I pushed them back.

"Back when we appreciated life, and didn't absolutely hate it. When no one had insecurities, and we were just ... happy." The tears were coming back again, "Nothing used to go wrong. Nothing was hard. Everything was just perfect."

"It's hard to remember, isn't it?" Zane asked.

"Yeah." I closed my eyes to try to relax.

The longer we both laid their, the longer I had to think about everything that had happened this summer.
_________________________

I left Zane's room, and had decided that I would go right to bed, and not scroll through my phone for hours into the night.

The house was dark, so it was rather difficult for me to find my way to my room. On the way, I tripped over a few things, but I was fine.

All of the sudden, someone grabbed my arm, and I was yanked backwards. I refrained myself from screaming because I had an idea of who it was. I also didn't want to wake anyone up.

I was dragged all the way down the hallway. I was pretty sure I was being yanked by Tyler. He was being very aggressive.

"What are you-" I tried to ask.

"Shut up." I was shushed.

I was then shoved into Jim's huge office. Jim was sitting behind his desk, and had a stern look on his face. Tyler sat me down in a chair that was across from the desk. He was treating me like I was a child or something.

He went and stood behind Jim, and crossed his arms. What was his problem?

I locked eyes with Jim, and immediately looked away. This was getting weird.

"Rae. We've got to talk to you." Jim stated.

I slouched down in my chair, "This is about Zane, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Jim replied, "I don't think it's best for you to be dating him."

   Wow. Straight to the point.

"Good thing it's not your decision." I answered.

Tyler gave me the side eye, "I wouldn't think that if I were you."

"Rae ... darling. There's something you don't know." Jim said.

I was getting annoyed. Where they really going to try to get involved in my love life?

"And what might that be?" I asked sarcastically.

   Jim and Tyler looked at each other, then looked back at me. I gave them both glares.

   "Well," Jim started, "Zane's dad ... isn't-"

   "He isn't what?" I interrupted.

   "He's not ..." He was struggling to find the right words.

   I had a feeling I knew what he was getting at.

   "He's not in the same social class as you?" I mocked him, "He just doesn't have enough money to satisfy you?"

    Jim stared at me, and Tyler took a step forward.

   "Don't act like you think that's okay." Tyler sputtered.

   "And don't act like it's okay to judge people based on how much money they have. That's a real scumbag move on your guys's part." I fought back.

   They both just stared at me blankly.

   I decided to keep going, "So what if he doesn't live in a mansion? So what if he doesn't have nice clothes like you guys do? So what if he doesn't have as much money as you? None of that matters. What really matters is how you handle the situation."

   Neither of them moved for a few moments. Then, Tyler opened his mouth to say something, but I wouldn't let him.

   I stood up and looked them both dead in the eyes, "Zane has gone through more in his life then both of you ever will in your entire lifetime. You guys prance around with your privileged lives and in your fancy suits, and waltz right into rooms where Zane needs to claw himself into. He has to work ten times harder to get anything that you guys get handed to you. His father has sacrificed so much for him. His father has given up almost everything to give Zane the life he has now."

   "He lost a friend tonight." The hot tears were coming back, "Did you know that?"

   The room went silent. The only sound I could hear were the light raindrops on the windows and the soft ticking of the clock.

   "And so did I." I continued, "So don't you dare sit there and tell me that we can't be together, because guess what. I love him. And he loves me."

   Neither of them had the dignity to apologize, let alone respond. Neither of them were man enough to say anything. It was the moment where I discovered how weak they were, how vulnerable they were. It was that moment where I learned how entitled they thought they were.

   It was then when I found out the type of person I would never want to become. I never wanted to be like them.

   I wasn't going to let them have any more of my time. So, I flattened my shirt and walked out of the room. I shut the doors behind me with a sigh.

   In a fraction of a second I was pulled into someone's arms, which I immediately recognized to be Zane's. He brought his lips to mine without saying a single word. He didn't need to say anything.

   "I heard everything." He said softly after backing away.

   "I'm sorry you had to-" I started to reply.

   He rested a finger below my chin, "I love you so much."