Smile | ✓

2| SMILE

"Hurry up Zach! Otherwise I'm going to drag you over here and personally push you on this ride!" Audrey said forcefully.

"Why are we at a fair again?" Zach questioned Audrey.

"Because you love fairs!"

"Um, how'd you know?" Zach questioned her.

"First of all, everyone loves fairs. Secondly, I saw you once at the fair with your little sister. It was adorable!" Audrey squealed.

Zach almost chuckled. But before he did, he stopped himself. 'What will she do next?'

"Okay, so, next stop, cotton candy!" Audrey yelled.

Zach was deep in thought. 'I think I might like her...she's different. She's not like other girls who want me in bed - she wants to make me smile. Wait. No. I can't like her. I can't like anyone. I can't. I can't smile. I don't have a reason to. Especially after what happened.'

"Hey! Z! By the way, that's your new nickname because Zach takes so much effort to say. Oh! And what flavour cotton candy do you want? Pink or blue? I'm just asking you colours because I actually don't know the flavours of cotton candy!" Audrey yelled.

He laughed in his mind. Not out loud. He stopped himself before he could actually laugh. He's never had to have done that before.

"Um...blue? Because it's my favourite colour?" Zach said.

"Yes! Now I have more information on you!" Audrey fist pumped the air.

"That's great?"

"Come on! Cheer up! Turn that frown upside down!"

She was greeted by silence.

But after a while, he spoke up. Softly, and shyly.

"I-I can't. I can't smile," he said finally.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Well...why not?"

"I don't have a reason to. Come on, let's just go to the Ferris wheel," he replied, hesitantly.

She didn't want to push him to tell her, so she just let it go. "Okay. Let's go then."

"If I want to make him smile, I gotta do whatever it takes." she thought.

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"So, why are we here again?" asked Zach curiously.

"Because everyone loves Ferris wheels. Wait. You're not everyone. You don't smile. Everyone smiles! Oh shoot! You probably hate me right now! Actually, you could be part of everyone... I know you like fairs, and everyone likes fairs... I'm so stupid! Of course you would say you like fairs so you wouldn't hurt my feelings! Wait. But that's adorable! Aw, you're so kind and caring! But why aren't you like that at school? Sorry, that's probably private information. So, let's get off this thing. You probably hate Ferris wheels though. I do too! Wow! We're so similar! Actually maybe not. I think I like the view up here. It's pretty here, don't you think? But als- sorry. That was a really long rant. I'll stop talking now," she smiled sheepishly.

"Thank you. Thank you for caring so much about me, even when you barely know who I am. Thank you so much for being so kind and caring, and wanting to get me to smile. I have admired you from afar, and I always watched you smile at other people, or forgive them easily. That's why I've secretly liked you since. But I never talked to you. Because I couldn't. I knew you would somehow make me smile. That's why I couldn't talk to you. I was scared that I would fall in love with you. And I can't. I can never be happy again," Zach thought.

"Hello? Earth to Z? Haha that sounds like you're a zombie. Get it? Zombies, Z? No? That's okay. But that could be a great movie title, don't you think? Earth to Z. It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't i- oops. Sorry, I'm ranting again. So, what's on your mind Z?" Audrey asked.

"U-um n-nothing," he stuttered.

"Oh, okay then! I guess it's time to go now...unless you want to stay longer?" she asked, with a small smile.

"Um, no it's okay. Thanks for today Aud. And that's your nickname because Audrey is to long to say," he said, with one of his fake smiles. Although he had actually tried to smile a genuine smile, he couldn't.

Audrey caught that, but she knew it was fake, so she just shrugged it off like she didn't see that. It hurt a little to see that. After all she tried to make him smile.

"Okay then. I'll see you later Zach," Audrey replied, with a little bit of hurt in her voice.

"Sh*t! What did I do? Why can't I just smile like normal people? I wanted to try to smile for her, after all she did, but I don't know how to. And I ended up hurting the one girl that I think I like. Damn you Zach." Zach thought angrily.

He just watched her walk away from him, her back facing him.

"Bye Aud," he said softly, only loud enough so he could hear himself.

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