Sick Little Games (Zack Merrick)

• It's Not A Secret •

{ t w e n t y t h r e e }

I literally threw on the first pieces of clothing I could find as I woke up, already late to meet everyone at the beach. I looked like crap, that much was obvious but honestly, I don't care.

Zack still hasn't text me back, and I don't know whether I'm worried or severely annoyed at him. Part of me is saying he's fine and maybe hasn't been on his phone, but a bigger part of me is saying that he would've text me if he was fine.

I looked at my phone again and saw a message from Mariah asking me where I was and things like that but I just ignored it as I pulled my shoes. If Zack is down there and he hasn't text me on purpose I'm going to blow up at him.

What if he's not down there though?

I tried my best to block the little voice in my head as I pulled on my other shoe as fast as I could and ran out of the front door, pulling it shut behind me and walking as fast as I could to the end of the beach.

I just kept worrying as I walked further and further towards the place where everybody is usually sat, and as I got closer I saw them in a familiar circle and I scanned them for Zack.

That asshole.

There he was, taking a hit of the familiar rolled up blunt that we had last time, only this time they're doing it in the light of day. He locked eyes with me as I walked towards them and quickly stood up passing the cigarette to Alex in the process. Mariah waved me over but I ignored her (guiltily) and carried on staring down Zack.

"You're mad, I knew-" He started as soon as he got to me, only a few metres away from the rest of the group.

"Of course I'm mad you fucking asshole!" I snapped at him.

"Damn," I heard Oli say, looking at me and quickly turning away when I turned to him. I noticed everyone else do the same thing and of course Zack noticed too. I think we both got a little more shy then as we had everyone's attention. He put his hands on my shoulders and led me backwards, a little bit more away from the group.

"Jess, I am so sorry. I got home and got into a big fight with my step-dad and he took away my phone, you know I would've texted you otherwise." He explained and I thought of how his step father acted yesterday and I knew my annoyance was dying down.

I just pouted at him and his worried look soon turned into a small smile. He slowly linked his hand with mine and pulled it up until it was just lightly touching his heart and I could feel his pulse on my hand as he pressed our hands down.

"I'm alive, aren't I?" I couldn't help but smile, and his chest does feel very nice. Maybe I could forgive him...

"Okay, fine, but if this happens again I'm not going to forgive you so easily." I caved, but he kept my hand on his chest for a few more seconds, both of us just staring each other down without saying anything.

He's very toned, that's all I'm saying. I cleared my throat as best as I could without drawing his attention to me directly, feeling my mouth go dry and we locked eyes.

I felt his hand warm on top of mine and he moved my hand a tiny bit lower on his chest so I was closer to his stomach. I gulped and then he pulled away with a blush on his face.

I probably mirrored him. What just happened? Did I just slightly feel him up?

"Well, um," He motioned to the rest of the group and we both silently walked over there. I could feel the burning on my face slowly going away but I didn't dare look at him.

"Hey Justice." Vic first greeted me followed by the rest of the group. I spoke with Mariah for a while, explaining that I wasn't ignoring her on purpose but not giving her the reason and she accepted it. The blunt was still being passed along and as it got to Zack he smirked at me, making the first contact with me since...the thing, and took a long drag.

He blew it in my face and I ended up coughing slightly but still laughing. He passed it to me straight afterwards and I just decided to go along with it. I enjoyed it last time so I'm aloud to enjoy it this time.

I watched Zack as I sucked in as much smoke as I could, inhaling it but keeping it all in my mouth. I gestured for him to lean over and he hesitantly did.

I blew the smoke into his ear with one huge breath and I don't think he's ever moved away from me so fast in his life. I just laughed it off as he started to complain about it in a joking manner.

"Did you hear about that emo kid who got arrested last night?" This perked my attention immediately, and Zacks too as we both quickly looked away from each other and to Jenna, the person who spoke.

"No?" Mariah answered loudly and a few people agreed with her. I looked over at Zack again to see him glance at Vic and then me. Vic and I did the same. We all seemed to get the silent message not to say anything, as if we were communicating with our minds.

"Those losers in school, the group always with Tay," Jenna explained mostly to Mariah, but everybody's attention was on her and she seemed to know it by the way she was smiling and twisting her hair around her finger.

"Yeah." Mariah answered, being nonchalant about the whole situation whilst Zack, Vic and I were all on edge.

"The emo one with the black hair got arrested for like, being gay or something." I was lost in a movie moment as Vic and I connected eyes, my jaw dropped. I'm not stupid, I was putting the pieces together as it was but I couldn't help but jump to conclusions as I saw his panicked face staring back at Zack and I.

A few others in the group laughed, unbeknown to all the tension they just caused, and I couldn't help but keeping thinking about yesterday, the boy with the black hair sitting close to Vic and then coincidently getting arrested for 'being gay' whilst Vic was arrested for something he was embarrassed to tell us about.

A silent gasp left my lips.

Maybe Vic is keeping a bigger secret that he lets on.