Promises You Can't Keep

Chapter Two; Feelings

I could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. I looked around, confused as to where I was at. I glanced at the television and saw the end credits of 13 going on 30 and I realized that I was in Zac's house and I fell asleep. I looked over at Zac who was still sound asleep. He looked cute and peaceful. He snores softly and sometimes he would mutter useless words. I shook my head, standing to stretch my legs.

Mrs. Stevens came around the corner and smiled. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes if you would like to stay," she asked, hopeful. His parents loved me. Why wouldn't they?

I smiled and nodded. I was starving. She nodded her head once and went back upstairs. I turned the tv off, picking up the glass of water that looked like it had been down here for a few days. I smirked, gently tipping it over Zac's head. He didn't notice until the water was on his face and then he jumped up, throwing the blanket off of him.

"What the hell, Mer?" He running his hair, trying to get the water out.

"What's wrong? You look a little wet,"

He shook his head. "Why did you do that?"

I shrugged. "Seemed more fun than to just shake you. Your mom said dinner would be done in ten minutes,"

"Did she say what she was making?"

"No,"

"Then lets go find out," he started heading towards the stairs, motioning me to come with. I followed him to his kitchen and it smelt amazing. It smelled like cheesy potato soup which was my favorite. Mrs. Stevens smiled as she saw my expression.

"Just in time!" She poured Zac and I a bowl and I poured bacon bits all over mine. Zac looked at me in disgust.

"What? You don't like bacon?" I asked.

He shook his head. "It's not that. You just put it over your soup excessively,"

I stuck my tongue out at him. "You wouldn't know good soup if it smacked you in the head," I grabbed my bowl and went to sit at the table with Mrs. Stevens. She sat alone most nights. Her husband just recently died last year of a heart attack and she hasn't really been the same since.

Zac would usually go to his room and play video games or go to his basement with me. His mom would either be out with her girlfriends or she sat in her room crying over her husband. I don't understand why Zac never spent time with his mom. Wouldn't you want to spend time with the only parent you had before they were gone?

I know I did. Zac and I were kinda the same in that sense. Shortly after my mom dropped me off at my first day of kindergarten, her and my father got into a horrible car accident which killed my mother instantly. My dad was in critical condition but he made it out okay. He has a new wife now and he's been happy with her. I didn't necessarily care about her. She wasn't my mom and she never will be. She was cool and all but she definitely wasn't my mom.

Mrs. Stevens moved uncomfortably in the chair, not sure what to talk about with her son or her son's best friend. She never really made any attempt to bond with Zac so she doesn't know anything about his social life. She glanced over at me, begging for me to make conversation.

I swallowed my bite of potato soup and cleared my throat. "So Zac fell asleep again while watching 13 going on 30," I faked giggled. This whole thing was awkward.

"Oh did he?" She tried to force a laugh.

I nodded. "He's never liked that movie,"

"Maybe I wouldn't fall asleep if you didn't pick boring movies," he gently elbowed me, not paying any attention to his mom.

His mom cleared her throat. "So, uh... Do you have a girlfriend, Zachury?"

He just shook his head. I don't understand his problem. Why wouldn't he talk to his mother? Zac and her used to be so close until his father passed but I don't know what happened to that relationship. He hardly spoke a word to her but it might be because she completely shut him out of her life and just grieved on her own. Zac had a hard time with it so as usual, I was there for him. That was the last and only time I have ever seen him cry.

"Any girls you're interested in?" She kept trying to get words out of him.

He didn't say anything but instead he took another bite of soup.

"Or guys if you're into that type of stuff?"

He still didn't say anything. He finished his bowl off and immediately went up to his room. She just sat there, not even touching her soup. I finished mine and picked both of our bowls up, laughing nervously.

"I'm sorry about him.. He was just fine before all of this. He might be in a cranky mood bc I poured water on him," I rinsed out the bowls and placed them in the dishwasher.

"It's okay, sweetie. You don't have to explain his behavior to me. It's my fault. I shut him out and now he wants nothing to do with me," she sighed as she dumped her bowl.

I turned the water off, drying my hands with the nearby towel. "Well maybe you could reconnect with him?"

She chuckled. "I try and try and try... He just doesn't say anything or he turns his tv up. Hey Meredith, would you mind locking the front door on your way out? I am going out tonight," she grabbed her black Michael Kors purse and her keys and headed out the door.

"I guess I can,"

I headed upstairs to Zac's room, where he was blaring his tv playing Call Of Duty III. He had headphones on, talking to people online. If there was one thing I knew about Zac was that he loved playing video games and he had just about every new system you could dream of. He was a total dork and I loved that about him.

He was sitting on his full size bed, his hair all scruffy, with just a pair of Nike gray sweats on and he was content on the television. I went to go stand in front of the tv and he kept telling me to move and then he ended up getting killed.

"Meredith! Seriously?? I was on a 57 kill streak!" He flung back on his bed, groaning.

I went to sit next to him. "Why didn't you answer your mothers questions?"

"Since when did you care about what my mother and I talk about?" He sat up on his elbow, looking at me with those soft brown eyes.

I shrugged. "I don't know..."

"It doesn't matter, okay? Look, do you wanna play?" He handed me another controller. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"I guess, but you're going to lose,"

"We will see,"

We just played the night away until we both got tired. I yawned and looked at the time. It was 2:36am and I had to get home. I sat his controller down and glanced at him.

"Looks like I win," he smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. Can you drive me home?"

He nodded, pulling a shirt over his nice, lean body. I was sad about that. I wanted to keep looking at him. He grabbed the keys that were on his nightstand and held the door open for me. We headed downstairs and out to his car. It was still raining and it was freezing out. Once I got into his car I was so relieved.

We drove the whole way home just talking about whether or not he cheated on his game. I told him I let him win and he kept saying yeah alright. Once I reached my house I half expected him to kiss me before I left but all I got was a goodbye.

"See you tomorrow?" He asked.

I nodded. "See you tomorrow,"

He drove off after that.