Zinnia And Me

Day 12

The dance was just 2 days away.
Sonya couldn't attend the dance because she was in Florida. She heard about everything and this made her hate Gary even more. Zinnia's mom called asking if everything was okay because Zinnia burst out crying yesterday in the mall.
Mom decided it would be best if I went with cousin Valerie. She lives here in a small condo with just her mother and twin brothers, Max and Aiden. Her parents divorced sometime after her 9th birthday. She's the same age as me now, just 3 months and 5 days older than me.

It's official.
Valerie will come as just my cousin, but not as my date as she already has one. His name is Kyle.
I take a walk by myself, Sonya nor Zinnia at my side. It feels lonely and cold, and not much people are out today. I would stop by Amber's and play with the twin boys, but she's not at home and the twins are busy giving their grandmother a headache.

Instead of walking through the park next to the big Christmas tree, I took a different route. A familiar route. I walked pass the ice rink, only 4 people on the rink, none that I know of, but they were all juniors from my school, Fortree High.
I watched as they all skated around the rink, causing trouble. One of the teen girls were holding on to the back of her boyfriends coat as he zipped through the rink. She was laughing and her face was as bright as a star in the sky. Her auburn hair dance gracefully in the air. She reminded me of Zinnia.

Stop thinking about her!
I couldn't stop thinking about her. The couple were bringing back flashbacks of me and Zinnia. Just me and her, and nobody else (besides Sonya).

The other two juniors which also happened to be a couple, started doing the same thing, expect the boy held onto the back of the girl's coat.
I smiled.
They were perfected for each other.
I walked away and decided to go back home, as the weather started changing quickly.

When I got home, I found Greg sitting on the couch watching Peanuts. Charlie Brown had gotten the weakest Christmas tree, and everyone decorates it for him.
"Where've you been?" Greg asked.
"Just walking around," I answered.
I sit next to Greg. He gives me some blankets and I snuggle onto the couch.

"It's could outside isn't it?" Greg says.
I nod.
"I heard it's supposed to snow Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."
I nod again.
"Aunt Monica made some hot cocoa. You want some?"
"Sure," I muttered.
Greg gets up to go get a cup of cocoa and when he comes back, he sets it down next to me.

"Thanks," I say, the cocoa forcing a smile on my face.
Greg nods and goes back to watching tv, which is really just the commercials now that the Peanuts Christmas special went off. The next thing to come on was Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer.

All of a sudden, Liam storms down the stairs.
"Take the trash out, now!" Danny's voice bellowed from upstairs.
"That's what I'm doing!" Liam yells.
Mom appears from the kitchen.
"Do not ever talk to Danny like that again," Mom scolds. "You can treat him with respect or you can leave."

Liam rolls his eyes and grabs the trash bags near the window. He looks at me.
"Aren't you supposed to be with your girlfriend?" He asked.
"Leave me alone, Liam!" I yell, and Greg chucks a pillow at him.
Danny comes downstairs and follows Liam. Liam's job was to help Danny clean out the garage, and he's been trying to get him to do it for the last 3 months.

I get up and put my coat on and meet Danny outside. He's already cleared out the old bikes we haven't got rid of. Liam's favorite lime green bike sits in the corner. It was a gift from Dad. Liam rode it everywhere. With friends, cousins, and he even told me one day I'd get to ride it. The lime green bike had wheels that could glow in the dark, and that's what Liam liked the best.
Then Danny came along and ruined it. A few months after Liam got the bike, Danny, as before, was cleaning the garage. Right before he could finish, a thunderstorm came and he made a run for it, leaving Liam's bike outside. Hale came and left little dents and the water shortage the glow. Now the bike was ruined and Liam would never forget that day.
Liam even went off on Danny because it was the last gift he received from Dad right before his death, and it meant a lot to him, as the bike was given to him the day before the car accident. Liam was so angry at Danny he made him cry, and that was also a day Danny would never forget himself.

"Thanks Zach for volunteering to help me out," Danny says.
"You're welcome," I say.
"I wanted to tell you something.
I look at Danny.
His face is full of seriousness, and then we meet eye contact.
Danny sighs.
"Look, you and Zinnia may have had that fall out, but don't let that stop you from living your life. She's gonna realize someday that Gary isn't really what she sees. I want you to go to that dance and have fun. Don't even think about her."
I nod.
"I don't want you to end up like me. I once met this girl. She was just beautiful. We had some things in common, and we fell in love. We weren't even married, and all of a sudden she dumped me, because I wasn't perfect for her. She dated a guy I didn't like, and that upset me. And now they're off married living in some fancy home."
Danny looks as if he's gonna cry.
"Please," he whispers, "Don't end up like me. I wish I would have talked to her, make things right, but I didn't. I want you to make things right. Hopefully she'll choose you over Gary. And if she doesn't, there'll be other girls out there waiting for you."

I smile.
"I'll do that my best Dad," I say. I didn't realize I called him dad, but Danny doesn't care and hugs me.
"You're an amazing son," Danny wails, and then he cries.
I hug him back.
I'll do whatever takes to get Zinnia back, even if it means punching Gary in the face.