A Different Kind of Love

Chapter 10: Sleeping Over

Zach and I walk out to Peanut's car and Jack moves over to sit in the middle seat of the car.

"Hey, Zach is coming over to hang out, we might need to stop by his house so he can grab some stuff if that's okay." I say to Peanut while adjusting the passenger seat back up so I can sit in the car.

"Yeah that's okay, Zach where do you live?" She responds.

"On Maple Street, that's like, the road right after Jack's bus stop. I drive by and see him standing every morning." Zach says. Jack is surprised he lived so close to a trans guy he never met.

"Okay, everybody buckled?" Peanut asks. We all nod in response and she drives off.

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After Evan and Jack are dropped off at their houses Peanut pulls up to Zach's driveway. I get out of the car to let him out and he immediately walks up to his front door, unlocks it, and walks in. I tell Peanut she can drive home since Zach will most likely want his car so he can leave in the morning whenever he wants, then follow him inside.

"Hey, how come you don't just buy a parking space at the school?" I ask confused.

"I think it's easier to just have my mom drive me every morning until I have a schedule where I can leave early or show up late, the school is on her way to work so she doesn't care." He responds putting his backpack down and grabbing a duffel bag that looks like the one Lillie has in Pokémon sun. He puts clothes in it, goes into his bathroom and throws in his deodorant and cologne. Then he puts his toothbrush in a plastic baggie and in the bag it goes. Then, he grabs a teddy bear wearing a white t-shirt with red sleeves, and puts it in the bag. He gently zips it closed and turns to me and notices me grinning.

"What?" He says befuddled.

"What's the bear's name?" I respond, still grinning.

"Hey don't be mean!" He says back, "His name is Adam and he's my best friend."

"That's cute." I say following him downstairs and out to his car. We get in his car and make the drive to my house. When we get to my house my mom is just getting back from one job to make dinner, then make her way to her second job.

"Hi kids! Zach are you staying the night?" My mom asks walking in the door.

"Yes Ms. Ambler." Zach answers respectfully.

"Oh honey you can call me mom, all of Liz's friends do." My mom smiles.

"Okay...mom." Zach says while blushing.

"Dinner will be ready for six, you guys can just hang out 'til then." Mom says walking into the kitchen and grabbing a pot and a frying pan. Zach and I walk up to my room so he can put his stuff away, then we stop at the closet so he can see Jaspers, who is almost ready to be walking around the house.

"He's so tiny." Zach mumbles while watching Jaspers try to nibble his fingers.

"Yeah, me and Peanut found him in a box next to a dumpster and brought him home, we think he was just born and left there by the owners because the box was brand new." I respond, watching him play with Jaspers.

"That's so awful, how could anyone do that to a newborn kitten?" He asks rhetorically. We go downstairs and look through OnDemand for a movie and agree on But I'm a Cheerleader. When dinner is ready we all eat fast so my mom can get ready for her night shift then Zach and I decide to put on another movie and Peanut joins us. We put on Itty Bitty Titty Committee and watch in silence for a bit until my mom leaves. As soon as my mom's car leaves the driveway Zach asks the question Peanut and I are always expecting.