The Zalissa Law

What If

"I really hope Milo is alright"
"He will be, always is."

Melissa and Zack were waiting up for Milo at his house. He had told the two that he would be late but he hadn't said how late, all he had said was to not look for him, he would be there. But it was half past midnight and they had no idea where he could be.

"Should we look for him? He might need us."
"Zack, he said not to leave the house and seriously? What could we do that his backpack couldn't?" Zack, defeated, curled up on the couch and stared at the blank tv screen.

Abruptly, Zack asked, "What do you think it would be like if we hadn't met Milo?"
"Boring. Normal." Melissa replied dryly.
Zack shuddered.
"Terrible." Zack turned towards Melissa on the couch with a horrified expression then curled back up and spoke into the pillow, muffled,
"We wouldn't know each other."
"Well, we don't have to worry about not knowing Milo or... each other because we did meet him, and the three of us have been inseparable for the past four years." Melissa reassured, adjusting herself to face her unusually distraught friend.

"I know, but those time traveler guys almost caused the destruction of all pistachios, you don't think they could... i don't know, alter anything else, right?" Zack cringed.
"You're really paranoid about this, aren't you 'boyband'" Melissa winked, sprawled out on the couch, propped up by her elbows.

"Don't call me that." Zack tried to say with a straight face but then hid a bashful smile.

"Can I ask you a question? Why does this bother you so much... the idea of it?" Melissa cocked her head to the side, curious. Of course she knew why, it is a scary thought, but she was testing the question out just to see if his response differed from her thoughts.

"I just don't want things to change... depending on what's changing." He mumbled the second part almost to where Melissa didn't catch it, but of course she caught it, she catches everything. 

Melissa propped herself back up, tucking her feet underneath her, "Zack, nothing will ever change, I promise you that." She reached over a bit and took his hand in her's. 

To Melissa's surprise, Zack's face seemed to fall after her encouraging sentiment. "Well... Not all change is too bad." Zack stated while looking down at their interlocked hands. He began to draw circles over Melissa's hand with his thumb, "Sometimes change you never expected turns out to be..." finally, glancing back up at his female best friend, "the best thing that could have happened in the situation. " 

 "What kind of change are we talking Underwood?" Melissa inquired so softly it could have been mistaken for a whisper. "The good kind." Zack replied, smirking, more confident than he felt before. The two seemed to be drifting closer and closer without either of them registering their own situation when the door slammed open revealing a Milo covered head-to-toe in syrup and chicken feathers.

"You would not believe what just happened!" Milo exclaimed with a smile.

Under his breath, an extremely perturbed Zack replied, "You would not believe what just almost happened." 

Milo, oblivious, squeezed between his two best friends and began his sappy tale of poultry.