Wrapped

Chapter 15

Fifteen ~ Zack

        Saturday. It's my day off and my apartment is empty. Pierce hasn't given me a call since he left the studio with Nick yesterday. Maybe I should call him. Nah, I don't want to ruin his day by calling him. But, it is already 6:00 P.M.

        I felt dead in my chest since yesterday as well. Nick just, rejected me. I thought he used to like in a certain way, but I am three years older than him, and a dance instructor. I should act more mature than how I've been feeling.

        Plus, it's even wrong for me to come on, flirt, or touch Nick.  I should like people my own age and not be a pedophile or anything. But, the first few weeks, Nick seemed to like me. Maybe that's a whole dream and fantasy. It's killing me on the inside. Why do I even like Nick? He's just another dancer. There's nothing so special about him. . . .

        After I got home, I just laid in bed. I didn't feel like doing anything else. Why am I taking this so hard? Nick is just a teenage boy that is dating my brother. I should be happy about this, right? Well, I'm the complete opposite of feeling happy for my younger brother. Doesn't that make me a horrible person?

        A knock from the door echos through my house. Maybe that's Pierce and he forgot his key again. I slowly get up from my bed, out of the bedroom, and for to the front door, opening it to find Bella. Why is she here?

        "Hey, Bella, uh - um, needed something?" I ask and lean on the door frame.

        "Brandon and Logan invited me to their little get together, and I was wondering if you would want to come," Bella says and flirtatiously flips her hair over he shoulder, while blinking like she has a tick or something..

        I know Brandon and Logan. They're in the apartment above mine. They're both loud, obnoxious, brothers. What's worse, they're both twins. Making it ten times harder to live below them. I guess you could call us all friends. But, they always want to cause trouble. Like stealing their parents alcohol, trying to by drugs, smoking on their balcony all the time. Sometimes, I wonder how they get all the money  to buy the stuff they have.

        "Oh, well, I guess I could come," I sigh. "I need to get ready first, though-"

        "You look great!" Bella squeals and pulls me out of the door frame with the door closing behind me.

        How do I look great? I didn't change. My hair is messy. There's not way I look remotely good.

        Bella dragged me up most of the flight of stairs. I really don't feel like going up to Brandon and Logan's room with Bella and having a little loser party. Anything can happen with these guys.

        We got to the room and Bella knocked eagerly and kept a hold of my hand. I hope she still doesn't have feelings for me.

        Surprisingly, when I hired Bella at the studio, we were dating for a while. We didn't become exclusive because of the whole 'no dating in the work place'. So, soon - about a month - we broke up. Another reason why I broke up with her was because she was always clingy and never getting the job done. Now we're friends, but she probably doesn't realize that.

        The door opens, revealing both Brandon and Logan, already looking plastered. Logan's light grown hair is clearly messed up but a hat is trying to cover it up, not working very well. And his eyes make him look sleepy, but he's trying to stay awake. And Brandon's dark brown hair, is covering most of his face, still messed up, how can he even see?  They both grinned and leaned on each other for support.

        "Hey!" Brandon says happily. "You made it!"

        "And Zack is here, too!" Logan slurred and moved him and his brother out of the doorway. "We got our dad's stash of nice cold booze the last time we were at our parents house. It sure is delicious."