the photographer. [zdh]

sixteen

"what the hell!" roared corbyn. he grabbed jay and pulled him away from me. "what are you doing here?"

zach had ran up and hugged me tightly. "you okay?"

i nodded, looking at jay. he met my eyes and glared at me with fierce hatred.

"i don't care if i go to jail," jay muttered. "hells, i want to go to jail. it'll get me away from ethan's father, who's more terrifying than ethan himself."

there was silence for a long moment, until we heard police sirens and tyler running down the stairs.

"fans are arriving soon, and what are the police-" tyler stopped midsentence when he saw jay. "what's he doing here?"

jay rolled his eyes as he spoke directly to tyler. "just let me get in the cop car already."

tyler nodded, looking annoyed. "gladly. c'mon, corbyn! zach! and leah, are you okay?"

i nodded as zach and i moved towards the door. but corbyn, however, was looking at jay with an angry expression on his face.

"tell us anything. everything. something that might be able to bring ethan's dad to jail."

jay rolled his eyes. "the man's smart, it won't be easy. he sends me instructions in code through an anonymous forum. but in my jacket pocket, there's pictures - screenshots - from all the messages he's ever sent me. if you guys or the police can figure that out," he smiles. "you're good."

zach walks over and grabs the thumbdrive from jay's jacket pocket before marching off, pulling me along with him.

"oh, and leah?" jay called after me. i turned back.

"your real family might be closer than you think."

i frowned, deep in thought, as corbyn and tyler brought him to the police officers.

**

i waited backstage for the boys this time. it was safer with the crew, and jay had really freaked me out. as the boys trooped offstage after the show, zach smiled as he pulled me into a hug. i yelped and swatted him away as he walked off laughing.

as jonah walked past me, he grabbed my arm and looked at me with a worried look in his eyes. "leah, are you okay? corbyn told us."

i smiled weakly. "i will be."

he nodded and released his grip on my arm as we joined the rest in packing up.

**

"i'm excited," zach said.

it was almost midnight, and we were walking along the streets of new york, just the two of us. all of us hadn't slept, and all the boys had voted for zach and i to go out and buy them milkshakes. it was obvious that they wanted us to spend time alone together.

"for?" i asked.

"our date, silly." he tried to grab my hand but i swatted him away.

"during the date, herron."

he groaned.

"why? can't i just hold your hand now? there's no fans here, and i can't possibly wait so long. it's three days!"

i smiled as i pushed the door to mcdonald's open and we stepped up to the counter to order the drinks.

"i'd like to have four chocolate shakes and three vanilla shakes, please," i said as i pulled my wallet out from my pocket.

"and a large fries," zach added, as he pulled his wallet out too.

my eyes widened as i looked at him playfully. "fries at this hour, you'll be fat."

"oh shut up. and i'm paying." he said, as he pushed my hand away. i rolled my eyes.

as we stood around waiting for our shakes to be done, i glanced at him to see him looking at me with a worried expression on his face.

"zach?" i asked. "what is it?"

he smiled sadly and wrapped his arm around me. "you're my best friend, and i love you, and i would do anything for you."

i smiled, touched. "thank you. and you know i'd do anything for you too. uh, as long as it's legal."

"yeah, and this date..." he sighed as he ran his free hand through his hair. "if it doesn't work out, if we're not meant to be a couple..."

"yes?" i asked.

"promise me...promise me it'll never get awkward between us. promise me that we'll always be best friends."

"zach-" "please."

i sighed as i leaned against him. "of course." "good."

we picked up our shakes and walked back towards the bus. this time, i allowed him to hold my hand.

**

that night, i couldn't sleep. i tossed and turned in my bunk for a long time before i decided to text zach.

lels: hey, awake?

he texted back at once.

zek: yea what's up

lels: did you hear what jay said earlier

there was a short pause before he replied.

zek: uh yea

lels: my real family is closer than i thought?? what the heck does that even mean?? and the thumbdrive??

zek: idk, maybe he was just messing with you for the family one? anyway you'll be 18 soon and can do the dna testing

zek: and i tried to open the thumbdrive while you were bathing

lels: ooh and??

zek: it's encrypted & will take a while to decrypt. last i checked it was at 1%

lels: by tomorrow?

zek: uh no. 1% was after an hour. jay got some srs skillz

lels: ohkay then. maybe we shld get some snooze. g'night

zek: g'night

**

zach waited until he heard no sounds from leah's bunk other than her steady breathing before he fell asleep.

✎

a/n eh we're sorry for not posting for so long!! serious mental block but hey date chapter's coming soon :)