Stockholm Syndrome: A Why Don't We story

Chapter 4:

Before I knew it, my alarm went off signaling that it was time to get up. I groaned and turned off my alarm. I tried to get out of bed, but something was holding me back. Zach. "Zach, wake up." He didn't budge. "Zach." Still nothing. "ZACH!" I scream. This time he wakes up. "Let go please."

"What if I don't want to?" He challenges. I hear the smirk in his voice. I decide to play back.

"Then I won't hang out with you anymore." I reply trying to hold in my laughter.

"Well... then I might have to tickle you." He says.

"Oh no! I'm so scared!" I reply sarcastically. Never did it actually occur to me that Zach would start tickling me. "Zach! St-stop! Please!" I say while laughing. He doesn't stop. "Zach! P-please stop!" He finally stopped, but now he is straddling me. "We need to get ready for school." I conclude pushing him off of me. We're like those best friends who act like a couple, but really isn't one.

I get up, with my extra backpack in hand, and head towards his bathroom. I get dressed and do my makeup, just mascara and eyeliner. I put on my glasses, pull my wavy hair into a bun, and walk out to go downstairs. Nobody picks on me, or really talks to me unless it's for a project. They know I won't take their bullshit. If someone were to bully me, I would probably beat the living daylights out of them.

"Good morning, Myta." I yawn, sitting down at the barstool.

"Oh, morning Madison. I didn't know you were here. Would you like some breakfast?" She asks.

"Yes, please." I reply. The thing about the Herron family is they look perfect, but they aren't. Well, yeah, their family is functional, but Josh and Myta don't really pay attention to Zach, hence the fact Myta didn't know I was here. Yeah, he is a teenager, so he doesn't really need it, but it's not just lately. It started eight years ago, when the twins were born. I am snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of glass hitting granite. I blink and look down to see a plate with two pieces of jam toast. "Thank you." Right as I start to eat, Zach comes into the kitchen.

"Good morning!" He sings and sits down right next to me and opens his mouth, signaling for me to give him a bite of my food. He is the only person I share my food with, so I push my hand to his mouth, and he bites down. "You almost ready to go?" Zach asks with his mouth full.

"What? I'm sorry. I don't speak full-mouth-ese." I tease him. He gives me a playful glare before swallowing his food.

"I said, are you almost ready to go?" He states.

"Yeah. Why didn't you just ask me that the first time?" I tease again. He rolls his eyes.

"You," He starts, pointing at me. "Are going to be the death of me."

"Maybe I want to be." I wink, getting up and putting my plate in the dishwasher. I grab my backpack and walk to the door, with Zach chasing to catch up to me.

"You can't leave me here! I'm your ride!" He yells after me. I realize that he is right, so I stop and wait for him. He unlocks the truck, and we get in.