RAINY DAY ❤︎ ZANIEL

chapter nine

★★★★★
FIVE DAYS TO VALENTINES

"anyway, you said you wanted to talk more. about anything specifically?" zach wondered, furrowing his brow.

"well, kind of. i mean, i wanted to get to know you more, but i mean yeah."

"if you need to rant about something, i'm a really good listener. and i never give my advice until the end."

"well it's just.. valentines is in five days and i'm tired of spending it alone. even before jonah and corbyn were together, i was alone.

"jonah would always manage to get a date just for the day. he would go out somewhere with them and i was alone."

daniel paused, scanning zach face for a reaction, but he couldn't find one just yet.

"especially after i was kicked out. i lived with jonah and his family after that."

he took another pause before speaking again. "the only time i wasn't alone on that day was when i was with his little sister."

"well i'm sure it was a delight for her to have spent valentines with you." zach complimented.

"thank you. anyway, i-i'm done ranting now." daniel stuttered.

for zach to say that he didn't find daniel's stutter adorable would be a complete lie.

"well... i think... i think it's good to be alone. at least for a while. i was in a relationship for three years, spent valentine's day together every year...

"but we spent most of our days together. so valentine's day never felt special enough."

"and now that i'm single, i'll admit, i don't want to be alone on valentines. but i think maybe that's a good thing.

"it's a day of love. and maybe it's time i take the day for myself and i love myself instead of someone else."

daniel sighed. "that's actually, really good advice." "yeah?" "yeah."

"how about this. how about you and i spend valentine's together, and we both take the day for ourselves and we love ourselves, together. if that makes sense."

"yeah... yeah okay. let's do it." "okay great." zach smiled. "but back to the other stuff. i want to know more about you."

"i'm in. bring the questions." zach joked. a playful smile evident. daniel just giggled at him.

"okay. first, do you have siblings?" "yes, two. brother and sister."

"have you lived here your whole life? like here in westbrook?" "uh no. i was born in dallas and lived there for the first four years of my life."

"and then you moved here and met jack?" "bingo."

"how did you meet him?" "we lived across the street from each other, his older sister used to babysit me and my siblings, she used to bring jack with her."

"that's cool. what are your talents?" "ooh, tough question... i'd say soccer? i like the play the guitar, sing a little but i wouldn't say i'm crazy good at it."

"are you going to college or university?" "yes i am. university of southern maine."

"oh really? what for?" "english. writing. i love it."

"you want to be an author?" "since i was seven." "wow."

"if you could live in one movie, what would it be?" "camp rock."

"why?" "because why not?" "okay fair. uh, favourite colour?" "it changes. currently... i'd say green."

"favourite artist?" "easy, jon bellion. but i do love 80's music."

"that's so cool. i love jon bellion!" "oh my gosh he's so good!"

the two boys started gushing over the artist when the chimes went off again.

seeing who it was, zach grew quiet and tensed up. "zach? what's wrong? did i say something?"

"huh? what? no. no. it's just- brandon just came in." he breathed out. his eyes starting to water.

"are you okay? do you want to go?" zach turned back to him, looking right in his blue eyes.

those blue eyes, they made him feel something. he liked it.

zach shook his head. "no. no i want to stay. i'm okay."

"okay." daniel whispered back with a small smile.