Just To See You

Chapter 8: Strangers

Audrey:

It had been 2 months and 3 weeks. Things had happened. Evan came out but in the wrong way, then stood up for himself and is now dating Logan. But the football team doesn't know.

Riley started dating some guy, and was happier than she was before. But then there was me. On the 3rd week something happened.

I was running late for class and Zack bumped into me in the hall. "Watch out loser!" he said. He was walking off, but when he said that I turned around and ran after him. "What the fuck did you say?" I yelled. He turned around a realized he had said it to me. "Oh- uh I'm sorry I didn't realize it was you.." He said. I rolled my eyes and looked at him. He tried to lean in for a hug but I moved away.

"What's wrong?" He said. I laughed sarcastically. "Nothing, other than the fact that your nobody. And a literal stranger to me. I don't even know you. And I love how you just left me and Evan, and Riley, when we had your back." I said. I was angry and he probably could tell. "How am I a stranger?" He asked as if he didn't know how he was acting. "Nothing..just know as of now I don't know you. Meaning we've never met and your a nobody." I said, then walked off but he ran up behind me and spun me around.

"You don't remember me do you? Like you don't remember my voice?" He said with a sad look on his face. I was confused as hell. "No..we met like 2 months ago, I've never met you before then." I said back. The next thing that he said had really made my heart break. "When you were upset you would get your stuffed teddy bear, his name was Mr. Fluff, when you were happy you would say "peep" a lot, and finally when you felt lonely you would say "puff" and I would say it back and it let you know I was there for you." He said.

But only 1 person knew all of these things about me...Zack. My Zack from 10 years ago knew all of this...but this couldn't be him.

Tears formed in my eyes..I looked at Zack and he looked disappointed. "I'm sorry..I knew who you were from the first day of school, I just didn't know how to tell you it was me and" I cut him off. "Don't talk to me..your nobody to me Zack. You knew this entire time and you didn't say anything..all because you didn't know how to tell me? That's bullshit." I said. I started to walk off but he grabbed my arm and I pulled away and turned around.

By this time the bell had rung and everyone had started coming out into the halls.

"Don't you dare touch me! Do you know how long I've been looking for you?! Do you understand that 10 years of my life I missed you and cried over you and I never got over the fact that you left me and never said bye! I fell in love with you when we were kids, you leave for 10 years, then come back and for the last almost 3 months you didn't tell me it was you?! I knew nothing about you back then and right now I don't either." I said crying and walking away. Riley and Evan tried to ask me what was wrong but I just kept walking away. I ran out to the football field and cried in the grass.

I cried for at least an hour. My face was soft from all of the salty tears I had managed to cry. My head had hurt and I wanted to go home and lock myself in my room forever.

This need of wanting to die had seemed like a trend going around. I went back inside and went to lunch. Evan and Riley were waiting for me already. Those were the type of friends I loved. I went through the line, grabbed a salad and some water and we all went to sit outside.

We didn't say a word.

Everything felt so different.

"He's the Zack I've been looking for, for the past 10 years." I said, they both looked up. It was he first thing said the entire lunch period. "Oh Audrey..I'm so sorry." Evan said giving me a hug. I didn't want to cry again so I managed to stop the tears.

The rest of the day went by fast, and thank god because I didn't want to see Zack at any other periods.

When I got home, I didn't even bother to slam the door. Lightly I closed it and then locked it.

I didn't throw my backpack down like usual, I put it up against my bed side.

I didn't kick my shoes off like usual, I took them off and put them in the closet with the rest of my shoes.

And finally I didn't plop onto my bed like I usually did, I just laid down and started staring at the light streaks coming in through my window blinds.

I felt numb..I had searched 10 years for him..cried 10 years..and waited everyday for 10 years for him to get back on the game and say: Audrey..it's me!" But none of that happened in the way I thought. Instead I found out in a way that hurt me.