Collide

Chapter Fourteen

Zach

This past month was a blur. I wasn't exactly sure if that was a good thing or not. Natalie was with us all the time, and that's always great. But as we fell back into the run of things I started to wonder if were getting better it just ignoring the hurt. It almost felt wrong to be okay with waking up and walking past Max' s room with out feeling a stab of pain just slam into me. But that feeling was slowly faiding.

I had successfully cleaned Max' s room out. Packed up his old books. Have away things that weren't as valuable. But his favorite things I kept in a box in my room.

Mom agreeded to changing his bed linens to something new. It made the room lighten. Quinn and Mom started to come Into too. It was like the changes I made broke down an invisible wall that allowed them to come in.

That was the best thing to happen to us just yet.

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"Zach!" A shout can't from down the hall. Then suddenly my door burst open. "Zach come on, we're gonna be late." Quinn crossed her arms.

When Quinn had throw the door open I was holding the stack of letters that was to Natalie. I quickly dropped them and looked up at her. "I'll be down is sec."

She raied an eyebrow at me but turned to walk down the hall.

I'd given everyone different things that I know Max would have wanted them to have. But I still couldn't bring myself to give these letters to Natalie.

And then it was more of a I don't want to give them to her, rather then I don't think it's right... I know I'm being selfish and in the beginning I thought I was doing the right thing but now I wasn't so sure.

I stuffed the letters back into the bottom of my desk drawer, then grabbed my keys to head out.

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We got to the bowling alley and Mike was already waiting for us with a lane.

"I was starting to wonder if you were going to stand me up." Mike called as the girls and I got our bowling shoes.

"Mike, feeling a little selfcontius are we?" I asked in a babying tone.

Mike laughed and rolled his eyes. "Never. Now, you ready to have your butt whipped?" He said rubbing his hands together.

"The only whooping that will be happening is me whopping you." I said grinned at Mike

"I think my IQ is dropping just hearing this whole conversation." Natalie sighed, but she was grinning too.

"You'll get used to it. Just ignore them, then everything's okay." Quinn shrugged.

"Ouch, bebe... You just killed me" Mike put a hand over his heart.

Quinn rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Alrighly lady's first. Babydoll your up." Mike nodded to Quinn. He'd already taken the liberty of typing in all their Nick name.

You had, babydoll, Sport, Batman, and Doppy.

"Wow, Mike I think you need some help." I gave Mike a sympathetic look.

"What are you taking about?" Mike raised an eyebrow.

"You shouldn't call yourself doppy, people might take that the wrong way." I reached over and pat him on the shoulder.

"Doppy what?" Mike turned and looked at the screen then laughed. "Na man, you've got it wrong. I'm batman, you my friend are dopy." He laughed patting my shoulder.

I frowned, obviously not amused.

"The first step to getting better is to admit you have a problem. It's okay buddy we will all love you no matter what." He was trying to keep a serious expression on his face as she spoke but he couldn't, and busted out laughing again.

Natalie was trying to hold in a laugh and the only reason Quinn wasn't rolling on the floor clutching her sides right now was because she was bowling.

"Oh ha ha, very funny." I rolled my eyes.

"Zach, seriously though, it's okay, you know you can tell us anything..." Natalie batter her eyelashes up at me as she placed her hand on my arm.

I wasn't sure if she was driving me crazy in a good or bad way just yet. All I knew was that I did like her hand on my arm.

Half an hour had passed with Quinn and myself fighting for the lead.

Mike kept trying cracking those stupid jokes he loves.More often then not he made us all roll our eyes. But occasionally, Quinn would grin or laugh a little.

I didn't think anything of it but Natalie was glancing between the two of them and then she's shoot me a look.

I raised and eyebrow at her and just shrugged.

It was the 8th round and Natalie was up. "You sure you don't want any help?" I asked with a smirk as Nat walked to the lane, getting ready to roll her ball down the isle.

"I said I'm fine, Zach. " She sighed sending me a playful glare.

"Yes you are but you could be better." I walked over to her, Grinning. "See if you let me help, you can finally get a strike on score." I nudged her side. "And you know how pretty strikes look on your score."

"Hmm like Quinn's?" She asked cheekily.

"Or it could look nicer, like mine." I said a little smugly. I did have more strikes, but Quinn had all spars If she didn't have a strike.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Well someone's feeling full or themselves. She laughed.

"So what if I am, it's still true."!i shrugged.

Natalie nodded. "That might be so but you still have a long way to go to catch up to Quinn." She pointed at the screen.

"I don't have that far, now stop arguing and let me help., I told her spinning her around to face the lane. "Now when you walked up to the lane don't just throw your ball like a lunatic, pause and steady yourself, practice swinging to once or twice and make sure that your hand is straight and not twisted. The twist with throw you off and give you another gutter ball." I explained.

Natalie watches me a bit curiously like Id never before made any sense.

I demonstrated everything I said and then looked at her. "Alright now you try."

She raised her eyebrow at me before slowly complying. "This isn't going to work." She stated as a matter of fact.

"You don't don't know that. So stop being a doubting Thomas And do it." I told her, leaving her no room to argue.

Natalie sighed and did exactly what I said. When she let go of the ball to rolled straight down the middle of the lane, rolling all the pins down. "Oh my gosh! I got a strike!" Natalie gasped, throwing her arms around me, in an excited hug.

I chuckled, wrapping her in my arms. "See I told you. You really should listen more often." I whispered.