Spotlight {Completed}

Chapter Thirty

Ria

I knocked on Zach's door- no answer.

"Come on Zach, open up," I banged. Still no answer, "I have my list, don't you wanna know?" I bargained and I begin to hear footsteps.

The door opens and he stands with a blank face, "why are you not angry?" He asks suspiciously.

"Because I don't know anything," I shrug and he raises his eyebrows, "Preston didn't tell me and thought it'd be best if you did," I spoke and he nods slowly.

"Why?"

"Because he thought you should be able to give your opinion and he didn't have much right to speak of it," I say and Zach's facial expression loosens up, as if that was the nicest thing anyone's done for him, "so you gonna let me in and explain?" I offered with a cheeky smile and handed him my list as an additional offer.

He took it reluctantly and let me in, leading me to a seat on his bed, "Alright, just know it's no happy ever after," he says and I nod, excited to finally hear the truth, "and please...stay open minded through this, Ria... for me?" He says sadly and I nodded.

"Can I ask you one thing?" I say and he nods, "why do you care so much about what I think of you? Why are you so determined that I'll judge you?" I asked a bit frustratedly.

He runs his hands through his thick, wavy hair, "you just remind me of someone... someone that I have to impress," he says, not making eye contact with me, "I just don't want to disappoint you," he says finally meeting my eye.

Something, something about the way he spoke to me, made me like him more with his answer he gave. He felt so raw, and vulnerable, I couldn't help to take his hand, "you shouldn't have to try to impress me... I'm already pleased," I smile and he smirks, while a dark tint covers his face. I choose not to make fun of him for blushing.

"I just don't want you to be upset with me when you reach the end of the story, it's not pretty and I've been judged far too many times, I just can't deal with being judged harshly by you too," he says and for some reason, I find myself leaving in to giving him a hug. I don't know why I did, but it felt right... needed.

I break it off and he seems stunned, "What made you do that?" He says and I chuckle.

"I felt as if you haven't had a real hug in a while," I laughed and he nods, "alright, so with this story," I say and he begins telling me it from the start.

How Scarlett and Preston have broken up, and Zach and Scar have been partying, drinking, and doing drugs together and Pres would tag along for sometime. Zach and Scar have been good friends for a while, and Zach has always had a thing for her. So they started taking it to he next level, even after she's broken up with Preston.

So then he began to tell me about the night everything came crashing down.
He was pretty upset through the whole story, trying to make it sound less painful.

Then he told me about his past experience with car wrecks... about a year before Scarlett came to New York, so about three years ago, Zach was in his junior year of high school, and one night after a big party, Zach's mother, sister, and grandma found about Zach's drinking problem. They found out where this big party was and they came to pick him up. Everyone was arguing and it was pouring rain outside. Before they knew it, Zach's mother lost control of the car and ran head first into another car. Zach's mother and sister was killed instantly, as they were sitting into the front. Zach and his grandma survived, but she soon became sick and was In a comma for a year. Zach was really beaten up, but got through it.
That's why Zach's father hates him and blames him for the death of his whole family.