Home For The Heart - Zachary Merrick

~20~

~Alyssa~
The holidays were over and we were back to school. I was sticking my shit into my locker when other Alyssa came up to me.

"Hi, Alyssa." I looked at her, waiting for the comments. "Hi." She took a deep breath. "Look, I'm really sorry for how I treated you when the whole situation with your dad blew up here. I was being hypocritical."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" I leaned against my locker door, shutting it. "Not my dad, but my brother was arrested. Last year. He got into some pretty bad stuff. He honestly deserved it. I'm sure your dad was a wonderful man."

I nodded. "Yeah. He never did anything wrong, just got into trouble with work. I don't know the whole story."

She left me alone and I grabbed the books needed. I felt a pair of arms wrapped around me and I instantly smiled.

"How's that new guitar?" I turned around and Zack let me go. "It's a dream. I still can't believe you actually bought it for me."

I followed him to his locker and waved to everyone. Lisa walked over and looked at the necklace, poking the heart.

She smirked at me and I pushed her away. "How was everyone's holidays?" They all gave some sort of response.

"How was yours?" I looked at Zack. "It was fine. Oh, Wanna come over after school? My cousin got me this game and we could play it?"

He shook his head. "I can't. I'm supposed to go shopping with my mom and drop something off for a friend,"

I frowned and fake pouted. He chuckled slightly. "Hey, we can hang tomorrow. You can literally drag me by the ear from my house to yours."

The bell rang and we all disbanded to our classes in the midst of the chaos we call high school.

~

I was laying on the living room floor, doing my homework while I was playing my new blink CD. Mom was working in the kitchen, plugging her ears.

She didn't mind my music, it just messed with her focus. Someone knocked on our door and I stood up. "We have a doorbell, you can use it!"

I opened the door and saw Zack, leaning on a box that was shaped to hold a guitar. I smiled. "Hey. Why'd you bring your guitar over?"

He stood up straight. "Because it's not mine. This one is yours." I laughed. "Okay, cut it out. Seriously, why?"

He picked the box up and brought it inside, setting it on the coffee table. He opened the box to reveal a guitar that was definitely not his.

"What?" He turned to face me with a smile. "How?!" I was in complete awe. "When I went home after our friend Christmas, I told my parents that the only gift I wanted for Christmas was enough money to buy you a guitar and the things to go with it."

I smacked his arm. "What is wrong with you?!" I carefully picked it up. "What was I really missing out on? Clothes and some posters? Besides, I really wanted to do this."

I set it down and reached up to hug him. He wrapped his arms around me and I sighed. "Thank you." I pulled away and picked it up again. "I forgot the bag of stuff for it. A capo, tuner, replacement strings, a strap. Also, do you want to start your lessons today or tomorrow?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you had stuff to do?" He pointed at the guitar. "I did. Pick up your guitar and deliver it to you." I rolled my eyes.

"I guess we can start today." He left the house and returned minutes later with a bag and his guitar. He taught me how to tune it and how to place a capo on.

"Okay, and if you ever need a string replaced, call me or Alex to help you. It's a little complicated your first time."

He began to tell me how he broke three strings trying to replace them the first time and how pissed he was. I was trying so hard not to laugh.

He spent the rest of the afternoon teaching me the most basic chords and strumming patterns and by the end of the day, I was a pro beginner.