High Off Love

Chapter 37

November 12th

Zack and I have been hanging out the last week quite a bit. He is sweet and funny, but not Toby.

My phone rings. "Hey Rachel." I answer.

"So how is New York? Is it helping?" She questions.

"It's kind of boring right now, but I think it is helping."

"Well I miss you." I hear a mans voice in the background.

"You should come stay with me soon!" I jump off the couch. The idea of someone I know with me here excites me.

"Alright I will." I can tell she is smiling.

"How about this weekend?" I say as fast as I can.

"Ok I don't think I have anything." She giggles at my excitement.

We say our goodbyes and hang up. Someone knocks at my door. It's probably just Zack.

"Want to go to the park with me and feed the ducks?" He lifts up a bag of bread.

I give him a questioning look. "You want to go feed some ducks?"

"You don't have to come with me. I just thought you might want to."

"Sure." I grab my coat and follow him out the door.

"So, what thing were you wanting to get away from at home?" I don't know why it would matter to him.

"Just everything." I knock the question down.

I left to be away from the memories of Toby.

"Alright, well I have a risky question to ask now." We keep walking toward the park.

"Um I guess ask." I hesitate to answer.

"I don't want to pressure you or anything, but why won't you let me kiss you? Do you not like me that way because it kind of seems like you do." He looks down at our locked hands. He is totally right. I have been leading Zack on.

I think of an answer. "Alright, next time you try to kiss me I will let you." I give in. I have to move on from Toby, and maybe Zack is what I need for that.

I just made this sort of awkward I think. We reach the pond of ducks.

"My mom use to love to feed the ducks." He says as he throws the bread on the ground. "She died of cancer four months ago."

"I'm sorry." I look down at the ground. "So is that's why you do this manly act of feeding the ducks?" I try to lightly up the mood.

His dimples show up as he chuckles. Toby didn't have dimples like that, but he had this little smile and it looked like only half of his mouth would do. I wonder if he thinks about me everyday the way I think about him every minute.

A big goose comes up to Zack and he is holding a piece of bread out with his hand. "Its going to bite you!" I squeal like a little girl.

He pulls the bread away and grabs the goose. It hisses but eventually calms down.

"Come pet it." He brings it closer to me.

I stick my hand out and pet it hesitantly at first. "It's soft." I smile and pet it some more.

"Here you hold it." He tries to give me the goose.

"No." I try to back away. He lets go of the goose in my arms and I have no choice but to hold it.

"Look your holding a goose. Where's your phone I'll take a picture?"

"In my back pocket."

He takes my phone from my pocket and looks at it for a moment before flipping the screen up. I smile as he takes my picture.

"I'll send it to myself." He says. The goose starts freaking out all of a sudden so I put it down.

"Here I want to see it." I walk toward him.

He hands me my phone and we both look at the picture. He is looking over my shoulder. I turn my head towards him. His eyes meet mine, but travel to my lips. I adjust my body to face him. His lips press to mine. They are soft and unfamiliar.
....

November 13th

It's been eleven days since I've seen Toby and about two seconds since I've seen Zack. He is raiding my fridge. I giggle at his remarks about me not having any good food. I wonder if Toby has a girl over. I wouldn't want him to be with a girl, but I'm with a guy right now. Zack helps me keep my mind off Toby. Maybe if Toby had a girl over he would be happy. I wonder if he tries to keep his mind off me or if he likes to sit and think of me for hours.

"Do you?" Zack asks.

"Do I what?" I turn and look at him. I must have missed his question.

"Do you want to go get something to eat? You don't have anything good." His dimples appear.

"Yeah." I stand up off the couch.

I slip my new heels on that go with my new dress. I grab his hand and lead him out of the building.

"So my friend Rachel is coming tomorrow to visit." I inform Zack. "Maybe we can all go do something together."

"Yeah I'll think of something fun." He nods.

"Just not feeding the ducks. I don't think that is on the list of fun when your our age." I giggle.

"Oh wow you just think your so funny." He mocks me.

"Yes I do." I lift my head up.

"It's going to start getting pretty cold out soon." Zack looks around. Toby told me that one time.

"Where are we going?" I don't think there are any restaurants the way we are going.

"Can you just trust me? I know where we are going."

We keep walking for another five minutes. "This is a museum." I roll my eyes.

"Yes, but this museum has really good hotdogs, and they are free." He points his finger at me. I forget he probably doesn't have a mom who just sends him more than enough money each month. "And stop rolling your eyes." He adds.

"Well maybe you should stop giving me a reason to." I joke around and let him lead me up the steps to the museum.

We enter the museum, but he doesn't give me time to stop and look at the items. He leads me to a room with popcorn, hotdogs, and a sign that says "free!".

"Do you come here a lot for their free popcorn and hotdogs?" I giggle and pick out the hotdog I want.

"No." He shakes his head. "I just really like looking at that sign." Zack says sarcastically.

I giggle some more. "So is this the best date you've ever been on?" He gets up from the chair to get another hotdog.

"Yeah I would have to say this beats feeding the ducks." I joke around. The best date I've ever been on is the one Toby took me on for my birthday.

We finish our hotdogs. Zack ate most of them though. We walk back to the apartment building full of conversation, and not one thought of Toby.

"Let me know if you want to do something with Rachel while she's in town." He releases my hand when we get to my door.

"I think she would love to meet you." I smile at him.

Zack leans in a kisses me.