Chapter 14

Double Meanings

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Page turned off her alarm clock and forced herself to get out of bed. She really couldn't wait till she graduated in three weeks. She was in serious need of summer break. In Page's mind school was becoming more over-rated as the days went by.

Page got herself ready and headed downstairs for a bowl of cereal. Of course her mom, Tonya, was busy running around like a chicken with no head, especially now with Kelly's wedding coming up in about two months. Page thought back to when Kelly finally told their mom. Many tears were shed. Luckily the tears were ones of joy. Tonya was just happy that Kelly was happy, and the fact that Kelly was finally coming home.

"Morning Page. Good news, your sister will be here earlier than planned." Tonya said while checking more items off of a list.

That news instantly brightened up Page's day.

"She should be here about a week before your graduation, so in about two weeks." Tonya summed up.

"That's awesome! I'm even more excited now. I can't wait."

Tonya gave Page a warm smile. The two chatted till Page had to leave for school. She gave her mom a hug before she headed out.

When Page arrived at school she noticed a boy, who looked oddly familiar, sitting on one of the school benches alone reading a book. She had the sudden urge to go over and talk to him. This was odd for Page. She wasn't one to just walk up to people she didn't know and start a conversation. That was something Vanessa would do. "Why not try something new?" The thought popped into Page's mind. After some self-debating she figured she would go for it. It couldn't hurt. So with a new found determination Page grabbed her stuff and made her way over to the mystery boy.

As she got closer the boy he looked more familiar, but she still couldn't remember where she had seen him before. Page finally made her way over to the bench and took a seat. Now that she was here she didn't know what to do. So she just sat there feeling dumber by the second until she realized the boy was talking to her.

"Wait, what? I'm sorry, I zoned out."

The boy gave Page a look and said, "It's okay Page, I asked you what brought you over here?"

"Umm..I don't know really. I just saw you sitting here and you looked kind of lonely so I thought I would come over and talk to you." That's when it hit Page, "Wow, back up, how do you know my name?" Page asked slightly creeped out.

"I guess you don't remember me very well, I'm Masen, Masen Lander. I played sports with Chase. I used to be in that close circle of friends who were always with him?" Masen said in more of a question, hoping to trigger her memory of who he was.

Page racked her brain till it clicked, "Oh! That's right! I remember you now. You were just always so quiet that sometimes I forgot you were there."

"Yep. That's me." Masen diverted his eyes back to his book.

"You said 'used to'…do you not hang out with Chase anymore." Page was surprised at how easily she could talk about Chase now. She liked it. Talking about her ex no longer made her want to burst into tears or brought down her spirits. It was amazing what good friends and time could do to mend a broken heart

"Yeah. I stopped hanging out with Chase. Especially after what he did to you. That was uncalled for and I'm sorry you had to go through that." Masen looked back at Page as he spoke.

Page was touched at the sincerity she found in Masen's dark green eyes.

"Wow. Thanks." Page was suddenly at a loss for words.

"So, how have you been since the break-up?"

"Better. It was really hard to deal with at first, but I have really great friends who helped me through it."

"That's great. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your first class?" Masen tried to ask nonchalantly.

"Ecology with Fix."

"Cool. That's near mine. Do you mind if I walk you to class?"

Page answered immediately, "I would love that."

Masen smiled when Page said she would love for him to walk her to class. He honestly didn't expect her to let him. He was just taking a chance by asking. Masen figured they should start heading to her class since the bell would be ringing soon and their classes were on the other end of the school, so he picked up his stuff along with Page's messenger bag. He looked at Page who had a stunned expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" Masen asked. He hoped she wasn't one of those extreme feminist who hated when men tried to do helpful things for women.

"No, it's just I've never had a guy carry my bags for me. I was just caught off guard is all." Page thought back to all six months that she dated Chase. Not once did he even offer to carry her books or bags to class.

"Well then, let me show you how a true gentleman acts around a beautiful lady such as yourself." Masen said, holding out his arm for her to take.

Page smiled and linked her arm with his. "I could get use to this." Page thought as Masen walked her to class.

El tapped her pencil relentlessly against her desk, a nervous habit. She couldn't shake off the uneasiness she was feeling. Since the moment she saw Zack walk into class and he started talking to Lilly Callington she had been on edge. First off, Zack never talked to Lilly. She was like the girl version of Chase Caliber; therefore, she thoroughly disgusted El. Second, it was painfully obvious since sophomore year that Lilly had been trying to get with Zack. Luckily Zack had been politely ignoring her advances, until now.

El couldn't figure out for the life of her why he was doing this. Normally, Zack would have walked in, sat in his desk beside her, chatted with her till class started, and joked around with her during class. That's how things always were and the way El liked it. But today he walked in class, practically ignored her, and went over and started talking to Lilly, who was soaking up the attention she was receiving like she would die without it. All of it just didn't add up in El's head. The bell for class to start finally rang, and El watched as Zack made his way back to his desk beside her.

When class started El tried focusing on the teacher's lesson but failed. Her nerves were still going haywire. She had to know what was up with Zack and why he had ditched her to talk to Lilly of all people. So she took out a sheet of paper and decided to write a note to Zack. Although it was a very middle-school-thing to do, it got the job done.

Zack stared mindlessly at the blackboard. He wasn't listening to the teacher. There was no way he could at that moment. He noticed a note plop down in front of him. He gave El a confused look, but she wouldn't look at him. She just started doodling on her notebook.

Zack took the note and discreetly opened it. Luckily, they were in the very back of the classroom so he didn't really have to worry about anyone catching them pass notes.

What kind of crap was that this morning? Talking to Lilly Callington all of sudden? Very uncool Zack. I thought you had better taste then that. Heck, I thought you had taste period. Callington? Really?

Zack was stunned and slightly angered by El's note. "Where does she get off judging me for talking to another girl?" He thought to himself. Zack picked up his pen and wrote El back.

El watched as Zack wrote a reply. He didn't seem very happy when he tossed back the note. She opened it and read.

So what if I wanted to talk to Lilly? Maybe I needed a change from our usual morning routine. And since when did you care about my taste in women? You don't see me criticizing you on your choice of men..

El was hurt by Zack's words, and left very confused by his last statement. It's not like she was seeing anybody. And the only guys she hung out with on a regular basis were Zack and Ethan. El replied and made sure to give Zack a spiteful look as she tossed the note back.

As Zack waited for El's reply he started to feel somewhat bad for what he had written, he didn't want to fight with El. Especially over something like this. It's not like he liked Lilly or anything. That whole thing was just a distraction this morning so he wouldn't have to talk to El. He was still hurt from seeing her with some other guy at the grocery store. Zack flinched at the look El gave him as she basically threw the note back. He was a little scared to read her reply but opened the note nonetheless.

Well Zack, I don't really care who you talk to. I was just trying to look out for you. But go ahead and be a jerk about it, I don't care anymore. If you want to date at the bottom of the bucket be my guest. And I honestly don't know what you are referring to by my choice of men, but you must be sadly mistaken. And don't bother replying. I'm pissed at you if you can't already tell. Later.

Zack wanted to beat himself in the head with a golf club. Why did he have to go screw things up more than they already were? He folded up the note and stuck it in his pocket. For the rest of class Zack kept thinking about El's note. He finally came to the conclusion that El would never like him romantically. He was like another brother in her eyes. This saddened him even more and by the end of class all Zack wanted to do was go home and sulk. In fact he decided that's exactly what he would do.

El tried to stay mad at Zack, she really did, but she just couldn't. It wasn't her place to judge him on whoever he chose to be interested in. As much as she prayed it would be her she knew the chances were slim to none. So when the bell rang she made sure to stop Zack before he could leave.

"Listen Zack," she started but was cut off.

"I'm sorry El. I shouldn't have written that. It was rude. I get that you were only looking out for me." Zack said. He really just wanted to leave and go home at that moment.

El looked in Zack's dull grey eyes and it pained her. He just looked so defeated and hopeless.

"Zack it's okay. I forgive you. But are you okay? We can talk, you do know that right? It wouldn't be the first time we've cut school to just talk." El tried to give him a comforting smile.

Zack wished this was something he could discuss with El, but he knew it was something he would have to deal with on his own. "I know El. It's just…it's something I have to deal with on my own. Thanks though." Zack could hear the hurt in his own voice.

"Oh. Okay then. So are you going home?" By now El realized they were the only two left in the classroom. Even the teacher was gone. But she couldn't care less.

"Yeah. I just need to be alone." El knew he was lying. She could feel it.

Zack tried to lie to El's face. But he felt like she could see through it all. The last thing he wanted was to be alone. Truly he wanted to be with her. But that obviously wasn't happening.

El let the matter go for now. She closed the space between them and hugged him with all her might. She relished in the comfort that came when he hugged her back tightly.

"Okay Zack. If that's what you need. Just know I care about you, okay?" El said, refusing to break her hold on him just yet.

Zack wished that what she truly meant by her words was that she cared about him romantically, but he knew she only meant her words in a brotherly/sisterly way.

El wished Zack knew the double meaning behind her words. Of course she cared about him, but much more than in a brotherly/sisterly way.

The two held onto each other, neither wanting to let go. But when the bell rang that was their signal to go their separate ways. Reluctantly they parted.

"I'll see you around El."

"Bye, Zack."

El's day continued to go by painfully slow. Her friend's noticed that something was up, but they gave her room just sit in silence and think. She knew they would question her about it later, and she was okay with that. As soon as school was over she went straight to her car. She knew where she had to go. It had been on her mind all day.

In minutes El pulled up to Zack's house. She knocked on the door a few times. No one answered so she took it upon herself to open the door with the spare key that was hidden in the small plant that sat on a nearby window sill. She called out Zack's name as she went searching for him throughout the house.

She started to get slightly worried, so she went to the backyard to check for him there. She noticed the ladder to the tree house was down and smiled. Before she knew it she was inside the tree house.

Laid out in the corner was Zack peacefully asleep with a hoodie balled up resting under his head. El took a closer look and noticed that the hoodie he was using as a pillow was her's. It was her favorite baby blue hoodie. She thought she had just lost it a long time ago, apparently not. El smiled. She had never seen him look so cute than at that moment.

Quietly she crawled over to him, and nudged him in the ribcage to wake him. Almost instantly Zack was awake.

"El?"

"Hey."

Zack sat up and let out a yawn before asking, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was thinking about you all day and came to check up on you."

"I knew you thought about me on a regular basis. That's what lovers do."

El smiled. She couldn't be mad at his lover jokes anymore. They made it easy for her to believe that maybe just maybe he liked her too.

After a lot of thinking when he got home, Zack figured he might as well tell El. He needed to get it off of his chest. And then maybe he could find some kind of closure and just move on with life. What better time to tell El than now he figured. "Here goes nothing"

"Listen El, I need to tell you something. Please don't interrupt till I'm done."

El nodded.

"El, I like you, very much actually. And I understand that you don't feel the same way. But there's something we need to discuss. Knowing you, you'll probably want to torment and make fun of me about this. And quite honestly that's something I can't handle, El. I can handle every punch you throw at me, every sarcastic remark you make, heck I could handle you keying my car all day, but I can't handle you playing around with my heart El. I just can't."

El was nothing short of stunned. She felt such a mix of emotions. She wasn't sure if she should hug him or punch him. Punch him because she was a little pissed that he would assume this stuff about her.

"Well Zack, to be honest, I'm a bit upset that you would think that I would do that to you. But you don't have to worry about that since I like you too." El started biting the corner of her lip and she hoped he caught on to what she was telling him.

"Wait…are you saying.." Zack was at a loss for words at that moment. "Did she just admit to liking me too?"

"Yeah Zack, I'm saying that I like you too. Quite a bit." El's russet toned face went red and she let herself examine her beat up shoe strings instead of meeting Zack's eyes. At that moment Zack lifted her chin to meet his eyes.

"Are you serious El? I swear if you're joking around with me, that's just sick and twisted and I won't forg-"

El was tired of hearing his uncertainty. She was tired of the months of mental torture she had gone through for this boy. She was tired of words. She was ready for action, and she did the first thing she could think of to get him to shut up. She kissed him.

A/N: Well there you have it! FINALLY, Zack and El see how much they like each other. It only took 14 chapter but that's okay ;) I hope you guys liked how that whole little situation turned out. And what do you guys think of Masen? He's quite the gentleman if I do say so myself. Give me a review and let me know your thoughts. I would love to read them. Oh, and I apologize for the short chapter last chapter. It had been awhile and I forgot how long my average chapters were. I hope this one was a more acceptable length to those out there who like the longer chapters :) Hope you guys are excited for more!

Bye!

-Tig