Chapter Four

AS a sob racked her body, she couldn't help but remember the last six months she lived without Zac's company.

She thought she would get over the fact that her best friend had gone away- away from her- to another continent.

But she couldn't.

With every passing day, she found it more and more difficult to live without his companionship.

They say young hearts heal fast.

But her heart didn't want to let go of Zac and all the wonderful memories they had made together.

They had grown up together.

Every happy memory had him in it.

From sneaking to the beach, which was a few minutes walk from their houses, early in the morning- when they were just four- to their first milk tooth falling, their first day at school right up to the day he had asked her to be his homecoming date.

It had been perfect.

They had been perfect.

But then he left.

She spent those months wishing she had never known him but at the same time she couldn't imagine a life without Zac.

If only she had a delete button, she would think, then she would have pressed it with no hesitation.

But then she would think of Zac.

If he knew she wished to erase all the memories- both happy and sad- they had made together, he'd say that- instead of erasing them- he'd love to relive them.

And during those months, she'd drench her pillow almost every night thinking of Zac.

Life hadn't been worth living.

But now he's here she thought. This was real.

She blinked the tears out of her eyes and swallowed despite the knot that had formed in her throat from all the sobbing.

She inhaled and exhaled, trying to steady her heartbeat, which seemed to be racing.

When she finally composed herself, all she managed to say was, "Zac, I'm sorry.."

She was sitting on his lap- he had sat down on the closest sofa when she had been sobbing earlier.

He had put her on his lap even though there was plenty of space beside him.

His fingers were interlaced with hers.

"If anyone needs to be sorry," Zac said, "it should be me. I hurt you by leaving without saying goodbye. You should hate me for what I did."

"No, Zac. It's literally impossible for me to hate you but I forgive you. And you know I can't keep a grudge against you for too long." She replied, smiling.

And now he smiled, one if those heart melting angelic smile that lit his face up.

"Yeah and your forgiving nature always made me feel a little jealous.

Honestly, how do you do it? Forgive people who hurt you and do wrong to you?" He asked, his eyes filled with child- like curiosity.

"Zac," she said, laughing, "you haven't changed one bit."

"Is that good or bad?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Hmmm..I'll have to think it over." She said, giggling.

"I'm thirsty." She announced.

"After all that sobbing, I bet you are." He said and winked at her.

She swatted his arm playfully.

And they were back to being friends.

"C'mon, let's go get something to drink. " she said and pulled him to the bar.

The restaurant wasn't crowded.

Tina sat on a barstool infront of the counter and Zac sat beside her.

They ordered their drinks from the bartender, Ben.

She now realized that she had been with her friends, Leah and Caleb, before she had spotted Zac.

"Hey Ben..Have you seen Leah and Caleb around?" Tina asked.

"Oh. I saw them leave just about Ten minutes back." Ben said.

"But," Ben continued, "They did tell me to give you this."

Ben slid her sling bag across the counter.

She reached out for it and said,

"Thanks Ben."

"Anytime." Ben said, smiling and brought them their drinks.

She sipped her drink slowly.

***

"So," Zac asked, "What have you been upto for the last Six months?"

"Ohh..Nothing much really. I got into alotta extracurricular activities to get my mind of you." She said and threw him a look.

"Volleyball, surfing and I'm even learning to play the guitar." She added, happily.

"So, my routine was basically college in the morning and practice in the evening, then when I'd get home I'd catch up on homework & studies and then most importantly, my sleep." She said.

"But then you started texting me and..yeah. that made me happy. Atleast I knew you weren't avoiding me." She said.

"Why on earth would I avoid you?" He asked, his eyes filled with unbelief.

"I don't know..you may have had your reasons." She said, shrugging.

He just rolled his eyes.

"What about you?" She asked.

"College and studies," he said, shrugging, "And trying not to get in trouble." He added.

"Since I'm a scholarship student" he explained.

"There was honestly nothing much I could do with my parents around.

And since I was bored and frustrated, I took up a part-time job as a waiter in a restaurant but-" he was saying but was interrupted because Tina had erupted into a fit of laughter.

When she finally recomposed herself she said,"You worked as a waiter?!"

"I could never imagine you working." She said, giggling.

He smiled, well not because working as a waiter was funny- honestly it was boring- but because seeing Tina laugh felt like fire in his veins. Her smile was contagious.

She pulled out her phone from her sling bag.

She tensed.

***

She pulled out her phone to check the time.

It showed 12:46 AM.

"It's so late." She exclaimed.

Zac looked at his watch.

"It's just 12:47." He said casually, "I usually sleep at two in the morning."

"I'm an early sleeper if you remember." She said and got down from her stool.

Zac got down too.

"You're leaving?" he asked, as she paid for the drinks.

"I could have paid too." He said with a frown.

"But I wanted to." She said, smiling.

He rolled his eyes in response.

"Don't you think you could stay a bit longer?" He asked.

"No, I gotta leave or else I'm gonna have trouble waking up in the morning." She said, yawning.

"But it's Sunday. Why do you have to wake up early?" He asked incredulously.

"I've got volleyball classes in the morning." She explained.

"Oh." He said, disappointed.

"How about we meet after my volleyball classes?" She suggested in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Sure. That sounds great." He said.

"Alright. See you later." She said.

"You too." He said.

She started walking away from the bar.

But just when she was a few yards away from Zac he caught up to her and stood infront of her.

"Zac-" she was about to say when his arms came around her in an embrace.

She put her arms around him.

"I love you, Tina." He said in a whisper against her cheek.

"I'll always love you, Zac." She replied.

He kissed her cheek and pulled away from her.

She smiled at him.

"Goodnight." He said and walked back to the bar.

***

As she got out of the restaurant, the cool night breeze made her shiver.

She realised that she still had to walk home.

Part of her mind was screaming to get a cab while the other seemed to be saying let's just walk home.

She picked the latter option.

"Are you walking home?" Someone asked.

She got startled.

But then she realized it had just been Freddie.

She relaxed.

He had been leaning against the railing of the restaurant, smoking a cigarette.

She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice him standing there.

"Yeah." She said in reply to his question.

"Okay. Be careful, Tina. Goodnight." He said.

"Yes. I will be, Fred. Goodnight to you too." She said and smiled.

She walked down the street which was deserted except for a few late night party-goers.

But she didn't feel lonely because her thoughts about Zac accompanied her.

Zac's in LA again.

She couldn't be happier.

***