Chapter 12

It is Friday night, we won 23 to 17.

"Can I pick the movie?" I ask.

"No, you always pick the same movie." Tony says.

"Please, please, please, please-" I say.

"She's not going to stop." Gavin says.

"-please, please, pleeeeeeeease!" I continue.

"If you shut up!" Tony says.

"Yay!" I say and run to my room to get my absolute favorite movie of all time.

"So, what movie is it?" Zack asks.

"The longest yard." Dean says.

"Adam Sander is amazing." I say.

~****~

"Best movie ever!" I say. I look over to see that Dean, Tony and Gavin have fallen asleep.

"It was pretty good." Zack says.

"Want to go to the park?"

"It's almost midnight." Zack says.

"So?"

"Let's go." He says.

When we get to the park I climb up the later to this tree house. The tree house is old and doesn't have a roof. I lay on the floor and look up at the stars.

"When I would get in a fight with my dad," Zack says looking up at the stars, "I would come here a just look at the stars for hours."

"You get in fights with you dad?" I ask.

"All the time." he says.

"What are they about?"

"Anything and everything, but mostly about football." I stay silent so he would explain. "He doesn't think I'm good enough."

"But you're amazing." I say. I set up and look at him. He also sets up.

"When he found out a girl beat me..." he takes my hand, "he... hit me."

"Oh my god, had he hit you before?" I ask.

"yes." Zack doesn't look at me. "He would beat my mom but one day I saw it happen and I said something to him. He turned around and hit me for the first time. I was eight."

"That's horrible." I say.

"Please don't think of me any different."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Don't look at me like I'm a puppy that was abandoned on the side of the road while it was raining."

"I won't. Now knowing that I think you are even stronger than I could have ever imagined."

"Thank you." He says. I pull him into a hug.

"You are always welcome at my house. Tony and Gavin practically live there."

We end up laying under the stars for hours. I was freezing so Zack put his arm around me to help give me heat.

When we got back Tony and Gavin were up and fixing breakfast. My mom had already left for work.

"Where have you two been?" Tony asks.

"The park." I say.

"Doing..." Tony says and wiggles his eyebrows. Zack and I both blush.

"no." we both say at the same time. Gavin snorts.

"Shut up Gavin." I say.

"I didn't say anything." Gavin puts up his hand in defeat.

"You were thinking it." I say.

"We all were." Dean says. I turn my head slowly to glare at Dean.

"I'm going to my room." I say. I walk towards the stairs and Zack follows. "Sometimes I really hate them." I say to Zack after I close the door of my room. Zack laughs. "Do you want to play twenty questions?"

"Okay."

"Favorite color?" I ask.

"yellow." Zack says. "What is yours?"

"Purple. Wait, we make LSU!" I say. "Do you have any hidden talents?"

"Well," Zack looks down at his hands, "I can play the guitar and I sing a little."

"No way!"

"yeah." He blushes.

"I think my little brother has a guitar. I'll be right back." I say. I jump up and run to Dexter's room. He is playing on his x-box, he doesn't like sports. I'm convinced he is adopted because everyone in this family loves sports.

I grab the guitar and run out of the room. He was so into his game that he didn't even notice me.

"Here!" I say and hand Zack the guitar. He starts to play a pretty melody then he starts to sing a cute country song.

"It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart.

Without saying a word, you can light up the dark.

Try as I may I could never explain.

What I hear when you don't say a thing.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.

There's a truth in eyes saying you'll never leave me.

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall.

Yeah, you say it best when you say nothing at all.

All day long I can hear people talking out loud.

But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd.

Old Mr. Webster could never define what's being said between your heart and mine.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.

There's a truth in eyes saying you'll never leave me.

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall.

Yeah, you say it best when you say nothing at all."