Chapter 6: Peaches.

Chapter 6: Peaches.

The drive to the party was quiet and awkward, that's why I am grateful when I undo my seat belt and step out of the car. The short sequin dress I'm wearing has started to itch. I scratch my back which leaves red stripes on my skin.

The Garage smells like weed and beer. I cough as I walk past three kids smoking pot in the doorway. Lights dance along with the people as they move to the beat of the music. Ashton, who was by my side, is nowhere to be found, he's probably looking for Courtney.

I make my way past the red cups that litter the ground, pushing my way through the crowd.

Must these cups be at every High School party?

I walk to a spot with a sign that says "VIP" and open the curtain to reveal Zachary and Chad.

"Hey, pretty lady." Chad slurs, obviously drunk.

"Hey, Val." Zachary says, his eyes dilated.

I look down at the table below and I see a white substance.

Were they doing drugs in here?

Is that cocaine?

I walk over to the table and I see a transparent bag filled with the white substance.

"What's this?" I ask Zachary angrily.

"It's just a little fun." He says, standing up and walking toward me.

He grabs my shoulders and presses my body to his.

"You smell like peaches." He says sniffing me.

"Um, thank you." I reply.

He looks into my eyes and I look into his. His blue eyes are now a darker shade and his eyes are red.

"C'mon, let's go to the restroom." I tell him.

I hold his hand and I start walking towards the curtain.

"Have fun guys. Hey Zachary, don't get her pregnant." Chad yells before burping loudly.

Eww.

"Put a sock in it, Handler." I tell him before opening the curtain to the other side, leaving with Zachary's hand in mine.

The restroom is cold and goosebumps immediately appear on my skin.

Zachary just stares at me as we walk in. I walk over to the sink and I take a napkin and dip it in cold water.

"Here, put it on your face." I tell him, handing him the napkin, which he reluctantly collects.

"How about I put you on my face." He says, smiling.

"Just shut up and do it." I say, silencing him.

He puts the napkin on his face and blinks rapidly.

"Thanks, I feel a lot better." He tells me, coming closer.

I take a small box out of my purse and I hand it to him.

"Happy Birthday Zachary." I tell him and he collects the box from my hand, like a little kid eager to open his Christmas present.

He opens up the box and sees the cufflinks I had gotten for him.

His face lights up instantly.

"Thank you." He says coming closer.

"I didn't know what to get you, so I got you cufflinks." I say smiling.

"With my name engraved on them." He adds.

"Yeah, I got them customized at the last minute." I tell him.

He stands in front of me and places his hands on my waist. He lifts me up and puts me on the sink. He stands between my legs, as they dangle from the marble table top. He runs his hands through my hair, smoothening the bumps with his fingers. Jolts of electricity run through my body. He kisses the nape of my neck, then his lips move to my shoulders leaving a trail of kisses in their wake.

"Can I kiss you, Vee?" He asks, looking down at my lips.

I wrap my legs around his waist and smile.

"Friends don't kiss each other, Zachary." I reply and he groans in frustration.

"Then let's not be friends. Let's act like we're strangers." He says before planting a kiss on my pink lips. I kiss him back, running my hands through his hair. The restroom door swings open and Blake walks in.

"Oh Zachary, I knew I'd find you here. We want to know where we're supposed to put the kegs?" Blake asks, paying no attention to the scandalous position Zachary and I are in.

"I'll be right out." Zachary tells him.

"Hurry up bro, the strippers just arrived." Blake says before leaving the restroom.

I raise an eyebrow at Zachary.

"Strippers huh?" I ask him.

"It's not what you think." He says throwing his head back in frustration.

"Go attend to your guests, I'm going home." I say, untangling my body from his body. I push him to get him to move out of my way but he doesn't budge instead, he pulls me into a tight hug.

"You're not running away from me again. Not now, not this time. Never." He says, locking his two hands behind me.

***

After Zachary's party last night I've been doing some thinking.

Maybe he has changed?

Maybe he's a different person now?

"Don't forget you saw him and Chad doing coke in the VIP booth last night." My subconscious reminds me.

My feelings that I had long buried for Zachary are resurrecting again. There's something different about him that I can't really put my finger on. Maybe it's the way he touched me or the way he kissed me.

I shuffle through the channels on my TV and nothing good is on. I check my phone to see if I have any messages and there's just one message from my phone company, telling me that I've run out of data.

Great, just great.

I get up from the chair I was sitting on and head to the kitchen. I open the refrigerator and grab a pop tart and I put it in the microwave. I wait patiently beside the microwave, tapping my fingers gently on my lap. The 'ding' from the microwave distracts me from my lucid thoughts. I place the plate on the island when my mother walks into the kitchen.

"So, word on the street is that you and Ashton had a night out on the town yesterday?" My mother asks.

"Yeah." I lie, faking a smile.

"So, how was it? Did you guys go for a walk?" She asks then she pauses and gasps.

"Did he kiss you?" She asks again, her eyes widening.

Yeah, I kissed someone alright, and it wasn't Ashton.

"No, we just had dinner." I lie again.

"So, what did you order?" She asks, staring at me.

"Personal space." I say, smiling at her.