Episode 1- Zackary Lancer

 He often had this same problem, flickers of events in his eyes when he really didn't want them. He sat up, his muscles tensing at the sudden involuntary movement. Zack bumped into his draws as he looked around his dark room. 'So familiar… just like.' He flips the switch and his room bursts to light making him rub his eyes. 'Just like he did then…' he moved back keeping his eyes open as much as possible despite the sandpaper texture that begged his lids to seal shut.

 He took a moment to ground himself, his room. A normal teenage boy with things like Mutant Turtles and Indie Horror Games for posters and his favorite color for carpets, bed sheets and curtains. 'Green'.

 He then caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror at his left and he stared for a moment. The brown bed hair, the ruffled shirt and cargo shorts that hung loosely to his white skin. Had his green eyes always looked so weak?

He sighed and walked back to the light switch rubbing his sweat coated neck as he feigned lucidity. He then instead opened the door and shuffled his grey slippers on before making his way down the hallway.

 His mother was Carla Lancer, a tall and flawless woman. She didn't tell him or his older sister much about her family other than they are far away. 'Would it kill her to open up a little?' From what Zack, her 17 year old son knew. She was a model for many different gigs and magazines, which is why she was able to afford such a luxury of a beach side, 5 bed, house. She retired quite early to have a family with a School Fling. 

 Zack and his family don't talk about him anymore.

 Zack filled the glass cup up with water before standing there in the cold kitchen looking at the calendar on the fridge. At 2AM, he was officially on Friday and in a big red circle in his mothers handwriting was the school leavers meeting up for his old year group. A beach day. 'How typical.' It meant he would see Danny and Elizabeth again. He wouldn't escape it if he tried, he lives beside the beach and would be easy to drag out if Danny put her mind to it. 

 Zack could still remember her smile when they first met.

 (A year ago in January)

 The girl had her arm swung round Zack's shoulders.

 "Well Zack? What are we doing for your birthday?" She smiled, her bright red hair in a neat yet fashionable pony tail that brushed along his uniform. He made no noise, simply looking surprised at her sudden approach, his body tense often often not having anyone talk to him. 

 Yep! He was the years' quiet kid.

 Ever since his father left he wouldn't speak, the doctors called it selective mutism because Zack could definitely speak, however he only ever spoke 1 or 2 sentences. 

 Due to this he was given the social status of 'Freak' by his classmates. In truth the only reason he wasn't bullied was because he was relatively good looking. Never had a spot on his skin, never accidentally spat or pulled an unflattering face. Kids joked that it was his mothers charm. 

 Danny noticed the tense look settled in those vibrant green eyes of his. 

 "21st of January. That's your birthday, no?" She said not letting his cold demeanor break her optimism. Zack looked away for a moment before looking back to her with only his eyes. With a hesitant but polite hum he nodded. 

 "Well! My friend, Elizabeth says you don't have many friends. So why not stick with us?" She smiles before pulling him up from his seat and looping her arm with his.

 "I'm Danny! So, what are you doing for your birthday this week?" She says. Zack doesn't make eye contact, he leans away slightly looking back at his seat. 

 Elizabeth smiled pulling Danny into her with a grin allowing Zack to freely move. 

 "Come on, Anny! Give him some space. Not everyone can handle your natural shine." She chuckled before Danny walked to her bag with a gasp suggesting she had remembered something.

 Elizabeth leans over to him to speak, "Don't mind her. She's like that with everyone. She's the rare type of person who is the definition of optimism and care. I'll keep her off your back if you'd like." She doesn't expect an answer from him. Unlike Danny she knew Zack since Nursery, She knows Zack was quite talkative and similar to the other kids until around year 4. 

Rumors often floated around of why Zack stopped speaking, the most realistic and common one Elizabeth came across was linked to his accident.

 ' Zack was in a car crash. And he got brain trauma and had to re-learn how to walk, communicate and talk but never got the hang of English.' Part of her knew it didn't add up but it wasn't her place to-

 Zack mumbles something and she looks to him gently not wanting to startle him. "Pardon?" She said quickly and Zack opened his mouth and closed it quickly, clearly flustered at his own attempts to be clear. But as his eyebrows cross he speaks.

 "No, I… I want-" He is interrupted by Danny who offers a card to him with a smile.

 "For you birthday boy!" 

 "Danny, I'm pretty sure Zack wants to accept your friendship." Elizabeth smirked and Danny squealed with excitement, making Zack hide behind his hair slightly.

 (The Present)

 He finally rested back down into his cool bed in the dark. He had heard all those silly rumors and it would explain his slow recovery. His old wheel chair, his cold exterior and his silent interactions. He still struggles to walk in his closet. Still struggles to avoid his scar when he brushes his hair. 

 And so Zackary continued with these flickers of the truth, of what really happened to him in year 4 and why he is so timid to others. 

 He's woken at 9AM by a knock at his door he lifts his head from the covers to see his mother peeking her head through. 

 "Morning, Honey. Molly has come home!" She softly spoke before leaving again with the door cracked open.

 Zack soon entered the kitchen and his sister, Molly, sat at the table enjoying the pancakes their mother had made them.

 "Say Mum. Where are you from?" She asked,

 "A far away place."

 "Yeah, Yeah. We heard it before. I mean literally. My friends are confused because she hasn't seen people like us before."

 "People like us? What makes us so odd? We are from this country, and so am I."

 "Well first off my ears are oddly pointy like yours, not to mention me and Zack never had anything but good metabolism and glass skin." She sighed.

 Zack rolled his eyes and made them both jump at his sudden appearance.

 "Uh that small place just off the beach… uh America?" She said,

 "Wouldn't say that's a small place, Mum."

 Zack chuckled gently before looking at the calendar and sighing. The beach day…

 And as if by queue, the door bell rings and Carla goes to answer it before returning with a beach ready Danny. 

 "Zack! It's been a while! Also, you are late." She giggled as she held him. 

 "Danny…?" He mumbled as she ruffled his bed hair out and paused, 'Was that a scar?'

 Carla pushed Zack out of the kitchen as she spoke. "Go and get ready, Zack! Don't keep your friends waiting."

 Zack and his mother were close, She understood his refusal to speak and often had his back and often took his word for what had happened in any events that would get him in trouble. This world didn't want to make space for people like Zack, who struggled to keep up with the expectations of society.

 Carla missed home, there everyone simply saw you as you were, either way you had money and food, and with the right heart, a shelter. She often found Human's greedy. 'Pushing away the majority for the minority. Always for someone else.' Then again she left her home land for similar reasons. At least there, you had the freedom to leave and build your home wherever you found suitable. Here it was complex. 'Earth was painfully complex'

 The beach was a perfect set for a warm day, the town's ice cream man was doing his circles of the moderately large beach. Zack had his duffel bag on his shoulder, it didn't have much in it other than the spare cargo trousers, his sandals and some body spray. As he laid the blanket down he quickly lied down rubbing at his cheeks, trying to chase the sun cream down that his mother had attacked him with before leaving.

 "You have a bit there!" Danny smiles as she rubs a small plop of sun cream into his cheek.

 She was considerate, a gentle caress that contrasted her usual enthusiastic behaviour. Danny had a sky blue swimming suit on that complimented her pale skin. It had a nice bow as decoration at the center of her chest, her lower half covered with dark brown shorts. He wasn't one for staring but he must admit, she was stunning.

 "Thank you." He said rubbing the same place she had.

 Danny is quick on her feet as she spots a group of students arriving and goes to herd them over. As she did, Elizabeth came to sit down, "What? I expected to be dragging you out a little later than this. Danny get to you first?" She smiled. Elizabeth had her black swim suit on that was hidden by a long flowing skirt, she also had a large rimmed straw hat. Elizabeth was never one to show off, so her outfit would be considered flashy to her, and yet she pulled it off perfectly.

 He himself was simply in his swim shorts and a t-shirt nothing too flashy like the other jocks who turned up. As they all gathered Zack mostly ignored the large gathering but looked into the center to act like he was present.

 "Yo! Zack pass a man some pop!" He asked and Zack turned to behind him to pull out a cheap brand of cola from the stack of coolers. As he handed it to him Danny spoke up, "Woah! Zack! Have you been lifting weights?!" Zack looked at what she was referring to and sure enough his arms looked more toned than usual. He shook his head and brushed it off as a 'good day'.

 Soon enough people got bored and one of them spoke up, "Okay! It's getting warm! Me and Ace brought water guns, wanna play some crazy water games?" 

 "Childish much?"

 "Oh come on! We are 16 to 17. We can't start letting our parents' bleak rules affect us so soon!"

 "Who said cooling down was childish?" 

 They all soon get up in different groups and make their way to the edge of the sea. Zack doesn't move and Danny once again has to drag him with her. One of the boys chucks a water gun that lands in Zack's arms.

 "One for you! Bet you know how to work it just fine! Being the quiet kid and all." Zack rolled his eyes in slight amusement and Danny returned with her own small gun.

 When it began it wasn't much, one group of boys immediately ran to the sea, another set had one chasing specifically after another so fast anyone would think it wasn't a game. Danny is quick to shoot Zack twice, there were now wet patches on his shirt, one over his chest, another on his left rib cage. He was quick to retaliate on his own. She then ran to a knee deep height of the sea where they continued to splash and fight, every now and again hitting other students who came by.

 The same two boys who chased each other like their lives depended on it, splashed past Zack. The water sent him off balance making him fall forwards into the water. He got up now drenched and Danny had to hold her stomach from how hard she was laughing. 

 "Are you okay?" She managed to giggle out. Zack smiled back with his own slight chuckle.

 "Yeah… hah." He said and she quickly walked over and pulled him with her back to shore.

 Elizabeth is waiting there for them and waves holding them two towels. Zack thanks her as he takes the towel and loops it over his shoulders, when they get back to the large circle of beach blankets Zack spots a line they had put up for their clothes to dry on in case. Zack loops his shirt on it and then sits down on his blanket. Danny is caught shamelessly observing and it causes Zack to look away with a pink tint in his cheeks. She decides to cover her tracks as she picks up his towel from his shoulders and begins to dry his hair. He can't help but lean into her touch.

 "Hey, Zack. I know it's only been 2 years, but I was thinking maybe we could go out after this?" She said her voice was gentle, clearly sincere. "I won't hold you to it if you say no. I just… I'd like to be around you… more." 

 Zack looked surprised as he looked at her, seeing her deep blue eyes with only hope and honesty. As he went to say something her attention was taken by his scalp.

 She ran her finger down it and looked surprised, "Is that a scar?" She asked only for him to push her away. He looked angry and he stood up gathering his bag and shirt.

 "Wait. No, Zack! I'm sorry!" She stood up and was about to chase after him only to notice that she had to keep watch of everyone's things. She let out a defeated sigh and planned to go to his house after this and talk things over, her eyes caught his retreating form. 'Was the sand following him?'

'No, don't be silly.'