The colour drains from Zeke's face as he stares at his father.

"Is this your girlfriend?"

I realise he's looking at me. "No, no. I'm Marnie, his babysitter."

He smiles and looks at Zeke who's staying quiet. "You need a babysitter now?" He looks like he's going to laugh at him.

He doesn't look like Zeke very much, they only have the same hair colour, but his brown hair is pulled back with hair gel. He's wearing a white t-shirt tucked into brown jeans and has an expensive looking watch on his wrist.

"It's nice to meet you Marnie, my name is Paul. You can call me Mr. Blakely."

Well okay then sir.

"What are you doing here?" Zeke sounds angry.

"Close the door please, Ezekiel. You're letting a draft in," Paul says, ignoring him.

Yes, I am going to call him Paul in my mind.

Zeke closes the door, "Why are you here?"

"I decided to come home for the weekend," he starts looking around the walls, "Where is your sister?"

"At a friends house."

"Which friend?" He focuses his attention back on his son.

Zeke shrugs.

"Answer me with words please."

What the frick?

"I don't know, holy fuck," Zeke rolls his eyes.

Paul looks mad by this and turns to look at me with a fake smile, "Will you please give us a moment alone?"

I nod and walk into the living room.

Why did Zeke not mention that his Dad's an asshole?

Ah, that's where he must have got the asshole gene from.

From where i'm sitting on the couch I can hear what sounds like them arguing.

The look on Zeke's face when he saw his Dad was so heartbreaking, it makes me want to run and hug him right now. I wish I knew why their relationship was like this.

Five minutes later, Zeke comes into the living room and sits on his usual spot, his fists clenched.

"Are you okay?" I move closer to him on the couch next to the one he's on.

"Yes," he takes out his phone then puts it to his ear.

"You need to come home," he says sternly into the phone. I notice his foot is tapping on the ground.

There is a pause before he speaks again.

"Dad's here... I don't care... Maggie fucking come here... Okay... Fine." He hangs up.

"Zeke?"

He looks up and meets my eye, his leg stops shaking.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. My Mom forgot to tell me my Dad's coming back."

"I mean why-"

"You don't have to stay," Paul comes in, "I'm here now. I'll make sure you get your pay for the time you've been," he pauses, "babysitting him."

I really don't care about the money. I don't want to leave Zeke here alone when he's obviously distressed.

I look at Zeke, his eyes are alert, looking at me.

"I'm okay with staying," I turn back to Paul.

He smiles, "No, darling, it's okay. Please, enjoy the rest of your day."

I'm guessing if I took away the politeness it would translate to 'get the frick out of my house'.

Standing up, I watch Zeke as his eyes plead with me to stay. I'm sorry.

"See you later, Zeke," I nod at Paul and walk out, leaving behind my precious Zeke.

+++

"What happened after that?" Zoey squeals.

"We went to my house and I showered, got changed and when we went back to his house, his Dad was there."

"His Dad? What's he like? Is he hot?"

I scowl, "Zoey! You can't ask me if he's hot. He's like forty."

"So? There are many hot forty year olds out there." She shrugs and takes a handful of her popcorn.

We were currently sitting in Zoey's living room, watching Teen Wolf, but we had to pause it to talk about last night. I told her about how I was a loner until I ran into Mason, then I found Zeke and fell asleep at his place.

"Anyway, it was weird. He seemed really posh and rude."

"Maybe he was just tryna be polite?" Zoey says through a mouthful of popcorn.

"Trust me, I ain't a cactus expert, but I know a prick when I see one."

"What did he say?"

"Well he was really strict and made Zeke answer him properly. Then he basically told me to go away and all I heard was them arguing. It's weird, i'd never seen Zeke look so... vulnerable."

"Man, I wonder what sort of family drama they have goin' on."

I decide to change the subject. Thinking about Zeke was making me worried and annoyed that I didn't know what was going on.

It's none of my business, but I don't like people being sad and if I know, then maybe I can help.

"So what did you do all last night?"

She looks away from me, "You know, just the usual."

"Is the usual making out with a blue-eyed babe?"

She gasps, "How did you know!"

"I saw!" I laugh.

She shakes her head, laughing. "I can't believe that happened."

"Did you sleep with him?"

"No, of course I didn't. I know what he's like."

Cole was a player like Zeke, but maybe worse. He couldn't do relationships. I heard the only time he ever dated a girl was in fifth grade and it lasted a day.

So he chooses to sleep with girls, no strings attached. If Zoey had feelings for him, I don't know what I'd do. I'd hate to see her get hurt.

"Do you like him?" I blurt out.

She looks at the popcorn bowl for a moment, thinking. "I don't know. No. I don't think so," she groans and slouches back on the couch. "I really liked kissing him. He's amazing at it. Fuck, I think I like him."

I pull her into a hug. "Hey, maybe he'll change for you?"

We let go of each other. She shakes her head, "He won't. I don't think he even likes me back."

"He'd be crazy not to."

"That's what you think, but he's probably fucking someone as we speak." Her eyebrows furrow and she looks down.

I hug her again, "I'm sorry, Zoe. You'll get over him, I promise. You'll find your perfect guy one day."

My phone buzzing in my pocket wakes me up.

Zoey is asleep, both of us still on the couch but the TV is now off and the house is in darkness.

I check the time on my phone, it reads 3:11am.

Ugh, God. Why do I need to be such a light sleeper?

It was Zeke who texted me, saying:

come to our place.

I want to say no and sleep, so that my routine doesn't get mixed up. But I also want to see him and make sure he's okay. And I want to ask him about his Dad.

I text Zeke asking if he'd pick me up from Zoey's house and send him the address.

Five minutes later, he texts me that he's here and I carefully get up, trying not to wake Zoey, and go leave the house.

"Hi," I whisper to him as I get into his car.

"Why are you whispering?" He whispers back.

"I don't know," I whisper again before clearing my throat and talking normally. "It's so late. I feel like such a rebel being up."

He laughs, "So badass. Teach me your ways."

He drives off towards the forest, going at an insane speed.

"Slow down! Are you trying to kill us?"

"This is a normal speed."

"Are you crazy? If you were going any faster your car would be flying!"

"I hate driving slow. It literally makes me wants to pull my hair out."

"Now you understand the way you make me feel."

He smirks at me, "You hate me going slow?"

"No! Stop. You make me want to pull my hair out."

"Feel that good, huh?"

I hit his arm, "Stop it!"

We reach the forest and Zeke parks the car right next to the entrance.

I can finally get out of this death trap.

"So, why did you want to come here?" I ask as we walk through the forest.

He shakes his head, "We can only talk about it when we're there. Everything that is said at the cliffside stays there, okay?"

I nod, thankful he won't tell people what I told him about my ex-boyfriend.

When we get to the cliff edge, we lie there on the soft grass, staring at the beautiful starry sky.

"What's the deal with your Dad?" I ask after a long silence.

Zeke sighs, "We don't exactly... get along."

"Why not?"

"He's a dick."

"Ah."

Another moment of silence passes.

"Was he always like that?"

"For as long as I can remember, yes."

"Why?"

He sighs again. I know he didn't like me asking lots of questions, but I guess he's trying not to be rude for some reason.

"I don't think he likes us – Maggie and I. He didn't even want kids, but had us anyway because my Mom did. Then he got sick of us and started working a lot more. He has the opportunity to come home at weekends, but he doesn't."

"Doesn't he want to see your Mom?"

"No. They're not in love anymore. Honestly, I don't think they ever were."

"Then why are they still together?"

He sighs again, "Because when they were teenagers, they thought they were in love. Just like every stupid teenage relationship, they think that they're soulmates. When actually, they're just in love with the idea of being in love. Love isn't even fucking real."

"You don't believe in love?"

"No. Do you know how many marriages fail? If they were in love they wouldn't get fucking divorced. They'd want to spend every second of their life together. No one feels like that though do they? And if they did, it wouldn't last."

It makes me sad that Zeke thinks like this. He says he doesn't like anything, and doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. And he doesn't believe in love.

Isn't the future and love what people live for?

So what is Zeke living for?

"If they don't feel the same way about each other that they once did, then why do they stay with each other? Why not find someone knew?" I couldn't even imagine spending my life with someone who wasn't the one for me.

"Because they're holding onto this stupid high school relationship. Plus, if they got divorced, my Dad would stop sending in the pay checks, and he wouldn't put up with us at all anymore. He wouldn't have a reason to, and my Mom couldn't handle us financially on her own."

I turn my head and look at him. He's still watching the stars with curiosity, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"I can't wait to leave this place," he mumbles.

"Where do you plan on going?"

"Europe, maybe. Just somewhere far away from here."

Suddenly, I feel worried that one day i'll need to say goodbye to Zeke, and i'll never see him again.

Now that I know him, I can't even imagine life without him.

+++

idk about this chapter :/

i lowkey wanna skip a lil bit so i can get to fun stuff

teaser: something about zeke is revealed and marnie is pissssssed

ly

-e