Zachary

We won the soccer game, and that's why I find myself going to one of these parties again, because of Alice. I don't know how she gets invited to all of them, or maybe I do; After all she's dating the soccer team captain. Alice sees me and comes over with a grin.

“You came,” she smirks as she takes hold of my arm and drags me over to where her boyfriend, Dylan, is standing talking to his four other soccer buddies, including Everett. He was leaning back on the wall with a beer bottle in his hands.

All of them turn to look at me, Dylan's eyes narrow when he notices Alice's arms around mine. I hold back from rolling my eyes. If he thinks I want his girlfriend back or something he has lost his mind. Alice just grins over at the soccer guys.

“Told you he'd come if I call him,” she tells them with a smirk.

“Is he still not over you or something?” One of the guys asks.

Alice snorts. “To be over me, he has to first feel something for me. He is a self-absorbed jerk.”

I smirk at her. She rolls her eyes. Dylan seems to visibly relax when he grasps that I am not his competition. Everett stares at me.

“So then how did you get him to come?” The guy asks.

Her smirk grows wider. “He is easy to guilt-trap. All I have to do is tell him that he broke my heart, and now he won't even hang out with me. He might be an asshole, but he has a heart somewhere deep inside him.”

“I am so fucking glad you dumped me.” I say.

“Somewhere very very very deep inside him,” she nods at the guys.

I can't help but snort at her. The others snicker.

“You need to delete the numbers of your ex-boyfriend who treated you like shit. Especially mine.” I tell her.

Her whole posture becomes stern, and she looks at me, all humor gone. “You never treated me like shit Zach. If anything it's amazing how you made me feel special, the only reason why I broke up with you was because you wouldn't let me treat you the same way.”

What can I say to that? Nothing. I knew exactly what she was talking about. I didn't let her in. Never showed her any part of me.

“That got serious fast,” another one of the soccer guys says.

“Well it's in the past, and now I am his best friend.” Alice smirks at me mischievously.

I groan. “No. You are not my best friend.”

“You know I could make my boyfriend punch for treating me like that,” she says pointing to Dylan. Then she looks over to Everett and continues “Or I am sure Everett is waiting for the chance.”

I turn to Everett who raises his eyebrows at Alice. “I am sure Dylan can get the job done, but yeah, I can take you upon that offer.”

He says to her but then turns to me with a smug grin spreading across his lips. That shouldn't make me want to pull him onto me and cover his mouth with mine.

“Keep your hands to yourself Everett. Or else the others might start noticing the fact that you are obsessed with me.” I give him a smirk of my own.

“You should take your own advice and keep your hands to yourself, and maybe they'll stop talking about how you can't keep your dick to yourself.” he replies easily.

For one thing I am grateful that he is acting like nothing happened ever after the clusterfuck that is my mother. But that doesn't mean that he is any less of an asshole as he was before.

“Jesus. You guys are fucking arseholes to each other. Take a break, dude.” Dylan says.

“In all the years that they have known each other, not once have they ever been civil with each other. It's entertaining as fuck,” Pierce says from next to Everett, snatching his beer and taking a gulp.

“Fucking piece of shit.” Everett says to Pierce. I stare at them.

“Oh… Zach, By the way one of my friends is totally head over heels for you and wants to ask you out. So how about it?” Alice asks, suddenly, pulling my attention away from Everett.

A date. Normally I would have said whatever; but now I have Vio to focus on for a while. I know that Vio will be sad over the fact that mother and I haven't made up. She will blame herself if I don't check up on her and spend time with her. Vio always comes first to me. “No.”

Alice stares at me like she wants to be inside my head. “Finally getting tired of dating for no reason?”

“I just have something more important to focus on right now.” I shrug apathetically, not giving up any more information.

Everett

I have a feeling that I know what that something more important is. It has to be Violet. The way Zachary acted that day with Violet tells me more than enough about their relationship. Zachary absolutely loves his sister more than anything. The way he was affectionate and protective with her is the first time I have seen Zachary openly showing any kind of warmth towards anyone.

“Like what?” Pierce asks.

He is a complete idiot.

Zachary raises his eyebrows at him but doesn't say anything.

“Did you start dating someone seriously!? Is it a girl or a guy?” Alice asks excitedly.

Zachary sighs. “I am not dating anyone.”

“Please don't tell me this important thing is you studying. You already have excellent grades!” Alice scowls at him. Like he personally wronged her. I almost let out a laugh.

“I just like to be on top of things,” He grins at her.

“That's what he said.” Pierce smirks at him.

“No. I am all for equal opportunity during sex.” He directs a filthy smile at Pierce who just stares at him dumbfounded.

Jesus Christ. I did not need that image in my head. Zachary under me or on top of me. My blood heats up. I can't help but wonder what that would be like, Zachary under me all breathless and wanting, then him on top of me burning with lust. I might be a bit drunk.

“Fucking hell man. You are just like Everett. You have no filter.” Finley says huffing out air.

“You asked, man.” I tell him.

“I asked you if you liked fucking or getting fucked. All you had to say was both, but you gave me a whole lesson on your sexual preferences that I felt like I actually had sex with you.” Finley says, his face turning horrified at the memory. This happened in our freshman year when I came out to the guys. We were all new, just a week after we joined the team. I was eating with the guys and a girl hit on me, I turned her down. Finley asked me why didn't I give her a chance, I told him I was gay. He just looked at me and the next thing he asked was that. I was ready to be trash-mouthed and be called a 'fag' but Finley was so cool and curious about it, I couldn't help but be grateful. It was instant friendship.

Everybody bursts out laughing and Zachary snickers and smirks at me. Automatically, without realizing, I return his smirk. What the hell is happening!? Zachary seems to notice this too since he looks a bit startled before we both look away from each other.

“I need to use the bathroom,” I move away towards the bathroom. I get in and lock the door, I pee and then wash my hands and my face. I have definitely had too much to drink.

Get a fucking grip Everett.

So I go back only to find that Zachary was nowhere to be found. So I look for him, I have no idea why. Eventually, I find him outside in a corner, leaning on the wall with a cigarette between his lips. It's cold, dark and private as it gets in a party; if I didn't know him well enough to know how his body or posture looks like then I couldn't have recognised him. He turns his head when he sees me approaching.

“Did you look for me?” He asks his eyebrows dipping down in confusion. Fuck. He looks good. Those shoulders, muscled forearms and those eyes. Those beautiful sexy eyes. It's obvious that he works out, I do too, but I have to because of soccer. Then I start thinking about how it would be like to work out in the gym with him. I blame it on the alcohol.

“Yeah.” I tell him.

“Why?”

“Because I want to do something.” I have no idea what the fuck is wrong with me. And I can't believe I am going to do this. Even though I have been wanting to do it for a long time. But fuck it, I have come this far. I am not backing out now.

He tilts his head at me in a question. So I do what I came here for. I grab his face with my hands and kiss him. Urgent. And the effect is instant. I am completely sober and completely wasted at the same time. The ground isn't still anymore. I pull back. His cigarette falls from his hand. He smells like sweat, beer, cigarettes and a lingering bit of cologne.

He looks at me with dark eyes that burn me. Then he fists my shirt and pulls. “Tomorrow we are going to pretend this didn't happen, that we were both high off our heads.”

And then his mouth is on mine again. I push him against the wall, devouring his mouth. Licking, biting and ravaging it. There is nothing gentle about it, I can feel the sting on my lips as he bites my lower lip then let out a rumble when I return the favor.

Kissing someone shouldn't feel better than sex. It shouldn't feel like this. Kissing Zachary makes me feel like I have been doing it wrong all this time. This is a fucking nuclear holocaust.

We pull back, breathless. Still clutching to each other. He fits right against me. We almost have the same kind of build and maybe one of us might be an inch taller than the other, but we just fit. Our waists, chest against chest but my focus right now is more below. Fucking hell.

“Yeah… this definitely didn't happen.” he says.

I pull away. We stare at each other for a moment; giving time to let whatever just happened sink in. It's too much and I know we I can't stay here another second. So, we both walk away from each other.

______________________________