You are my heart How could I ever let you go? You are my soul I had to lose my soul to know How much you mean to me You are my heart
-You Are My Heart, by Lara Fabian (CD: self-titled)
Brittany stepped inside the party, with Nick behind her. They were meeting Zack and Rae there, in any moment, because Nick and Brittany had been out, shopping for Rae's birthday presents, together, so they'd decided to just meet Zack and Rachel at the party. Brittany had met a nice, young couple at a gas station, the night before, and they'd told her about the huge party they were throwing the next night. They'd invited her, and anybody else she wanted to bring along. So she'd invited Nick and Rae... who'd in turn, obviously invited Zack. Brittany and Zack hadn't had a normal conversation in three weeks, ever since the night they'd gone to the movie and "agreed" on giving each other some space. Space was exactly what they'd given each other. It was hell for Nick and Rae... they had to put up with the depression of their two friends. They didn't understand why they wouldn't just admit they loved each other, admit they were being stupid, and at LEAST be friends again!
"Do you see 'em?" Nick asked, as he followed Brittany over to the coat rack.
It was one of those 'Just come on in!' parties. You didn't need to be let in, or shown around, or introduced to people... you just... simply mingled, met people, danced, and got into the flow.
Brittany hung up her jacket and straightened out her dress, watching as Nick searched for Rae. She laughed, "They're obviously not here yet... C'mmon, let's find something to drink."
Nick and Brittany hung out for fifteen minutes, and finally Zack and Rae showed up, bickering with each other.
"What's going on?" Nick asked, with an amused look on his face, Brittany's expression mirroring his own.
"Zack's being ridiculous!" Rae glared up at her brother, who merely scowled. "I can't work like this!"
Brittany gave her a weird look, "What are you working at?"
Rachel caught herself, "Nothing. Nevermind. I'm being stupid. I need something to drink," she grabbed Nick's hand and ran off with him, leaving Brittany confused and Zack flustered.
Rae knew her and Nick almost got caught, although she figured Zack and Britt kind of knew that they were trying desperately to get them back together. But Rachel couldn't "work" with how Zack was acting. He'd given her an ear-load of crap on the way to the party, saying he didn't want to go there, he knew Brittany wouldn't want him there, he didn't want to ruin her night, he didn't want to ruin his own... blah, blah, blah. It was all the same old stuff. They'd been over it a thousand times.
Brittany looked at Zack, desperately wanting to flee from his presence, "I gotta... use the bathroom," she ran down the hallway, not even knowing where the bathroom was, not even caring.
~ * ~
It was two hours later, at one in the morning, when Brittany was dancing with Nick and Zack was dancing with Rae. A slow song was playing, and Nick was cracking jokes left and right, being just a little tipsy, and Brittany was laughing at him, being a little tipsy herself. They weren't drunk... just tipsy. Zack was fighting with Rae again, but nothing serious. Just a brother/sister quarrel.
Nick suddenly looked up at Rae, as she looked at him, and they both nodded their heads, slowly moving towards each other, in a dancing manner, so that Zack and Brittany wouldn't notice. Right when they got to each other, Nick released Britt.
"I gotta dance with my lady," Nick smirked, grabbing Rae from Zack, and pushing Brittany into him.
Brittany, being a little under the influence, got a little dizzy and fell into him, Zack catching her in his arms. She slowly pulled herself onto her feet more, raising her eyes to look at him, as her arms grasped around his. "I... I'm sorry."
Zack nodded, his breath completely absent. Finally he was able to gasp a breath, and then talk, "That's okay..." he looked at Nick and Rae who were trying to act like they were only paying attention to each other, but in all reality were casting glances at Zack and Brittany, to see if their plan would actually start working. "It wasn't your fault. In fact, I think my dearest sister, and her wonderful boyfriend wanted us to dance."
Brittany's eyes widened as if it were the most impure thing in the world. In her half-drunken state she hadn't even thought of the fact that they'd been set up, "Really?? Oh my gosh!!"
Zack couldn't help but laugh at her, "Uh... you a li'l drunk there, girl?"
She nodded her head, vigorously, "Of course not!!" She didn't even notice how she'd just contradicted herself.
Zack shook his head in humor, "Alright, nevermind then. C'mmon, let's just humor them and dance together, okay? Just 'til this song is over..." he pulled her closer and she slowly went along with him.
Feeling herself growing tired, Brittany leaned farther into him, her head laying on his chest, her hand resting next to her face, while her other hand wrapped around his neck. Zack could feel her hot breath through his shirt, his grasp on her waist tightening with every breath.
"Brittany?" he finally asked quietly, as her breathing slowed. What if she'd passed out? He'd already, pretty much, been holding her up.
"Yeah?" Britt responded quietly, opening her eyes slowly and raising her head.
He looked down at her, a serious expression on his face, his heart pounding in his chest, his hands slipping to the small of her back, as his breathing grew straggled.
She suddenly looked concerned, "What's wrong?"
~ * ~
Nick sighed as he turned back to Rae, who smiled up at him, "What do you think they're talking about?"
Rae shrugged, "She's kinda' drunk... Can she carry on conversation?"
Nick laughed, "Yeah, when we were dancing, she was speaking in full sentences pretty well."
She nodded in response, before changing the subject, "I love you, Nickers Snickers."
"I love you too, Rae Babe," he grinned like a silly little boy, before kissing her gently.
Rae grinned up at him.
~ * ~
Zack smiled down at Brittany in reassurance, "Nothing... I'm fine. I just know that I'll never be this close to you again."
Brittany's eyebrows knitted together, "That's not true, Zack. You're my best friend."
He suddenly felt his temper flare, and as his eyes flashed with anger, Brittany felt her blood run cold and any drunkenness that had been in her quickly sobered. "Am I?? Am I your best friend?! Because I specifically remember a conversation on the way home from a movie theater, where you told me that you thought we shouldn't talk!"
Her eyes widened, knowing a few people were watching them, "I didn't say that, Zack!" she lowered her voice to a furious whisper, that was loud enough for him to hear over the music, "You know I didn't say that... I said 'space'! I didn't know 'space' would go for almost a month..."
"That's a bunch of sh*t! You knew what you were doing to us! You knew what would happen!"
"What I was doing to us?! What about the fact that you AGREED to break up, in the first place?!"
"F*ck what happened in 'the first place', Brittany! It's all gotten sucked from then! You said we would stay best friends! That was the purpose of breaking up! Because you had some messed up idea that you'd lose our wonderful friendship by dating me!"
She was so angry, her hands were balled in fists, "F*CK YOU, ZACK!" she slapped him hard on the face, before walking out of the room and onto the back balcony.
Zack stood in the middle of all the dancing teenagers, and sighed, while running his fingers through his hair. Nick and Rae were looking at him with wide eyes, but he didn't care. He suddenly knew what he had to do...
~ * ~
Zack stepped out the patio sliding glass doors and saw Brittany leaning against the railing, her back to him. Every now and then she would wipe her eyes angrily, with her hand. He figured she was crying. Walking slowly, with deliberate steps, he reached her with a dozen slow strides.
"Ritt?" he whispered gently, placing his hand on her back.
Brittany whirled around, her eyes angry, but as they came in contact with his own, her heart softened. How could she be mad at the beautiful man in front of her? He was her everything... he looked so... so... genuinely sorry. She began to cry all over again, but this time they weren't angry tears, but tears of anguish and sadness over everything that she'd done to screw up their relationship.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered pitifully, the white dress below her collecting all of her tears.
"I love you, Brittany... Please know that. I'm sorry about the things that I said inside. I was angry, I was angry at the situation, at the fact that I wasn't able to be with you. I'm so sorry. You were right, I agreed to not date anymore, I shouldn't have put all that on you."
"Say that again."
"What??" Zack's eyes bugged out. "I can't even remember what I said!"
She smiled slowly, "No... the first thing you said."
He racked his brain, trying to figure out what he'd said. Finally he smiled gently, "I love you...?"
She nodded silently.
Zack grinned, pulling her closer, but then dropped his hands from her body again, "I love you," he whispered.
"Again," Brittany urged, leaning her forehead against his chest.
He laughed quietly, and as he whispered it again, he wrapped his arms around her waist.
She lifted her head slowly, and stared into his eyes, "I love you too, Zack."
Zack slowly leaned down and kissed her.
