He wasn't exactly sure, but he could almost detect the hint of "I told you so" on Isaac's face, and it made him want to jump at him. It wasn't something to be smug about.

He figured it was about time that he faced the whole Kristin thing. He couldn't waddle around it forever, and she didn't seem to be real thrilled with the idea anyway. So if anyone was going to make things better it would be him. Opening the door to his bedroom, he sighed. It wasn't like it was going to be hard to call her, but he couldn't understand why he loathed it so incredibly much that it was too hard to comprehend. He liked Kristin. He really did, and he didn't understand why everything had to be so difficult with those people that were supposed to mean the most to you. Even if he couldn't exactly say he admitted that the two were together in at least a really close relationship, he did care about her.

"I just don't understand any of this anymore. Not any of it. Why can't life be simple?"

Closing the door behind himself, he walked to the spot he saw the phone fall, and reached behind the stack of boxes to retrieve it. Picking it up he pushed the talk button comically, perhaps it wouldn't work...that would infact mean that he had broken the phone. In which case not only would he not have to call her, but there'd be no chance in hell she'd be calling him.

He grimaced as the phone echoed a dial tone, and began slowly punching in each number. It took him an eternity, and he was almost relieved when he had finally dialed the last digit.

Hearing the ring on the opposite end of the phone gave him the chills. He couldn't actually believe what he was doing. He was admitting this to her, to Tammy, Isaac too. He was actually standing up to this one.

"Hello?"

Yet again another downfall to calling Kristin. Her mom. When her mom got set on something she was pretty set, and he'd been almost certain that Kristin wasn't answering the phone for the rest of the week.

"Uh...yeah...hi. Is Kristin there?"

"Yeah. She is."

Nodding on his end of the line, Zac looked vaguely around his room for some inspiring idea. No such luck.

"Okay then. Can I speak to her?"

"It all depends I guess. Are you going to yell at her?"

"Yell at her?! No way did I even..."

"See your doing it right now..."

"What?"

"I don't think you can talk to her."

Zac jumped off his bed, looking for something to throw but found nothing was quite within his reach.

"Listen. I just really want to talk to her. I'm being man enough for you aren't I. I'm calling her back. Now at least do me the courtesy of..."

He listened as the silence on her end of the phone grew too loud. Either she had hung up on him, or she had just stopped listening. Or maybe, perhaps she had done what he'd not really wanted her to and gone to get Kristin.

Walking from wall to wall in his room, he shook his head. No way. She hung up. He should have known Kristin's mom better. She was a no nonsense kind of lady. He's suprised she even answered the phone.

"What Zac."

"Uh...um."

"Listen..I got up from watching a really important episode of friends to answer your damn call, so my tip to you is hurry up or I'm hanging up."

Clearing his throat he sat down on the bed.

"Okay. This is what I have to say.."

"Hurry up Zac. I'm growing older by the second."

"Okay just chill...I'm sorry. Alright I'm sorry that things haven't been going so great lately. I want things to go better...like maybe you and me could do something later?"

There was a long pause between the two of them.

"So that's it? You just...you think you made it all better by saying your sorry? Is that what all this is about?"

"No! I just...I want us to be better. I want things to go better with Kate and the guys...I mean. I can't help that I'm stuck here..."

"You have to talk to me you know. You can't just lock yourself up all the time."

"I know."

"And I don't ask about you to pry...I ask about you cause I really wanna know what's going on."

Nodding Zac ran his finger along the stitching on his bed spread.

"I know I know...just please don't hang up this time..."

"Zac you weren't being fair..."

"I know but I just said I was sorry. I can't say anything else. You have to just...trust me or something I guess."

Sitting back against the wall, Zac anticipated the nagging questions and accusations he figured would come from her. But they didn't. She was silent for a moment and then she sighed.

"Zac. I really have to go right now, but I promise..I swear I'll call you tomorrow okay?"

With a tingling sensation of relief running through his body, he smiled.

"Yeah, that'd be cool."

"Stay outta trouble."

"Yup."

"Night Zac."

"I told you this was a good idea. He's out of the house. She's really good at motivating people too, in a good way. She likes to help people out. Maybe she can help him find a job."

Brent looked back at Mary. He didn't quite understand how she might've known the two would clique, but they did, and he supposed he was happy for Taylor. Taylor after all, had been single since his sophmore year, and it had definitely played a roll in his negative attitude. Perhaps things would be different now? Maybe not, but it was definitely worth a try.

"We should get back to the table."

Brent nodded as she picked up his hand off the counter and they began walking back to the table.

Sitting down, they both looked back over at Taylor and Nikki.

"So when exactly were you two gonna finish your grub so we can head over to the movies? Anytime soon?"

Taylor flashed him a hot glare and Brent smiled.

"C'mon Tay. Lighten up. Movie's gonna start without us."

Not looking up, Zac moved over on his bed, giving Tammy a space on the edge.

"So did things go better?"

"You weren't sposed to listen."

Laughing Tammy stood up, grabbing a pile of candy wrappers that had accumulated on his dresser.

"I wasn't listening. You were far too quiet to not have called her."

"Oh. Well either way, it went just fine."

"Did you patch it up?"

Sighing, Zac reached for a plastic action figure lying on his nightstand.

"I guess. I think she's all dissapointed cause I didn't like...get on my hands and knees and beg her forgiveness. But I did what I could, so if she can't accept it...then oh well."

"Well I definitely admire I guy that can admit he's wrong."

Rolling his eyes he chucked the action figure across the room.

"Who said anything about being wrong?"

"I don't get him. First Kristin says he's being a total asshole, and now...now she's like, lovey dovey with the guy."

"C'mon Scott. Lets think about this. First off, dude's a drummer, attitude one-oh-one. He's got it down pat. Second, he's almost 16, like all guys go through some weird hormonal shift at 16 where they freak out and do nice things one minute....and are total slime the next. And lastly, he's living with Isaac, granted the chick is cool, but Isaac...that'd mess you up pretty bad in the head too."

Tucker laughed, downing yet another mountain dew.

"Easy on the fizz dude. Your totally gonna kill youreslf."

The room fell quiet as the four stared at one another.

"Lets call him."

Tucker frowned.

"Tonight?"

"No! Tomorrow. Like, we'll set his drums up downstairs, you know, and we'll bring him over, we'll play tomorrow."

Kate smiled at Scott. Asshole yes, but he had his moments.

"Nice one dude."

"Totally."

More comming soon.

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