Not What He Expected

Zack started dancing next to Chloe, Meagan, Taylor, and Hannah. They all looked great in their own way, and his eyes kept going back and forth among them. Chloe looked great in her new clothes and he silently reminded himself to thank Taylor for helping Chloe wear something nice and different from her usually baggy clothes. He'd been trying for years to help her get over all the bullying and put down the other kids had given her and it looked like Taylor was what she needed. 'Like the way she helped me with my clothes' he thought.

He knew he had to make his move tonight and when he saw Trent move in to dance with Vicky he felt his heart sink to the pits of his stomach. He feared he was going to miss his chance again, like the last time and he tried to think what he could do to stop them. As he racked his brain he saw Hannah smoothly move in and peel Trent away as a dance partner. Relief flowed through him like warm water he felt his shoulders relax like a weight had been taken off them.

Zack took that as a sign that it was his moment and he moved in and asked Vicky for a song. They dance for a while and he remembered what Hannah had told him once. 'Always look a girl in her eyes when you dance with her. That's how you'll know when to make your move.'

He focused on looking at her beautiful face or looking up and behind her. He saw her close her eyes and her lips smiled blissfully, she seemed to swoon in front of him. 'This is it!' his mind screamed at him, 'She's really liking this! She likes dancing with me! She likes me!' he felt the butterflies in his stomach swirl around inside him.

Zack quickly glanced around and found his friends. Gavin was still staring at his screen but Meagan and Chloe were watching him. He even saw Taylor and Hannah glance his way. Hannah even smile and playfully winked at him as she came in from the kitchen with Trent with a beer in her hand. He saw Meagan give him an encouraging thumbs up and when he looked at Chloe he saw her bright smile of encouragement, he could almost hear her voice in his head 'You got this. Go ahead'. His hands trembled with excitement and he leaned in and brushed his quivering lips against Vicky's soft lips.

Vicky suddenly pulled back. Her eyes were wide open in shock and terror. "SMACK" he felt the sting on his cheek as she smacked him.

Everything went silent as if the music suddenly stopped and the sound of Vicky slapping him echoed like a shotgun blast in the silence. Zack looked around wide-eyed in surprise and it seemed that everyone was looking at him.

"You're the one!" Vicky yelled at him as she backed up. Her trembling finger pointing at him, accusing him of some terrible crime. "You're that one that's been stalking me! You sick... You!... Stay away from me!" and then she turned and ran up the stairs to her room.

Zack stood there, dumbstruck, and looked around. The look he saw of shock and horror stabbed him like a knife in the gut. He saw Meagan's wide eyes of surprise, Chloe covered her mouth in shock, and Taylor's sad pained eyes look at him. He also saw Kurt giggling smirk and Brandon and Trent's amused look on their face and in the corner the worried look on Peter and Heather.

Everyone was looking at him. He felt his tears start to swell in his eyes and knew he had to get away. He couldn't let them see him cry. He started walking forward to the terrace right in front of him, he passed the glass doors and started walking down the path to the beach. His steps turned into a jog and then he started running as the tears finally burst from his eyes and he cried and sobbed his broken heart.

He ran to the beach, tripped on one of the logs benches, and sprawled over the sand and pebbles. Still crying he picked himself up and managed to lean on one of the benches. He cursed himself and the world for betraying him. He cursed his friends for encouraging him, he cursed all the advice he got. He cried out anguish at losing his greatest love. The pain in his chest was unbearable.

He didn't know how long he sat there curled up on the beach crying his heart out when he faintly heard footsteps approaching him, the uneven steps crunching the pebbles on the beach.

"Go Away Chloe! Leave Me Alone!" he half cried half sobbed. "Leave Me Alone!"