Zack's Jitters

Note: I forgot to place in the previous chapter how the rooms are split up. This is how the teens split up on Friday, the day they arrive. The map has the rooms numbered.

1. Master Bedroom - Hannah and Taylor

2. Den - Zack and Gavin

3. Queen Size Bedroom - Chloe and Meagan

4. Master Bedroom - Ashley and Brandon

5. Two Single Beds - Victoria and Madison

6. Queen Size Bedroom - Heather and Kurt

7. Two Single Beds - Trent and Peter

***************************************

Zack tugged nervously at the sleeves of his redshirt. Ever since the talk with the guys on the beach he had been worried. It wasn't just the locker room comments they had all made about the girls, he was used to that kind of talk and had even participated with some of his friends like Leon and Kenny, sometimes it was fun and sometimes it struck too close to home. What really had him upset was that it seemed like both Trent and Kurt had their eyes on his Vicky. Kurt seemed to be looking at most of the girls in general but he wondered if Trent didn't also have a crush on Vicky as he did.

He had tried to keep calm but the butterflies in his stomach just wouldn't stop. He had thought that going for a run with Chloe, Meagan, and Taylor might help clear his mind, let him think and plan his moves and settle down. But when Kurt and Trent joined them on the run it only made it worse. He had even tried masturbating in the bathroom like he did almost twice a day since his breakup with Lisa, but even that didn't help steady his nerves.

Zack barely touched his diner. He tried to sit close to Vicky to talk with her but Ashley had beat him to the punch and sat Vicky next to her with Brandon, and Trent at their end of the table, followed by Madison, Heather, and Kurt on one side across from Hannah, Taylor, and Peter and finally he ended up at the other end of the table with Chloe and Gavin. Even Meagan had managed to somehow squeeze her tiny frame in between Madison and Heather. All Zack could do was watch from afar how Vicky talked with the girls and Trent, Kurt and Peter.

Chloe and Meagan had mentioned that Vicky might have a thing for Peter but that she wasn't looking for a long-distance relationship or a spring fling kinda put him at ease but their comments about Vicky being open to him when they mentioned his name gave him some hope. What he really needed to do was get close and spend time with her. Heather's idea of turning the living room into a dance floor just might be what he needed.

While he finished dressing his mind wandered back to the last time he had a chance to dance with Vicky only to lose her to Dustin two years ago during Ashley's sweet 16 birthday.

**************************

Flashback - Ashley Sweet 16 Birthday

Zack finally relented and did has Taylor told him to do and went forward to dance with Ashley.

"Happy Birthday!" Zack smiled as he started dancing the waltz with Ashley.

"Thanks Zack!" Ashley said. She was wearing a flowing pale pink dress with a circlet of pink flowers on her head. "You dance pretty good," she said after a few steps and twirls.

"Thanks, Taylor made me practice for your birthday after I stepped on Chloe's foot on her birthday," Zack said sheepishly.

"NO! You stepped on Chloe's foot!" Ashley laughed and smiled in surprise.

"Don't laugh!" Zack said defensively "She almost broke my shin when she kicked me back," they both laughed at the image. "So then Taylor said she was going to teach me how to dance so I didn't embarrass her and step on your feet."

"Well thanks! You're doing pretty good," Ashley said. They were quickly interrupted by someone else who came to dance with Ashley.

For a moment Zack was left standing alone looking around when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Well is it finally my turn to get a dance?" Hannah said in a sultry voice as she put her hands on Zacks's shoulders. "Come on, don't be shy, put your hands on my waist." Zack gulped as he put his hands on her slim waist, his eyes locked on her ample cleavage thrusting out right in front of him as if he were hypnotized by them.

"Eyes up here Zacky." Hannah cooed and Zack tore his sight from her ample bosom and looked up at Hannah's light blue eyes. He blushed again at being caught staring at her assets yet again but Hannah simply smiled brightly at him. "Always look a girl in her eyes when you dance with her. That's how you know when to make your move," She said as they both started to dance. "When you get taller, you'll be able to sneak a peek at a girl's tits while you look down at her eyes." She then leaned into him, almost thrusting her breast into his chest, and whispered in his ears. "Tell you a little secret... We girls like it when you boys sneak a peek at us, even stare a bit, but don't ever gawk at a girl, she'll think you're creepy... Now..." she winked at him, "take a quick peak."

Off to the side Taylor sat with Peter, she wanted to dance but didn't want to leave Peter alone. She also didn't want to dance with Peter, at least not so soon after the breakup with Hannah. Taylor watched as Hannah replace Ashley as Zack's dance partner but when she saw Hannah's antics with Zack her mood soured and she decided to put a stop to it but she also didn't want to cause a scene at Ashley's sweet 16. She quickly looked around and found exactly what she needed.

Taylor quickly grabbed a pair of young teens she knew were friends of Ashley and said "Please, I need your help for a minute." and then she marched them over and pointed to Hannah and said, "Logan, I need you to ask her to dance."

"Okay," Logan shrugged. He definitely wasn't about to turn down the chance to dance with Hannah Woodsen, the most coveted girl in school.

Zack once again found his dance with a Woodsen interrupted. and he watched Hannah turn around to dance with Logan and he suddenly saw Victoria Walker standing in front of him and a smug smile on Taylor behind her.

"Em.. want to dance?" Zack nervously asked Vicky.

"Sure," Vicky said and they both started to dance.

Zack looked at Vicky and wanted to say something nice but not cheesy "You... look nice." he blurted out.

"Thanks, Zack!" Vicky said, "That suit looks good on you too."

Zack smiled brightly at the compliment and was looking for something else to say when they were interrupted once again.

"I think it's time for me to dance with my girl." Dustin Lewis said and Zack sank when he saw how her eyes brightened when she saw Dustin.

"So I'm your girl?" she smiled looking up at the boy she had a crush on these last few months.

"Yea, my girl... if you want." Dustin said as he spun Vicky into his space and started dancing with her.

Zack missed the rest of the conversation He cursed and kicked himself for not thinking about something like that to say to Vicky. He quickly slunk away from the dance floor and sat on one of the chairs near the wall to sulk.

Zack watched from afar as Vicky and Dustin danced really close and seemed to laugh and smile a lot at each other until he tore his eyes to look elsewhere. He sat there watching the people and couples in the room, some danced way closer than he would have and even saw a few couples leave the room. He watched Hannah and Logan sneak off to the parking lot, he then saw Peter take the hand of a wavy-haired redhead he was dancing with and leave the dance hall. He looked around again when Lisa Rivera and Madison Cole blocked his view.

"Wanna dance?" Madison asked him.

"I... emm" He stumbled with his words. "Not really in the mood."

Pleeaassee." Madison and Lisa urged him.

"C'mon Zack let's dance. If you dance with us I'll go out with you." Lisa offered and Zack's sour mood quickly turned around.

*******************

Back to the present

"Mmm, looking good," a deep raspy voice brought Zack out of his revelry. Turning around he saw Taylor enter the room and walk over to Zack. "Looking to get lucky tonight?" she asked as she adjusted the collar of his shirt.

Zack dropped his gaze and smiled sheepishly "No."

"Anything I can help you with? Want me to call Peter?" Taylor offered, not believing him but giving him some slack.

Zack shook his head and said, "No, I'm ok, I got this."

"Don't take too long." Taylor said softly, winked at him, and tousled his hair a bit "There, now it's perfect."

"Taylor! Can I use your bathroom?" Meagan asked from the doorway holding her knees together and slightly rocking her hips with Chloe behind her. Clearly, she had to go and fast.

"Sure... but what's wrong with your bathroom?" she asked.

"Fucking Gavin is what's wrong! He's still in there!" Meagan said. "I swear he spends more time in the bathroom than Bonnie." she turned to Zack "I'm gonna kill you Zack! Every bedroom has a bathroom but ours! You'd think being your friends you would give us the best room but NOO we got to share it with Gavin! I promise you! When you come to my cabin I'm gonna make you use the trees!" She berated Zack before turning to leave.

"You better hurry up and change," Taylor said to Chloe.

"I'm fine with this," Chloe said referring to her hoodie and sweatpants.

"Oh no you're not!" Taylor said marching over and turned Chloe around and pushed her to her room.

"But..." Chloe protested.

"No buts. No way you're going dressed looking like a sack of potatoes." Taylor said dragging Chloe along "You are not going to embarrass me and Zack looking like that! I saw what your mom put in and there's a lot of nice things for you to wear tonight."

'The girls are right, I gotta make my move fast,' he thought 'Maybe while we dance?" he wondered and blessed Heather's idea of turning the living room into a dance floor after diner. 'This is gonna be my chance,' he thought has a plan formed in his mind.