Changes

Stifling a yawn, Zack headed down the corridor to the room he shared with Chloe. It had been a very fun, productive but exhausting day. He was ready to just collapse in a heap on his bed and nap until dinner time.

But that, he figured, was unlikely to happen. He still had the little matter of explaining to Chloe why he had skimped out on their plan. And there wasn't even a good excuse he could make up. To say he got caught up with the others for this long was just insulting. He might as well just say he'd rather hang out with his friends than have sex with her. And with Chloe's body issues, saying something like that would probably just make her more insecure.

Strange as it seemed, the last thing Zack wanted to do was hurt Chloe. He knew he already was by doing what he was doing with Ashley. But he was also aware that it was he that was the problem, not Chloe. It was his lack of self-control that led him to give in to temptation, to give himself over to the feelings he had for Ashley. For all the wrong he was doing to Chloe, she was still one of his best friends. She was beautiful and funny and incredibly smart and driven, all of the things that should have kept him from cheating.

But they didn't because he didn't want them to. He wanted to fuck Ashley. And that was on him. He didn't want her to think there was anything wrong with her. So it made it difficult to think of a convincing lie that didn't also make Chloe seem like the girl who got picked last.

He considered just telling her the truth but Ashley wanted to keep it a secret. Telling Chloe would inevitably lead to Brandon finding out and that wasn't fair to Ashley. She should be able to tell him when she was ready.

So Zack Bishop was truly between a rock and a hard place. And the corridor wasn't that long so he didn't have a lot of time to think before he was in front of the door of the room he shared with Chloe. With a deep breath he turned the handle and was confronted with...

"Kurt?" Zack exclaimed at seeing Heather's cousin busy unpacking his stuff. Zack looked down the corridor and counted the doors, making sure he had indeed come to the right room.

"Hey, roomie," Kurt said with a huge grin.

"What are you doing here?"

"Chloe decided she didn't want to sleep here so I swapped with her," he explained. "To be frank, I'd much rather be sharing with Heather but my cousin insisted."

Zack couldn't understand. None of this made sense to him. There was a part of this puzzle he was missing.

"Why would Chloe not want to sleep here?" Zack asked.

Kurt gave a short laugh, and cocked his head. "What reason can you think of that Chloe wouldn't want to share with you anymore?"

The realisation struck Zack right at that moment. His eyes went wide as his mind raced. How had she found out? Had she seen him with Ashley in the woods? Had she heard him with Ashley in Brandon's room? Why hadn't she said anything?

"Shit. She knows about me and Ashley."

It was a statement more than a question but Kurt answered anyway. "Bingo. So she's pretty pissed at you."

"Does anyone else know?" Zack's mind continued to try and pick up the pieces. "Does Brandon know?"

Kurt shrugged. "Dunno bout Brandon, but Heather and I know too."

"Shit." Said Zack. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit."

"Why do you care?" Kurt asked. "You're fucking Ashley now."

"I didn't want her to find out like this." Zack said. "I didn't mean for it to become some sort of scandal or house gossip, or to tar her as some sort of object of pity."

"Then maybe don't fuck your piece on the side in the forest where anyone could just stumble upon it, eh?" Kurt said, and then laughed. "Not that I can blame you. Ashley is a fine piece of ass. Better men than you would have prostrated themselves before her and given up all their worldly possessions for a chance inside that snatch."

"Fuck you, Kurt." Zack seethed, angry at Kurt's comments but also at himself for letting this situation happen.

I have to talk to Chloe, he thought. She had been one of his best friends; he could still repair their friendship if nothing else. She was hearing all of this from other people. He had to talk to her and straighten this out. What he did was a shitty thing but Chloe could forgive him...their friendship could endure...right?

"I need to go find Chloe," Zack said, rushing off without waiting for a response.