+chapter.eight+

Jenn leaned her head down and kissed the fabric covering his chest.

Slowly, Jennifer lifted Zac’s arms from around her and began to get up. She had dreamt first some good things about her and Zac, but then some awful dreams about Rach. She wasn’t quite sure, but she had to make sure everything was okay.

Jenn smiled down at Zac as she pulled a light cover over him. She walked out of the room and to the spare room. She picked up the phone and dialed Rach’s number. Her answering machine came on and Jenn waited for the beep. “Rach, it’s Jenn. You don’t have to call back cause I’m not home. I’m just making sure everything’s okay…I’ll call back later. Bye.” She hung up, giving a soft sigh. Is this what the world was coming to? She had to be frightened for her life in her own home? She had to worry about her friends after every nightmare? This was really messed up.

Jenn stood up. She needed something…but she didn’t know what. She walked out the door of the spare room and headed down the hall again.

Zachary walked out of his room, his hair all over. Jennifer breathed a laugh as he approached her.

“You left me,” he spoke with a fake pout.

Jennifer’s soft smiled stayed put. “I had to call Rach and make sure everything was okay.”

Zac’s expression turned serious. “Is it?”

Jenn shrugged. “I got her machine. I’ll just try later.”

Zac nodded. “You okay?”

Jenn reached over and took Zac’s hand in her left and tried to fix his hair with her right. “I’m fine…really.”

Zac watched her. “If you need me…I’m here for you…Always.”

Jenn nodded. “And I for you. Always.”

Slowly, sweetly, Zachary neared his face to Jennifer’s tasting her soft lips.

After a moment, they pulled away and smiled gently at each other. “I love you,” Jennifer whispered gently. “So much.”

“Me too Baby…I’m so glad I’ve known you for so long…without you in my life…I would have nothing. A big nothing.”

Jennifer smiled at him and looked out the window. It was beginning to get dark out. Jenn looked at the clock briefly as the phone rang. It was about quarter to eight.

“Hold up a sec,” Zac spoke gently.

Jenn nodded.

Zac picked up the phone in the spare room. “Yello? Oh, hi. Yea, she’s here…Yea…Sure, hold on.” Zac covered the mouthpiece and held out the phone. “Your mom.”

Jenn took the phone. “Thanks,” she mouthed to Zachary. “Hey, Mom.” Jenn smiled into the phone. “Yea, I’m okay. Zac helped me there…” She smiled over at Zac. He grinned back at her. “We’re a couple now…” Jenn tightened her face, waiting to hear the response. After hearing her mother Daisy’s smile in the response, she let her expression relax. Both of Jenn’s parents were “flower children.” Her mother, obviously named after the bright yellow flower. Jennifer’s father was named Ray, short for Raymond, after the bright rays of the sun.

Quickly, a disappointed look came to Jennifer’s face. “Do I have to?” she sighed. “All right, all right…Yes, I’ll be fine, Mom. Positive. Love you too. Bye.”

Jenn hit the phone button and looked at Zac. “Mom wants me to come home.”

He pouted some. “Is she cool with us?”

Jenn smiled and nodded. “Yea, she thinks it’s great.”

“Awesome…I’ll walk you home.”

Jenn smiled gently. “Thank you…for everything.”

“For you? Anything.”

Jenn placed her hand in his. He guided her down the steps and out the front door.

On their way to Jennifer’s, they saw a group of kids sitting on the curb, but said nothing to them, seeing they were obviously getting high.

As they reached Jenn’s front stoop, they stood, holding both of their own hands in the other’s, eyes locked.

“Thank you again,” Jennifer spoke gently.

Zac shook his head. “Baby, like I said before…I’d do anything for you.”

Jenn smiled gently. “And I for you.”

“I love you,” Zac spoke.

“I love you too,” Jenn whispered back, nearing his face.

Zac pushed his face in, their lips brushing the other’s sending adrenaline pumping through both of their blood streams.

“Goodnight,” Jennifer whispered, her face still close to his.

“Goodnight, my love.”

Jenn smiled gently and walked into her home, slowly closing the door behind her. Zac stood there for a few brief seconds before spreading his lips in a grin and hopping down the steps, walking with pep.

About nine o’clock P.M.…

Jennifer walked up to her room. For the past hour and fifteen minutes, she had been talking to her parents about what happened, what she saw, and if she knew who might be doing that to her.

Who was doing that to her? She didn’t know. She wished she did.

Jenn plopped down on her bed, closing her eyes. She was so tired. Even despite her naps at the Hansons’.

The doorbell rang and Jennifer groaned. Her mother was on the phone and her dad was out back. She got up and jogged downstairs.

Slowly, she pulled open the door. Once seeing Zac standing there, she pulled the door open all the way.

“Zac! Is everything okay?”

Zac grinned strangely. “Yehh, everything’s fiiine. Just fiiine,” he half slurred, half laughed.

“Zac?” Jenn spoke, confused. He seemed so…strange.

“Baby…I’m pining for you right now…really bad. Why don’tcha say we get jiggy wit it?” he grinned, stumbling into the room.

“Zac! No way! You know I don’t do that! What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothin’, Baby. Nothin’s wrong…I was just hangin with my new fri..ends…” he trailed right before passing out.

“Zac!” Jennifer screamed. “Mom! Mom, call 911! Zac needs help!”