My first story. :) Yeah, it isn't great.
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She had always been the "weird" girl.
She was just there, part of the background. It wouldn't have made much of a difference if she had left, since she had very few friends. And she did, after all, appear to be "scary and inaccessible".
When he had made a bet with Dean to turn Laney Boggs, supposed dork, into a prom queen, Zack Siler had seen it as nothing more than another competition, another way to embarrass Dean.
He had, admittedly, been rather shallow. Stupid, even. But he was popular, good-looking, and smart.
He had thought he was happy, save for the matter of his father.
Then, Laney Boggs had waltzed into his life. Rather, he had shoved his way into hers.
She was an art student, creative and quick-witted. At first, Zack felt as if every time he attempted to be nice, she was inclined to make a nasty or sarcastic comment.
However, as he got to know her, he realized that that was part of her defense, her way of keeping people out.
Zack watched as she became popular and even more beautiful, as she began to open up, bit by bit.
She was his best friend. He had thought he had been happy before, but now he knew he hadn't been. He hadn't realized he didn't have someone like Laney until she came along.
He would always remember the way her voice echoed when she screamed at him, after she found out everything.
How she was originally nothing more than a toy to gamble with.
He would always remember his fear after Dean had taken Laney to a hotel to bed her, scared to death she would be hurt.
He would always remember his epiphany after he had seen her when she had come back, unscathed.
I love you.
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Criticism is welcome.
