Zach awoke to the morning filled with sunshine and birdsong. He savored the gentle warmth of the sun on his eyelids and the faint sweet scents of flowers in his mother's garden floating its way up through his window.
Without opening his eyes, he realized his arm was tucked under a figure nestled close to him and flashes of last night flew back to him.
It was the annual party at the Goode's house as his parents went away for a business trip and everyone in Roseville looks forward to Zach's party, notorious for being wild.
Zach deduced he had laid the law last night and the girl was still in his bed.
He wasn't the least surprised. This happened way too often to be counted.
Zach smiled to himself and pulled her body closer, feeling deliciously comfortable and snug.
He absently ran his hand up the curve of her back, wondering who it would be this time. Jessica Boden? Erin Molson? Maybe he got lucky and it was Tina Walters.
He laid there for a while longer, enjoying his little guessing game and was way to content to get up. Then gradually, he opened his lids to the beauty of the day.
Sunlight poured through his translucent drapes glowing all the trophies and medals that hung from his walls and dressers, especially radiating on the picture of the girl on his nightstand.
She had a wild, large grin on her face; her arm slung around his equally-happy self's neck and blond hair falling against his arm.
Zach grinned back at the picture. Her smile was so glorious, it was contagious.
Then he lazily turned his head towards the sleeping nude girl beside him and almost screamed.
He was not expecting to see the blond haired girl in the picture of all people. Zach gulped, staring at the slumbering form of his best friend.
A million swear words ran through his head, especially the one that rhymes with duck.
"This can't be happening, this cannot be happening," Zach chanted quietly to himself, shutting his eyes and hoping it was a sick dream of sleeping with his best friend.
He snuck another glance to his right and groaned. She was still right there. In flesh and skin. All cuddled up under his snuggie. And under his snuggie…she was naked.
The thought made Zach's face a little hot.
After a while of intense debate with his inner-conscious, he propped his head by his elbow and leaned toward the golden-haired girl, already flinching at her reaction.
"Cammie," he whispered shaking her gently, already knowing she won't wake up that easily. Saying she's a heavy sleeper was an understatement.
After trying to blow in her ear, tickle her toes and shove a headphone with blaring music in her eardrums did she only begin to stir.
"Zach?" She mummered sleepily, her eyebrows scrunching together. "What are you doing in my room?"
"You're not in your room Cam. You're in mine," Zach whispered urgently, bracing himself.
"Oh. Did I fall asleep in your room?" Cammie didn't seem concerned. She snuggled deeper even more and started to drift back to unconsciousness.
"Naked!" Zach exclaimed.
That sure got her attention. Cammie's eyes shot open and she snuck a look under the covers and really did scream.
Zach flinched. That didn't help his pounding head very well.
Cammie sat up, holding the blanket tightly over her chest. She looked at the half sitting, dark haired, handsome boy beside her with wide alarming eyes.
"No, no, no. This isn't what it looks like. It can't be. We couldn't- we couldn't of -" She choked. "There has to be some kind of explanation."
Zach sighed tiredly and lay back down. He really didn't want to go through the complications that will occur. He and Cammie had always been best friends. And just best friends.
Seriously, no hidden feelings, no crossing the boundaries, it was a brother-sister relationship really.
They didn't care who each other dated, they always had the other without the fear of intimate feelings.
Zach didn't want that to change.
"Cam, we're in the bed together, sans clothes and none of us can remember what happened last night. It's pretty self-explanatory."
"WHY ARE YOU TALKING LIKE THAT? YOU ACT LIKE YOU DON'T CARE!" Cammie screamed, completely losing her composure.
Zach's eyes widened, scarcely hearing her ever yelling at him like that and quickly sat up, cupping her face with his hands and gazing at her intensely.
"Of course I do sweetheart. You know you're the only girl in the world I actually care about," he assured her.
Cammie nodded, biting her lip and looking down. "What are we going to do Zach?"
He shrugged, smiling cheekily. "How about getting dressed and breakfast first?"
She laughed breathlessly. "That's a good place to start. Okay, get out."
Zach stared at her. "What?"
Cammie rolled her eyes. "I need to get…well find my clothes. So get out."
"Come on Cam," Zach whined. "You know I saw everything last night."
She shuddered just thinking about it. "Yeah but the difference is you don't remember it – thank god. So get out."
Zach however, wasn't listening, too spellbound by the sight of her breast that had become visible as the blanket started slipping down her chest.
Even though she was his best friend, and he respected her more than anyone, that didn't stop his hormones and man impulses of attraction. The last time he had seen her naked was when they were five. Her body sure as hell changed a lot since then.
"Damn."
"Zach?" Cammie followed his gaze and flushed bright red, pulling the blanket up. "ZACH!"
"Sorry, sorry," he chuckled smirking which she returned with a biting glare. "I'll just go now."
"That would be good," Cammie agreed haughtily, still embarrassed. But still she couldn't help but notice his lean broad shoulders and the scillitating planes of his well-developed abs…all the way down to…
"Oh my god. Zach! Cover up!" Cammie shrieked, covering her face with a pillow.
Zach chuckled. "I could care less if you see my junk."
Zach pulled on sweats from his dresser and reached down to pick his T-shirt off the floor but then realized something was on top of it.
And that something happened to be Cammie's undergarments.
"Whoa." Zach picked up her purple and black lace push up bra, dangling it from his finger with udder speechlessness. He could just imagine how that would look on her and the mental image sent blood rushing south.
"What?" Cammie peaked out, her eyes bulging at what he was holding. Her face resembled a tomato. "Give that back right now." Cammie hissed through her teeth.
Zach smirked throwing it on the bed. "Here's your panties too," he tossed her the matching thong and his smirk threatened to split his face. "Damn. I really wish I remembered last night now."
"SHUT UP!" Cammie screamed covering her face with the blanket again because when he talked like that it was easy to forget their "brother-sister" relationship.
She heard Zach chuckle and shut the door. Letting out a deep breath through her lips she slowly crawled out of Zach's bed, digging through his dresser. She really didn't want to wear the dress from last night.
Cammie paused in front of his full-body mirror. (Seriously though, for a boy why did he need such a big-ass mirror?)
Cammie studied herself, feeling sick. Her hair was the usual tornado-mess, mascara running down her cheeks. She eyes flitted down her body, thinking about how Zach probably (obviously) touched it last night. For proof, she could see purplish-blue finger like bruises on her waist.
Cammie tore her eyes away, quickly pulling on one of Zach's T-shirts over her bra and underwear. It reached down to her mid-thighs so Cammie decided to leave it as a dress. She washed her face and rinsed out her mouth in his bathroom before returning to the mirror and combing her hair with her fingers.
As Cammie pushed her hair out of the way, her blood ran cold. She leaned closer towards her reflection, refusing to believe it was what she thought it was.
There was a large bruise on the crook of her neck and Cammie let out a little shriek covering it with her hand. She sank down on the ground, tears pricking in the corner of her eyes.
Zach had given her a hickey.
Now you might be thinking, what's the big freaking deal about that?
Well, it was simple. Zach was her best-friend. They were practically brother and sister. They have never questioned this relationship; neither of them considering what would happen if they were more than that.
This stupid, drunken mistake was going to ruin everything and Cammie couldn't bear that. Zach was without a doubt, the most important person in her life and she would be nothing without him. The thought sent a rush of warm tears down her face.
Sometimes Cammie wondered if Zach had superhuman hearing. Or if he could read minds. Or if they had some sort of telepathy ability.
Because Cammie's vision had barely started to blur when the door was thrown open and Zach rushed towards her, holding her in his arms.
"Cammie, honey, what's wrong? What happened?" He whispered, holding her tightly. Times like these were when Cammie had butterflies in her stomach.
Zachary Goode always had an infuriating attitude. He was arrogant, sarcastic and totally crazy, never taking anything seriously. Life seemed to be a big joke to him.
That was until Cammie's father had died. It was the first time she had seen him in a new light, serious and solemn.
And then it was when Josh had cheated on her. She had really thought he loved her and was heartbroken. He was serious then, but also incredibly angry.
Basically, whenever Cammie cried it was like all once of that irrational energy drained out of him, leaving just desire to make her happy again.
"Did I hurt you? Tell me Gallagher Girl," Zach begged. She just shook her head, her mouth not allowing any words out. Zach noticed her hand covering her neck and tugged it away, already knowing what he would see.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know. I swear I would never take advantage of you. I would never do anything to hurt you."
"I know," Cammie hiccuped her tears slowly subsiding. "Sorry. This is just, really crazy."
Zach sighed. "I know."
"Did I – do you have any marks?"
Zach smirked. "Oh yeah. You are one vicious woman, Morgan."
"What?" Cammie was confused. She never laid a finger on anyone before.
Zach explained by peeling off his shirt. On his chiseled back was a vast array of red scars.
Cammie gasped. "Oh my God. I did that?"
"Yup," Zach said, pulling his shirt back on. "You really need to cut your nails."
"Oh Zach," she threw herself at him. "I'm so sorry."
"S'okay." Zach smirked. "It means last night was pretty Goode."
She shuddered and quickly pulled herself out of his embrace. Zach frowned, knowing exactly why but didn't pursue.
"Come on. Let's go eat breakfast." He stood up, holding out a hand.
She brushed it away, making a beeline for the kitchen way ahead of him. Touching her best friend was the weirdest feeling now.
In the end, they had decided not to tell anyone and pretend it never happened. Both knew that they could never forget occurrence but didn't say it to each other.
That would just bring too many complications.
So on Monday, Cammie came with layers of makeup on her hickey and a scarf as well, just in case.
"Hey Cam," her close-knit group of friends greeted her. She, Liz, Bex, Grant, Jonas and Zach had all known each other since they were babies. Macey had come along, in middle school and after a few months of pure hatred, they started liking each other.
These six people Cammie knew she could trust with her life. But she still refused to tell them about this dirty little secret.
"Hi guys," she embraced each one of them. It felt so awkward hugging Zach all of a sudden, which was pretty ludicrous because they had taken baths together when they were little.
But still, Cammie hurriedly rushed to stand between Liz and Grant.
Zach sighed inaudibly. He had felt it too.
The worst part was the assembly though, dedicated only to the seniors. Universities were giving orientations by film and as soon as they closed the light, Cammie could hear the scraping of chairs pulling closer so people could make out.
In the dark, Cammie became hyperaware that Zach's arm was brushing against hers, sending Goosebumps all over. She could feel his body heat and the smell of his cologne and soap floated up to her nose. She shifted uncomfortably.
Zach, who we have aforementioned as either a mind reader or telepathic sensed this and leaned closer to whisper,
"You okay?"
She felt his lips brush against the shell of her ear, cool minty breath sending a warm shiver down her spine.
Cammie shifted away. "Fine," she literally squeaked.
Zach didn't believe her. Cammie couldn't lie to save her life. But that darkness of the room and the sounds of lips pressing together aroused his desire. Zach found himself thinking about Cammie's bra he found on Saturday.
Shaking his head with disgust, he tried to subtly shift away which ended up being a loud screech!
People momentarily stopped what they were doing to glance back and Zach saw profound hurt on Cammie's face.
As they turned away, she also shifted farther from him.
Zach sighed. This sucked. The orientation seemed to go on forever while Zach and Cammie both sat arms-length apart, arms crossed and shoulders stiff.
It was obvious Cammie was mad at him, all because he couldn't keep his testosterone intact.
And he wouldn't even have these hormones if Friday night never happened.
"Is something going on between you and Zach?" Bex asked as she and Cammie walked to the cafeteria.
"No, why?" Cammie asked a little too quickly. She also knew that she was a terrible liar.
"Well, you two were totally avoiding each other in the gym," Bex explained with a suspicious frown.
"No we weren't. We just…got into a stupid fight yesterday. It was stupid…we're over it," Cammie said.
The apprehensive light in Bex's caramel eyes didn't dissolve. "Alright…"
They walked towards their usual table where the whole group sat. Luckily, this year they had all gotten the same lunch time. But there was someone else as well.
A girl with beautiful auburn curls, high cheekbones and big blue eyes. Holly Greene. Zach's current girlfriend.
"Hey guys," Bex greeted them before seating herself gracefully beside her boyfriend Grant and giving him a kiss.
Cammie just smiled warmly, setting her tray beside Jonas. She usually sat beside Zach, but he seemed pretty…occupied right now and Cammie didn't want to anyway.
She painfully realized she was the only one single among her friends, even Macey seemed to have found a new boy-toy.
"We were talking about Harvard," Jonas informed Bex and Cammie. Of course they were. That seemed to be all seniors talked about these days.
"And how Grant is never going to get in!" Zach exclaimed.
Grant glared, flicking a grape at him. "Don't get all cocky Goode. You're just getting in because your parents are hella rich."
"Please Grant, you are too. You're just jealous that Zachy's got everything going on for him and you don't," Holly protested, defending her boyfriend.
Zach grinned. "Thanks babe," he leaned forward giving her a loving kiss that made Cammie's stomach tightened in knots.
She tried to swallow but her throat throbbed as if her heart had crawled in there. She looked away, shutting her eyes, willing the icy emotion that was washing over her to go away. Cammie knew what was happening and she couldn't bear it.
Why? Why now, in senior year of all times? She had avoided it for the last twelve years. Was it all because they had slept together?
"He knows it's true, but with Grant you gotta repeat things more than once for it fully function. You know how blonds are." Zach glanced at Cammie then, opening up a place for her to join the conversation. He had noticed she was being unusually quiet.
But Cammie just glanced away, her chest contracting. She knew she wouldn't be able to talk now, even if she wanted to.
Liz burst into protests and Jonas joined in, soon everyone was in the heated argument that was jumping from one topic to the other.
All except Cammie who noticed Zach's fingers intwining with Holly's which was resting on her thigh and how they linked their legs together. At one point Cammie felt an accidental kick on her shin and she felt as though she was going to either puke or cry.
Both were embarrassing.
She felt herself drowning in everyone's laughter and shouts, the despair and sorrow weighing her down, as if yanking her underwater.
Cammie stopped in her footsteps. Usually, she always got a ride from Zach after school but right now he was leaned up against his ostentatious and flashy car locking passionate lips with the auburn-haired girl.
Feeling her face flush, Cammie slowly stepped off the curb and turned around to trudge down the side walk, pulling her messenger bag tightly over her shoulder.
Beep! Beep!
She jumped and turned around, glancing at the striking boy behind the wheel. He pulled up at the curb beside her. "Why were you walking when you've got me?" He asked, feigning heartbreak.
A million snarky and rude comments flashed in Cammie's mind but she wasn't in the mood to say any of them or talking to him in general.
So she just shrugged and got in.
"Good news! Smith is extending the quiz to tomorrow. Will you study with me since you're the chemistry guru?"
She shrugged again. "I don't think I can."
"Oh come on. You know I can't do without you! Pretty please? You can't resist this face can you?" He turned to look at her, enlarging is already huge eyes and pouted his plump red lips.
"Eyes on the road Zach." Cammie sighed tiredly, not looking at him.
Zach frowned.
He suddenly turned the signal and pulled over. "Okay Cammie, what's your deal?" He demanded, twisting his body so he could face her fully. No getting out of this.
"What do you mean?" She asked innocently, her eyes trained on the dashboard.
"Stop shitting with me Cameron. You've been acting weird all day." Zach shifting closer, capturing her hands in his.
Immediately, Cammie's breathing hitched and her heart took off. And she hated it.
She was sure Zach didn't feel the same way, after all, he had many, many one night stands and she was sure and this would ruin everything that wasn't already ruined. She tried to pull away.
"See? This is what I'm talking about," Zach said a little angrily, tightening his grip. He bent his head down slightly, to catch her eye and as usual, his heart crumbled at the sight of her warm brown eyes glistening with tears.
"Please Gallagher Girl," he said gently. "I'm your best friend. You know you can tell me anything right? Seriously, anything." And for a second, he wasn't sure what he was hinting at.
Cammie swallowed, knowing there was no escaping this. She couldn't go on avoiding him, acting like this, hiding her feelings because she was absolutely shit at being emotionless.
Unlike Zach, who's face could be blank and void of emotion in a moment's notice, everyone reads her like an open book. Especially Zach.
"That's the problem Zach. You're my best friend." Just my best friend.
Zach jerked his head, taken aback. "Um okay? I don't understand." Something dawned to him. "Wait you don't want to be my friend any more Are breaking up with me?"
Through her tears, Cammie let out of a startled laugh. "No, of course not."
"Then?" He asked softly brushing away her tears.
Cammie sighed deeply. "I got jealous," she admitted quietly. "Of you and Holly. And I know this is going to ruin everything. And I'm not asking you to choose between me and her because you two are such a wonderful and I'm really, really happy for you, really Zach! I am!
It's just that I know I can't hide this from you and I know your probably going to hate me from now on and I don't blame you! I just…needed to admit it. To let you know." She let out a whoosh of breath, refusing to look at him, knowing what she would see.
She knew him too well. She knew what he would think of her.
Zach was shocked. He was beyond bewildered. He knew this was a hard thing for her but not a single thing came to his mind.
"So your saying," he said slowly. "That you like me more than a friend."
She flushed a deep red. He was just tormenting her now. He knows the answer but was still making her say it.
"Yes," she muttered.
"Cammie-" Zach choked out.
"I know," Cammie interrupted. " I know you think this is disgusting because we are practically brother and sister. I get it. Just get to the part where you break up with me. Or better yet, I'll just go."
She grabbed her back and reached for the door handle, wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible but a warm hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down and towards him yet again.
"Gallagher Girl, look at me."
She didn't dare. "I don't want your sympathy Zach." Cammie snapped. "You are being too nice. Just yell at me or something okay? Just -"
"Jesus woman. Will you let me talk?" Zach chuckled. Cammie glanced at him and didn't see any anger or hatred or disgust in his eyes. He was looking at her like before, before she confessed, even before Friday.
Cammie felt both relieved and disappointed at this.
"I don't think it's disgusting Cammie. I'm actually flattered that a girl with high standards like you would ever consider liking a douche like me. But I don't know how I feel about you. I mean, I don't want to make any irrational decisions."
Cammie snorted. Everything Zach did was irrational.
"Oh shut up," he said not missing it. There wasn't much Zach missed.
"So I want to think about this. I'm confused Gallagher Girl, because I think I might like you more than a friend too. But I have Holly to consider…"
Cammie glanced away, feeling her throat tighten and her hopes crush at the mention of the beautiful girl's name.
Seriously, that girl could give a supermodel a run for her money. All Zach's girlfriends and flings could. She could never compare.
"Not that we're anything serious," Zach added, not missing a beat. "In fact, she's getting kind of boring."
He smiled wryly. "You just might give me an excuse to break up with her."
"Cammie's eyes widened. She sat up. "Oh hell no. You are not breaking up with her because of me. Or at least don't tell her that. She'll torture me forever!" Cammie whimpered.
Zach chuckled. "Do you have any idea how weird that sounds having Macey and Bex as your best friends? They wouldn't let anyone touch a strand of that golden hair of yours. And I wasn't going to tell her that anyway. You know me better than that."
"Oh." Cammie breathed a sigh of relief when a thought hit her square in the face. She turned around to face him really fast.
"Are you saying that you might like me more than a friend too?"
Zach smiled slightly. A real smile that could melt any girl's heart. "I am."
Her heart fluttered like a humming bird's wings. "And it's not just because we had sex right?"
It sounded strange, hearing her say that. It sent chills down his spine.
"No. But I think…that doing that finally brought up our physical attractions for each other. And it finally made us realize our emotional attractions for each other."
Cammie smiled. She thought that also. "Well, I think that's the smartest thing you've ever said."
"Hey!" Zach pouted. "I'm a very intellectual person!"
"You just pretend to be a dumb blonde don't you? I think it's brunettes that the jokes should be about!" Cammie gloated.
Before Zach could reply his phone buzzed. They both glanced down to see Holly's name on the screen.
Cammie bit her lip. "Are you – well, are you-"
"Break up with her? Yeah. I better get going then."
"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow then, I guess."
She strapped her bag over her shoulder and started to get out.
"Gallagher Girl?"
Cammie turned around and Zach seized her wrist, pulling her down towards him and crashing his lips against hers.
She gasped slightly at the passion and force he put into it before franticly grasping the locks of his soft, mocha locks and returning the kiss with just as much desire.
You would've thought that kissing your best friend who you thought of as a brother would be disgusting, or at least awkward.
But it didn't. It felt right. It felt like this should have happened years ago. As the his sweet breath intoxicated her mind, and the tingly feels of his pouty cherry lips dominated hers, the only thing Cammie could think of was that she wished it did.
"I just…had to do that," Zach panting, breathing heavily. "To see how it felt."
He let go of her wrist and winked. "See ya tonight Gallagher Girl."
Cammie got out in a trance. Her mind was still fogged by his presence, everything moving muddled and slow.
She turned towards the exceptionally gorgeous boy with a perplexed expression, like she didn't know where she was or what was going on any more. Zachary Goode had that effect on people.
"Tonight?" Cammie murmured.
He smirked mischievously, eyes glinting. "We have a study date remember? If you know what I mean."
So just a little one shot that popped into my head. Love it? Hate it? Review!
Love
Plain Is Prettiest
(At least to Zach Goode and I)