the only e x c e p t i o n;;

Summery: "I think that this is just something we are in a lifetime for."-post ogsy ;ZC;

I barely recognized the room that I shared with Bex, Macey, and Liz. It was darker somehow and more unkempt. It was almost like the way everyone else looked today. Dark circles under their eyes, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes. Did I do this?

It was the day I came back from my mini journey. Three days after I found my father's dead body. Four months after I had left.

"You should get some sleep Cam," Bex said, hiding all of her emotions from me. Ever since I had stepped right back into the Gallagher Academy Bex had put up a wall between us. She was already lying in her bed so she wasn't even looking at me when she said it.

I sighed, "Alright," and got under the covers of my bed. I didn't realize how much I missed the comfort of lying in my own bed until I rested my head on the soft pillow.

Despite the fact that I had gotten on an average of the 3 hours of sleep per day for the last four months, I couldn't find myself willing to sleep. I glanced over at the clock figuring out how many hours of sleep I was going to have to sleep. 3: 04. I internally groaned and looked up at the bare ceiling. This was going to be a long night.

After an hour and fifteen minutes of waiting (I was that bored) I saw a shadow cut across the room.

Maybe I should have acted in a smart manner and done what any sane person would do in a situation like this and press the panic button. But clearly the last 4 months have shown that I am neither smart nor sane, so I acted on impulse and grabbed the intruder by the collar and twisted them onto the bed so I had them pinned under me.

Only to realize my intruder had dark eyes, dark hair, and broad shoulders.

"Whoa. I didn't know you could be that frisky, Gallagher Girl." He smirked. I blushed a deep shade of red.

I glanced over at the three other beds to make sure my roommates had not woken up. They all seemed completely oblivious. I then rolled off Zach and a grabbed his hand and dragged him outside of the room (just in case). "What are you doing here?"

Ignoring my question (as per usual), her whispered, "Come with me," The moonlight coming through the windowsill silhouetted his muscular frame.

"What?" I whispered back in disbelief, "You sneak in here at 4 in the morning and expect me to go with you to someplace?" Zach shrugs and nods. I shook my head. "You're crazy."

"Clearly," he responded.

He cut me off when I opened my mouth to protest. "Just come with me. One hour tops. I promise."

I sighed. "Fine. One hour. Starting now. I better be back by 5:32."

Zach smiled and gently took my hand leading me toward the window across the hall. "The window? We're escaping through a window?" I asked.

Zach rolled his eyes as he opened it. "As if you've never done it before."

I shook my head. "There are too many cameras and traps, you know that."

Zach grinned mischievously and hoisted himself over and grabbed the rope he head set up. "I have my ways."

After 15 minutes of walking and my constant reminders of how much time he had left, Zach stopped at the Roseville Park. He settled down on the grass next to a swing set. I just stared at him with my arms crossed.

Zach looked up and patted the ground beside him. "Why don't you join me?"

"What are we doing here?" I asked as I sat down on the damp grass and looked around the deserted park for any signs of danger or some kind of answers.

Zach rested back on his elbows and looked up at the sky. "Do we have to have a sole purpose in being here?" I opened my mouth to complain but Zach continued, "Just relax," he said and looked up at me. "Have you ever relaxed before, Cam?"

I shrugged at leaned back like him. "Of course I have."

Zach smiled while looking up at the twinkling stars. He seemed so content, as if things weren't the way they were. How could he be so calm at a time like this?

Out of frustration I got up. "How can you do that?" Zach looked up at me again. "How can you just pretend like things are ok when they are so clearly not?"

Instead of answering Zach went back to looking at the sky. He spent a few minutes just staring at the sky as if I weren't even there. Just as I was getting ready to turn and leave him he finally spoke. "Why did you leave?" He asked.

That wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for.

He looked me straight in the eye and said, "Why did you go by yourself completely unprotected?"

I opened my mouth but he cut me off for the third time that night. Sitting up, he said louder, "Did you not even think about your mother? Did you not think of your friends?" He was standing now, getting closer and closer to me. Anger written all over his face. "Did you not think of Joe?" He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "He got of his coma, you know." He turned his head to the side. "Or didn't you know that? You were too busy putting yourself in danger." I didn't know that actually. "Did you not even think of me?"

He had me speechless. For the first time that night I wasn't sure what to say.

I sat down on the ground and sighed. "I don't know," I whispered.

"You could have brought someone you know."

I shook my head. "I didn't want to put anyone else in danger." Zach just stared at me as if I were crazy. Which, I was. Clearly. "I talked to your mother." Zach flinched.

"What happened?" He said quietly.

I shrugged. "She didn't hurt me."

Zach relaxed slightly and sat down again.

"Do you think things will ever get easier?" I whispered.

Zach sighed and reached out to take my hand. He gently traced little circles with his thumb on my palm. "I think that this is just something we are in a lifetime for. Pain."

I laid back and looked up at the night sky. "Do you think we'll make it through this?"

Zach smiled and gave my palm a squeeze. "I think so."

I leaned into him and rested my head against his shoulder. Suddenly I was very tired.

Zach stood and took my hand. "We should get back."

When we got back to my room I quietly got snuck under the covers of my bed and watched Zach head back out the door.

The next morning while I was rummaging around to find my hair brush, a yellow piece of paper on the windowsill caught my eye. I looked back to see my roommates obviously changing into their uniforms. I opened up the note.

And by the way, it's 5:32.

-love Z

A/N: I honestly have no idea why I uploaded this. I hate it. A lot. But still review? I actually worked hard on this one (even if I still hate the end result).