Name: Customer Service
Rating:M
Disclaimer: I don't own Zac

Zac walked in to the thresh hold of his parents house, taking in the smell of roast beef in the oven. He heard the clanking of pots and pans as he tossed his jacket over a chair in the breezeway.

He stood there for a second really looking around at all the familiar sites he remembered as a kid. He felt exauhsted as he looked at the photos that were framed and set up on the walls. Mostly all of him and his brother.

Zac walked in to his living room where his dad was sitting there reading the newspaper. he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Plane rides alwasy made him tired, even if he was only on the plane for two hours.

"So how's re-visiting the town?" his dad asked as he flipped through another page. zac lifted up his head from the chair and looked over at him.

"It was good, I actually just really stopped at the grocery store" His dad nodded as he read another article not really paying anymore attention.

Zac flipped his keys around his finger "I still can't believe you guys kept my car around"

He looked over as his father who shrugged still reading "we knew you would be visiting from time to time and a guy like you needs some trasportation"

Zac smiled as he stopped flipping the keys.

She was funny and although a little clumsy she was pretty Zac thought to himself as he picked the lint of his jeans. yeah his time spent with her was weird but i'm sure that wasn't really her, I mean she's probably a whole different person when she's not suffering from a cuncusion, why was he thinking about her though. he should of been thinking about his current girlfriend not a local grocer.

Zac snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his phone vibrating in his back pocket. He sat up as he reached behind himself for it and when he finally shook it free he stood up and answered

"hey" he said waiting to hear who would answer back

"hey Zac" Vanessa said giggling. Zac smiled as he stepped outside on to his porch to get some privacy. he sat down on his front steps hearing the laughter of kids who were playing Baseball in the middle of the street.

"how was your trip?" she asked. he could hear her breathing into the phone and the sound of cars driving by

"where are you?" he asked watching a kid run around the bases victoriously after hitting a home run.

"I'm on my way out to lunch with Ashley" she said still breathing in to the phone as she walked down the street

"well my trip was really boring, I whish you could've of come down. My parent's would of loved you"

He heard Vanessa laugh before replying "I Know I miss you already but work is crazy besides the longer we're apart the better us getting back together will be"

Zac smiled and ran his hand through his hair "what a tease" he said sighing "just only, Oh I don't know two weeks before I come back home"

he heard the sound of a beeping horn in the background as she said almost whispering "trust me i'll be counting down the days"

Zac was about to go on when he heard his mother call his name stepping outside "can you believe this it's mid december and almost hitting 80" she wiped her hands with a towel "dinner's on the table sweetheart you better go wash up"

Zac nodded as he placed his hand over the reciever "I'll be there in a second"
His mother smiled as she walked back inside.

"sorry about that, it was my mom"

"oh no it's okay, listen babe I got to go I'm almost at the restaurant but I'll call you later...I love you"
Zac felt his heart skip a beat "I love you too" he hung up the phone standing up.

He was about to walk inside when he heard one of the kids out on the street yell over to him "Hey mister can you throw us our ball back?"

Zac looked back behind him and saw the ball had rolled up against the bottom step. he jogged down the steps and threw the ball back at the kid who called out to him.

Neither of the kids bothered to thank him, they just went back to playing their game.

Cassidy walked in to the Fashion Bug breathing in the perfumed smell they sprayed on all their clothes. It was her day off a week before Christmas and she still needed to get presents for her friends.

She figured a few shirts would make up for all the missed birthdays and past Christmas' and she felt horrible since she spent those years swooning over her then boyfriend. Two years wasted on him when she could of been having fun.

Zac locked his car after getting out and walking up to the walkway. he was at the outlet malls picking up a few things for his dad and brother. His life was so hectic back in LA that he never had time to shop for gifts.

He walked past the stores windows headed for Ralph Lauren which was on the other end of the parking lot. It was another hot day and he felt himself starting to sweat as he got closer.

He started to look at all the windows wondering if he should get something other than the bracelet for his mother that he had picked up this morning but he figured she would be happy with just that.

He stopped in front of one window in particualr though when he saw Cassidy looking through a pile of shirts. He smiled as he walked in to the store.

She didn't notice him at first and the only reason she looked over in his direction was because the girl behind the counter squealed and almost fainted.

Cassidy raised an eyebrow and smiled over to him as he shoved one hand in his pocket. looking at her kind of embarresed for even walking in to a store like this.

She kept a hold of the shirt she was just looking at oh my god what is he doing here? if it's just to see me then call me lucky Cassidy looked him up and down before he could notice her staring so Hot.

He got up to her side and leaned one hand on the shirt counter

"hey" he said cooly and collectively
Cassidy smiled back as she folded the shirt back up

"hows your head?" he asked trying to see what was covered by her bangs. She turned to face him sighing as she lifted up her bangs revealing a bruise, no lie that was 3 inches in width.

He couldn't help but smirk as she let her bangs back down.
Walking past him Cassidy spotted a few other racks of shirts, Zac followd breaking the silence

"so who you shopping for?" He crossed his arms over his chest waiting for a reply.

She picked up another shirt checking it out "How did you know I was shopping for someone"

Zac shrugged uncrossing his arms "you strike me as the last minute shopper kind of girl" she laughed as she looked at the price "oh know me all too well"

Cassidy put the shirt back down sighing, she couldn't find anything. "so what are you doing here?" she asked with raised eyebrows

"I'm shopping too, for my dad and brother" Cassidy nodded and started to look at a jacket "looks like we're not that different after all" She looked up at him smiling and then patted his shoulder as she walked by him again.

She got to a sales rack when he noticed her hiding her head behind a shirt. He looked at her funny before asking "what are you doing?" Cassidy put her finger up tp her lips motioning for him to be quiet.

She started to point towards the entrance and when Zac followed her finger he saw a couple walk in.
He raised an eyebrow "and your hiding why?"

she waved her hand at him telling him to quiet down. She knelt down and started to crouch towards the exit. Zac stood there chuckling thinking this was all too amusing.

Cassidy almost cleared the whole store without being seen until she made a run for the exit.

"Cassidy?" a voice asked making her stop in her tracks. cassidy took a deep breath so close! she thought as she took her hands off the door.

Cassidy turned around putting on her bravest face when really she started to hurt inside.

"hey Cindy..." she trailed off looking to who Cindy was standing next to, She felt the color flush out of her face Knowing Cindy stopped her just to show off her new boyfriend and worst to embaress her

"hey Josh" cassidy said quietly as she looked down at her hands that were now fidgiting with the zipper to her hoodie.

Zac stood in the far corner where Cassidy had left him listening in to their conversation. So that's her ex he thought looking the kid up and down.

Cassidy felt like crying but she had to stay strong she wanted to show them that they didn't break her, even if they used to be the two people she trusted the most. her best friend and boyfriend now together and happy.

Cindy grabbed josh's hand kissing him on the cheek. Cassidy missed Josh like crazy, he was the person she thought she loved but she was obviously mistaken on his part.

"I was actaully just leaving' Cassidy said as Cindy giggled kissing josh again. She was flaunting him around now and she loved it, she loved hurting Cassidy.

"Oh please stay, I need to get your opinion on something that I was planning on getting Josh, we were actually headed over to Ralph Lauren when we saw you and I knew we needed to see each other and catch up on old times"

Josh laughed in Cassidy's face at Cindy's little joke and cassidy felt like she was shrinking in to a coward.

Josh leaned over and whispered something in to Cindys ear making her cackle. cassidy hated them both for doing this to her they really knew how to get to her.

Zac watched now in sympthany as he saw Cassidy's facial expressions change, she was hurting and bad. He didn't want to look like a jerk to her by just standing there on the sidelines so he decided to do something. he walked past the racks and toward Cassidy. She didn't notice him until he grabbed on to her hand kissing her on the forehead

"sorry I couldn't find what you were looking for" he said squeezing her hand. Cassidy looked up at him thanking him with her eyes. She smiled when we winked back at her.

He turned his attention to Josh and Cindy who were now standing speechless. they deffinitely know who I am he thought smiling as he out stretched his hand towards Josh

"Hey I'm Zac" Josh nodded taking his hand "I'm -uh Josh"

Zac let go of his hand and then looked over at Cindy smiling. Cindy looked down at her hand trying not to make eye contact with either of them.

Feeling a lot less insecure cassidy spoke up llooking up at zac "We really should get going we still have those reservations to make for tonight at Mason's" Zac nodded pushing open the door holding it for Cassidy

Cassidy walked out as Zac looked at Cindy and Josh smiling
"nice to meet you" he said calmly as he closed the door behind him. When they were out of view and earshot Cassidy jumped up in down hugging him

"oh my god that was awesome, did you see the look on their faces, dump on them"
Zac hugged her back laughing. She was light as a feather so he easily walked with her still holding on. he let her down "you weren't too bad yourself, reservations at mason's that's like the most expensive restaurant here"

Cassidy squealed smiling "i know, it's the only place Josh and Cindy can't afford"

Cassidy wrapped her arm around Zac's "thanks so much you really saved me back there" Zac looked down

"Speaking of saving I think that would be the third time I stopped you from embaressing yourself". Cassidy smiled "yeah and for that I am grateful, you have really helped out a lot".

She took her arm off of Zac's stopping at the end of the outlet "well I better get going, my mom's expecting me home soon"

Zac chuckled "you still have a curfew"
Cassidy shrugged putting some hair behind her ears "yeah for dinner at least"

Zac looked out in to the parking lot at his car. "You know since your the first person to really talk to me since I have been back I think we should hang out...tonight" he looked back at Cassidy who was zipping up her hoodie shivering from the breeze.

She looked hesitant for a second before nodding her head "yeah sure, I think we'll have a good time"

Zac smiled taking his keys out of his pocket "I'll pick you up around I don't know Eight and if I still remember this town as well as I used to I know where to go"

Cassidy raised her eyebrows "oooh mysterious, way to keep me guessing" she said sarcastically as she stepped off the sidewalk and on to the street.

She waved goodbye as she stepped further away "see you soon" he said yelling to her as she slipped her hands in her pocket and hoodie over her head.