Zara stared at her reflection in the mirror for a moment, her long, curly blue hair shimmering in the small beam of sunlight that managed to enter through a gap in her deep red curtains. Her deep, emerald green eyes seemed to clash with her choice of hair dye, but her boyfriend, James, said that the clash reflected her personality - different, special and completely weird. Zara had laughed at that, not a genuine laugh, but she didn't want James to know that the word 'weird' haunted her; made her feel scared, angry and completely alone.

She smiled at herself reassuringly, as if she was telling herself that she didn't need to worry about the things that upset her – she just needed to remember all the good things in her life – James, Savannah, and move on.

She slapped on some light pink lip gloss and stood up, looking at her body in the mirror as she tilted her head to the side. Her clothes, a pair of blue jeans, similar to her hair, a white top with a broken heart in the middle. She wore black, four inch high heeled ankle boots. Zara turned her body, looking at her reflection in different angles. She didn't think she was perfect; no one was perfect. She didn't think she was skinny; she didn't think she was fat.

She was normal – average. Average. Zara frowned. She hated that word. Average meant 'the usual' 'ordinary'.

Who wanted to be 'the usual'. She'd dyed her hair many colours just to get rid of that label, yet she couldn't see past it.

"You look perfect, Zara,"

She didn't turn around at first; just looking at James in her mirror, smiling. Sometimes, Zara couldn't figure out how she'd got a guy like James. He was too perfect or her – he was every girl's dream with his soft, sun-kissed blond hair, stunning blue eyes, a sexy body. James could have had any model, any girl in that club, but he chose her.

Flashback

Zara and Savannah headed over to Shadow's Bar and Club, something they rarely did due to Savannah's job as a part time model and Zara's waitressing hours at a local restaurant. This Friday night, they'd decided to let everything go – get as drunk as possible, hook up with some guys for fun. Be like average twenty year olds.

Sitting at the bar, Zara ordered Savannah an Apple Martini and herself a Chicago Cocktail, giving the bartender the money after he'd got them for her. They both turned around on their barstools to observe the room, calling dibs on guys, bitching about girls who shouldn't be wearing dresses as short as they were wearing.

"What's a beautiful girl like you sitting here on the edges?" a deep voice asked beside Zara. She rose a brow as Savannah and gave Zara a grin and winked before walking off to find her own eye candy.

Zara turned towards the guy, surprised when his face was mere inches from hers, his captivating blue eyes staring back into her normal green ones. The bright lights danced over his face as he grinned at her, and Zara couldn't help but grin back.

"James," he said by means of an introduction, moving to kiss her cheek. Zara's skin tingled under his lips and she bit her lower lip as he pulled back and sat next to her.

"Zara," she returned, smiling at him. She'd come here to find a drunk guy to have a little fun with, but she genuinely found this guy interesting, and didn't want him to get away as she didn't think she would ever get a guy like him ever again.

"Zara. Pretty name," James told her and took a sip from his beer bottle in his hand. "Now, back to my original question: What's a beautiful girl like you sitting here on the edges, Zara?"

She shrugged. "I came here with my best friend to have a bit of fun. Let myself go, you know?" she replied, and realised how easy he was to talk to. "But I don't think this was a good idea."

James' smile faded into a frown before a grin lit up his face again. "Why not? Am I not what you expected?" he said, feigning hurt, but the grin on his face gave away he was playing about. "Fine, I'll leave. Have a great night, beautiful," he winked before standing up.

"No!" Zara's voice sounded desperate as she grabbed hold of his hand to stop him from moving. His fingers clamped round hers and she blushed slightly. She knew this guy was special, because no one made Zara blush. Ever. "Dance with me, James," she grinned, quickly downing her drink and pulling him onto the dance floor.

"I thought you'd never ask," James laughed and followed her.

That was nearly a year ago, and they'd been together ever since that night.

Zara finally turned to look at him and grinned. "Not as perfect as you,"

James laughed and walked towards her, encircling her in his arms and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Babe, are you sure about this?" he asked her, his voice serious.

She looked up at him, meeting his lips with her own. She knew James wanted to go with her, as moral support. But she didn't need moral support. She needed answers and to be alone when she met with her parents again.

She nodded. "Positive, James. I need answers. Even if it means seeing my Mom and Dad." she shrugged. "Plus, I miss Tyler. It wasn't fair on him what I did. Just leaving. He looked up to me. Granted, I wasn't a good role model, but I've always felt bad."

James sighed but nodded. Zara wasn't one go give into others and she didn't want to start now. "Okay. Fine, you win. I won't go with you,"

"Thank you, Jay," she smiled. "I need to do this,"

"I know, babe," he replied, kissing her forehead once more. "Call me every day. That's an order, Lockwood." He laughed, poking her nose. Zara laughed back and nodded.

"Of course. But don't expect me to call every night. I might go to another club, find another amazing guy and hook up—"

James kissed her to shut her up, and she knew he knew she was playing with him. She didn't have any plans on hooking up with anyone else. James was Zara's everything, and she really didn't want to lose him.

She pulled back and grinned. "You know I love ya, Jamie,"

He nodded, but a small frown pulled at the corner of his lips. James knew Zara wasn't saying 'I love you' as in he was her heart, her everything forever, her one true love. She was saying it in a teasing way, as in 'you're my best friend', 'the one I trust',

Zara sighed. She knew it hurt him more than he liked to admit, so she cleared her throat and changed the subject.

"I'll be back in a few weeks," she announced, pulling out of his hold and packing the few things she hadn't yet put in her suitcase. "I promise," she added as she zipped it up and placed it on the floor.

James walked over and took it in his arms, carrying it out to Zara's old, knackered Ford that she'd bought from Savannah's parents for a few hundred dollars nearly two years ago. She sighed and followed him. He wasn't talking. That was James behaviour for 'you hurt my feelings'.

"James," she said as they walked outside and she unlocked her car so he could put her stuff in her boot. "James," she repeated, grabbing his arm and forced him to turn around. She kissed him hard, putting all the passion she had into the kiss. She needed to prove something to him. That she did love him, more than she loved anything else.

"I love you, Jay," she whispered, as she pulled back, but only slightly so her breath danced across his lips as she spoke. "I really love you," she admitted and pulled away further, smiling at him and getting into the driver's seat of her car. "I'll call you in a few hours."

Zara put the key in the ignition and fixed her hair in the mirror, sighing happily to herself. She'd told him she loved him. She'd actually done it. She didn't think she could, but she had.

"Zara,"

She turned as her name was called. "Yeah?"

"I love you, too." James grinned. "Drive safe, baby. I want my girlfriend back in one piece,"