Across town, Zack was having the same troubles focusing on his assignments as Slater, and not for totally different reasons. Every time he let his mind wander, he replayed the conversation with Kelly. Was he reading too much into Kelly's friendship with Heath? After all, it was highly unlikely that she'd end their relationship for a guy she'd known for less than a week, right? Right?
Zack quickly checked off his options... talk to Kelly? No, that would only make matters worse at this point in time. Talk to Heath? If he knew a way to turn on the Morris charm without Slater's brother getting suspicious, that might seem like the logical approach. But Zack wasn't the most logical person at Bayside; ask ninety-nine percent of the staff and students.
"Slater... he wouldn't screw with my relationship with Kelly. Maybe he can help me out?" Zack reached for his cordless phone.
...
The law firm of Slater and Slater's discussions had been revolving around Heath's plans to get into Kelly's pants, which would hopefully lead to A.C. getting into Zack's, when the phone rang on their end.
"Yo Preppie, what's up?"
Heath's brows furrowed and he made a slashing motion across his throat. Wordlessly, his brother told him to chill it out.
"Problems with Kelly? Dude, I wasn't there so I really don't know what... dude, I've known him as long as you have; I'm pretty sure he wouldn't put either of us in that kind of situation... well Kelly is good looking, but... Morris, I'm pretty certain that you're over-reacting to stuff... I'll meet you for lunch at The Max and we'll talk then... trust me, Preppie, everything's going to be fine." Slater hung up the phone and turned to Heath.
"So much for Morris." He said
"What he say?"
"Apparently they had a huge argument after leaving the Max." Slater stated "Maybe you were a little too enthusiatic?"
"Maybe Zack needs to be less possessive?" Heath responded with a sneer and a question of his own. "Can I help it if all the babes want the One Man Rock Band for themself?"
"Maybe you should go after one of them then instead of picking on my best friend's?"
"Cold feet, huh?" Heath said "Too bad it's too late for that."
"What do you mean?"
"Bro, I told you what was going to happen if you backed out. Nothing's changed. I suggest you know your role and play along." Any trace of fun was gone from Heath.
"Maybe I tell Zack what's been going on?"
"Let me put this another way. Within a week, I'll guaran-damn-tee you that you'll be able to do things with Zack that you've only dreamed of. Wouldn't you like to walk into the showers after gym class and press that body up against a wall and give him pleasure like no other?" Heath was smiling, but it was a sarcastic smile.
"But I don't know if I can..."
"Of course you can, bro... I'm doing all the work here. Those grey gym shorts you guys wear leave very little to the imagination, so I can guess what he looks like naked." Heath folded his arms. "Am I right or am I right... you don't have to answer, I can already see that I'm right."
Slater looked down. He was hard. Fuck!
"Seriously bro, I got everything under control." Heath slammed his books closed and rolled off the bed. "And right now, it looks like you need to get yourself under control, so I'll leave you to it."
Slater glared at his brother's back. To say he was torn in two was understating it. It was to the point where he spent half the time cursing his brother for getting him into this mess and hte other half of the time thinking about what would happen when and if he was able to get with Zack.
"When did love get so complicated?" Reaching to unzip his fly, Slater was soon lost in his fantasies.
...
A much more relaxed Slater absently tapped the menu, waiting for Zack to arrive at the Max. He knew Zack was going to do much of the talking, so all he had to do was sit back and play the role of best friend. Listen, and try not to get lost in Morris' eyes. That last part was going to be the tough one.
"You sure you don't wanna order something?" Max stepped in-shot. "You've been staring at that menu since you got here."
"I'm waiting for Morris." Slater stated
"Ah... girl problems again." Max nodded "I'll bring you a milkshake while you wait."
...
After the episodes of the previous evening, Zack did not have that uneasy feeling that his relationship with Kelly was at a crossroads. It was more like a railroad crossing, and he was standing on the tracks watching an express bore down on him. Was he reading too much into things? Was he overreacting? He had hoped to have this conversation over the phone last night, but a meeting at the Max was going to have to do. He just hoped that Slater hadn't stood him up.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his friend sitting at their usual table and he even cracked a smile when he noticed his face buried in a milkshake.
"Preppie!" He saluted
Slater raised his eyebrows in a "take a seat and let's talk" kind of gesture. Max started to head toward them with menus, but Slater waved him off. Max nodded discreetly; he'd been in the business long enough to know when teenagers needed their space.
Zack and Slater stared at each other for the longest time, neither man being able to say what was on their mind. Eventually, both let out long sighs and immediately looked at each other.
"You gonna tell me exactly what happened or sit there looking like you just lost your best friend?" Slater finally composed himself long enough to give voice to one of the questions nagging at him. Heath hadn't exactly been a fountain of information the previous evening and Zack's over-the-phone ramblings were incoherent at best.
"You know how much I love Kelly, right?" Zack finally spoke up.
"Dumb question, Preppie." Slater replied and immediately wished he'd chosen different words. "I mean, y'know... what I meant to say was..."
Zack stopped him in mid-apology. "I've known you long enough, Slater. It's cool. I mean, we're best friends..."
"And..." Although he knew where the talk was going, part of him wanted to hear Zack say it.
"I think your bro is trying to split us up." Zack stared at a crack in the linoleum tabletop, looking like he wanted to crawl into it and die.
"Like I told you, Preppie, I wasn't there. What exactly happened?"
Zack took one last deep breath and told Slater everything that had happened. A.C. knew some of it, Heath having been a little forthcoming, but some of Zack's tale should've made him angry. Several times Slater had to remind himself what he was getting out of this deal just to maintain himself.
"That doesn't make a lot of sense, Morris. Heath hasn't been around for very long, but do you really think that the first thing he'd do is try to split up two of his brothers best friends?" Not the most grammatically correct thing to say, but at least it didn't sound as rehearsed as some of the other lines currently trying to make it from Slater's brain to his mouth.
"You think I'm wrong?" Zack asked
"Yeah, I do." Slater reached for his almost empty milkshake glass and choked down the last few drops. "You talked to Kelly about this?"
"Not since the argument." Zack admitted "I was gonna call her last night, but..."
Slater nodded. But you called me...
"I'm not sure what I can do. I mean, I'll talk to Heath if you want, but the dude seems to jave his own agenda. Probably, the best thing to do is talk to Kelly and maybe explain your side of things."
"I tried that." Zack cradled his chin in his palm. "That's what started the last argument."
Three familiar voices interrupted the guy-talk, but before Screech, Lisa, and Jessie (no Kelly... what a surprise) sat down, Slater had one final suggestion.
"Meet me in the locker room after class. I got an idea."
Zack nodded.
"Hey Mama, what's new?"
Jessie gave Slater one of her looks of disapproval, but that quickly turned into a round of good-natured teenage banter. Add Max with menus and all traces of the earlier chat soon were pushed to the backs of Zack and Slater's minds. With one small question, though: where was Miss Kelly?
...
"Dammit, Zack, I wish you'd stop trying to always act like we're married." Kelly stood at her locker, throwing books into a pile at the bottom. Usually very lady-like, the mild language showed just how mad she was at Zack.
"Problems in paradise?" Kelly spun around when she recognized Heath's voice.
"Like you didn't know?" She barked in reply.
"I honestly thought your boyfriend was smart enough to recognize innocent teasing and not go all up in my grill, if you get my meaning." Heath leaned against the nearest locker and looked into her eyes.
"Yeah, well..."
"And you weren't exactly telling me to shut up, either." Heath added, turning his head sideways.
"But Zack and I are..."
"So, I'm thinkin' that maybe you enjoyed the extra attention." Heath pursed his lips, then ran his tongue across the lower one.
"Just leave me alone!" Kelly shouted "I love Zack and Zack loves me!" To make her point, she slammed her locker closed and stormed away.
Heath watched her leave, her sensible shoes kicking up little puffs of dirt in her wake.
"If you say so, babe." Heath smirked. It might be time to move on to plan B.
...
Zack had Phys. Ed. last class, so Slater's suggestion as to a meeting place was less of an ulterior motive and more a matter of convenience. At least that's what he kept telling himself while trying to pay just enough attention during math to not walk out with a raging boner. It was't working as well as he'd hoped and when the final buzzer did sound, Slater ended up leaving the classroom still semi-hard.
He jogged to his locker to drop off his books, then made a straight line toward the gym. He'd known Zack long enough to know that he liked to take his time getting what he called 'his look' perfected. He was almost always the last person finished. Normally this was a mild annoyance at least, but today it was going to work to Slater's advantage.
Slater watched a stream of young males exit the gymnasium. Zack was not among them, to his relief. The pessimistic side of Slater kept rambling that today would be the one day that Zack would rush through his hygiene rituals and be the first one out, despite promising to meet.
Calm, Slater... you're not going to get into his pants today, so there's no sense running in like a bitch in heat.
"You decent Preppie?" Slater shouted into what he hoped was an almost-deserted locker room. Facing facts, it wouldn't matter if Zack was naked.
"More than decent." Zack called back.
Slater loped in, following the sound of Zack's voice to the very back of the changing areas. His buddy was still in his gym greys, the shirt stained darker from his exertions.
"I thought you would've been dressed to kill by now." Slater hoped the gentle gibe would loosen the mood, and also calm his raging hormones. There was something about the Bayside High gym uniform that got Slater bad. Especially when it was worn by a certain student named Zack Morris.
"Please. I have the Zack Morris look to perfect, y'know." Zack grabbed a towel and flung in onto the closest bench, followed by a plethora of hair and skin products. "We're talking now?"
"If you want to." Slater replied, sitting down on the opposite bench.
"Yeah... what's your idea?"
"My what?" Slater asked
"At the Max, you said you had an idea... what is it?" Zack put his foot up on the bench and untied his gym shoe.
"Well, it's real simple. You..." Slater totally forgot what he was going to say. The simple movement of Zack raising his leg gave Slater an unimpeded view of what was up Morris' gym shorts. At least as far as a pair of boxers.
Blood rushed to his temples, his dick, and his face all at the same time.
"Y'okay?" Zack queried, repeating the action with the other shoe. Slater's face felt like it was on fire. It was all he could do to nod his head.
"Cool... you spaced on me for a moment there."
Oh God, what if he undresses completely?... I won't be able to control myself!
"Sorry... I think I'm coming down with something." Slater offered the feeblest of excuses, one that if he were in Zack's shoes, he wouldn't believe for a moment. Apparently Zack was feeling a bit more understanding so he simply nodded, stripping off his shoes, then sitting down on the bench to remove his socks.
"Well don't send it my way. I got enough shit on my plate right now." Zack tossed the sweaty socks into his bag, then added his shirt. It was a bare-chested Zack who finally brought the topic around. "If you got any ideas about Kelly, I'd like to hear them."
Yeah, like get rid of her and get with you!
"You gotta make Kelly realize that there is no one who can treat her better than you." Slater's mouth was saying all the right words for the situation, but all the wrong ones for the plan that Heath had so carefully worked out. "You gotta..."
Before his brain had time to tell Slater to STOP!, he reached over and planted a rough kiss on Zack's mouth.
What are you doing? This is not...
Slater silenced his conscience, but then realized what he was doing. He quickly pulled back with enough force that he fell off the bench.
"Slater... did you just...?"
"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." Slater ran out of the locker room and was on his way home, even as Zack was still sitting on the wooded bench, wondering why had his best friend just kissed him?
That answer was easy enough. He'd figured Slater was at best bisexual, probably before anyone else, given the many hours they'd spent together, studying, or even just chilling at one of their houses. The second question was a little tougher for Zack, especially after he looked down... why was he hard?