The weeks that followed – I have to say, were the best days of my life so far, being an author and all though, I do tend to exaggerated, but honestly…

Having Zack just makes everything light up in the kind of glow you only get on the sunniest of LA days. It didn't matter what we were doing: Surfing, hanging at my place, at his, babysitting Cody, tagging (well that was mostly Zack, but I gave it a shot!) and countless other things.

It all just seemed feel like a glorious twilight dream that never seemed to end. Even when the weather wasn't too good, we would sit looking out over the beach. On clear nights I would teach him about constellations and he would in turn let me in to his world, further and further, piece-by-piece. He was slowly learning to say no to Jeannie as well, which meant she was finally learning to look after her child, although Zach still had some reservations about leaving Cody with his sister and Alan but he knew she wouldn't do anything stupid.

He hoped.

The days seemed to get faster the happier we became, our routine was an endless loop of sunshine and dare I say 'love'? No wait forget I said that. I wasn't brought back to earth until Gabe came home one morning when myself and Zach were doing what we did best, just lying in bed.

"So… You gonna head back to L.A soon?" He asked softly, gazing at me with those beautiful innocent eyes. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly, not really wanting to dwell on the impending departure from this world… Our world.

"I'm pretty happy here," I replied slowly, opening my eyes again and regarding him. He smiled sadly at this and my heart almost broke "Hey… Why don't you come with me?"

I was so desperate to keep him with me; I didn't want this to ever end.

Zach laughed obviously believing that I was making some ridiculous joke "Yeah, right,"

"I'm serious! You could come with me, I live right near CalArts," I explained, begging him with my eyes to see it my way, to know how much I wanted him to come with me. He just smiled and looked down nervously "You're so beautiful," I said before I knew what I was doing.
I knew he hated such expressions of sentimentality, from anyone let alone the guy he's been spending all his time with for weeks.

"Shut up!" He replied uncomfortably

I suppressed a surge of anger as I always did when he wouldn't take it easy and accept my words "Hey learn to take a compliment," I told him placing my hand on his cheek. He smiled in to it, placing his hand on top of mine and for once didn't protest any longer.

"Thanks,"

Can I call that a breakthrough? I think I can.

"I'm so glad you're here,"

"Me too,"

Lying there in my bed with him, the whole world outside seemed so insignificant, so trivial. Why would I ever want to leave this room when everything I had ever wanted was staring right back at me, hanging off my every word and just being happy with me just as I was with him.

I opened my mouth to say more when noise pierced through our world, ripping through it harshly and destroying our safety walls – the opening of the door.

"Yo Bro, what do you know?" Gabe's voice sent panic signals through us both.

"Gabe," I said stupidly as we both jumped up and stumbled across the floor, looking for clothes.

"Come on, come on!" Zach whispered, picking up any shirt in sight and sprinting in to the bathroom. As we moved, Gabe could be heard coming up the stairs "Shaunypoo! Your little brother Gabe is back, Where's my princess big brother? What you've got a guy in there? You slut!" He said, trying to open the locked door.

"No," I shouted anxiously, doing up my jeans and crossing the room to unlock it.

"Oooh a girl?" Gabe asked coming in to the room

"Yeah right,"

"Did I interrupt you beating off or something?" I had forgotten how relentless my little brother was with his questioning; he definitely got that from our Mom.

"No, I was just sleeping," I said quickly, the first thing that came in to my head just had to be the stupidest response.

"With the door locked? Okay… Weirdo…"

Gabe went to sit on my bed but as Zach was still in the bathroom, I figured this wasn't a good idea, so I took the intuitive and spread open my arms "Hey come here dude!" I exclaimed wrapping my arms around my annoyingly tall younger brother. Luckily this gave Zach a chance to escape through the door.

"Good to see you too bro,"
"I've missed you so much,"

"There it is yeah,"

Gabe drew back quickly, not really use to hugs from me, not that I had been distance from him while growing up, I just didn't show affection as openly as he did.

"Dude, so what are you doing here man? I thought you were moving in to your new place this week,"

I took a deep breath, this was too many questions and too close to the one thing I was not going to tell Gabe "No, no. The thought of… Moving into an empty place is just depressing, you know?" I said, which was true, it was indescribably depressing, but for different reasons than what Gabe was evidently thinking.

"Yeah? Well it's pretty empty here, you doing alright?" He replied, picking up on my shifty mood. I may be an all right writer, but actor I am not.

"Yeah I'm good,"

"You sure?"

"Yeah!" I said as nonchalantly as I could

"I heard it was pretty tough there for a while,"

I was confused for a second but then realised Gabe knew I had come back because of my break up with Scott. I allowed my memory to briefly cast itself back to those days and I almost wanted to laugh at how heart broken I had been and how not I was now "Yeah, it was tough,"

"Well don't worry Romeo, you'll find a new one,"

"Yeah thanks,"

"So, you ready to hang up your pink Gucci suit and come bail out with your real friends?" Gabe asked excitedly, always the overactive puppy dog, eyes and all.

Knowing this was only going to lead to a very awkward encounter, I opened my mouth to say no, but taking another look at Gabe's happy face I knew I couldn't say no, he always had a way of getting his way "Yeah sure,"

"Right on, I'll call Zach,"

"Okay, good,"
Suddenly the door slammed and I cursed Zach for not being quiet for once in his life. I turned around and headed to my wardrobe hoping Gabe wouldn't have heard the door, but I was foolish to hope that.

"What was that?"

I turned back around, trying to hide my fear

"June's probably cleaning today," I tried

"But June comes on Tuesdays,"

"Yes she does! Pool guy? I dunno," I said failing at lying again, goddamnit why can't I lie successfully?

"You okay?"

I was letting my true emotional state slip through my thin façade but I clung to my stories, hoping he would let it be soon.

"Yeah,"

"Yeah? You look a bit freaked out,"

I laughed shakily "No I'm just tired,"

"Alright," Gabe said finally giving up and leaving the room, stomping down the stairs.

"There anything good to eat in the fridge or is it stocked with low-carb fag food, 'cause I'm fucking starving man,"

"Just a lot of fag food," I sighed, falling on my bed, things were about to get really complicated and all at once my happiness and perfect rose tinted world, was fading.

And Zach had taken my favourite T-Shirt.