Humming to himself, Zach reviewed his mental checklist of things to do.
First, he had to go to Jason's house and pick up whatever costume Jason had
concocted for Mimi. Then, he would have to take that costume to Philip's
house and leave it there for Mimi. He was only glad that Mimi had agreed to
help decorate the mansion and would be getting prepared for the party
there. Zach had no idea how he would have been able to pull everything off
if she had been getting ready at her own home.
Once that was all taken care of, he would be heading over to the costume shop to find something for himself. Then, he would make his way over to the Black penthouse to meet up with Shawn, Belle, Brady, and Chloe.
Stepping out of his car, Zach stuffed his keys into the front pocket of his jeans. Slowly making his way to the front door of the Masters home, he wondered how exactly it was that he had become so immensely entangled in the lives of Salem High's in crowd.
All of his life, Zach Wesley had looked out for himself - only himself. Sure, he had friends, but he had always kept his own life completely separate from theirs and insisted that they deal with their own problems. Well, not quite always.
And, it had been that one exception that had landed Zach in Salem. When one of his closest friends in Chicago had become heavily involved with drugs, Zach had decided that it was time to break down the wall that separated him from even his closest friends.
After countless hours of pleading with his friend, Zach had convinced him to hand over his cocaine and agree to at least consider a stay in a rehabilitation center. But, Zach had foolishly forgotten to immediately dispose of the cocaine and his mother had found it in his possession. Refusing to listen to his honest explanations, Zach's mother had insisted upon getting him out of the city - and out of her way. And, that was how Zachary Wesley, Chicago bad boy, had come to reside in the quirky city of Salem.
Shaking away the less than pleasant memories, Zach knocked on the front door of his best friend's house. Within seconds, the door opened to reveal Jason's younger sister Erin.
Brushing past the younger girl rather rudely, Zach scanned the living room and questioned, "Where's your brother at?"
"Um, well, I think he said that he was going to take a shower before getting ready for the party."
Glancing down at his wrist watch, Zach realized that time was dwindling away at quite a rapid speed. Returning his attention to Erin, Zach questioned, "Any idea how long he's been up there? I still have a ton of things to do before the party tonight."
Smiling shyly at the older boy, Erin answered, "Oh, he should be down any minute. If you want, you can just hang out here in the living room while you wait. Um, are you thirsty? Because, we have stuff in the kitchen if you are."
Zach hardly paid attention to the rather plain girl as he answered, "Nah, I'm not thirsty. I'm just going to have a seat and wait for Jason to get down here."
Several minutes passed as Zach and Erin sat silently in the living room. Zach was absorbed in his usual thoughts of himself and Erin was consumed with just looking at Zach without getting caught. Even if he did see her as nothing but a lowly sophomore geek, Zachary Wesley was still a very fine male specimen that at least served his purpose as eye candy.
Becoming rather nervous by the silence, Erin asked, "So, you're going to the party?"
"That's what I said," replied Zach apathetically as he continued to wait for Jason to enter the room.
Undaunted by Zach's obvious disinterest in making polite conversation, Erin asked the one question that had been nagging at her since she had first learned of the costume party. "Um, Zach, are you bringing a date to the party?"
Directing his gaze at Erin, Zach looked at the girl as though he were seeing her for the first time. And, for the briefest of moments, Erin could have sworn that the older boy was looking right into her soul . . . . then, he had to go and be Zach Wesley, egomaniac extraordinaire. He was, without a doubt, the only person Erin knew who had an ego as large as her brother's.
Glancing away from Erin, Zach answered with a laugh, "Nah, I'm not bringing a date. I thought about taking Cynthia or Candi - that hot blonde that always wears the mini-skirts, but I decided to just go solo and see who I hooked up with at the party. You know, play the field a little. After all, I wouldn't wanna go with one chick and then discover this delicious honey after I got there, would I?"
Suddenly feeling immensely inferior to not only Zach but to all the girls he was interested in, Erin lowered her head and stared at the floor. Her voice was hardly above a whisper as she said, "Well, I hope you have fun."
"Oh, I will," Zach assured her. Now that he was certain that Belle Black was off the market, Zach was definitely going to make the most of his time, and that meant checking out the party for his own perfect girl.
Having a brief moment of magnanimity, Zach asked in his most friendly manner, "So, you'll be at the party, won't you?" When Erin did nothing but nod her head, Zach continued, "Well, what are you going to go as?"
Erin attempted to appear at least somewhat cheerful as she answered, "Actually, I have two costumes, but I can't decide which to wear. One is Little Red Riding Hood. And, the other . . . "
"The other is what? Come on, Erin, tell me what the other costume is."
"Let's just say that it's a little more flashy than Little Red Riding Hood and doesn't cover me up as well."
"Well, I say you go as Little Red Riding Hood. After all, we wouldn't want you embarrassing yourself in some costume you couldn't pull off. No offense."
Hurriedly rising to her feet, Erin fought back her tears and said, "None taken."
Just minutes after Erin made her departure from the room, Jack Deveraux came strolling in from the hallway that was connected to the kitchen. Over his shoulder, he carried a zipped clothing bag.
Glancing down at his companion, Jack said, "Ah, if it's not the partner-in- crime."
Before Zach had a chance to ask just what it was that Jack was babbling about, Jason made his grand entrance into the room - clad only in a soft white towel.
Groaning loudly, Zach threw his hands over his eyes and yelled, "Dude, get some clothes on! It was bad enough I had to see Shawn in his boxers while on the environmental trip. I really don't want to see you in that towel, man."
"Sorry, pal. Erin just knocked on my bedroom door and said that I had a guest. I thought it might be . . . "
"Mimi?" Both Jack and Zachary questioned at the same time.
Tossing the guys a lopsided grin, Jason replied, "Yeah. But, hey, it won't be long before Mimi Lockhart is mine. I'd be willing to bet my life on it." Noticing what Jack had brought over with him, Jason asked, "That's the costume, huh?"
Hooking the hanger over his fingers, Jack displayed the covered outfit and answered, "Ah, yes, this is what my darling nephew believes Miss Lockhart will be wearing this evening."
With one hand securing the towel around his waist, Jason dashed across the room with a conceded smirk on his lips. Swinging open the door of the small closet that housed the vacuum cleaner and some linen, Jason pulled out what appeared to be another costume in a plastic clothing bag.
"And, this is what Miss Lockhart will actually be wearing," stated Jason with an almost evil cackle that caused both Zach and Jack to give a light laugh of their own.
Shaking his head, Zach questioned, "Do I even want to know what's in that bag?"
"You'll find out soon enough. Just make sure that Mimi gets it at the very last minute so that she won't have any choice but to wear it as her costume."
Saluting his pal, Zach replied, "Yes, sir. After all, God knows my only purpose in life is to serve as your loyal servant."
Jason flashed his sarcastic friend a smile and said good-naturedly, "Glad you're beginning to see things my way."
Crossing the room, Jason retrieved the costume that Jack had brought over and said, "I'm going to take this upstairs with me and switch the costume bags after I get dressed. Then, I'll bring Mimi's new costume down in the original costume's bag and let you take it over, Zach." Doing his best impression of Hannibal Smith from the A-Team, Jason added, "I love it when a plan comes together."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
A satisfied smile gracing his handsome face, Zach walked down the massive corridor inside the Kiriakis Mansion. So far, everything had gone according to plan. Zach had delivered Mimi's new costume to Henderson, and the loyal butler had promised to bring it to Mimi at the very last minute. Zach could only wonder how cool it would be to actually have Henderson around all the time to run his errands and do his dirty work. Philip was definitely one lucky guy.
Walking toward the stairs, Zach saw an open door that caught his attention due to the soft music erupting from inside. Being of the curious nature, he wondered what a little peek into the room could hurt. After all, how often did a guy like him get the chance to explore a mansion?
Pushing the door open a little more, Zach discovered a lone figure sitting solemnly near the window. With great hesitance, Zach entered the dimly lit library and cleared his throat to announce his uninvited presence.
When he received no response, Zach greeted, "Yo, Philster. Wassup?"
"Not much," answered Philip quietly without bothering to turn away from the window.
Sensing the sad vibe that practically choked the life out of the room, Zach softened his voice and asked, "Man, are you okay? I thought you'd be downstairs helping Mimi and all your servants finish up the decorating."
"I'm fine, Zach," Philip stated with his eyes still gazing emptily out the window.
After looking down at the hands spinning on his watch, Zach released a frustrated breath and began to cross the room. He knew that he really didn't have a lot of time to waste on Philip's bad mood, but there was something about his classmates saddened tone that made Zach want to at least try and cheer him up a little.
Dropping his athletic figure into an armchair not far from the window seat where Philip was located, Zach asked, "So, what lucky lady is coming as your date?"
Giving a frightfully brief and disheartening chuckle, Philip answered, "There is no lucky lady. In case you've forgotten, the one girl I would want to bring as my date is coming with my nephew . . . who she just happens to be marrying."
Zach grimaced just slightly as he realized the one thing everyone had been overlooking . . . Philip was in pain. Forgetting his usual humor, Zach responded, "I know this has to be hard on you, Philip. Even I know how much you care about Chloe. But, I guess I just assumed that you were over your romantic feelings for her."
"Well, I'm not."
"I guess there's not really anything I can say to make this any easier, huh?"
"Nope. Chloe and I are really over - no one can change that." After a brief silence, Philip continued, "I honestly loved her, Zach. I know that I didn't always show it in the best way, but I did love her with all my heart. And, it kills me knowing that she'll be coming to this party with Brady. Even worse is knowing that it's only a matter of time before my Chloe is Mrs. Brady Black. Not only do I have to deal with my parents not getting married to each other, but I have to handle Chloe doing this to me."
Though he really did want to make Philip feel better, Zach's first loyalty in the situation was with Chloe. His voice both firm and gentle, Zach replied, "I know you don't want to hear this, but Chloe didn't do anything to you, Philip. I find it hard to believe that you didn't see the end of your relationship coming a mile away. Chloe did what she had to do - and you know it. So, don't blame her for wanting to be happy and don't sit here in the dark and feel sorry for yourself because you were dumped and your folks don't love each other. Believe it or not, Kiriakis, you've got a good life, and most people would sell their soul to be half as fortunate as you. So, at least for tonight, try and live your own life."
Philip sat in silence as Zach stood and left the room. Glancing down to the crumpled photo he held, Philip recalled the night it was taken. His and Chloe night at the Last Blast of 2000 seemed a lifetime ago. Choking back his own tears, Philip vowed, "I will live my life - with or without Chloe. And, if only for tonight, I'm gonna not feel sorry for myself."
Standing up, Philip tossed the photo down on the window seat and left the room. Shutting the door behind himself, he muttered, "Let's get this party started."
Once that was all taken care of, he would be heading over to the costume shop to find something for himself. Then, he would make his way over to the Black penthouse to meet up with Shawn, Belle, Brady, and Chloe.
Stepping out of his car, Zach stuffed his keys into the front pocket of his jeans. Slowly making his way to the front door of the Masters home, he wondered how exactly it was that he had become so immensely entangled in the lives of Salem High's in crowd.
All of his life, Zach Wesley had looked out for himself - only himself. Sure, he had friends, but he had always kept his own life completely separate from theirs and insisted that they deal with their own problems. Well, not quite always.
And, it had been that one exception that had landed Zach in Salem. When one of his closest friends in Chicago had become heavily involved with drugs, Zach had decided that it was time to break down the wall that separated him from even his closest friends.
After countless hours of pleading with his friend, Zach had convinced him to hand over his cocaine and agree to at least consider a stay in a rehabilitation center. But, Zach had foolishly forgotten to immediately dispose of the cocaine and his mother had found it in his possession. Refusing to listen to his honest explanations, Zach's mother had insisted upon getting him out of the city - and out of her way. And, that was how Zachary Wesley, Chicago bad boy, had come to reside in the quirky city of Salem.
Shaking away the less than pleasant memories, Zach knocked on the front door of his best friend's house. Within seconds, the door opened to reveal Jason's younger sister Erin.
Brushing past the younger girl rather rudely, Zach scanned the living room and questioned, "Where's your brother at?"
"Um, well, I think he said that he was going to take a shower before getting ready for the party."
Glancing down at his wrist watch, Zach realized that time was dwindling away at quite a rapid speed. Returning his attention to Erin, Zach questioned, "Any idea how long he's been up there? I still have a ton of things to do before the party tonight."
Smiling shyly at the older boy, Erin answered, "Oh, he should be down any minute. If you want, you can just hang out here in the living room while you wait. Um, are you thirsty? Because, we have stuff in the kitchen if you are."
Zach hardly paid attention to the rather plain girl as he answered, "Nah, I'm not thirsty. I'm just going to have a seat and wait for Jason to get down here."
Several minutes passed as Zach and Erin sat silently in the living room. Zach was absorbed in his usual thoughts of himself and Erin was consumed with just looking at Zach without getting caught. Even if he did see her as nothing but a lowly sophomore geek, Zachary Wesley was still a very fine male specimen that at least served his purpose as eye candy.
Becoming rather nervous by the silence, Erin asked, "So, you're going to the party?"
"That's what I said," replied Zach apathetically as he continued to wait for Jason to enter the room.
Undaunted by Zach's obvious disinterest in making polite conversation, Erin asked the one question that had been nagging at her since she had first learned of the costume party. "Um, Zach, are you bringing a date to the party?"
Directing his gaze at Erin, Zach looked at the girl as though he were seeing her for the first time. And, for the briefest of moments, Erin could have sworn that the older boy was looking right into her soul . . . . then, he had to go and be Zach Wesley, egomaniac extraordinaire. He was, without a doubt, the only person Erin knew who had an ego as large as her brother's.
Glancing away from Erin, Zach answered with a laugh, "Nah, I'm not bringing a date. I thought about taking Cynthia or Candi - that hot blonde that always wears the mini-skirts, but I decided to just go solo and see who I hooked up with at the party. You know, play the field a little. After all, I wouldn't wanna go with one chick and then discover this delicious honey after I got there, would I?"
Suddenly feeling immensely inferior to not only Zach but to all the girls he was interested in, Erin lowered her head and stared at the floor. Her voice was hardly above a whisper as she said, "Well, I hope you have fun."
"Oh, I will," Zach assured her. Now that he was certain that Belle Black was off the market, Zach was definitely going to make the most of his time, and that meant checking out the party for his own perfect girl.
Having a brief moment of magnanimity, Zach asked in his most friendly manner, "So, you'll be at the party, won't you?" When Erin did nothing but nod her head, Zach continued, "Well, what are you going to go as?"
Erin attempted to appear at least somewhat cheerful as she answered, "Actually, I have two costumes, but I can't decide which to wear. One is Little Red Riding Hood. And, the other . . . "
"The other is what? Come on, Erin, tell me what the other costume is."
"Let's just say that it's a little more flashy than Little Red Riding Hood and doesn't cover me up as well."
"Well, I say you go as Little Red Riding Hood. After all, we wouldn't want you embarrassing yourself in some costume you couldn't pull off. No offense."
Hurriedly rising to her feet, Erin fought back her tears and said, "None taken."
Just minutes after Erin made her departure from the room, Jack Deveraux came strolling in from the hallway that was connected to the kitchen. Over his shoulder, he carried a zipped clothing bag.
Glancing down at his companion, Jack said, "Ah, if it's not the partner-in- crime."
Before Zach had a chance to ask just what it was that Jack was babbling about, Jason made his grand entrance into the room - clad only in a soft white towel.
Groaning loudly, Zach threw his hands over his eyes and yelled, "Dude, get some clothes on! It was bad enough I had to see Shawn in his boxers while on the environmental trip. I really don't want to see you in that towel, man."
"Sorry, pal. Erin just knocked on my bedroom door and said that I had a guest. I thought it might be . . . "
"Mimi?" Both Jack and Zachary questioned at the same time.
Tossing the guys a lopsided grin, Jason replied, "Yeah. But, hey, it won't be long before Mimi Lockhart is mine. I'd be willing to bet my life on it." Noticing what Jack had brought over with him, Jason asked, "That's the costume, huh?"
Hooking the hanger over his fingers, Jack displayed the covered outfit and answered, "Ah, yes, this is what my darling nephew believes Miss Lockhart will be wearing this evening."
With one hand securing the towel around his waist, Jason dashed across the room with a conceded smirk on his lips. Swinging open the door of the small closet that housed the vacuum cleaner and some linen, Jason pulled out what appeared to be another costume in a plastic clothing bag.
"And, this is what Miss Lockhart will actually be wearing," stated Jason with an almost evil cackle that caused both Zach and Jack to give a light laugh of their own.
Shaking his head, Zach questioned, "Do I even want to know what's in that bag?"
"You'll find out soon enough. Just make sure that Mimi gets it at the very last minute so that she won't have any choice but to wear it as her costume."
Saluting his pal, Zach replied, "Yes, sir. After all, God knows my only purpose in life is to serve as your loyal servant."
Jason flashed his sarcastic friend a smile and said good-naturedly, "Glad you're beginning to see things my way."
Crossing the room, Jason retrieved the costume that Jack had brought over and said, "I'm going to take this upstairs with me and switch the costume bags after I get dressed. Then, I'll bring Mimi's new costume down in the original costume's bag and let you take it over, Zach." Doing his best impression of Hannibal Smith from the A-Team, Jason added, "I love it when a plan comes together."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
A satisfied smile gracing his handsome face, Zach walked down the massive corridor inside the Kiriakis Mansion. So far, everything had gone according to plan. Zach had delivered Mimi's new costume to Henderson, and the loyal butler had promised to bring it to Mimi at the very last minute. Zach could only wonder how cool it would be to actually have Henderson around all the time to run his errands and do his dirty work. Philip was definitely one lucky guy.
Walking toward the stairs, Zach saw an open door that caught his attention due to the soft music erupting from inside. Being of the curious nature, he wondered what a little peek into the room could hurt. After all, how often did a guy like him get the chance to explore a mansion?
Pushing the door open a little more, Zach discovered a lone figure sitting solemnly near the window. With great hesitance, Zach entered the dimly lit library and cleared his throat to announce his uninvited presence.
When he received no response, Zach greeted, "Yo, Philster. Wassup?"
"Not much," answered Philip quietly without bothering to turn away from the window.
Sensing the sad vibe that practically choked the life out of the room, Zach softened his voice and asked, "Man, are you okay? I thought you'd be downstairs helping Mimi and all your servants finish up the decorating."
"I'm fine, Zach," Philip stated with his eyes still gazing emptily out the window.
After looking down at the hands spinning on his watch, Zach released a frustrated breath and began to cross the room. He knew that he really didn't have a lot of time to waste on Philip's bad mood, but there was something about his classmates saddened tone that made Zach want to at least try and cheer him up a little.
Dropping his athletic figure into an armchair not far from the window seat where Philip was located, Zach asked, "So, what lucky lady is coming as your date?"
Giving a frightfully brief and disheartening chuckle, Philip answered, "There is no lucky lady. In case you've forgotten, the one girl I would want to bring as my date is coming with my nephew . . . who she just happens to be marrying."
Zach grimaced just slightly as he realized the one thing everyone had been overlooking . . . Philip was in pain. Forgetting his usual humor, Zach responded, "I know this has to be hard on you, Philip. Even I know how much you care about Chloe. But, I guess I just assumed that you were over your romantic feelings for her."
"Well, I'm not."
"I guess there's not really anything I can say to make this any easier, huh?"
"Nope. Chloe and I are really over - no one can change that." After a brief silence, Philip continued, "I honestly loved her, Zach. I know that I didn't always show it in the best way, but I did love her with all my heart. And, it kills me knowing that she'll be coming to this party with Brady. Even worse is knowing that it's only a matter of time before my Chloe is Mrs. Brady Black. Not only do I have to deal with my parents not getting married to each other, but I have to handle Chloe doing this to me."
Though he really did want to make Philip feel better, Zach's first loyalty in the situation was with Chloe. His voice both firm and gentle, Zach replied, "I know you don't want to hear this, but Chloe didn't do anything to you, Philip. I find it hard to believe that you didn't see the end of your relationship coming a mile away. Chloe did what she had to do - and you know it. So, don't blame her for wanting to be happy and don't sit here in the dark and feel sorry for yourself because you were dumped and your folks don't love each other. Believe it or not, Kiriakis, you've got a good life, and most people would sell their soul to be half as fortunate as you. So, at least for tonight, try and live your own life."
Philip sat in silence as Zach stood and left the room. Glancing down to the crumpled photo he held, Philip recalled the night it was taken. His and Chloe night at the Last Blast of 2000 seemed a lifetime ago. Choking back his own tears, Philip vowed, "I will live my life - with or without Chloe. And, if only for tonight, I'm gonna not feel sorry for myself."
Standing up, Philip tossed the photo down on the window seat and left the room. Shutting the door behind himself, he muttered, "Let's get this party started."