Chapter One - How It All Began:

"Zack, we can't do this." Lisa said as she rushed away from him.

In a moment, she was opening the door of his bedroom, trying to straighten her clothes, and calm the rapid beating of her heart. Zack was hot on her trail from the moment she shot off his bed. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside his room, bringing her crashing against his exposed chest. She placed her open palms against his chest as he backed her against the door. She couldn't quell the fire raging within her.

Zack placed a hand under her chin, leaving the other to rest on her hip, and brought her face up to look into her eyes. For a few slow, torturous seconds, only their beating hearts could be heard. As they looked into each other's eyes, it became more apparent to Zack that this was how it should be. They had been friends all of their lives, shared everything, why not a love that was stronger than either had ever felt?

He wanted to kiss her again. To show her that what he felt for her was not rebounding feelings from his recent breakup with Kelly Kapowski. But that it had always been there. Just beneath the surface, waiting for the moment to make itself known.

And boy had it ever.

Zack had never felt anything like this before. He could hardly control the urge to eliminate what little space was between them now, let alone put a stop to it altogether.

"Why not?" His voice was low and husky; and when his cool breath hit her, Lisa shivered with excitement.

"I can think of a dozen reasons." No she couldn't. She could only think of two, and both of them happened to be really close friends.

"I only need one."

"Kelly."

Zack groaned heavily. He moved away from her; fighting the urge to scream. "Kelly doesn't matter here, Lisa." He turned to face her, the look in his blue eyes just as arousing as his touch had been. "Only you and me."

Lisa shook her head in disbelief at his words. How could Kelly not matter here? She was his great love. The love to end all loves. Of course she mattered here. What they were about to do would break her heart. "How can you say that? She's your ex and one of my best friends, of course she matters here."

"Not to me." Zack told her. He moved a step closer and Lisa jerked back, feeling the barricade of the door. "Kelly and I broke up weeks ago. She's moved on."

Kelly was once again with a man who wouldn't appreciate her. The college guy Jeff was only the beginning of her phase of jerk boyfriends. As always, in between relationships, she would find her way back to Zack; and he would welcome her back with open arms. But something changed three weeks ago. Zack had had enough. He broke up with Kelly once and for all. At least once and for all as far as he was concerned. His friends, however, were sure they would wind up together again.

Not this time, he told himself, not this time.

"You're not a rebound, Lisa, if that's what you're afraid of. And I didn't ask you over here for the purpose of us having sex. I wanted to spend time with you."

"Why?"

"Because we're friends. We used to be really close friends. Before all of-" He made a gesture with his hands. He was implicating his other relationships.

"Really close friends don't do what we were about to do, Zack." Lisa hissed. She closed her eyes and groaned. "Sorry. I know you weren't using me. But . . . still . . . we shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?" asked Zack again. He moved close to her again, but didn't touch her. "Don't say Kelly."

"Screech." Lisa didn't have to search hard for the other reason they shouldn't be together. Screech has been in love with her all of their lives. "This would break his heart. You're his best friend."

Zack sighed pensively. She made a valid point, but the excitement in his system, the love and lust he felt for her pushed out all rational thoughts. "We could explain it to Screech. Make him understand."

"That's not the point." She exclaimed. "The damage would have already been done. Things could never go back to the way they were."

"I think we passed that point the moment we kissed, Lisa." He watched her blush at the intoxicating memory. "And you underestimate Screech's power of forgiveness." Lisa scoffed lightly at that comment. "Besides that, no one else matters here. Only me and you." He let his hand caress her soft cheek. "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't continue what we started?"

She looked up into his eyes with all the innocence of a child. "Because we won't be able to stop. Because I'll carry the memory with me for the rest of my life. Because in two weeks we graduate from high school and will be going our separate ways, and I just don't think I can handle something beginning between us and it not working out."

A sad smile crossed his lips. "I know you're scared. You have every right to be. I'm scared, too." He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "But I'm more afraid of letting you go right now and not exploring or experiencing what is happening between us. We've been friends for a long time and I would hate to ruin that, but if I've learned anything from my fiasco relationships with Kelly, it's that time waits for no one. If you want something and it's available to you, go and grab it while it's still there. I couldn't handle it either if we didn't work out, but I certainly wouldn't be able to handle it or live with myself if we didn't try."

As the tears began to fall from her eyes, Lisa felt torn. Torn between her love for her friends and the chance to find happiness. To see if Zack could be the great love she's dreamed about since she was a little girl.

Zack reached out again and wiped her tears. "Don't cry." He said as he pulled her into his arms. He smoothed her hair, soothing her, letting her release all the emotions within. Showing her that no matter her choice, he would always be there for her. "I love you, Lisa." He whispered in her ear. His breath sent a shiver down her spine, as did his declaration. "I've loved you all my life. As a friend and now as something more. I will always love you."

Lisa pulled back just enough to look up into his eyes. His blue eyes sparkled with the joy of his revelation. He meant it, he truly meant it. He did love her. And she loved him. More than words could ever fully express.

"I love you, too, Zack." She replied; and after a moment, let him kiss her.

Initially, the kisses were soft and tender. Warm lips pressed together playfully. After a few minutes, they became less frequent and more prolonged. Their tongues danced in each other's mouths. Tasting each other, savoring the radical feelings that freely flowed.

More moments passed and they were back on his bed again.

They took their time undressing one other. Relishing in the sight, the moment, the passion that flowed from them and seemed to carry them to their own world. Zack kissed and nibbled his way down her exposed body as he removed the last article of clothing from her statuesque body. He hooked his index fingers under the line of her panties and slid them over her hips. Lisa, instinctively, raised her hips to help him.

Tossing her panties onto the floor, on top of his articles of clothing, Zack hovered over top of her. He kissed her full on the lips, loving the sense of freedom that was now mixed in with the other emotions swirling in his body. His hands went in an exhausting search over her body, finding the spots where she enjoyed to be touched. He felt her warm, soft, little fingers on his back, running though his hair, stroking his lengthy manhood.

Lack of air forced him to break the kiss. He looked down into her eyes once more and saw that all the fear had faded from them. She looked like an angel. He caressed her cheek again and she turned her face towards his palm and kissed it. He let his fingers trail the outline of her mouth. Lisa captured one of them in her mouth and grazed it with her teeth. Reaching over into his night table, Zack pulled a condom out of the drawer. Lisa took it from his hand, removed the package, and placed it along his hardening shaft; she knew she was teasing him, and that he didn't seem to mind.

In return, Zack pinched one of her erect nipples with one hand's index finger and thumb, while the other was used to slide his shaft against her silken moist folds. Lisa moaned in pleasure. She raised her head and captured his lips with her. It was time, she couldn't wait any longer. Truthfully, neither could he. Zack raised her hips up to him and entered her slowly. He withheld all movements, giving them both a chance to get adjusted.

Slowly, Lisa began to rock her hips against him until he lowered them both back down against the bed. They moved slowly sometimes, then faster. In circles, deeper thrusts, following wherever the sensation felt best.

Zack whispered sweet words of love in her ear, but Lisa could only hear the roaring of her own blood. Her world was changing into a kaleidoscope of colors. A new color for every new sensation. Zack kissed and nibble on her neck, feeling her muscles tightening around him.

Scratching her nails along his back, Lisa was overtaken with the waves of her first orgasm. Zack winced in pain and with a bite into her shoulder, released the seed within.

Shivering and glistening with sweat, they stayed entwined for a moment. Exasperated breaths escaped from their parted lips. Zack moved from on top of her and landed on the bed beside her. Lisa turned to face him and smiled. Zack pulled the covers over top their naked bodies and draped and arm around Lisa's waist. She closed her eyes and continued to smile as he placed soft kissed on her forehead and the tip of her nose.

"I love you, Lisa." Zack said again. "I really do."

"I know, Zack." she replied, half asleep. "And I love you, too."

And for the moment, everything was as it should be.