Author's note: Sorry it's been so long and that I uploaded this without
formatting at first. Hopefully it looks okay.
Disclaimer: I officially disclaim everything.
Summer and Zach finished their dance and both were reluctant to see it end. They left the dance floor and made their way to some patio furniture that was arranged under the deck. Sitting across from each other they spent the first minute just struggling to make and maintain eye contact. That soon turned into nervous smiles back and forth. Finally they both laughed.
"We're being silly," Summer said, "Why is this so hard?"
"I don't know," Zach replied, "perhaps it has something to do with us pretty much never talking before now."
His dry wit caused Summer to smile. She decided to tease him a little.
"You think? No, couldn't be that. That would actually make sense."
Then she sobered a little.
"So how do we do this?" she asked.
"I don't know."
"Well we could start by having you tell me why you kissed me the other day."
"True, we could."
When it became apparent he wasn't going to answer Summer laughed.
"Well? Come on, Zach. Out with it."
Zach rubbed the back of his neck and twisted his head, avoiding her eyes. "I kissed you because I wanted to, okay? Once I got the idea into my head I couldn't get it out and I knew I wasn't going to be able to let it go until I did something about it."
Summer sat in silence, basking in the warm glow his words had given her. Her happiness was briefly dimmed when Zach turned the tables on her.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
Now it was Zach's turn to tease Summer.
"Oh come on now Summer, don't be shy. Tell me why you kissed me."
"I don't recall kissing you. Are you sure you have the right girl?"
His eyes grew serious and Summer put her hand to the base of her neck and leaned forward slightly, afraid she had hurt his feelings. She was slightly mystified when he reached forward and took her other hand and held it gently.
"I'm sure."
She tilted her head and looked at him quizzically, unsure for a moment what he was referring to. Then when it hit her she did the only logical thing she could do-she kissed him. If he was surprised he didn't show it. When he pulled back she opened her eyes and said,
"I kissed you because from the moment you held my hand I wanted to know what it felt like to kiss you. And I didn't know how I was ever going to get the chance. Lucky for me you're a take-charge kind of guy."
Using the hand he still held he pulled her onto his lap. "Yeah, and lucky for me you're the kind of girl who digs a take-charge kind of guy like me."
So Zach and Summer came to the conclusion that they didn't really need to say anything more than that. They were content to snuggle on the patio until the rest of the gang came to find them.
Michael was enjoying the rare chance to have Audrey all to himself on the dance floor. As he looked at her preoccupied expression he had to concede that he only had her physically to himself. It was obvious something else was claiming her thoughts. He sighed loudly, trying without success to claim her attention. Finally she turned to face him after the third sigh.
"What is it, Michael?"
"That's what I'd like to know. What's with you tonight?"
"Nothing," Audrey replied, although she refused to meet his eyes.
"Don't tell me 'nothing', Audrey. I want to know what's bothering you."
She debated not telling him but the set look on his face convinced her that Michael was not going to let the matter drop.
"Oh all right. It's just that I'm having second thoughts about confronting Jenny tonight and I don't like second-guessing myself."
"Why do you think you are?"
Audrey considered the question for a moment.
"Well, I guess it's because I want her to open up on her own, not because she feels forced to."
"So, there's your solution. Give her time to do it on her own. What's the rush, anyway?"
"Aside from my own burning curiosity to know what's going on with her? Nothing I can think of."
Michael laughed and pulled Audrey closer. She laid her head on his shoulder and smiled, enjoying the sound of his amusement. As they danced she thought about Michael's suggestion to just let everything go for a while longer, give Jenny some time to open up on her own. She decided to ask Dee what she thought. She lifted her head and looked around for her, and then abruptly stopped dancing when she saw her dancing with Tom. Michael was about to tease her about her lack of dancing prowess when he too noticed Tom and Dee together. As they stared at their friends Audrey turned to Michael.
"It looks like Jenny will get that time after all. Something much more interesting needs to be discussed tonight."
Summer and Zach finished their dance and both were reluctant to see it end. They left the dance floor and made their way to some patio furniture that was arranged under the deck. Sitting across from each other they spent the first minute just struggling to make and maintain eye contact. That soon turned into nervous smiles back and forth. Finally they both laughed.
"We're being silly," Summer said, "Why is this so hard?"
"I don't know," Zach replied, "perhaps it has something to do with us pretty much never talking before now."
His dry wit caused Summer to smile. She decided to tease him a little.
"You think? No, couldn't be that. That would actually make sense."
Then she sobered a little.
"So how do we do this?" she asked.
"I don't know."
"Well we could start by having you tell me why you kissed me the other day."
"True, we could."
When it became apparent he wasn't going to answer Summer laughed.
"Well? Come on, Zach. Out with it."
Zach rubbed the back of his neck and twisted his head, avoiding her eyes. "I kissed you because I wanted to, okay? Once I got the idea into my head I couldn't get it out and I knew I wasn't going to be able to let it go until I did something about it."
Summer sat in silence, basking in the warm glow his words had given her. Her happiness was briefly dimmed when Zach turned the tables on her.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
Now it was Zach's turn to tease Summer.
"Oh come on now Summer, don't be shy. Tell me why you kissed me."
"I don't recall kissing you. Are you sure you have the right girl?"
His eyes grew serious and Summer put her hand to the base of her neck and leaned forward slightly, afraid she had hurt his feelings. She was slightly mystified when he reached forward and took her other hand and held it gently.
"I'm sure."
She tilted her head and looked at him quizzically, unsure for a moment what he was referring to. Then when it hit her she did the only logical thing she could do-she kissed him. If he was surprised he didn't show it. When he pulled back she opened her eyes and said,
"I kissed you because from the moment you held my hand I wanted to know what it felt like to kiss you. And I didn't know how I was ever going to get the chance. Lucky for me you're a take-charge kind of guy."
Using the hand he still held he pulled her onto his lap. "Yeah, and lucky for me you're the kind of girl who digs a take-charge kind of guy like me."
So Zach and Summer came to the conclusion that they didn't really need to say anything more than that. They were content to snuggle on the patio until the rest of the gang came to find them.
Michael was enjoying the rare chance to have Audrey all to himself on the dance floor. As he looked at her preoccupied expression he had to concede that he only had her physically to himself. It was obvious something else was claiming her thoughts. He sighed loudly, trying without success to claim her attention. Finally she turned to face him after the third sigh.
"What is it, Michael?"
"That's what I'd like to know. What's with you tonight?"
"Nothing," Audrey replied, although she refused to meet his eyes.
"Don't tell me 'nothing', Audrey. I want to know what's bothering you."
She debated not telling him but the set look on his face convinced her that Michael was not going to let the matter drop.
"Oh all right. It's just that I'm having second thoughts about confronting Jenny tonight and I don't like second-guessing myself."
"Why do you think you are?"
Audrey considered the question for a moment.
"Well, I guess it's because I want her to open up on her own, not because she feels forced to."
"So, there's your solution. Give her time to do it on her own. What's the rush, anyway?"
"Aside from my own burning curiosity to know what's going on with her? Nothing I can think of."
Michael laughed and pulled Audrey closer. She laid her head on his shoulder and smiled, enjoying the sound of his amusement. As they danced she thought about Michael's suggestion to just let everything go for a while longer, give Jenny some time to open up on her own. She decided to ask Dee what she thought. She lifted her head and looked around for her, and then abruptly stopped dancing when she saw her dancing with Tom. Michael was about to tease her about her lack of dancing prowess when he too noticed Tom and Dee together. As they stared at their friends Audrey turned to Michael.
"It looks like Jenny will get that time after all. Something much more interesting needs to be discussed tonight."