Name: These Days

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own Zac

Madison stepped onto her porch feeling the instant warm heat from the sun that had just conquered the top of the trees. She had to squint to even see his car which was nicely parked parallel to where she was standing. She smiled over as he walked around the front of the car and charmingly opened the passenger door signaling his hand towards the seat. She jogged down her front porch stairs and then walked down the cement walkway stepping on to the cracked and rocky sidewalk.

"Ready?" he asked with a smile as she stepped forward to the point where the sun was no longer in her face. She nodded before sitting down letting him close the door behind her. In all honesty though she wasn't ready at all, actually she had been dreading this very moment all night and all morning. Never once had she skipped afraid that she would get so far behind in one day's work she would never catch up.

Yes she knew she sounded like a loser with no life but she was on the verge of a breakdown. Her guilty conscious was over flooding her mind making it hard for her to think on her own. She stared blankly ahead only hearing the sounds of the car starting and seeing it move forward.

It was silent most of the ride which was weird because for some reason they always found something to talk about. Zac turned up the radio which started playing a dashboard confessional song (she hadn't heard them in ages) the song was one of those songs that seemed to be attached to a certain favorite memory of Madison's and she could help but giggle to herself remembering.

Zac looked over "what?" he asked as he took another turn. She shook her head "nothing, I just like this song" and she did even more now because here was a new memory this song could be attached too.

"So where are we headed anyways?" she asked feeling the awkward cloud lift away from them both, feeling a little more comfortable with the situation.

He looked over at her letting a smile wipe across his face "you'll see" was all he said. She lifted up out of her seat "will you just tell me" she said pleadingly hoping for her pout to persuade him. But he didn't give in and kept on driving.

Madison raised an eyebrow as Zac pulled up onto a dirt covered up road by trees "okay should I be prepared to run?" she asked jokingly but still hoping that he wasn't a crazy creep.

Zac laughed and drove up the winding road. There wasn't much to be seen as they drove just a bunch of green leafy trees that blocked all view of anything. Madison looked ahead out the window and saw a clearing that was finally letting the sun in since the trees weren't.

The car slowed down to a stop just before the clearing leaving Madison still guessing. They both got out and as she walked past the front of the car she was already tripping over the uneven ground and rock. She almost fell but was caught by Zac who held on to her hand chuckling "you alright?"

She smiled embarrassingly "shouldn't of worn these shoes" was all she said as her hand was dropped and she was left to follow him.

The sun hit her face again as she stepped out in to the clearing. It was a circular kind of clearing like it had been used before for parked cars or something. When she regained her vision by stepping under a shady tree she finally saw where she was. Surrounded by her was a clan of Dogwood trees in full bloom giving the scenery a pinkish color and when the trees opened up it revealed the cities skyline in perfect view. Madison was amazed that a site like this was covered up by the woods it almost felt like her own little place her own world.

Zac stepped out besides her "its crazy isn't it" Madison couldn't do anything but nod this was all too surreal.

After Madison's guilty conscious was put to rest for the day she couldn't help but be more herself. She felt comfortable around Zac and what she said made him laugh and what he did made her all the more happier. It was around 9:30 when he dropped her off. They spent the whole day hanging out, Going to the beach, the fair they even caught a movie and dinner but Madison still thought about Craig the whole time and couldn't help but put his face on Zac's body making her feel a little less guilty about skipping without him.

She turned around and faced Zac as she stopped on the welcome mat on the front porch. "I had a lot of fun today" she said with a smile as he returned the gesture.

"me too" he looked down at the ground trying to find something else to say, to make her stay out there longer but that day they had said all there was to be said and to go on would ruin the moment. Zac was a gentleman and he knew about her and Craig so to make a move (or at least try) would be out of the question and he would leave that porch wishing he would of least did something but he didn't.

She had surprisingly hugged him goodbye and the scent of her perfume hung over him like a wanting cloud and waking up the next morning with butterflies in his stomach and her face running through his mind was what he had wanted all along.

Madison walked in to the tutoring room to see Zac already sitting there reading the text book (surprising) actually not really. You see Zac, after that first day had been surprisingly charming in all his ways. He did his work and trust me he was no idiot. He would sometimes even amaze Madison by quoting some type of book he had read over the years.

When she placed her books down she startled him and made him react by looking up

"Hey" she said sitting down feeling winded from running down the stairs with the heavy books in her hands. Her feet were killing her from walking the whole day before and walking right now wasn't helping either.

Zac sat up a little bit as he reached for something in his back pocket "you have plans tonight?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

Madison thought about this for a minute but what was there to ponder, ever since the four years she had been in high school she never once had plans on a Friday night. So she shook her head feeling like a loser and watched as Zac pulled out a neon green piece of paper.

"What's that?" she asked a little curious with a raised eyebrow. Zac unfolded the paper and held it up right in her face as is she was blind.

"some kid handed this to me, I think we should go" Madison grabbed the paper from his ahnd reading it more closely

"A house party…you want to got to a house party?" she looked up at him not even picturing he was the party type. Zac shrugged "well I haven't done much since being here, besides I've never been too one"

Madison snorted throwing the paper on the table "oh yeah well I don't think any house party could stand up to a five star famous club" Zac laughed as he took the paper and folded it "so is that a yes or a no to the party?"

Madison looked up at him watching him as he watched her. There eyes had locked and they stayed there as she thought "sure, I've already skipped school what else could go wrong" He smiled and turned back to his book and without looking up from the reading replied

"all right pick you up at eight" Madison smiled and turned towards the book too but she tried her hardest not to make eye contact, she wanted to show him that it was no big deal that there was a party, even if she had never been too one.

As always Zac was right on time to pick her up only this time when Madison walked out the door he surprised her by meeting her on the porch instead of by his car. He was dressed like he would look on any other school day and surprisingly so was Madison looks like neither tried so hard to fit in after all.

Once both had stepped on the walkway the conversation was started up immediately "so this Corey kid is he well known" Madison knew every kid in this town and too say Corey was well is an understatement. Not only was he well known in this town but he was well known in the surrounding towns too. That's why when Madison heard there was a party she was at no surprise that it was him that was holding it.

"he's a senior, that's all I really know about him" she said nothing else because she didn't want to get in to full detail about him because she knew little about him all she knew was that he had a huge house.

It wasn't hard for them to find the house. Once turning out of Madison's street all they really had to do was follow the five other cars filled with teens that were blaring loud music. Zac actually laughed at the people driving in front of them, not even had they reached the party and already they were driving all over the road.

Zac was very cautious about his car and asked Madison if she didn't mind walking a block or too so he could park his car somewhere safe. She agreed to it and it was no later than a minute that Zac had found a spot in a quiet neighborhood with the distant sound of Music from Corey's house.

The pavement was wet with the night's precipitation and all that could be heard were Madison's shoes click-clacking on the pavement. Zac walked along side her hands in pockets letting the slight breeze push back his hair. He was actually nervous, he had never once attended a house party in his teenage years and this was actually more nerve racking than any premiere he had ever been too.

the bright lights of the house came in to view making Madison speak up out of nervousness "I'm not drinking tonight" was all she said. Zac nodded agreeing with her "me neither, never once have I drank either" he said going on "never really interested"

Madison smiled looking up at him "self-control, good" he smiled back and felt the ground beneath him cushion as they stepped on to Corey's front lawn. There were 3 separate groups of kids passing around what god only knows, most likely weed though.

Madison stepped in first only because Zac was slightly pushing her through the threshold with his hand on the small of her back. She stepped onto the marble floor that entered in to the expanding foyer. People were all over, holding hands and giggling as they walked up the spiraling staircase towards the bedrooms. Girls over girls dancing as the music played in the living room and there looked like an intense game of beer pong being played on the Oakwood table probably an expensive table.

Madison scanned the rooms around her looking for Craig but nothing. She saw letterman jackets but none belonged to him but then again he said he was going to be with his brother for his birthday tonight. Madison took another step in still feeling Zac right behind her. She turned around to face him but instead of his face she saw Paige's.

Actually it didn't look like Paige at all, it kind of looked like a Madison clone. Which made sense for Madison had been shopping with Paige none stop all month, Paige was like her project. Madison liked the idea of all girls thinking alike and what better way than to copy her. Yes she was probably sounding snobby but who wouldn't want to have an exact mini me by your side…that's a good thing isn't it?

"OH my god you brought him!" she said loudly enough for even Zac to hear through all this noise. Madison looked up to see Zac smirking as he scoped the room also. Madison grabbed Paige by the hand and dragged her towards a corner of the room

"Are you drunk?" Madison asked seeing Paige's eyes were bloodshot to the point of no whiteness at all.

Paige started to laugh in hysterics and after about a minute nodded "why yes, yes I am" and with that Madison left her to stand there and laugh alone at her own reply.

Madison walked towards the beer pong game forgetting about Zac in hopes of still spotting Craig and with no such like she finally gave up. She felt out of place just then, I mean what was she actually doing there? None of her friends were there (except for the drunken Paige) but who could miss a babbling idiot? Madison walked towards the fridge in hoping to quench her thirst with a non-alcoholic beverage and after much searching she actually found a lone coke in the very back. When she closed the door she noticed someone standing there that she had never met before. It was probably someone that new Corey from another town but he was cute and not even drunk, just buzzed.

Madison smiled as he smiled back "what's up?" he asked kind of bobbing his head putting all his support on the counter. Madison couldn't help but giggled, she actually enjoyed watching drunken people than being drunk herself.

"Nothing" was all she said not thinking of anything else to say. Feeling like she could easily tease him she walked away to go and watch the beer pong game and of course he followed.

He was way taller than Madison so when he reached her side he towered over her but she felt safer. Like if anyone were to try to grope her he would stop it from happening I mean you could never be too careful.