After hours of waiting for results about Jimmy. Zac sat in the waiting area, nervous and scared about what the results were gonna be about his father. Troy came over to him. "Look, I'm..I'm sorry." Zac looked at him, and sighed standing up and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Sorry for what?" Troy looked at him, "I'm sorry for the way I acted, and treated you." Zac just looked at him, "I was wrong about you." Troy said. Zac's eyes went wide, his heart pounded. "What?" Troy smiled softly, "I was wrong about you.. and I see why emily loves you.." Zac looked at him, "I'm no good for emily Troy... she's better off without me... I have to focus on taking care of my dad."
"What's wrong with him anyway?" Troy asked, Zac knotted his fingers together as he stared at the linoleom floor. "Uh..." Troy cleared his throat, "You don't have to tell-" "It's fine." he said, looking up at Troy, "It's just...hard." Troy sighed, "Just...what's going on?" Zac sighed, biting his lip, "I'll tell you, but you can't tell Emily or..anyone." Troy nodded, "yeah sure..what is it?" "My dad's dying all right? He has HIV..."
Troy looked at him, unsure of what to say. "Uh..." Zac ran his hands through his hair; tugging so hard that he looked like he'd rip the strands out of his head. "I can't lose him..I've been doing my best to take care of him." Troy said nothing, Zac continued. "I weened him off of drugs...I-I...I got him almost healthy." "Almost?" Zac looked at him, he sniffled, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "He got diagnosed with HIV two years ago...that's why I'm hardly in school. I'm taking care of him." Troy sighed, "hey..." he whispered, "you have to be a teenager...you can't parent your parent-" "he's all I have!" Zac whispered-yelled, standing up and beginning to pace.
Troy sighed, "Zac... I.. I understand what your going through.. when I was your age, I.. I had to take care of myself.." Zac didn't say anything, he just sat down in the chair, running his hands through his hair. Troy took a seat, "then, when I met Gabriella.. she changed everything.. she took care of me... and I vowed I would always take care of my kids, and raise them right.." Zac smiled, "Well you did a good job with emily..she's.. she's amazing.."
Troy smiled, "I know she is...but you have to be a kid sometimes; and I understand that's what Emily is...she's going to make mistakes, and meet people that I may not like or agree with." Zac nodded, sighing and looking away as a doctor in a big white coat came to them. "Zac Barker?" He stood up quickly, "yeah that's me." The doctor sighed, "your dad is weak, his heart is beginning to slow down-" Zac stuffed his hands in his pockets. "CanI-Can I see him?" "he's in critical condition-" "but can I see him?" "It's not advised for anyone to see him yet, no." Zac felt his skin warm as his eyes blazed red. "But he's my dad! I have to see him!" Troy stood up, grabbing on to his shoulders, Zac pulled his shoulders from his hands, but Troy held on tighter.
"Zac, calm down." he said, Zac fisted his hands, "He's my dad!" The doctor took a step back to keep a safe distance from him. Troy sighed, pulling the 15 year old away from the doctor. "I know he is..but we have to listen to the doctor-" Zac moved his stony glare to him, "he's my dad-" "I know-" "Why's he not letting me see him!" Troy sighed, "come on, let's get you home...come on." as Troy pulled him out of the hospital, Zac pulled the other way; toward his father. "Dad!" he yelled, Troy pulled him back, grabbing tight and holding his arms across his chest. "We'll come back later...when Emily is home-" Zac turned to him, "She can't know...I don't want her to know."
Troy looked at him, "why don't you want her to know?" Zac sighed, "I don't want her to worry.. she is already worried enough about me.." Troy sighed, "Listen, If you need anything, call me and I'll come take care of it.." Zac looked at him, "Really?" Troy nodded, with a soft smile, "And I'm allowing you too see Emy.." Zac smiled, "Thanks Troy.." Troy smiled softly, and rubbed his back and walked to find his car. Zac sighed, He.. why did everything have to be so messed up for him? his losing his dad.. he already lost his mom.. what was he gonna do now?
TGTGTGTGTG
Troy and Gabriella sat on the couch, and Gabriella looked at him, "I feel so bad for Jimmy and Zac, even though how bad Jimmy treated me... I don't want Zac to go through that pain.." Troy sighed rubbing her shoulder, "I don't either.. Zac's a good kid, I realized that after I got to know him.." Gabriella smiled, "Good enough for your daughter?" she asked.
He sucked in a breath, "yeah...good enough for her." Gabriella smiled, kissing his lips gently. "I'm proud of you." he chuckled, "You are?" she smirked, "yeah, you see passed that male pride of yours...it's great." Troy chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist, "we make a good team you know that?" she giggled, kissing his lips again, but soon were interrupted when the door slammed, and Logan came running in. "Emily is so stubborn! She's I said I was fucking sorry!" Gabriella sighed, "I'll handle this Troy, you go talk to Emily." Troy nodded, then a thought occurred to him, "where's Sophie?" "at a friends house." Troy nodded, "oh...well anyway, go talk to our son."
As Troy got up, Gabriella smiled at him, "Come here baby boy." he sighed sitting down next to his mother. "Emily is fucking stubborn-" "shhh.. don't curse." he sighed, "It's just.. she's suppose to be my sister.. my twin sister, and she takes that loser's side-" "Logan! Zac is not a loser, his going through alot, and he needs a friend right now! and his Emily's boyfriend, you need to understand that, and respect that.." Logan sighed, "I guess so mom." she smiled, "so will you try to be nice?" Logan smiled, "I'll only do it for emily.."
Gabriella smiled, "Good boy, now...what is she so stubborn about?" He sighed, "She just...she's got these goo-goo eyes that just...she doesn't know what she wants and I'm trying to look after her." Gabriella giggled, "Logan, I appreciate it...but like you, she's 15. She's going to make mistakes and so are you." "But-" Gabriella stood up, dusting off her bottom, "let off her a little bit huh?" Logan nodded, "Yeah, I'll do that."
"Hey Sport." Troy said, walking behind Emily-who was sitting on the next to lowest tree branch in the front yard. "Hey dad..." Emily said glumly, Troy sighed, "Can your old man join you up here?" she sighed, smirking, "your not old dad." "Ah flattery, can I join?" she nodded mutely as Troy started to climb and sit next to her. "So what's up?" Emily sighed, "It's just...I've been looking all over for Zac, and I haven't seen him all day and Logan is just an ass..." Troy grabbed her hand, "Hey...it's fine. Logan just cares about you, your his sister- twin sister at that." she sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned her head to him while resting her chin on her arm. "Yeah, but he doesn't have to be obnoxious about it." Troy chuckled, "well Em, if I know boys, and I definitely do...we do everything so damn complicatedly. Back-ass-wards." Emily laughed, smiling a small smile, "ah there's a smile." She squeezed her dad's hand, "what about Zac?"
Troy sighed, "Honey...I can' t tell you." she looked up at him, "why? what happened?" he looked at the necklace that Zac gave her. "I promised him, all right-" she gave him the saddest puppy dog look. And curse him for ever teaching her how! "Please tell me daddy?" he bit his lip, "he's at home...that much I'll say..."
Emily sighed grabbing her jacket and getting off the tree branch. Troy followed her, "Em where are you going?" she sighed putting her hand on the gate, and looking back at her father, "I have to talk to zac." and with that she ran out the gate and down the road. Troy sighed. then Keith's black car pulled up, Troy narrowed his eyes, he hated this kid. Troy walked towards the car as Keith came out with a smirk. "So, wheres emily?" Troy crossed his arms, "she is none of your buisness anymore.." Keith chuckled, "I think she is.. she will always be my buisness.." Troy smirked, "Well not anymore, your not aloud to see her anymore.." Keith laughed, Troy could tell he was high. "Whose gonna stop me... you? your just her father.."
Troy scowled, "Yeah, me. Cause I am her father." Keith narrowed his eyes, making a move to punch Troy in the face, but Troy dodged and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back. and pinning him to the ground. "Now..." he whispered threateningly in Keith's ear, "whose business is not yours?" he struggled, Troy put his knee in his back. "Emily's." he growled, "good. And where are you not wanted?" Keith struggled again, "here...can you get off me now?" Troy smirked, "yes, I can...but you remember this, if you come around here again...I don't mind going to prison for the sake of my daughter."
TGTGTGTGTGTG
Emily walked quickly down the sidewalk, hugging her jacket tight around her as she turned onto Zac's drive. She knocked twice. "Zac, it's me...please open up." the door opened slowly, "what do you-" she shoved the door open all the way and crashed her lips on his with a burning passion. When she pulled away, she noticed that his eyes were red. "Wh-what's wrong?" Zac shook his head, "you shouldn't be here Emily..." she rolled her eyes, "no." she clasped her hands onto his shoulders, "I'm staying with you...and you're going to tell me what's wrong." Zac looked at her, a smirk crawling onto his face. "Why are you so stubborn?" she giggled, "because it's one of the reasons why you love m." he chuckled, his arms wrapping around her waist, she pecked his lips, "now tell me what's wrong?"
Zac sighed, holding onto her hand, and going over to the couch and plopping down as his arm wrapped around her, and his hand, interwining with hers. he gulped nervously, "I..I can't find the words.." she looked at him, and kissed his lips. "That's okay.. I'm not going anywhere." he smiled cupping her cheek and kissing her lips fully. she looked around, "wheres your dad?" he bit his lower lip, she looked at him. tears began to fall from his eyes. Emily pulled him close, bringing his head into her chest to let him sob. "shh Zac it's okay.." she kissed his head, "I love you." he kept crying, "Em, my dad, his dying.." she looked at him with wide eyes, "D-Dying?"
Zac nodded, "I don't know what I'm gonna do Emily.. i'm scared.. I..I don't wanna lose him, his all I have left.." she shook her head, "No you dont..his not all you have.." he looked at her through teary eyes, "I..I don't..?" she shook her head, "You have me, and I have you, and we have my parents.." zac bit his lower lips, Emily sat up, cupping his cheeks, "and most importantly, we have each other, I'm never leaving you Zac, I'm never going back to keith.. I'm tired of getting abused, cause don't tell my dad, but Keith used to beat on me."
Zac shook his head, but didn't say anything, "Emma," he whispered, using his nickname for her. She kissed his cheek. "yeah?" he cupped her chin gently, staring into her eyes, "I want to kiss you..." she smiled, "you don't have to as-" he pecked her lips, then deepening the kiss as he leaned her on the couch as he was now on top of her. "I want to make love to you..." he whispered between kisses. Emily smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Do it...I trust you."