(Final Chapter)
How can I win your heart?
How can I win you?
…
Zack had been sitting in his car, reflecting on his previous question about why he was willing to give Lisa up when he fought with Screech.
He reasoned that Screech was his best friend who loved her first, but if it had been Kelly or Stacey or another girl he dated in the past, he would selfishly choose them.
So why couldn't he do the same for Lisa?
The thought lingered in his mind and frustrated him.
Zack banged his hand on the steering wheel before laying his head there.
Lisa didn't deserve him, and he knew that.
Nothing made sense.
His feelings, the situation, everything!
Maybe they were better off as friends.
Lisa clearly didn't want anything to do with him other than have a simple friendship, so the best thing he could offer was to give up his feelings for her…but he just couldn't.
He gave his heart away ever since their first date and couldn't get it back.
Zack lifted his head up from the steering wheel when he heard students walking in the parking lot since school was over.
He was ready to leave but soon saw a familiar face walk to their car.
Zack didn't realize he parked near her.
He watched as she got in and took off which prompted him to follow her.
At first, it looked like she was heading home, but then she ended up taking another route towards the beach.
Zack was curious as to why she was driving there.
She stopped at the parking lot and he parked a couple of cars away.
Lisa was in the car for a long time before she finally got out.
Just like Zack, she had a lot on her mind and wanted to clear her thoughts by walking on the beach.
Thinking about the hug earlier made Lisa sad as she held onto herself.
She wished he never did that.
It just made her feelings more complicated and their going back to being friends harder.
Zack followed and watched from a distance.
He was observing her behavior while trying to figure out what was on her mind.
He couldn't deny though, from behind, she looked amazing.
Butterflies entered his stomach as his face turned red.
After a moment of gazing, Zack automatically snapped out of his inappropriate stare and tried to catch up to her.
Lisa stopped to watch the waves crash which felt peaceful to her spirit.
Her peace was soon interrupted when a familiar voice spoke to her.
"What a view," he softly stated while walking up next to her.
Lisa looked up and stumbled back at the unexpected surprise.
"This is where I was going to take you for our second date." Zack kept his gaze on the ocean.
Lisa couldn't believe he was standing right next to her.
"Zack, what are you doing here? Were you following me?!" she accused.
He turned to her, "Lisa-"
"No! No, no, no! You can't just follow me." She turned on her heel and started walking away from him.
He didn't give up that easily and trailed behind.
"Lisa, please. Can we just talk," he pleaded in his voice, but she ignored him and continued rushing away.
"Lisa!"
"What don't you understand?! I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to hug you, I don't want to kiss you, I don't even want to be with you!" Lisa harshly spat at him.
He stopped following her after hearing what she had said.
Those words felt like someone stabbed him repeatedly.
"Wow…that really hurt." His heart sank along with his facial expression.
Lisa instantly regretted her words and spun around to try to apologize.
"Zack," was the only word that left her mouth.
She didn't know what to say until a thought popped into her mind on how to fix the damage she had caused.
Lisa went up to him and looked into his eyes.
"Ok…let's talk," she let out.
…
They were now sitting in Zack's car with silence coming out of their mouths.
As time passed, wet droplets began hitting the windshield and windows once the clear sky turned gray.
Tired of the excruciating silence in the car, Zack breathed out, "Is that how you really feel or were you only saying that to try to hurt me?" he asked, not looking at her.
Zack hoped she didn't mean was she said.
If she did, it would crush him even more.
Lisa bit down on her bottom lip; feeling more guilty than she was earlier.
"I'm sorry," she apologized again, also not looking his way.
The silence grew louder than before and produced an eerie feeling which made Lisa very uncomfortable.
Zack felt his heart shatter into many pieces after her response.
After a few minutes of cold silence, he finally spoke.
"No, I'm sorry," he whispered, and Lisa looked at him.
"I wish you didn't feel that way, but I guess it's all my fault. You shouldn't have been the one to fight for our relationship, I should've fought hard for you." He lowered his head.
Lisa continued looking at him but with a blank expression on her face.
"What the heck are you even talking about?" she said, confused.
"The fight with Screech," he clarified.
Once he said that an epiphany struck him.
It was so surreal that it led him into deep thought and made him tone out Lisa who repeatedly called his name.
"Zack!" Lisa shook him which finally got his attention.
He gazed at her confused but instantly, that gaze transformed into admiration which made Lisa blush.
"It's crazy because I'm now realizing that I wasn't giving you up for him…I was giving you up for you." He brought his hand to her face.
His touch was warm and sweet and paralyzed Lisa's body with chills.
She didn't know what was happening.
"Now I know what makes you stand out from all the other girls I've dated. You were a special kind of special, you were my best friend. We shared something I never shared with the others, and that was true friendship. That's why when we first kissed, I really enjoyed it, but when I realized who I did it with, it scared me because that was the first time I began questioning my feelings for you and our relationship. Like was there something always there between us that we're just figuring out now? All I understood then was that I wasn't supposed to be feeling the way I did and I didn't want to risk our friendship on uncertainty. Neither of us knew what would happen in the future, but what I did know was I couldn't lose you as a friend. I needed you then and I still need you now." He caressed her skin before bringing his lips to the button of her nose.
After pulling his lips away, their faces remained intimately close to each other; each feeling the other's breath brush against their lips.
Zack moved closer to where his lips faintly touched the surface of hers.
Lisa couldn't deny feeling hot despite it being cool in the car.
He was doing something to her that made her senses defenseless and her body rage with teenage hormones.
"I want to kiss you," he desperately whispered onto her delicate lips.
That was the final straw that made Lisa snap out of his hypnotizing presence.
She couldn't take any more of the desire and lust in the car.
He was making everything harder for her.
"I can't do this, Zack, I just can't!" Lisa pulled away and placed both hands on her face.
"I can't be who you want me to be, I can't be like the other girls. I hate feeling the way I do and I hate feeling like a burden to you. I can't make you as happy as Kelly or Stacey or Andrea, I just can't do it." She cried in her hands.
Lisa's insecurity got the best of her once again.
She hated crying, but she hated crying even more in front of the person she liked.
"Lisa." Zack tried to remove her hands from her face.
"I'm sorry." She quickly rushed out of the car and tried to walk away as fast as she could.
Zack stepped out and ran after her despite it raining.
"Lisa!" He finally got a hold of her.
"Look at me."
It was impossible for her to look at him.
"Please," his voice got softer which captured her attention.
Lisa could see the emotion expressed in his eyes and it made her calmer.
"I'm falling in love with you, and there is nothing you or I can do about it. You don't need to try to be anything but yourself, Lisa, I love you just the way you are and you already make me happy." Zack cupped her face in his hands.
"I want to be with you, Lisa."
His gaze dropped to her soft lips.
"And I want to kiss you badly…but only if you allow me to." He glanced back up as he licked his lips.
As they stared into each other's souls, there was a spark in her brown eyes; a spark letting him know her answer.
"I want you to," she softly said, and without hesitation, Zack immediately attached his lips to hers.
Passion. Fire. Desire.
Three words that defined the beautiful moment shared between the two of them.
Their lips moved in harmony as the rain continued pouring down from Heaven.
Eventually, the pair broke apart despite no one wanting to stop.
Lisa touched Zack's face.
"I like you a lot, Zack, and I want to be with you too, but these other feelings I have can't just go away in one night," she confessed.
Zack was bummed to hear that but he understood.
"I think we should be friends and take our relationship slow. I just don't want everything to go wrong."
Zack took both of her hands.
"You're right, we rushed into this. Our feelings for each are still new and I don't want us messing anything up." He sweetly gazed at her while rocking their hands back and forth.
In the end, they shared an intimate hug before parting ways in their cars.
Author's Note: Hey guys, so this is the last chapter of this story and I hope you all enjoyed it. Quick aftermath: Zack and Lisa went back to being friends and eventually started dating again until the first year of college.