Chapter 24

"...so, we'll have 8 days, instead of a week," Jonas said, explaining his plan. I nodded my head, agreeing with him. All of a sudden my head was jerked to the left, by a hand that belonged to Zach.

"Eat Gallagher Girl." Zach said. We'd been at lunch for 20 minutes, talking about our trip, having 10 minutes left before class.

"Zach!" I said trying to face the others, key word trying.

"Zach!" I said again, louder.

"Cammie! We have gym last period, you need food to get through the day, and especially gym. Mr. Solomon doesn't go easy on us." Zach said, his hand placed firmly onto my jaw.

"Zach I'm fi-." Zach took my uneaten sandwich and shoved it into my mouth. I took a bit from it and he pulled it out.

"Planning about this trip isn't more important than your health." Zach said, looking me straight into the eye. I would've responded, but I had a huge bit of a sandwich in my mouth.

"I don't want to lose another person close to me." I thought Zach was going a little over board with the whole 'I can't lose you' but maybe people could die without eating lunch. Oh who am I kidding, you can't die from skipping one meal.

"See Grant," Bex said, "you should be more like Zach in the manners department." She gave him a pointed look.

"But, NOT in anything else." She said, glaring at Zach now. Zach put his hands up in surrender, but not without shoving the rest of the sandwich into my mouth. I looked at him, and no surprise he was smirking. How could I make that boy stop doing that? Then I got an idea.

"Zach, if you smirk even once in the next 24 hours, I won't kiss you for a month." I said once I'd finished the food in my mouth. Zach looked at me, and I could see the ghost of a smirk, but he smiled instead. And I knew I'd won, because Zach couldn't go a month without kissing, so he'd try very hard.

"Way to go Cammie!" Bex said.

"Yeah, we should use your lips more often!" Macey said.

"MACEY!" Liz yelled, surprising us all.

"That's just gross!" She said. I laughed at Macey's expression.

"How else am I supposed to say it?" She asked, thinking that she'd out smarted Liz.

"You could have just kept you mouth shut!" Liz said.

"Okay guys! You can stop talking about Cammie's lips, because they're mine, and only mine." Zach said, pulling me into his chest, and SMIRKING!

"Well now they're not!" I said looking smug, I mean I'd finally caught Zach! He looked confused.

"You smirked!" His face fell.

"No I didn't!"

"Wow Zach, you smirk unconsciously, that's just sad." I said shaking my head. Zach's smirk got bigger, and it looked like a light bulb went off in his head.

"Okay, but the question is, can you handle it?" My smile faded. I can't believe I didn't see this. How could I go a whole month without kissing Zach? Isn't that impossible. I mean his lips are just so kissable. Zach laughed at my facial expression.

"And, you said you wouldn't kiss me, but I can still kiss you!" He had a full blown smile on his face. I know, now he chooses this time to smile. He leaned down and gave me a kiss, hard, and I felt his tongue run along the seam of my lips. How am I supposed to resist this godliness? I pushed against his chest, as hard as it was.

"You're on probation Zach!" I exclaimed. He shrugged his shoulder.

"You'll give in." He said casually. I rolled my eyes.

"Someone needs to deflate their ego!" I said.

"This is going to be strange." Zach said, as I pulled his arm towards Madame Dabney's room, the drama room. (It was the end of the day)

"No it's not." I said.

"So what do I say, 'hey we want to go to California, so let us come'?" He asked.

"Zach! That just sounds dumb!" By then we'd gotten outside the drama room. Zach opened the door, and walked confidently, but I knew all of that confidence was fake.

"Good afternoon." Zach said. Madame Dabney looked up from her desk.

"Oh Zach!" She exclaimed, getting up from her desk.

"I haven't seen you in a while!" She said.

"Yes, with all the classes I'm taking, it's hard to make my regular visits." He said, sounding so polite.

"Oh, and this must be Cammie. Just from today, I've heard so much from you! Your Zach's girlfriend, right?" I nodded my head.

"So, what brings you two here?"

"Um, well, you see, my friends and I were wondering if we could help out with the play that will be taking place in California." Madame Dabney looked surprised for a second.

"Oh, so, you want to accompany us?" Zach nodded his head.

"Well, there's not really any spots open, well, beside the leading roles of Hendrick and Mayable."

"But, our friend Liz and Jonas can help with the technical stuff, Macey and Bex could help with the makeup, and, um, Nick and Grant could help you, um, with the directing?" Madame Dabney pondered for a second, and then nodded her head.

"That does seem like a good idea, but what would you and Cammie do?" Zach looked at me. He knew I didn't like being in the spotlight, he'd even said I was his chameleon, so it's not like I would be comfortable as a leading role.

"Um, I could try out for the leading role, and for Cammie, isn't there someone that has a part with no talking that could swap with Cammie and take Mayable's role?"

"Well, Christina could, but I'd have to ask, she is quite shy," she said.

"Christina is a maid, who does appear in the play quite frequently. Would that be okay with you?" She asked towards me. Honestly, I didn't even want to be on stage, but if this was the only way to go, I'd have to do it. I nodded my head.

"Okay, I'll ask Christina, as for the role of Hendrick, I'll give it to you for free, I'm pretty sure you can master it Zach, but don't disappoint me."

"Yes Ma'am! I'll try my hardest."

"Okay, then its set. Rehearsals are on Wednesday. Here's the script. The play is like a modern day Romeo and Juliet, but with some twist. I wrote it myself!" Zach smiled.

"Then I'm sure it'd be amazing!"

"Oh, Zach, such a gentleman!" She exclaimed.

"Well, we've got to get going. Thank you so much Madame Dabney, this really means a lot to us!" Zach said, taking the script and practically dragged me out of the room.

"That wasn't so bad." I said, even thought I'd have to be in the play.

"That was horrible, come on, we both know you don't want to be in the play." He said exasperated.

"Well you know the saying, beggars can't be choosers!" I said trying to lighten up the mood. Zach turned towards me.

"I'm sorry Gallagher Girl."

"Zach it's okay!" I said lighthearted. He smiled down at me and kissed me.

So, the plots starting to pick up! It might not be a while though till they go to California, because it's the end of January (yes New Years past, but I didn't write it, because it'd mes up the flow of the story), and they go in March, but I might do a time skip. I hope you all liked this chapter!

Love,

A Runner At Heart

P.S. Dedicated To...

GallagherGirl03, spygirl01, Pinkskates, xXJustSomeRandomKidXx, MayaRenee-GGFan, The-Realistic-Dreamer, GallagherRoxs123, Charliee, GallagherGirl459, xXThereshegoesAgainXx, Steph5756lovestwilight, Aly8188, topXsecret, TennisFreakLoves GaleAndHatesMJ, GallagherGoode1113, Megatron13, Yelena Herondale, the world is yours, truesoul10, HotChocolateStar99, LeahGoode, Chameleon's Shadow

... for reviewing!