"Oh my gosh," Lisa uttered in disbelief.
"Surprise!" Zack and Kelly sang while holding bottles of sparkling cider in their hands.
"Where did you guys get those from?!"
"I just found them lying around." Zack nonchalantly shrugged before laughing.
Kelly playfully hit him.
"The teacher came in with a case in his hands and offered us a few bottles when we told him about our little toast," Kelly explained.
Lisa nodded and then broke out into a burst of infectious laughter.
"What a coincidence." She laughed, and they collectively laughed together.
It was what Lisa had wished to see rather than what she had actually seen.
From that moment on, nothing seemed real.
Time froze and all sound vanished.
Lisa convinced herself that she was just imagining things and that what was in front of her was not real.
That Zack and Kelly's bodies pressed against each other was an illusion and that their mouths touching was just a simple misunderstanding.
Lisa didn't believe they were making out; she couldn't believe that.
There was just no way.
She closed the door and let her back rest against the wall next to it.
"This is just one big misunderstanding," she kept uttering back to herself and then all of a sudden, laughter escaped her lips.
"I don't know why I was imagining that, what is wrong with me?" she tried to convince herself; not realizing how deep in denial she was in and how distorted her reality was.
She continued laughing quietly until reality finally knocked her to her senses.
Everything she saw was indeed real, whether she wanted to believe it or not.
As she took one more look inside the classroom to confirm her perceptions, her smile slowly dropped from her face.
They were really kissing, and Zack was really enjoying it with no shame or guilt.
At that moment, something broke inside Lisa as she stumbled back in shock, confusion, and heartbreak.
Her heart gradually broke into tiny pieces as agony poured out.
Holding onto her tightening chest, she choked on the tears that were urging to escape from her system.
The first tear slowly rolled down her cheek.
"Uh-," she uttered as her tongue was tied.
Couldn't bear to stand there any longer, Lisa freed herself from the paralyzed state and moved her feet quickly to get away from the devastating scene.
With every step she took, a new tear would fall from her eyes, blurring her 20/20 vision.
She had no idea where she was going.
All she was trying to do was get as far away as possible.
Her feet ran faster than the thoughts in her head.
She truly had no words for what she witnessed and no thoughts to comprehend it.
Lisa kept running until she accidentally bumped into someone's chest.
That person managed to get a firm hold of her.
"Lisa?!" Slater said with concern elevating his voice.
Lisa removed herself from his grasp and pushed him aside to get away.
"Lisa!" Jessie called out and began rushing after her.
…
The girl's bathroom door swung open and Lisa went into the last stall on the right.
There, she dropped to the floor and landed in a crouched position with her knees touching her pounding chest.
The heavy loads of bullets came gushing out; drenching her reddened face.
Her heart continued to bleed as wounds of betrayal consumed her.
How could they do that to her? After the heartfelt talk, they just had?
Lisa didn't feel angry or upset like some might have felt in her situation but devastated.
Completely devastated.
She felt even more devastated by Zack and what he had done to their relationship.
How could he kiss Kelly after he confessed his love for her?
He seemed genuine before, but was he really?
Lisa buried her face in her knees and cried at the aching of her sorrowful heart.
The pain felt like an inferno burning inside her; a pain that was all too familiar.
Suddenly, the devastation she felt was so intense that it brought Lisa back to a dark place.
A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks as the painful memories flashed through her mind.
Around two years ago…
Lisa was invited to The Max by the gang, not knowing what to expect.
As she entered through the usual door, she saw her friends sitting at their customary booth with a tense atmosphere among them.
"What's going on here?" Lisa went to the table with a slightly confused but curious expression on her face.
Jessie got up and handed her a piece of paper.
"It's a letter from Eric," Jessie said in a sad tone.
Feeling anxious and concerned by the sound of her voice, Lisa quickly opened the letter and read every word that was written.
Within seconds, distress captured her face as she slowly looked up at her friends.
"I'm so sorry," Jessie wholeheartedly apologized as she took a step towards her.
Lisa handed the letter back to Jessie and walked out of the restaurant paralyzed by shock.
That was the day everything fell apart for her.
The day Eric left.
…
Entering her home, Lisa slammed the front door and stood still in the foyer with the same expression she had when leaving The Max.
She was trying to figure out what went wrong and make sense of things, but when she couldn't, she screamed.
"AHHHHHH!" Lisa released her frustrations, anger, pain, devastation, and melancholy, all in that one scream.
She continued screaming in her empty house until she helplessly dropped to the floor and wept with a heavy heart.
A couple of days later…
Lisa was in front of her locker staring inside of it for some time.
"Are you okay?" She heard a quiet voice from behind.
Faking a smile, she turned around and nodded at her blonde friend.
"I'm fine, I was just getting my books," she quickly dismissed.
"But you have gym this period." His brow raised.
"Oh…right." Lisa awkwardly chuckled.
Despite holding a 'smile' on her face, she knew he didn't really buy into her facade.
"Come here," Zack said, pulling her into his embrace and rubbing her back.
Lisa didn't know how to react in the moment but knowing Zack, there was no escaping his comforting hugs.
She could've pulled away or squirmed out of his arms…but she didn't.
She allowed him to continue to hold her.
A month later…
Crouched up on her living room floor, Lisa was staring at a black television screen, expressing no emotion.
It was as if there was no life in her.
She caught herself doing that for days after she came home from school instead of hanging out with her friends at The Max.
Isolation and loneliness ironically brought comfort to her.
Another month later…
It was the Annual Winter Ball at Bayside where the music played and the bodies swayed.
Instead of being on the dance floor having a blast just like everyone else, Lisa was glued to the corner silently watching the fun happening in front of her.
She wished she could've stayed at home playing dominoes with herself but since she was part of the Event Planning Committee, it was mandatory for her to be there.
Lisa kept to herself the whole night until a familiar face appeared from the crowd of students.
"Hey, why so lonely," he teased while breaking out into a winsome smile.
"I want to go home," Lisa tried to raise her voice over the music.
"You can't go home just yet-c'mon, dance with me." Zack flashed a foolish grin before dancing crazily around her.
A smile unwillingly broke out on Lisa's face and she couldn't help but laugh at him.
"What the hell are you doing?" She covered her mouth as giggles poured out.
"What? You don't like my dancing?" He grinned while moving in front of her.
She shook her head and playfully rolled her eyes.
"You better get back to that date of yours instead of dancing with me." Lisa folded her arms as a tiny smile formed.
"Nah, she had to leave early, which leaves room for you to be my date tonight." He touched her folded arms but she pulled away.
"Unt-unt, I'm not about to be some rebound pity date, thank you very much." Lisa turned away with her folded arms.
Moving behind her, Zack spun her around to face him.
"You're not, I promise. This is just a friend trying to cheer a friend up, now you could either take it or leave it at that," he said.
Lisa smiled, "Ok," and was led to the dance floor where they both danced together.
A few upbeat songs played until the D.J. decided to put a slower song on.
Zack and Lisa gathered together as the lively atmosphere shifted.
"Hey, Lisa, you know that I love you and would never leave you, right?" He looked down at her while swaying to the music.
Picking herself from his side, "Where are you going with this?" She curiously arched her brow.
"What I'm trying to say is that I'll never be like that jerk, I promise. I don't want you to be sad anymore and I definitely don't want to be the kind of guy that makes you sad," he genuinely confessed.
That was the sweetest thing she had heard in a long time and it made Lisa smile.
"Thank you," she softly said in a tone that was enough for only him to hear, and she hugged him.
"Just doing my job," he joked before jokingly planting tiny kisses all over her face.
"Ugh-I can't stand you." She chuckled while pushing him away.
(Back to the Present)
"I can't stand you," Lisa uttered through her stifled cries.
The agonizing feeling of dejection ran through her body like a strong river current, radiating its powerful energy out of her.
It was unbearable and painful for her to take.
She just wanted to disappear at that moment.
Why did it end up this way?
Her dreams, her plans, her future-it all came crashing down to nothing.
She ended back in the same position she was in when Eric left her; alone and broken.
It seemed as if nothing would ever change for her.
Just thinking of that tightened Lisa's heart and confined her soul in bondage and despair.
Something broke inside Lisa and the thing that was keeping her together wasn't going to ever heal.
"AHHHHHH!" she bawled a painfully disturbing sound as her hands covered her face.
She couldn't believe this was how she was spending her graduation day.
Breaking down on the bathroom floor was not something she intended to do but being heavily disturbed as she was, it was only bound to happen.
More hot tears dripped down her cheeks as the mascara from her eyes stained her cheeks.
"Lisa…" Lisa heard Jessie softly call out her name.
"Are you okay?" she said with worry in her voice.
Lisa didn't respond but got up from the floor.
Before opening the door to face her friend, she wiped her eyes.
As if a switch was turned off inside her, Lisa looked at Jessie with no emotion or expression on her face.
Her eyes looked dead and cold which frightened Jessie.
"Why wouldn't I be fine." She walked past her to the sink.
Jessie followed right behind.
"That's because you ran past us crying," she remarked with caution.
The bathroom fell into an eerie silence as Lisa stared at her own grim reflection.
She remained like that until Jessie lightly shook her.
"Lisa-"
"I'm fine," Lisa quickly informed before turning on the faucet and washing her hands and face.
"Forget about what you heard." She turned off the water and shook her hands dry.
Jessie tried to touch Lisa's shoulder but she moved away.
"It's almost time for the ceremony, we should go." Lisa walked out, leaving Jessie behind.
…
As she was walking back towards her worried friends, she spotted the hypocrites coming her way.
Zack and Kelly were so busy smiling and laughing at each other that they missed the sadness and betrayal in her eyes.
Lisa's gut twisted as contempt and disgust raged through her core.
She wanted to scream, run back to the bathroom, and pull out her hair, but she had to stay strong or else she would cry.
Slater went up to the two girls and whispered in Jessie's ear.
"Is everything okay?" he asked in a quiet tone.
Jessie looked at Lisa for a brief second before diverting her attention back to Slater.
She nodded.
Sensing the slight tension in the air, Violet decided to introduce her cousin to the rest of the gang since they had been absent before.
"Oh, guys, this is my cousin, John. He'll be taking your pictures," she announced.
After Zack and Kelly had a brief chat with Violet's cousin, they all gathered together to get their pictures taken.
Lisa was at the far end away from Zack and Kelly.
She was dreading being there and it showed through her attitude on camera.
"Hey, you, it's graduation day! Why don't you crack at least one smile for the camera, huh." John pointed at Lisa.
"Why don't you just take the damn photo already," she snapped with a nasty tone.
Her friends cocked their heads in shock.
"Lisa?!" Zack scolded from the other side.
A sharp glare was quickly thrown his way and his face frowned despite appearing confused.
They stared at each other for a moment before looking away when the photographer took another photo.
"The photos should be available at the after party," he gritted through his teeth and left with a confused Violet.
The ceremonial music began playing and the students began getting on their lines.
Lisa was quick to get away from the group until Slater pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her.
Lisa didn't know how to react.
She just stood there confused and feeling much worse than she did before especially with Zack staring at her from across as if she was the problem.
Their eyes connected, but not like how they used to.
She couldn't tell what he was thinking.
She couldn't feel what he was feeling.
She couldn't even see a slight glimpse of guilt or regret in those eyes she used to love looking into, and it shattered Lisa's fragile heart.
It took all of her desperate strength to fight back the taunting tears that were ready for their escape.
Swallowing the big lump in her throat, Lisa removed herself from Slater's grasp and went on her assigned line without looking back.
…
Once the gym doors flew open, the students walked in one by one as guests' eyes landed on them.
Lisa walked in, painfully smiling her way into the ceremony.
She felt incredibly vulnerable as if one wrong move and it was over for her.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a camera flashed before her eyes, causing her to stumble back into the person behind her.
The entire event felt like one big nightmare.
The stares from all kinds of directions, the loud ceremonial music, walking in a straight line that felt like an eternity, just everything was wrong.
Her body was crippled with anxiety but she had to keep pushing forward with the same smile she brought in.
It wasn't easy but it also wasn't impossible.
Two hours was something she could get through and had already made up her mind in the bathroom to get through it.
Once every student was in the gym, they all sat down in unison and Belding walked on stage.
"Welcome friends, family, and staff who joined us today to witness this remarkable moment in our children's lives." Mr. Belding addressed into the microphone.
…
"Graduation is an important time in one's life. These very students sitting here today walked into Bayside four years ago as newcomers trying to fit into high school life, trying to discover who they are and what they want to be, and now, they are leaving here with a fresh new attitude full of experience and accomplishments during the years here."
Sitting in a two-hour ceremony was going to be harder than Lisa imagined as she felt herself dying inside.
She didn't want to spend the entire time being reminded of the disappointments and heartaches she experienced during her years there.
She devoted so much of her attention to just happy memories that she completely forgot about how miserable she actually was during her high school career.
It seemed that whenever things began to go right for her, it would eventually blow up in her face.
It was a never-ending cycle.
Why couldn't she have stayed in the room?
Why did she leave them alone?
Why was all of this happening to her?
Thinking about them together made Lisa feel tense and frustrated as she fidgeted with her fingers.
After Mr. Belding finished his opening, a few administrators took the stage to share their speeches.
Once they were done, Mr. Belding went up again.
"Each of these students sitting here today is very special at Bayside High, but there are two particular students who truly showed the excellence of our school. This one fellow is a bright young man who brings a fresh uniqueness everywhere he goes, our Salutatorian, Screech-I mean Samuel Powers."
Everyone clapped as Screech stood up to receive his flowers and a picture.
Once he took a seat, Belding continued.
"Another student I would also like to honor today is a dedicated, hard-working young lady who always stood up for what was right…I would like to give it up for our school's President as well as Valedictorian, Jessica Spanno," Belding proudly introduced.
A standing ovation erupted from the audience.
Jessie made her way up to the stage, hugged Belding, and got her photo taken with him.
"Thank you, Mr. Belding." She politely smiled while standing at the podium.
"First of all, I just want to thank all of you for spending your Monday morning here to witness and celebrate the beginning of our journey into adulthood. I would also like to thank my parents and friends who always had my back and supported me throughout the years. I love you guys." Jessie smiled at those mentioned before taking out her speech and placing it on the stand.
"Dear fellow students of Bayside High…these four years have been full of endless memories that we should never forget. The times we laughed, the times we smiled, the times we cried, and the times we loved."
Love was the last thing Lisa wanted to hear for it brought so much pain in her life.
With a hint of sadness in her eyes, she looked at Zack who appeared to be content and unbothered.
He looked as if he could do no wrong and that bothered her.
How could he be smiling during her time of distress?
Feeling frustrated, Lisa turned away and lowered her head as Jessie continued.
"As we leave here today, let's not forget about those who guided us along the way. The ones who've encouraged us. The ones who've challenged us. And the ones who've supported our every move. Without them, this very moment would mean nothing so I challenge you today, to thank those people who have been by your side since day one and let them know how much you appreciate them." Jessie smiled.
The whole ceremony was giving Lisa a headache as well as a heartache.
She didn't want to hear positive words of encouragement or support.
She just wanted to disappear and be left alone.
To her dismay, there was more to Jessie's speech.
"So to the graduating class of '92...I wish the best for each and every one of you and hope you all find success in the future. Keep working hard, don't ever settle for less, and always live life to the fullest," Jessie concluded and everyone cheered.
"Thank you, Jessie, for that amazing speech. Now, what you've all been waiting for, let's begin," Mr. Belding announced.
The typical graduation song played and Jessie was the first to receive her diploma with Screech right after.
Then the other students lined up in alphabetical order and walked on stage when their names were called.
"Wilbert Harrison...Peter Irwin...Vanessa Johnson…" Mr. Belding called.
"Kelly Kapowski."
Kelly walked up to Mr. Belding and shook his hand while taking her diploma.
Lisa looked away when Kelly appeared.
"Emma Lawson…Zachary Morris," Mr. Belding continued calling out names.
Hearing his name made Lisa's heart stop along with her breath.
When was this nightmare going to end?
Zack received his diploma and hugged Belding who appeared to be sad but proud.
After, Mr. Belding continued down the alphabet.
"Albert Clifford Slater."
It was A.C.'s turn to go up, and after being handed his diploma, he flexed his muscles, making the crowd chuckle.
The list finally came down to the T's, and the next thing she knew, she was up.
Her tumultuous nerves were shaking inside her and her headache didn't get any better.
"Lisa Turtle."
Lisa took a deep breath in and strolled gracefully to Mr. Belding.
"Thank you." She forced a smile.
"Good luck." He winked.
Taking her fake smile with her, Lisa left the stage and went back to her seat.
The ceremony felt dreadful but the good news was there was less than an hour left.
It seemed earlier that her emotions could've gone either way, but this time she was certain she could make it.
Soon, every student walked on stage and received their diplomas.
"I am proud of all of you and I'm also very proud to be your principal. Leave here with your heads held high knowing that you've all made it, congratulations class of '92."
Everyone cheered.
"But before you all throw your caps up and leave, I just want to bring one more person on stage. This young man has been very special to me over the past few years and this ceremony wouldn't be complete if I didn't bring him up so…Zack Morris get your butt on stage," Belding teased.
Zack looked utterly surprised and a bit nervous but he got up anyway.
"Uhhh, well, this is very unexpected and of short notice." Zack awkwardly chuckled.
A heavy sigh was released from Lisa.
The event was supposed to end but of course, Zack managed to hold it up.
Because of that, resentment and bitterness filled her heart.
"But...what I can say is that I'm going to miss this place. When I first stepped into this building, all I ever wanted to do was leave, but now, all I want to do is stay. Being here taught me a lot. I can't say that I was always a great kid because I wasn't, but I ended up becoming great thanks to Belding who never gave up on me. Thank you." Zack smiled which Mr. Belding returned.
"Before I begin, I just want to thank our principal, Mr. Belding for never giving up on me, my parents for supporting me, my teachers for putting up with me, and of course my friends for sticking by my side through my ups and downs. I don't know what I would've done without you guys, especially this one special girl who made me feel like I could accomplish anything…"
After hearing that last part, Lisa looked up from her hands and gazed at him with raw and conflicting emotions.
"Thank you…Kelly." He smiled at her.
The tiny hope that was in Lisa's eyes shattered.
That was the last straw.
Darkness surrounded her as the guy she once knew or thought she knew was gone.
In spite of her still face, Lisa's soul grieved as her heart wept bitterly.
Hurt seemed to be a thing of the past, but pain in its rawest form hadn't struck her until today.
"Thank you guys for sticking by me through thick and thin. I couldn't ask for better friends," he shared, and everyone was awed.
"Being up here is a privilege and a privilege I can't say I fully deserve. I was a very screwed-up kid who caused lots of trouble and didn't care about school, but this same kid grew up and is standing right here in front of you as living proof that change is possible within an individual. Change doesn't happen overnight and you will make the same mistakes over and over again but don't let that discourage you. You have to keep pushing through even when times get hard because in the end, it will all be worth it," he affirmed.
…
"So before I conclude, I just want to give a little piece of advice: You only have one life so use it wisely. Don't use it by acting a fool. Don't sell it for something short. And don't take it for granted. Take each step at a time and learn to live in the moment because you never know when that moment will be gone. Life will never be perfect but it can be extraordinary when you have the right people by your side. Lastly, before you all leave here today, take this piece of advice as a challenge to live your life to the fullest and become the best person you can be," Zack passionately concluded.
Applause erupted from the audience.
Lisa squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled to fight back tears.
The last few minutes of his speech were unbearable and painful to hear.
Lisa, who was certain she could make it to the end, just couldn't do it anymore.
"So to the class of '92...WE DID IT BABY!" Zack shouted and jumped off the stage, throwing his cap in the air.
The graduating students jumped out of their seats and threw their hats up while the audience cheered like never before.
The gym was encapsulated with laughter, tears of joy, and the smell of freedom with friends and classmates hugging each other, couples kissing, and parents taking many, many photos of their children.
Everyone in that interior was happy except one person, Lisa.
Her heart felt like it was wrapped around her neck.
She wanted to leave the crowd of happy people because a sad girl like her didn't belong in a place like that.
Her negative energy wasn't needed in a joyful, celebratory atmosphere because to her, there was nothing to celebrate.
She felt more at a loss than anything.
She walked to the gym doors, wanting to be invisible, hoping to be invisible.
Time slowed down for her.
It was as if she was walking but not moving.
The more steps she took, the further the doors became.
Lisa hugged herself as though she was the only person she could trust, the only person to protect, the only person to love.
There was no expression on her face as tears fell down it.
"Lisa!" A male's voice echoed out of the crowd.
She continued walking without a slight hesitation in looking back.
"Lisa!" The same voice called out again but this time it was closer.
She made up her mind that she was not going to stop for anyone.
She couldn't do that anymore.
The gym doors were pushed open and she walked toward the front entrance.
"Lisa, I was calling you, didn't you hear me?"
Lisa froze dead in her tracks.
She didn't turn around but she tightly clenched her fists.
"What happened?" he asked, touching her arm.
"Don't touch me," she responded sharply while yanking her arm away.
Lisa finally gained the courage to spin around and face him.
Her eyes were black and her glare was spitefully cold and mean.
The look on Zack's face became confused.
"What's the matter with you?" he said, finally frowning.
Lisa kept staring him down as if she was going to attack him like a vicious animal.
She was visibly angry but not one word escaped from her mouth expressing that; her face spoke enough for her.
"How could you do this to me?!" Her words were laced with passion.
The confusion in Zack's eyes only grew until frustration replaced them.
"What did I do to you, huh?" he slightly raised his voice.
"How could you stand up there and acknowledge Kelly, when you know dang well I was the one who had your back more than she ever did!" she angrily barked.
"I was the one who stood by your stupid side, I was the one who supported you, I was the one who believed in you, and this is how you treat me?! I am your girlfriend, Zack-GIRLFRIEND, and you couldn't even mention me?!"
Tears of dejection replaced the anger in her heart and emblazoned her eyes.
She looked at the ground as tears streamed down her face one by one.
"I feel like a complete idiot." Lisa wiped her runny makeup.
She hated crying and looking weak in front of him but she couldn't hold her emotions in any longer.
"You're upset because of that? Lis, I mentioned everyone in my life. Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit?" He dismissed her claim with ease.
The hurt on her face was evident as she blinked a couple of times in disbelief.
With a sense of indignation, she tightened her jaw and narrowed her gaze.
"I'm done talking to you." Lisa turned on her heel.
"You're really going to go?" Zack scoffed, but she didn't utter a response.
"Lisa!" he shouted and rushed up to her before she left the building.
"Lisa, don't leave-" Zack grabbed her arm and forced her close to him.
"Let go of me," she tried to escape from his firm grasp but he had a tight grip on her.
"Let's talk about it, okay? There's no reason for you to be upset-"
"I said, LET GO!" She freed herself while also shoving him back.
They were both glaring and huffing at each other in frustration until Lisa broke the silent tension.
"Congratulations, Zack, you've managed to break us up. I hope it was all worth it." Lisa attempted to say with spite but her melancholic tone betrayed her.
Lisa was done with everything and everyone she knew as dreariness clouded her features.
She wanted nothing more in that moment than to leave, but Zack blocked her.
Shaking his head, "We're not breaking up-This is stupid!" he exclaimed.
"All because I didn't give you a special shoutout?! I thought you were better than that!" His arms folded in an attempt to belittle her feelings.
"And I thought you were better than that to cheat on me," her voice trembled softly.
In the following seconds, silence grew between them as a deep cut of sadness and agony ran through her body.
Her wound was open and laid bare as darkness surrounded it.
"What?" he gulped, nervously.
"Yeah, I caught you shoving your tongue down Kelly's throat and enjoying it," she bitterly accused.
Zack stared at her quietly as he bit his bottom lip.
"You thought I wouldn't have known? You thought you could just get away with that and still keep me?" She pointed at herself with a choked-up passion in her voice.
"Well, you're wrong. I devoted so much of my time, and energy, and love to you just for you to kill me like this. Do you know how much pain you've caused me today? How much I wanted to die?! I couldn't even enjoy the ceremony because of what I saw." Her voice trembled with distress and heartbreak.
"I opened up to you both to fix this mess I've created and I ended up getting stabbed both ways. So don't try to flip this on me and make me out to be the villain here!" Lisa snapped as anger overwhelmed her small frame.
Zack looked away in guilt as he chewed the inside of his mouth.
"Okay…so what do you want me to do about it?" He crossed his hands in front of him.
"I don't know…why don't you ask Kelly about that," she retorted with pettiness.
Zack quickly rolled his eyes as he walked closer to her.
"Can we just forget about this whole thing and move on? Pretend like it didn't even happen." He reached for her hand but she pulled away before he even touched it.
Her face became red as her eyes darkened and she glared at him with spite in her heart.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! FORGET ABOUT THIS?! HOW ABOUT I FORGET ABOUT YOU!" she exploded and started cursing him then and there.
Lisa couldn't believe that was the same person she fell in love with.
She just couldn't.
"So that's it? You're going to give up on us just because of one mistake? We both don't have feelings for each other anymore, we were just lost in nostalgia," he defended himself.
"Don't give me any excuses! You stole my heart and broke it despite promising not to. I don't even know who you are anymore." Tears gushed out of her swollen eyes as she buried her face in her hands.
"Fine, let's break up. I don't want to deal with such a stubborn, over-sensitive, stupid girl like you anyways," he insulted.
Lisa looked up at him.
"At least Kelly wasn't much of a headache as you are. There always has to be some drama with you," he claimed with a serious gaze.
Lisa's breath ceased for a second as her heart dropped to her stomach.
There she was being compared to Kelly by Zack again.
"Screw you, Zack," she said with a mixture of frustration and sadness in her voice.
"No, SCREW YOU!" he yelled, which made her take a few steps back.
"You were lucky to ever be with me. I made you feel things you never felt before and will never feel again with anyone else. If that's the path you choose, then so be it, but I'm warning you, breaking up with me is something you'll regret and I hope you do," he threatened.
His words stung but Lisa didn't let her guard down.
Taking a few steps forward, she glowered at him with a hard expression on her face.
"No, but what I do regret is ever loving you."
She took the necklace from her pocket and roughly threw it on the ground before making her exit.
That was one of the hardest situations she had to endure which led to her breaking down in her car.
She never wanted to love him the way that she did.
Time and time again, Lisa tried rebuking and denying her feelings for him but eventually decided that if she had just given in to them this one time, maybe things would've been different, but it just played out as the same sad story.
With a heavy heart and tears streaming down her face, she felt a deep sense of frustration.
Betrayed by the person she loved, the person she opened her heart up to and it wasn't just any person...it was her best friend.
Their relationship as well as friendship was over and she couldn't be any more sad.
…
Curled up on top of the sand, Lisa studied the waves as they crashed into the ocean.
She was in an excluded area, away from everyone; the perfect place for a girl to be left alone in her thoughts.
There were so many memories she had at that beach and memories she shared with that one person.
Lisa was aware that her reflecting on the past was not going to heal her current state but in the moment of it all, she just wanted to reflect on the good times she once had.
She wanted to escape from the time she was in now and return back to the time when she was in ultimate bliss, and that bliss was found at Santa Monica beach, the same beach where she and the gang visited for a weekend getaway trip.
Zack and Lisa were at the top of the Ferris wheel.
Their cart moved more than the ride itself which still remained stationary because the two were fooling a lot in there.
"I deserve it? I did nothing wrong." He threw an innocent grin which prompted Lisa to smack him again but the ride began, causing her to fall on him.
He caught her in his arms and she accidentally wrapped hers around his neck.
They looked into each other's eyes, both startled and nervous.
Feeling embarrassed, Lisa lifted herself from the weird position and sat down as she should have before.
"Looks like they finally started this ride," Zack coughed.
"Yeah, but I kind of wished this thing moved faster, though. It's so slow that I can fall asleep," she yawned while covering her mouth.
Zack noticed that Lisa was beginning to get sleepy, and without a second thought, he laid her head on his shoulder.
Lisa was surprised but wasn't complaining.
Remembering that she still had her camera in her bag, Lisa took it out and snapped a photo of them in a relaxed state.
"You just love pictures, don't you," Zack quipped.
"I do. They capture the moments you want to remember forever," she innocently replied.
Zack smiled.
Resting his head on hers, "Good," he said.
"Because I want this moment to last forever."
They stayed in that position for the remainder of the ride.
Zack took Lisa to an excluded and abandoned shop that was not too far from where they were.
Despite not being far, the shop wasn't exactly on the boardwalk which meant they were someplace else.
"Zack…where are we?" Lisa asked, a bit concerned as he led her up the stairs.
Zack said nothing but continued to lead her up until they hit the rooftop.
Lisa looked around her and was surprisingly calm.
It wasn't as big or grand as she might've expected, but it was enough.
Turning to Zack, "Why did you take me here?" she asked with a softness in her voice.
"Because…it had a wonderful view that I thought you'd like," he honestly admitted.
He took her hand and led her to the edge of the roof with a pole barrier.
They leaned against it and watched the view beneath them.
Zack was right.
It was wonderful.
Lisa felt a soothing breeze breeze over her as she inhaled the warm air.
The last couple of weeks felt like an emotional rollercoaster and the cure to it was this.
All Lisa needed was this.
A breath of fresh air.
"Wow," she let out.
"Wow indeed." He shifted his attention to her.
"How did you find out about this place?" she asked.
"I have my secrets."
They both shared a laugh.
After a few minutes, fireworks unexpectedly began glowing in the night sky. The different colors blended perfectly together.
Zack and Lisa were in awe as they watched the show.
"Was this part of your plan too?" Lisa questioned with a smile on her face.
"Actually no, but this is even better than what I planned."
"Well plan or not, I think this is very sweet of you." She gazed into his eyes.
He smiled and blushed a little.
Zack abruptly grabbed Lisa's hand which opened her eyes, and they ran off to the beach.
They were laughing the whole time.
"Geez Zack, I can't go anywhere without you getting into some kind of trouble." She laughed.
"I'm sorry, Lisa. I shouldn't have led you there in the first place."
"No, it's okay. The important thing here is that we didn't get caught." She playfully shook her head.
"But, if we were to get caught, I would have blamed it all on you." Lisa chuckled.
"Well, that's not very nice of you," Zack pouted.
"Well, you're not nice." She stuck out her tongue and then suddenly, started running away.
"Hey, where you're going!" Zack yelled.
She stopped and turned around.
"Back to the resort! Catch me if you can!" She playfully smirked.
Zack smirked back, "Oh, you betcha," and he started running after her.
As Zack was chasing after her, Lisa was screaming and laughing at the same time.
He finally caught up to her, picking her up from behind and spinning her like crazy.
She was still scream-laughing the whole way through until he put her down.
After getting their final laughs out, Lisa looked at Zack and playfully swatted him.
"Hey, what was that for?" Zack pretended to be upset.
"It's for giving me the best day, today," she pouted, masking her smile.
He chuckled and rolled his eyes.
They finally left the beach and went back to their suite where their friends were knocked out.
"Thank you, Zack, for this incredible and crazy day." Lisa smiled after she yawned.
"No problem."
Lisa was about to head inside the girl's bedroom when Zack called out to her.
"Hey, Lisa."
She turned around.
"Goodnight."
Returning his smile, "Goodnight," she replied before walking in.
There was a small gap of silence between them until Lisa spoke up.
"Have you ever thought about getting married?" Lisa asked, breaking the silence.
Zack looked up at her.
"What?" He awkwardly chuckled.
"You know when the guy was talking about how special his wife's ring was to him and how the price met nothing, and then you said it would mean a lot to you too if you were in that same position, I was just wondering if you ever thought about getting married?" she repeated.
"Well, yeah, to a gorgeous model. We would live in a multi-million mansion with no annoying kids." Zack laughed.
"Zack, I'm serious." Lisa chuckled, knowing that he was playing.
"Ok ok. I guess I had dreamed...like once about being married to an incredible and amazing woman." Zack brushed off.
Lisa kept her eyes on him with interest in them.
Zack continued, "We apparently had two kids- a boy and a girl and we lived in a pretty decent house."
"What was your dream wife like?" Lisa asked, smiling curiously.
"Uhhh," Zack muttered while blushing.
"She was uh...great. She encouraged my every move and motivated me when I was at my weakest point. She took care of me and listened to me. She...she believed in me when I felt like I had failed everyone. She believed in me more than I did, and I…I liked that," Zack softly spoke as he kept his eyes on the dark sea.
"Your dream wife honestly sounds like a keeper, Zack," Lisa said, smiling at him.
He looked at her, "Yeah, she does," and smiled.
"When you find her, cherish her with all your heart and love her as you never loved before." She looked deeply into his eyes.
Zack looked away and kept on steering.
As they danced, Zack whispered something into Lisa's ear, sending chills down her spine.
"You remember the time when I came over to your house and we talked about the ceremony and necklace? How things became weird after I gave it to you?"
Lisa slowly lifted her head from his chest and gazed up into his eyes.
"Well, that night…I really felt something, Lisa...and I still do," Zack whispered.
Her heart stopped beating.
'OMG does Zack like me!?' Lisa thought as she stared into his eyes.
They were soft and full of raw emotion.
Suddenly, feelings came crashing to the surface and what she was experiencing, what she was feeling, became evident through her eyes.
"Do you think I will make it at FIT?" Lisa asked.
He smiled, "I think you will make the top of your class."
A shy smile appeared on her face.
"Well, what about you, Mr. Yale," she teased.
He chuckled, and before he could answer, a cool breeze hit the both of them, causing Lisa to shiver.
Zack took notice of this.
"You need my jacket?" he asked, taking it off.
"No no, it's alright, I don't want it." Lisa shook her head while shivering.
"Well, that answer would work if I asked you if you wanted it but I didn't." Zack grinned and then placed his blue jacket over her shoulders.
She tsked and rolled her eyes, but an uncontrollable smile formed on her face.
Zack placed his arm around her, bringing her close to his body.
Lisa couldn't stop blushing even if she wanted to, but instead of feeling alarmed, she rested her head on his chest in response to him putting his arm around her.
It only felt natural between the two.
…
Reflecting on those once-happy memories made Lisa realize that she was the only person she could truly depend on.
The only person to look after her.
The only person to trust.
The only person to love.
She did not want to suffer any more disappointments.
Not from her parents, her friends, or her lovers.
After everything that had happened, Lisa felt truly alone in the world, and there was nothing she could do about it but accept it.
Final Author's Note: Thank you all who have made it to the end of this story and have been patient with me, I really appreciate it! Also, I'm a mean author who is not sorry for the ending I've made, lol.