It had been two months since Zack had last seen his favorite jacket. At first, he thought it was just misplaced—maybe left at school, at Milo's, or even on the bus during one of their usual disaster-filled rides. But after weeks of searching, he had finally given up. The mystery of the missing jacket was just another strange occurrence in his life ever since he started hanging out with Milo Murphy.
Then, out of nowhere, Melissa called him one Saturday afternoon.
"Hey, Zack. Guess what my dad found while cleaning out the garage?"
"Uh… a collection of vintage spatulas?" Zack guessed, knowing how random Melissa's dad could be.
"Okay, first of all, that was last weekend," Melissa said dryly. "Second of all, no. He found your jacket."
Zack sat up in bed, surprised. "Wait—seriously? Where was it?"
"In a storage bin with some old winter clothes. I think you left it at my house forever ago, and my dad just tossed it in with the rest of the stuff." There was a slight pause before Melissa added, "But, before you ask me to bring it over or something… I should probably tell you something."
Zack narrowed his eyes, even though she couldn't see him. "That sounds ominous."
"Not ominous," Melissa corrected, "just… informative. See, I pulled it out, and well… turns out, it fits me pretty well."
Zack grinned. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," Melissa replied, her voice taking on a playful edge. "It's comfortable, it's warm, and it just… I don't know. Looks kinda great on me."
Zack chuckled. "Well, obviously. You could wear a traffic cone and make it look cool."
"I have been known to pull off unusual fashion choices," she admitted. "But this? This jacket is definitely a new favorite."
Zack smirked. "You sound very attached to it already."
"Oh, I am," Melissa said without hesitation. "So attached that I might have already claimed ownership."
"Wait," Zack said, pretending to be scandalized. "Are you telling me I lost my jacket and it got stolen in the same day?"
Melissa gasped dramatically. "Stolen? Excuse you, I rescued it. Your jacket was abandoned, Zack. Alone, forgotten, stuffed in a storage bin. I gave it a new home."
Zack laughed. "Wow. That's some spin. You should go into politics."
"Thanks, but I'd rather focus my talents on looking good in this jacket."
Zack shook his head, grinning. "Well, if it looks that good on you, I guess you should just keep it."
Melissa hummed. "Hmm. Very generous of you, but let's be real, you knew I wasn't giving it back."
"Oh, absolutely," Zack admitted. "I lost all negotiating power the second you put it on, didn't I?"
"Exactly."
He sighed dramatically. "Guess I'll have to find a new favorite jacket. What a tragedy."
"Yeah, that's tough," Melissa said, faux-sympathetic. "But hey, silver lining: now you have a girlfriend who looks amazing in your old one."
Zack raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're keeping it for fashion reasons? Or are you just secretly sentimental?"
Melissa smirked. "Maybe a little of both. I mean, it is a really nice jacket. And maybe—just maybe—I like the fact that it smells like you."
Zack blinked, caught off guard for a second before laughing. "Wow. Okay, didn't expect that level of honesty."
"Hey, I don't mess around," Melissa teased. "Besides, I figured you already knew I liked you, so might as well put it all out there."
Zack felt his face warm slightly. "I mean, yeah, but still. You really know how to keep me on my toes, huh?"
"It's a gift," she said. "And speaking of gifts… wanna come over? You can at least see how good I look in your jacket before it becomes my jacket permanently."
Zack smiled, already grabbing his shoes. "Yeah, I'll be there in ten."
"And don't even think about bringing another jacket to replace this one," Melissa added. "You're not getting a trade."
Zack laughed. "Noted. Guess I'll just have to live with the fact that my former favorite jacket found a better owner."
Melissa chuckled. "See? You're catching on fast."
As Zack hung up and headed out the door, he realized something—he might have lost a jacket, but somehow, he'd gained something even better.