Zack & I

When we were fourteen I laid eyes on Zack for the first time. His flaming red hair stuck out in a crowd. His steal grey eyes like a window to his soul. He was tall and lanky at the time, but his face looked as if it was carved from marble. Finley defined cheeks, and soft skin. From then on I liked him, you could even say I had a crush on him1

When we were fifteen we were the closest of friends. I didn’t have many close friends who were girls, but it didn’t matter. He was better then any girl friend I would ever have. I could share my secrets with him, and he could share his with me. I could talk to him with ease, but I never told him how I truly felt about him. I didn’t want to ruin what we had. 2

Now we are sixteen and still best of friends. He knows my dream of becoming a photographer, and I know his of becoming a meteorologist.3

As we did every Saturday night he came too my place wile my parents were out. We went in my room as we always did when he came over. My closet door was open, and Zack had wandered over to it. He started rummaging through it, and without looking up he said “Get your camera and wait in the living room.”4

I had no idea what was going on, so I did as I was told. I grabbed my prized possession, a 9.0 mega pixel camera, and went in the living room. I sat down in one of the large burgundy arm chairs as I waited for Zack. Ten minutes later he came out in a pink dress that I wore to the last school dance. It was too small for him and only came to his knees when it was supposed to be a full length dress. He wasn‘t lanky any more, and you could see his muscles easily in the dress, because it was much too tight on him. Giggling, I took a few shots of him in some ridicules ‘girly’ poses. 5

“Ok, wait here” he told me running to my brothers room. In twice the time he came out in torn up jeans, a black shirt, face make-up to look like a badly made up Gene Simmons, and a bright blue wig. This time around he did some casual poses, as I laughed some more and took pictures.6

“Well I’m done,” Zack said “Mind if I use the bathroom to clean up?” I told him it was fine, and sat in the armchair again. Three years ago I had a crush on him, and I still do. I couldn’t stand it anymore. The secret burned in my heart, and kept tearing away at me. I had to tell him. I walk over to the bathroom where he was and knocked gently on the door. “Yeah come in,” I heard Zack’s muffled voice coming from the other side of the door. Turning the knob, I stepped on the cold black tile of the bathroom. He had rubbed off the face makeup and the clothes were in a heap by the closet. He was standing there in his red-plaid boxers. Boy her sure looked good. “Look, Zack I-” he put a finger to my lips to keep me from talking.7

“It’s only fair I tell you the, erm … truth” He started talking avoiding eye contact. Staring at the black tiles he started talking rushed, in a nervous sort of way. “Aimee, I don’t know how to tell you. God I should have just let you known from the start. Um … well. You could say-” 8

“Just spit it out Zack!” I cut him off. 9

“I’m gay! Okay?” He said, his ears turning to the colour of his hair. 10

The words came as such a shock , but looking back I should have known. A guy the looked as good as Zack did, not ever having a Girlfriend, not going to school dances should have been a hint. “Aimes I’m sorry.” He only ever called me Aimes when he was sincere or when he was talking about something serous, and this was one of those times. “Just … just don’t tell any one. I haven’t even told my parents, you’re the only one who knows.” He had cared about me enough to tell me his deepest secret. Maybe he did love me, but in a different way.11

I didn’t know what to do, neither of us did. I buried my head in his bare chest and cried. I just let it all out. The only guy I really loved was someone I could never be with. He put one hand on my lower back, and brushed the other through my shoulder length, hazel coloured hair. “I’m sorry Aimes, this is just how it is. It’s out of my control.” He said resting his chin on the top of my head. “I really am sorry,” He whispered softly in my ear. He took his hand off my back and raised my chin. He wiped tears from my cheeks and hazel-green eyes and kissed me softly on the lips. “It can’t be that way.” He said gently pulling back. “I understand,” a said as he pulled me in for one of his hugs.12

The truth can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. In this case it was both. It had strengthened our relationship, but it left me in tears for days. The truth is hard to accept, and I learnt that through experience. But the truth can be like glue holding two things together. It held me and Zack together. That day that had started off with taking some goofy pictures, had changed our relationship for the better. We are stronger. I love him. He loves me. Our love is different, but it’s still there. 13