Chapter Four

Zack ponder the relationship with Vivian as he remembers the first time he saw her.

Chapter Four

 

(Tuesday morning) Zack open his eyes after he was quiet for a few moments when he finish praying for Vivian, each time he searches his soul and body for a sign that God heard his prayers.  He did not know what would indicate a sign from the Lord acknowledging his petition, he tries to hear ringing of tiny bells, nothing.  Sometimes he attempt to feel tingling or maybe a gurgle in his gut, nothing.  He wishes God would give him a physical marker showing He is not asleep, a host singing of angels, trumpets blasting from the clouds or flashes of lighting in his room, something simple like that.  Nevertheless, there no visible sign, the earth did shift its orbit and the stars stay in place, he only have the hope and faith that God is awake and hears every little true prayers.   

 

Zack swing open the door leaving his bedroom entering the darken hallway making his way to the kitchen smelling the aroma of fresh brew coffee guiding him safely through the passage.  Inside the kitchen, he spotted the clear coffee pot filled with the dark brown liquid set in the coffee maker keeping it warm.  Zack touch the glass container to make sure it still hot enough, his mother brew the concoction early this morning before she left for work.  Betty leaves home before the sun rise and return after its sets, she knows her son loves coffee ever since he tasted it when he was a toddler.   A crooked smile appeared on his face as he reaches in the cabinet grabbing is favorite coffee glass.  A tall white cup that favors the type of containers used by the high prize coffee shops scatter around town

 

He fill his special cup half way with coffee stirring in three difference type of creams and other fruity flavors mix together with sugar giving Zack a unique blend.  He quickly opens the other cabinet doors to pull out a packet of a pastry treat that is design by the manufacture to be toasted and consume, Zack prefer to devour it straight from the rapper.  After his breakfast of champions, he makes ready his sack lunch, opening the refrigerator pulling out the pre-package box lunch of ham, cheese with crackers and two Washington red apples. 

 

He pauses as he gazes at the brightly red fruit, his mind flash back a few weeks ago remembering sliding an apple across the table as peace offering to Vivian.  Zack tenderly rubbing the round object with his fingers shaking his head smiling to himself as his mind conger up with disbelief what was Vivian lunch at that time, 2 candy bars, a can coke and homemade cookies (those cookies was the best he has every tasted in his life).  He was so afraid to give her that apple, his heart pounding in his chest wanting to jump out and run away.  He had reasons to fear a day before she punch his face and hit his body causing him to collapses in great pain.  He knows the next time he is in a fistfight with Vivian the proper course of action is to flee.

 

Zack touch his side a certain way he can barely feel the soreness, his body healed from the punches he took from Vivian swift fists, but Zack with his eyes closed can still feel the tender impression of her lips touching his lips in that magical kiss that seem to last forever.  He questions in his mind how it happen and what caused it, the events of that moment went so fast, he place the bracelet on her wrist, then she grab his arm pulling him around the gym and ‘BAM, BOOM, BAM!’  They are kissing as if they where classic movie stars in a black and white film epic, but Zack started to remember the very first time he saw Vivian.

 

♥♥♥

 

A few days after the start of the semester Zack would walk to school every morning, he could take the crowded school bus, that yellow vehicle of pain.  Fighting to get a seat, endure the insults and dirty looks from ill temper students, no Zack rather walk the 2 miles in peace and harmony of car wising by mix with dogs barking and birds chirping.  That trek to school gave him time for is active imagination to form adventures, maybe he would replay a scene of a movie he watch the night before or act like a rock star on stage in front of thousands cheering fans.  Before he would reach school, Zack would have travel around the world, he sometimes wonder is he normal, do others imagine about any and everything like he does with such details and passion.

 

Placing his foot on the school campus grounds, he saw them, the bullies, two boys whose mission in life it to seek, harasses, and ridicule him before the start of the school day. He hopping they have not seen him, so he design in his mind to walk behind the school cut across the basketball and tennis courts to reach the opposite end of the building.  This action makes him walk faster so he can get to his locker and make the first class on time.  So far so good as he in a hurried trot, then his ears caught a moaning sound, he slowed his movement to a stroll as he though he heard the cries of a cat. 

 

He kept hearing the moaning and he knew it wasn’t a cat but the sobs of someone, he turn toward the sound tiptoeing softly around the wall to see who weeping.  A tall figure leaning against the basketball goal post, head down shoulders slump.  Trembling hands covering the face as tears pour between the fingers, Zack is drawn to watch with compassion of the tall girl wondering why she crying.  She does not look injured, but her hand is holding tightly a cell phone he assumes she received terrible news.  Soon the girl compose herself standing straight lift her head up, Zack quickly hid behind the wall hopping she did not see him. 

 

Zack heart beating rapidly, if the tall girl come around and confront him to why he is spying on her, he do not know what say.  Zack thought he should just walk out as if he stumbles on to her passing by.  That idea made since but he is scared of the outcome, but he’s convince himself on the count of three he will start to walk, ‘one…two…three,’ his feet did not move as he look down with great disappointment of his limbs for not obeying his orders.  ‘Ok body this time on the count of three walk,’ closing his eyes tightly as he took a deep breath, ‘onetwothree’  he said in his mind quickly forcing his feet to take the heavy step as he walk into the open area.   Opening his eyes turning to see the girl, but he is stun because she was gone, Zack looked all around to find her but she vanish into thin air.

 

‘Where did she go?’   Zack perplex, suddenly he realizes he will be late for the first class.   Running and entering the far end of the building dashing down the hall to reach his locker in the attempt to beat the clock.  With the quickness of a NASCAR pit crew he spin the combination lock open, pop the door wide and threw the books and stuff he didn’t need shutting and locking it in record time less than 5 seconds.  he can see the classroom down the hallway that he needs to be inside, the door will shut once the bell ring out and he will be late, sprinting down the corridor racing against the second hand of the hall clock, he felt like a track star trying to beat the world record time. He steps passed the threshold of the door as the bell blasted and without thinking Zack raising both arms in a victory stance.

 

Some of the girls seeing Zack elation started giggling, a boy in the back cheered, “At boy Zack!” All eyes fell on him, knowing he is drawing attention himself became embarrass he slowly lower his arms standing up straight, but a crumble ball of paper came out of nowhere striking Zack head and the entire room erupted into laughter.  He immediately lower his head in shame, closing the classroom door the woman instructor place her gentle hand on his shoulder.  “Ok Zack, you won the prize,” he raises his head gaze at her.  “45 minutes of American History…”  Said the teacher, Zack hurried to his seat, but he was not focus on the class but of the sad tall girl.

 

The next few day he would see this girl passing in the hallway going to her class and spotted her in the cafeteria sitting along or with a group of other tall females students.  Zack figure she a ball player, he wanted to know her name but he would not dare to go up to her to ask.  Looking up the school website, he found her picture with a name Vivian as the starting player on the girl’s basketball team.  Seeing Vivian photo he feels that he knew her for a long time, but that cannot be true since the first he seen her was on the basketball courts crying.  Zack could not shake that feeling in his heart, he was compel to attend a few home games in the school gym and he even watch her play with the boys after school.  Zack download a copy of her team photo on his home computer so he can look at it, he thought he is losing it mentally because he knows in his heart that he knew her in a deep way but that is impossible they never said a word to each other.

 

♥♥♥

 

Zack first interaction with Vivian was bumpy, until this day he does not know how he did that.  He did not see Vivian going pass him, he was trying to reach class on time and it happens.  She punches, he hit the floor, which leads to the apple, and now she is his girlfriend, Zack smiles focusing on the apple again.

 

‘DO YOU REALLY LOVE HER?’

 

Zack spin around to see who spoke, he thought it was Alice but realizing it was not a voice but a very loud thought that enter his mind.

 

“Do you love her?”  Zack repeated verbally, but he hesitated to answer because that word love is loaded.  From his heart, an image rose of Vivian dress from head to toe in pure white flowing robes a reef of colorful flowers crown her hair, she look angelic.  He did not want to say that word because he seen to many people used that word in vain saying I love you now and I hate you later, he don’t want that for his friend Vivian, “I don’t know.”  Spoke Zack in response to the question.

 

“You don’t know what?”  Zack is startle when his sister walk in to the kitchen hearing Zack talking to his self, “Zack are you talking to yourself again,” said Alice shaking her head in a sisterly disappointment, Zack try to explain but she raise her arm tapping at her watch signaling with a smirk that he is going to be late.  Zack eyes widen grabbing his lunch stuffing into his backpack running out the door.