Chapter 4 WINNING THE PRIZE

You try everything in your power not to go their, but the universe is conspire that you are going their.

WINNING THE PRIZE

 

The next day at lunch Zack and Vivian did not mention what happen in the shelter during the storm.  Vivian eating another apple giving by Zack kept looking at him perplex in her mind.  How did the geeky and nerdy boy who continues bothering her during suspension wishing he would disappear; now she looks forward spending time together.  Many thoughts are racing in her mind analyzing the events during the storm, why didn’t she just punch him and tell him be a man stop crying, but she took his hand and held it close to her with tenderness and kindness, ’what was I thinking?’.  Maybe she was just expressing some kind of mothering instinct she thought that do not mean she has feeling for him.

 

“Hey, would you like to come over to my house after basketball practice and play video games, eat popcorn and watch movies?”  Ask Zack with hopefulness in his eyes.  Her mind wants to say no, but her heart was in controlled she agrees to hang out with Zack for the evening.  He’s overjoyed acting like a little boy winning a prize as he rock, sway and hummed she thought it cute and funny wanting to laugh but she did not want show any emotion.

 

Betty arrives home from night classes seeing her daughter sitting on the couch texting and painting her toenails.  Taking off her jacket and setting down her book bag she can hear laughing voices emanating from Zack room.

 

“Who’s that with Zack?”  Ask Betty, surprise looking at Alice.

 

“Oh a girl,” Betty eyes widen, “Guest who it is, Vivian, the one that cold c**k him a couple weeks ago.”

 

“What!  That thing is in my house.”

 

“Yes, it the talk of the whole school Zackary and Vivian ether they boyfriend and girlfriend or they really good friend, they have been eating lunch together ever since they came out of suspension, he even bring her food to eat.”  Then Betty realizes why Zack was packing more food everyday, she did not know how to feel about this situation, pleased that he has a friend and now worry that he has a girlfriend.

 

“That little rascal,” She said with a smirk, marching to his room open the door, heads turning as they sat on the edge of the bed a bowl of popcorn in-between them and cans of cola at their feet playing video games.  “Hey!”

 

“Hi mom, I hope it’s ok that Vivian can stay a couple hours.” Spoke Zack, looking innocent.

 

“Sure honey that ok, hello Vivian.”  Betty staring at Vivian with lazar pointed eyes.

 

“Hi… Miss Starr,” said Vivian nervous voice, Betty left the room leaving the door wide open, Vivian sighs.  “I don’t think you mother like me.”

 

“Oh she will once she gets to know you.”

 

“I don’t know, you saw that look she gave me that wasn’t the mommy look that was the mother bear stare.”  Zack started to laugh and she joins in with him, “It true she want rip me limb from limb because of what happen last time.  By the way, why did you do it?  Why did you say you started the fight?”

 

“Well when I was on the ground seeing stars I heard Mrs. Carter say she will be throwing you off the basketball team and I didn’t want that to happen.”

 

“But why you didn’t know me.”

 

“No, but I seen you play with the boys on the court and you where great playing with them.  You hold your own with them getting your rebounds and taking you shoots, it is pretty I wish I could play like that.”  Zack would not look at Vivian as he was talking.

 

“Zack,” he lift his eyes to her, “I loved basketball and I wouldn’t know what I would do if I couldn’t be on the team, thanks,” Zack did not know what to say so Vivian looking around the room seeing all the hand draw sketches pin up on the wall. “Did you draw all these pictures?”

 

“Yell, I just sketch sometimes when I get bore or something spark my interest,” Said Zack eating popcorn.

 

“You should enter into the school art contest,”  Zack shaking his head no, “Oh come on this stuff is better than the junk that always wins, and you know the grand prize is a thousand dollars.”

 

“Wow that’s a lot of money.”

 

“Yes and when you win you can buy me new basketball shoes,” Vivian grinning at Zack.

 

“Ok I do it but I have to draw something special,” Then Vivian phone buzz in her pocket and she answered it, a disappointed look appear on her face.

 

“I got to go; Gloria is out front because the case worker is making a surprise visit.”  Zack walk her to the door, she made sure to say goodbye to Betty and Alice.  Zack mother watch her son walk Vivian to the edge of the porch then she sprinted to the SUV, twist to wave bye she hopping inside the vehicle.

 

Zack walking back into the house, “She seems to change,” said Alice, “She doesn’t look so mean and you saw her wearing makeup.”

 

“Hmmm, look like someone has a girlfriend,” joke Betty, Zack pop his eyes at the two women looking at him with grins on their faces.

 

“No, she just a friend,” spoke Zack scratching back of his head.

 

“I saw how she look at you when she wave bye,” express Alice, her voice deepens, “Those eye say my lover hold me, kiss me,” her arms swaying as she place back her hand on her forehead giggling.

 

“You know honey, that how most relationship start as friends and sometime the couple begin not liking each other,” Stated Betty.

 

“No mom we are just friends that it,” asserted Zack as he dash into his room shutting the door. Scanning the room of all his drawing taken Vivian suggestion and enter into the school art contest.  However, what would he draw in a flash it came into his mind the subject.  The following week he was obsessed with this project he drew difference parts in many angles and shades of light, he took pictures and video of the subject pondering.  He analyzes all types of colors and texture of paper, should he draw the image in oils, watercolors or pencils.

 

Finally, Zack made his choice to draw the subject in pencils and wanted to show Vivian the finish product before he submitted in for the contest.  Zack caught her before she went to practice to unveil the picture.  Curious because he would not tell her what it was only say it is a surprise, she thinking in her mind it is a picture of a car, airplane or maybe something cute like puppies.  His eyes beaming, he pulls the cover to revile the image of a woman leaping in the air about to release a basketball into the net.

 

“Wow, a picture of a basketball player!”  Cheer Vivian, surveying the drawing, she notice that image is her, “Is that me?”

 

“Yes,” Zack is excited, “I call it ‘the flying girl’, and I hope you like it I try to get this sketch right showing your splendor in the air…”  Zack explaining how he carefully draws the picture, Vivian kept gazing how pretty Zack made her look on canvas.   She barley can look at him without having the urge to caress his hair or touch his fingers as it move along the drawing, but she did not just smile feeling honor.

 

“I took special care of the shape of your lips and chin to your neck, taken lots of picture and drew many sketches of your shoulders, arms and your chest.”  Zack suddenly stop due to his mouth became parch, he felt warm and nervous.  He did not see the image of Vivian leaping into the air in angle, circles and arches, now he saw a body of a well-formed woman with soft round attractive curves.  Swiftly he took his eyes off the picture gazing at her, but that made it worse because she was more gorgeous than what he drew.  Zack can feel himself shaking, his mind trying to extinguish the fire raging inside of him, ‘this is Vivian, not a supermodel, she just a friend.’  He knew he need to say something because if felt like he was looking at her for an hour.

 

“I…hope you, you…like it,” stammer Zack

 

“Wow, I think it great, thanks,” Vivian rub top of his head as she jogs off to practice.  Zack watching her leave laugh within thinking that he was extremely foolish feeling that way toward her.  They are just friend and she do not see him like that and he just a little geek destine to be a lone wolf.

 

Racing across the blue skies passing through and around puffy white clouds a squadron of P-51 Mustang, red tails is escorting a fleet of bombers targeting a secret Nazi factory in Poland.  In the lead plane, Capt. Zack is scanning the heavens for enemy fighters, rapidly coming out the clouds at two o’clock he see German aircrafts in attack formation.

 

“Ok boys their they are le’ts get them,” commanded Zack as his squad guns blazing charging into the enemy breaking them up from their attack.  Zack chase a plane shooting, as it went up, down and side to side trying to lose him.  The enemy pilot made an error Zack had the angle his bullets shredding the plane into pieces exploding the gas tanks.  The plane plunging down with a trail of black smoke, Zack saw the pilot leap out of the burning plane Para shooting safely to earth at his plane hit the ground in a ball of flames.  The P-51 plane rolls to a complete stop engines shutting down, Capt. Zack and his squad successful protected the bombers and they destroy the Nazi factory.  He jump out the plane saluted the crew and officers marching to the field house to write his flight report.  Turning the handle, he steps in onto white sandy beaches looking at the oceans feeling a cool breeze.  Zack surprise he turn back did not see the door and he not dress in his flight suit, but in black tuxedo without the jacket and the shirt halfway unbutton.  He can hear the crackling of a campfire he spin to see the fire and Vivian lounging on a blanket wearing a bright mid-length Hawaiian dress with a flower in her hair arm extended for him.

 

Zack touching her fingers slip down to her sitting very close embracing gazing into each other eyes, but confuse why he on the beach, “Where the airfield and my plane?”

 

“You don’t want to be in that nasty and dirty war,” whispers Vivian, their forehead gently touch.

 

“But, the battle is still raging and I got to be their to stop the enemy,” softly she touch his lips with her fingers

 

“We won the war now you are here with me to celebrate,” she pause, “you want me here like this in your arms, kiss me.”  Zack longing to kiss Vivian her fingers run through his hair, suddenly he pull back waiting for something.  He realize that his imagination filter will not try to stop him from acting out completely in this fantasy the desire is to strong, “come to me.”  He draws closer to her lips about to touch.

 

“Stop,” Zack leap from his chair dropping his writing pen breathing heavy sweating standing next to the wall of practices sketches he drawn of Vivian, putting his hands on his head shaking no talking to him self.  ‘Why you are tormenting yourself for dreaming the impossible, don’t mess up the only true friendship you have over a foolish fantasy.’  A few tears begin flowing as he sat down in his chair, his mind trying to stop his heart from breaking. ‘Stop crying that not going to fix anything, you are not in love, fact you don’t know what love is, this is only a silly little boy crush.’

 

Zack turning off the light flopping into his bed try to sleep, his mind full of wishing, sadness and confusion.  Zack would laugh then the next moment be deeply depress, “God,” Zack cry out, “Help me sleep, please help me.”

 

A gentle hand from the woman in white, Paula the Guardian caressing Zack forehead speaking to him, “Sleep Zack, you have peace, calmness is in your soul, you are fine just sleep.”  Zack heard those words in his spirit, falling into a deep restful sleep, Paula smiling stroking his brow the entire night.

 

The artwork impresses the judges choosing it as one the top three art pieces on display in the lobby of the school.  Students from the entire campus admire the portrait of Vivian making her a celebrity, even the boys she play basketball with saw her differently.    Jack would buy her a cola during breaks in the games for the excuse talking with her.  Some of the girls in class with Zack wonder how they can get him to draw a portrait of them.

 

The announcement of winner made in Mrs. Carter office, Zack sketch won second place he was delighted.  He receives a small trophy, a ribbon then he had a choice of a cash value prizes.  Making his choice dashing out the office to find Vivian, yelling her name before she enter the gym out of breath but happy to see her.

 

“Look I won second place,” Zack showing her the trophy, “and I got a ribbon too.”

 

“Oh those stupid judges,” Vivian upset, “Everybody know you had the best picture.”

 

“I had a choice of two prizes a gift card or tennis bracelets.”

 

“So are you going to buy a video game with your gift card?” Ask Vivian

 

“No I took the tennis bracelets.”

 

Vivian surprise by his choice, “Are you planning to give it to your mom,” he shaking his head no, “your sister?”  Quickly he took her arm clamp it on her wrist.

 

“I got it for you as a thank you gift,” she raise the sparkling bracelet to her face, “I notice you did not have any jewelry so I thought I give it to you, they say it worth $300 dollar because those are real ruby and sapphire stones.”  Vivian speechless as she gaze at the dancing light of the rubies and sapphire in her eyes

 

“Oh….my…God,” Said Vivian, she grab his arm dragging him around the gym, Zack forget how strong Vivian is, “Ohhh myyyy, do you know what you have done.”  Zack didn’t know what did, he assume that it was wrong now his worst fears is coming true, but he trying to think what did so he can explain him self and save the friendship.  “Ohhhh, you gave a girl real jewelry changing everything you want me to be your girlfriend.”

 

Zack heard ‘girlfriend’ his mind spinning ‘when, where and how did I ask that,’ lifting his eyes wanting to make sure that he was not hearing things.  Their eyes behold each other’s as her hands fondle his ears and her fingers running through his hair, everything in his hands crash to the floor as he held her shoulders.  Embracing each other tilting their heads both of their lips touch in a sweet gentle kiss.  The two of them not knowing the kiss they are enjoying is a seal of their friendship that will last forever, but for now, it is just a kiss between young lovers.  The romantic moment seems to last forever, but reality it was a few seconds.  Vivian had shameful grin and Zack stare at her embarrass, both gazing at each other.

 

“Uhmm, Vivian now that we are a couple will we be doing what we just did a lot,” ask Zack sheepishly

 

“Oh yes,” whisper Vivian

 

“Holding hands too,” she nodded yes.

 

“Well, what about... the... other thing?”  Zack stammering, Vivian ponders in her mind.

 

“Maybe,” then she realize she was late for practice, “Oh I got to go,” she gave him a peck on his forehead running to the gym doors hopping and skipping. Zack in a euphoric daze legs wobbling about to collapse, but two firm hands held him up, Paula his guardian.

 

“Zackary, my baby, you did great, I am so proud of you,” she brushing his hair with her hand straighten his clothes, “you have change her course for the better and look like she has open the world for you.” 

 

Zack Gathering his things off the floor expressing to him self his concern about having a girlfriend ‘Ok I can do the holding hands…and the kissing thing, well I can get use to that…but I do not about the “Maybes.” 

 

Paula padding top of his head whisper in his ear, “Oh Zack you don’t have to worry about that till later.” Grinning at him with approval look as they walk outside watching the clouds,

 

“I LOVE YOU” called out Paula.

 

Zack heard that thought loud in clear in his mind he turn head to see people walking on sidewalk, viewing forward he saw a flock of bird flying, glancing up he notice a cloud blocking the sun as ray bands shine around it. 

 

“I love you to God,” said Zack strolling home with Paula beside him.

Author's Note

The last chapter, this is a long short story I hope you enjoy reading it please leave your commits