Chapter 6: The most popular guy in school

Zac woke up without opening his eyes. For a moment he tried to remember where he was. Remembering, he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings, slowly. His eyes passed over the ceiling, the window, the stretch of sunlight that fell on the floor, and finally settled on the girl wrapped losely in his arms.

He was pleased at the chance, once more, to watch her sleep, free of the sad surrender that rested on her when concious.

He subconciously tightened his arms around her, prtectively. She whimpered, as if in reaction.

"Please don't-" she whispered, barely audible.

Zac hesitated for a second before realizing she was still asleep. He was wondering whether he should wake her or not when she inhaled sharply and said, slightly louder, "Please-" with a pleading tone.

"Vienna." Zac said, shaking her a little.

"No!" she screamed, kicking and pushing his arms away.

"Vienna!" he said louder, "Vienna!"

Her eyes snapped open and, realizing it was him, broke into tears and buried her face in his chest.

"It's okay." he whispered, holding her, shaking, in his arms. "It's okay."

~~~~~~~~

"Hey Taylor?"

Taylor looked up from his book.

"Hey Zac?" he answered.

Zac sighed before going on.

"Do you have any secrets?"

"Yes, I have a secret crush on that potato blob thing from the Zoloft commercials." Taylor said, he looked at Zac, "What are you talking about?"

"Do you keep any secrets from Ike and me?"

"No." Taylor shrugged, "We tell the media we're best friends. Best friends don't keep secrets."

"Oh man, that was mushy." came Isaac's groan from the sofa.

Zac peered over the back of the couch.

"I didn't know you were there."

"I'm everywhere." Ike said, in the same monotone.

"Oh." said Zac, "Well, do you have any secrets?"

"Well, I'm not telling you what color my boxers are." Isaac answered, "But I guess not, no real secrets."

"I'll bet they're pink." Taylor put in.

"Why Zac? Do you have secrets?"

"And is it that you and Vienna have a thing? 'Cause we kinda already guessed that."

"No." Zac lied,"I was just wondering." he left the room, jogging up the stairs.

His brothers watched him go then Taylor raised his eyebrows, quizically, at Isaac.

"Oh don't worry." Ike assured him, "I won't tell your wife about the Zoloft blob."

~~~~~~~~

"Hi Vienna."

Vienna looked up from the pavement to the person standing, in the road, before her. She smiled in the polite manner that she would to a passer-by.

"Hi, cameron." she returned, in a forced kind voice, subconciously wrapping her arms tighter around herself.

She kept walking, hoping he would continue on his way and leave her alone.

To her immense displeasure, he about faced as she passed him and walked along at her side.

"Where are you going?" he inquired.

She swallowed a 'none of your damn business' and answered shortly.

"Just walking."

"Oh." he said, "Then you have some free time, don't you."

She cursed herself, inwardly, for not having told him she was hurrying to get somewhere.

"Well I should probably head home.." she started.

"Why don't you come for a cup of coffee with me." he said in his pompous controlling voice. It was not a question.

"Well, I-" Vienna stuttered, weakly, searching for an excuse.

"Vienna." Cameron said, taking her arm. It was all she could do not to flinch back in disgust. "It's freezing out. The coffee shop is only a block away, come warm up before you head home."

She sighed in resignation. 'why am I not stronger, why am I not stronger?..I'll make it quick. Really, really quick.'

When they got there, cameron pushed her off to a table by the window and went to the counter to, with all the authority of a drill sergeant, two cappacinos. Then turned on his heel and shot her what he no doubt thought was a charming smile, though it looked more like he was about to consume her. He came back to the table and sat across from Vienna, staring at her.

"How was your holiday, Vienna?"

She felt sickened by his "caring" tone. When she didn't answer, he reached across the table and covered her hands with his. Vienna shuddered, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I know it must be hard for you since your family was killed." he said, in an obnoxious sweet tone.

She wanted to rip her hands away, slap him across the face, and walk out.

But all she could do was stare at him in disbelief and disgust. And he went on.

"Why don't you come to Mary and Patrick's New Years eve party with me tomorrow."

A wave of something between panic and illness washed over Vienna and she felt victimized and helpless.

"I.." she shook her head, pulling her hands away, "I'm not going to the party."

"Well," Cameron chuckled, "Not without a date, of course."

She was saved from sliping and telling him off by the waitress coming over with their cappacinos.

Cameron waited for the girl to walk away, then said,

"Come on, babe, I'm the most popular guy in school. Think how good you would look if you showed up there with me."

Vienna bit back all the retorts she had for him and tried to remember the polite and polished manners layed deep in her by her Austrian breeding.

"Cameron-"

She was cut off by him leaning across the table and planting his lips over hers.

~~~~~

Zac opened the door of Isaac's Jaguar and hoped out onto the pavement of the supermarket parking lot.

"Okay." said Isaac, coming out the driver side door, "We need milk, cream cheese, poptarts, peanut butter, and that is it. No throwing obscure items in the basket when I'm not looking, like we do with Tay."

"What about garbage bags?"

"And we need garbage bags. That's it."

"Don't worry, it's no fun unless Taylor's here to over react."

Zac glanced around. He had only been here once before and hadn't taken in the other businesses in the strip mall. To the right of the supermarket, there was a bank, and at the left was a coffee house, a dry cleaners, and a liqour store.

As they neared the entrance to the store, Zac casually glanced in the window of the coffee shop and stopped dead at what he saw.

Vienna, his Vienna, was sitting at a table by the window, facing a boy Zac didn't know. He caught sight of them just as the boy moved in and kissed her.

Zac felt something in his chest collapse and was sure it was his heart breaking. All he could do was stand there, watching, in complete shock.

Half way through the entrance, Isaac realized Zac wasn't following anymore and turned to see his brother standing dead still, a few feet behind him, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Zac." Ike said.

Zac snapped to at the sound of his name and looked up at his older brother, standing behind a cloud of tears.

"Something wrong?" asked Isaac.

Zac swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head, numbly following Isaac into the store.

~~~~~~

Vienna gasped as Cameron's lips met hers. She pushed him away in disgust.

"Cameron!" she hissed, fury burning in her eyes.

"Oh, who are you kidding, Vienna?!" he exploded, grabbing her by the arms, "Your aloof little act is cute, but I'm not buying it, so cut the crap."

He tried to kiss her again but she pushed him back and tore her arms from his grip, standing up quickly.

"Stay the hell away from me." she spat, before running out the door.