"Are you sure it's not too much?" Elizabeth Jensen and Zach Dempsey stood in the hallway, staring at the banner hanging that said 'Happy Birthday Alex!'. Alex hadn't told them, but they knew anyways.

"Are you sure you shouldn't go to court today to support your brother?" Zach lifted an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"He told me not to come." Elizabeth shook her head. She noticed Jessica and Alex walking towards them. Elizabeth looked up at Zach and smiled.

"Wait, is it your birthday?" Zach laughed as he patted Alex on the back.

Alex turned the corner, and a look of confusion spread across his face. "You guys got a banner made?" He looked embarrassed.

"It was a group effort." Jessica shrugged. "I made the design, Clay ordered it online, and Zach and Elizabeth put it up."

"Well, it was mostly Zach who put it up." Elizabeth chuckled as Zach wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I just watched."

"Wow. That's- uh-" Alex looked over at his friends and smiled. "That's really nice, you guys."

"Awww." Elizabeth Jensen froze as Bryce Walker placed his hand on Alex's shoulder. "Happy birthday, buddy."

"Sweet banner." Scott Reed chuckled as he looked up at the banner hanging in the hallway. "Is your mom bringing cupcakes later?" Elizabeth stepped closer to Zach, almost standing behind him.

"I hope she brings enough for the whole class." Bryce smiled as he leaned against Alex.

"Maybe you'll get a new cane this year, too." Scott spoke before him and Bryce slapped Alex's shoulders.

"And some new friends." Bryce added as him and Scott began to walk away.

"Fuck you, you fucking rapist!" Alex shouted as he watched the two leave. Bryce stopped in the hallway. After a couple seconds, he continued, taking Scott with him.

Zach turned to Alex. "Dude, shit like that doesn't do anybody any good."

"Yeah?" Alex scoffed as his eyes were still locked on Bryce. "Well, it felt good to me." Alex finally turned to Zach. "Maybe if you stopped defending him all the time."

"When have I ever defended him?" Zach responded, moving closer to Alex.

"Every day." Alex shook his head. "Every day that you hang around him and play baseball with him you choose his side." Alex turned to Jessica and Elizabeth who had huddled together. "Tell him."

"Why would you do that?" Jessica questioned him, almost in tears. Elizabeth grabbed onto her hand, trying to comfort her.

"Shit. I'm so sorry." Alex's face softened as he finally realized he did something wrong. Jessica stared at the ground. "Jess." Alex sighed as he started to walk closer to her.

"Don't." She responded, taking off.

*

"So, Justin really came to the school in the middle of the day to confront me about having feelings for you?" Zach chuckled as him and Elizabeth sat in the library studying history during their free period. "That's a lot of effort."

Elizabeth nodded, looking up from her book. "He said that he knows that you can't be close with a girl without having feelings for her." She shrugged. "I keep telling him that we're just friends."

"Yeah." Zach sighed, looking down at his books. "So, how is having him living at your house now?"

"I don't really know." Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows. "It's kind of weird, I guess."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"But, I'm not going to get back together with him if that's what you're asking."

"Good. Good."

The two were silent for a second before Zach spoke again. "So, does that mean that you're completely over him, or..."

"No." Elizabeth shook her head. "It just means that I don't think being with him is a healthy thing for me right now. I don't trust him anymore."

"That makes sense."

Zach kept on looking as if he were about to say something very important to Elizabeth. "Is everything, okay?"

Zach's eyes snapped back up at Elizabeth as he nodded frantically. "Uh, yeah." He smiled. "Everything is great."

"You just look like you're about to tell me your biggest secret or something." Elizabeth chuckled as she set her pencil down on the table. "But, I probably know your deepest, darkest secret, right?"

"No." Zach blurted out without even realizing.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she giggled. "Then what is it, huh? Enlighten me, Zachy."

"No, I can't."

"Come on, Zach, tell me."

"I shouldn't."

"Zach you can tell me anything."

Zach let out a sigh as he nodded. "I'm in love with you."

Elizabeth let out a laugh, but Zach's face stayed completely serious. She realized this was not a joke. "Shit, you mean that." Zach scoffed as he stood up. "No, Zach don't go. You just surprised me."

"It was pretty obvious, 'Liza. Everyone knew except for you." And with that, Zach left Elizabeth alone at the table.

*

"Thanks for staying home with me tonight." Justin smiled as he sat on Elizabeth's bed. Elizabeth had been invited to Alex's party, but someone had to stay home with Justin because she knew Clay wanted to go.

"Of course." She returned the smile, organizing her newly clean clothes into her dresser.

"You're amazing."

"What?" Elizabeth turned to him.

"You're amazing." Justin repeated. He looked at her with so much admiration and love that her heart melted. He loved her more than anything, and she knew that. She just wasn't ready to open her heart to him again, not yet.

"I'm really not." Elizabeth responded, running a hand through her hair. "I mean, I didn't even help Alex in the hallway today with Bryce."

"Everyone had the same reaction, even Zach, or at least that's what you said." When Justin mentioned Zach's name, Elizabeth frowned. "What, Lisa?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, looking up at him. "You look weird. What happened?"

"I don't know if I should-"

"Tell me."

"You sure?" Justin nodded in response to Elizabeth. Justin almost didn't want Elizabeth to tell him what happened, but he also knew that he needed to support her.

"Zach told me he was in love with me today." Elizabeth looked down at her hands as she spoke. "I didn't really know how to react, so I guess I didn't."

"What did you do then?"

"I laughed because I thought he was joking." Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows out of disappointment of herself.

"Ohhh." Justin chuckled as he took her hands. "I mean, do you like him?"

"I don't really know." Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm just very confused. This is all so sudden."

"Then tell him that."

"It's easier said than done."

"You did it to me plenty of times." Justin laughed as he thought of before they had gotten together.

"Yeah, but I was lying." Elizabeth laughed, as well. "You know that."

"Yeah." Justin nodded softly. "Just tell him the truth. He'll understand. He's always good about that."

"Thanks, Justin." Elizabeth grabbed onto his hand.

The two stared at each other for a minute before both of them slowly leaned in. They were centimeters apart when Elizabeth's bedroom door flew open to reveal Clay. "This is perfect, just perfect."

Elizabeth gasped as she quickly moved away, chasing Clay to his own bedroom. He had locked his door, so she couldn't get in. She stood outside, trying to get him to come out. "Clay, it was nothing!" She shouted to him. "Justin needs your support for the next couple of days. You know that."

After ten minutes, Elizabeth made her way back to her own bedroom. Justin had moved to the guest room and was probably fast asleep. Elizabeth climbed into her own bed, resting her head on the pillow. She quickly fell asleep.

Elizabeth was awoken but a thump and a whimper. She suddenly sat up, frightened. A figure grew next to her and moved to sit on her bed.

"Eliza?"

The voice was too familiar.

"Zach Dempsey, what the hell are you doing in my bedroom in the middle of the night?"

"I couldn't stop thinking about today." Zach nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh yeah." Elizabeth's eyes widened as she nodded. "That."

"Yeah, that." Zach nodded as well. "I meant it. I love you, and I know its sudden, but it's really not." Zach's hand landed on Elizabeth's. "I've been in love with you for the past five months."

"What?" Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows. "You have?"

Zach nodded. "I didn't know what to do. Then, today, and you, and you're beautiful." Zach smiled as their eyes locked on each other's. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met. I know this is a long shot, because you're probably still in love with Justin, and it's bad timing because he just got back, but I just had to tell-"

"Zach."

Zach suddenly stopped rambling as soon as Elizabeth said his name. "It is really sudden, and I'm just kind of confused."

"Yeah, I can give you some time." Zach nodded as he stood up, hitting his head on a light. "Fuck." He cursed under his breath as he moved back to the window. "I'll see you tomorrow." He spoke before climbing out of the window.

Rewritten
Word Count - 1522

An : I don't even know what to write in these authors notes anymore lol

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