cliche as crap | zach herron ?

"my dad? he died."

"oh, when?"

"three years ago."

"may i ask how?"

"uh, he got into a car accident. it's okay though, i'm okay."

"you don't have to be."

"pardon?"

"you don't have to be okay. it's okay to not be okay. it's okay to be sad. it's okay to be unhappy."

"but it isn't, zach, everyone expects me to be this perfect girl, living on her own, my friend's parents always telling louise, 'she's so responsible', but here i am, faking my happiness, barely surviving on my own. but i have to be perfect, because who else is going to be? i have to get perfect grades, perfect behaviour, my health has to be on point." she stated, a few tears escaped her eyes as the words left her lips, "you just don't get it."

"you think i don't get it?"

silence.

"ami, i have to be perfect too. i have to look good. sing good. be good. be polite. be funny. be perfect. the difference between us? it's that you care what people think and i couldn't give two shits."

"i know." she answered.

"i don't think you do so, i'm going to help you realise that."

"why are you doing this?"

"doing what?"

"being nice to me. when all i did was lie.."

"you already asked me that."

"i know, i just don't understand. all i'm going to do is drag you down."

"well, nobody can drag me down."

"don't quote one direction, this is a serious moment!" she said, laughing lightly as she wiped the tears away.

"well, i'm staying. not even the gods above can seperate the two of us."

"zach?"

"hm?"

"shut the fuck up."

"ouch that hurt. what do you have against one direction anyway?"

"nothing, just, nothing."

"what happened to your confidence?"

"ouch. what do you mean?"

"you had these comebacks over text. and you cracked more jokes."

"there's more pressure in person. over text, i can't see your reaction. i can leave if i get too embarrassed... but here? i can't." ami answered.

"you're overthinking it."

"better safe than sorry."

after she said that, nothing was said. the sound of the ac was the only sound that filled the small apartment. they just didn't know what else to say.

all zach wanted to do was pull her into his arms and tell her that everything was going to be alright. that he's staying.

ami couldn't think at all. for the first time ever, her mind was blank. she had nothing to say.

"you wanna watch spongebob?" zach randomly asked, breaking the silence.

"but where would he live if cinderella lives in the pineapple?"

zach laughed, throwing his head back as he did so, "he can stay with patrick until cinderella moves out."

"oh okay." she said as she too laughed, "wait- don't you have to be somewhere tomorrow?"

"nope, let's watch spongebob." he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"i don't have a tv."

"then we'll watch on your laptop."

"okay then."

-

written june 29, 2018
edited october 30, 2018