Monday evening, Katie was bored, so she decided to give Zac a call. She picked up her phone and sat down on her bed to call him.
"Hello?" Diana picked up.
"Hi Diana. THis is Katie. Is Zac home?"
She heard Diana sigh. "He's home, but I'm not allowing him much phone time." She said. "I'll let him explain."
"Oh, okay." Katie frowned. What had Zac done this time?
She heard Diana hand Zac the phone and tell him five minutes. Zac mumbled then put the phone up to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hi." Katie said.
"Oh...hey." He replied glumly.
"What's wrong?" Katie asked.
"I got in trouble." Zac grumbled.
"Zac...."
"It's not big deal." He said.
"Well what did you do?"
"I got into a fight." Zac said.
"Zac! I can't believe you. Why?" Katie asked. This was the third fight he's been in since the beggining of the school year.
Zac sighed. "I don't know." He said. "I feel really bad about it too. I didn't mean too."
Katie sympathsized for Zac. He was extrememly kind-hearted, but sometimes he just let his hot temper get the best of him. She knew it didn't take much to tip Zac off if he was near the edge in the first place.
"Well...where was it at?"
"It happened at the arcade." He muttered.
"Oh."
"Me and James and Chris were there, and then this guy named Nick that Chris knew just came up and started picking on me."
"So you just hit him?" Katie couldnt' believe that.
"Well no...we went back and forth for a few minutes, and then he told me that I only acted tough, and then he swung at me."
"Zac!"
"Well Katie, I wasnt' just going to let the guy hit me. It was self defense." Zac argued.
"Still."
"You would have done the same for me."
"But you get into fights all the time. You need to control your temper." Katie pointed out.
"I know...it's really hard sometimes though. I didnt' even know the guy."
"Oh. I wonder why he started picking on you."
"I have no idea. That's the part that baffles me." Zac said.
"Well what do you know about him?"
"I just know that he goes to our school. i didnt' even get his last name or his grade. He said he knew you."
"He does?" Katie racked her brain for a Nick, but none came to mind.
"Well, we just talked for a few minutes, then he started getting really strange, and then the next thing I know, he swung at me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It didn't hurt. I came right back." Zac said.
"Did it leave a mark?"
"Hell yeah." Zac said, rubbing his jaw. "You can't see it. My hair hides it."
"Well let's be thankful for that." Katie said sarcastically.
"Katie, i said I was sorry."
"I know, I know. Does your dad know about it?
"Yeah. He didn't say much about it though." Zac said.
"So what happened after that?"
"Well, I'm not quite sure, but I only threw one punch, and so did he. I wouldn't have hit him twice." Zac said truthfully.
"But what if he had hit you?"
"Then I would have hit him." He said. "So anyways, you don't know him? He said something about you. I don't remember what. I was too pissed."
"No, I don't know him."
"Good. You don't want to." Zac said.
"So what did your parents say?" Katie asked.
Zac heaved a sigh. "They just said that they were very dissappointed in me and that I should learn to not act so childish and control my temper." He said.
Katie was silent for a moment, and Zac could tell what she was about to say. "You know, they are right." She said quietly.
"I know."
"I know that you know."
"Just....it's easier said than done." He said.
"I can understand." Katie said. "Just be carefull."
"I will." Zac said. Katie could hear Diana talking in the backround, but she couldn't tell what she was saying.
Zac sighed. "I have to go." he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay." Katie said.
"Bye."
"Bye."
Katie hung up the phone and shook her head. How could Zac get into a fight with someone he didn't even know? She didn't know what got into him sometimes.