"Judy, Zac and I are going to be up in my room."
Judy looked up from where she was cooking dinner and raised her eyebrows. "Okay." She said slowly.
"Come on." Katie said, grabbing Zac's hand and pulling him up the stairs. Sandra was just coming out of the bathroom as they walked by.
She only raised her eyebrows as Katie dragged Zac into her room. Once the door was closed, Zac pulled off his shoes and jacket.
"What's with her?" He asked.
"Who, Sandra?"
He nodded. "Yeah. She gave me a weird look."
"Oh, ignore her." Katie said, wrinkling her nose. She turned on a few lights. "She's got this boyfriend now, Scott, I think. She's been weird like that for a long time."
"That's strange."
"Yeah I know. He calls and he's really quiet."
"What do you know about him?" Zac asked. He was interested to know what this 'Scott' fellow was like.
"Oh, I've seen him once. He's a real pretty boy. Really quiet, shy, or at least he doesn't talk much. I think he's a year older. I'm not sure." Katie said. "She doesn't really talk about him."
"That's weird." He said, sitting down on the floor, leaning against her bed. He looked around her room. "It's been a long time."
Katie followed his gaze. "Yeah. Nothing's changed." She said.
"I guess." He said, getting up again. He walked over to her bullitin board. "This has changed."
"Really?" She asked, walking over to look at it with him.
"Yeah, that picture didn't use to be there." He pointed out. It was the picture of the two of them in the leaf pile last fall. "Neither was that one." He said, pointing to a picture of them at the fourth of July.
"Oh yeah, I added a few of those."
"Oh. But I don't even remember this board. Is it new?"
"No, I had it down for awhile." She said.
"Down?" he asked, looking at her. "Oh." He said slowly. She took it down because it had me in it... "You took down all your pictures of me?"
"Yeah..." She said slowly.
She noticed the slightly sad expression on his face. "I was sad, Zac."
Zac sighed. "So was I."
"And...looking at your face made me even more sad. So I took down all the pictures of us for awhile. Just until I was over it."
"You're over it?" He frowned. "You're over us?"
"No, that's not what I said." She said.
"Well....what did you mean?" He asked.
"I meant that.....I tried. I tried to get over 'us', but it just didn't work." She took a breath and continued. "I thought you hated me, and that made me even more sad. I thought we wouldn't even speak again."
Zac was silent. "I guess I was just scared too...I thought we weren't ever going to talk again too." He looked down at his feet.
Katie took his hands in hers and looked at him. "Zac, I'm not over us. That's not what I meant. I didn't mean to hurt you." She said.
"I didn't mean to hurt you either." He said. She knew he was talking about the whole rumor incident.
"I know....now." She said, smiling.
Zac sighed and leaned forward, touching his forhead to hers. "I swear I didn't do it Katie. I swear."
"I believe you now. But you have to understand, I was scared, so I panicked. I didn't mean to mess anything up." She said. She felt her lip start to quiver.
"You didn't mess anything up." He said quickly. "I'm here and you're here, and that's all we need."
Katie smiled and wiped her tearing eyes. "I guess."
"But you have to believe me when I say that it wasn't me who started the rumors. I would have never done anything like that; you meant to much to me. I couldn't have done it. I loved you too much." He said.
Katie looked up at him, and it was at that moment while looking deep into his soft brown eyes, that she truly knew he was telling the truth.
Suddenly the door flew open and Madison poked her head in. "Dinner's ready!" She shouted.
"Okay!" Katie shouted back with a giggle.
"Stay for dinner." She said, grabbing Zac's hand and pulling him out of the room.
"I guess I could." Zac said.
"Yeah, Zac, stay for dinner!" Madison said, grabbing his other hand.
"Okay." He said. "Did you help make it?"
"Yes." Madison said proudly.
"Then I'd better be carefull. You might have put frog guts in it or something."
"No I didn't!" She screeched with delight."
"I'm still gonna be carefull." He said as Madison dragged him out of the room.
They made their way to the kitchen, where Judy was putting a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table.
"Hey Zac." She said.
"Hey."
"Staying for dinner?" She asked.
"Um, yeah, if that's okay." he said.
"That's great. Now you guys can help set the table." She said, handing him a huge stack of plates.
"Kay." He said, watching as Katie grabbed some silverware.
"Oh and Zac?" SHe said, before he walked away.
"yeah?" He asked, turning back towards her, being carefull of the plates.
"Good to have you back."
Zac smiled. "Good to be back. His eyes caught Katie's and they both grinned. Yes, it was indeed, good to be back.