They reach the corner of her street, the familiar outline of her two-story house visible in the distance. Streetlights cast long shadows across the quiet neighbourhood. "Alright, princess, your chariot awaits," he says with a theatrical bow. "I will walk you right to your front porch like the gentleman I am."
"Why thank you kind sir," Anna says with a sweet playful voice. When they reached her front porch, she kissed him lightly and said softly, "Good night." Zack's heart does a little flip-flop as her soft lips press against his. The brief, chaste kiss feels more intimate than any of their previous encounters, leaving him wanting more. He keeps his hands at his sides, forcing himself not to pull her closer and deepen the kiss into something more heated. "Good night?" he repeats with a smirk, his green eyes sparkling in the porch light. "That's it? After everything we just did, you are sending me off with a 'good night' like we are just study buddies?" His teasing tone masks the genuine affection swirling beneath it. He leans in closer, his breath warm against her cheek. "I am going to spend all of tomorrow's library time imagining you taking that shower," he whispers conspiratorially. "So, make sure you look extra tempting when I see you tomorrow morning."
"I will wear something super sexy, just for you," Anna says quickly and then she goes to the front door. Once inside her house she looks back at Zack through the crack in the door. "I love you," she mouths before shutting the front door. He stands frozen on the porch steps, her whispered "I love you" echoing in his ears even after the door clicks shut. For a long moment, he just stares at the wooden barrier separating them, his heart pounding against his ribs like a drum solo. Then a slow, incredulous smile spreads across his face. She said it. Out loud. Not just in the heat of the moment but standing right there on her front porch. He finally turns and walks back down the driveway with an entirely new spring in his steps. The usual route home feels different somehow– lighter, brighter. His usual path takes him past Mr. Geod's rose bushed and Mrs. Lindre's perpetually barking dog without registering any of it. Inside his own empty house minutes later, he flops onto his bed and stares up at the ceiling fan spinning lazily overhead. The words keep replaying in his head.
The ceiling fan above Zack continues its steady rotation, casting lazy shadows across the posters lining his bedroom walls. But he sees none of it. His gaze is fixed on the blank white space where his mind replays Anna's final words: "I love you." A slow smile spreads across his face, genuine and unrestrained. The three words echo through his mind like a melody he never knew he would hear. He sits up abruptly, running a hand through his messy blond hair as if trying to physically grasp the magnitude of what just happened. "She said it," he murmurs aloud to the empty room, the words tasting sweet on his tongue. "Actually, said it." His phone lies forgotten on the nightstand where he tossed it earlier. Normally he would be scrolling through social media or gaming on his laptopp about now, but tonight all distractions seem trivial compared to the electric thrill coursing through his veins. Getting up from bed, he paces restlessly around the small room.
…
When Anna closed her front door and lean against it, she saw Haley sitting on the couch in front of the tv. Some stupid teenage drama was playing in the background, but Haley seemed more focused on her phone. Haley was wearing a black shirt– with a cut-out sleeve style, exposing part of her shoulders– and black shorts with yellow Poca dot patterns on it. Haley had a smile on her face while looking at her phone, but that smile quickly faded when she looked up and saw Anna. Anna pushed herself off the door and stood straight, then cleared her throat before asking, "Where's mom and dad?" Harper sighed and answered coldly, "Parent's evening at Kyle's school." Anna walked farthing into the living room, "Oh, that was today. Totally forgot," Anna said casually. "Of course you did, too bussing screwing that delinquent I bet," Haley said a little to harshly. "There's food in the microwave." Haley turns back to her phone, typing out a message, clearly done with the conversation. Anna just sighed and went into the kitchen.
The first thing Anna noticed when entering the kitchen was the open cookbook on top of the brown monochromatic and Granite Island. When she approached, she saw the cookbook was open to a roasted chicken receipt. Anna closed the cookbook and placed it in the middle cream-colored cabinet, above the stainless-steel stove and oven. In the corner, besides the spices, was the stainless-steel microwave. Anna opened it, revealing a lovely home cooked meal. Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and corn. Anna closed the microwave door and pressed the buttons to heat up her food. As she waited, she looked out the window to the right, he brown eyes scanning the bright, colourful plants that decorated the windowsill. Her mind wandered to thoughts of Zack and everything they had been through just in this week. Her thoughts are interrupted by the beeping of the microwave.
After eating her dinner in the kitchen and rinsing off her dishes along with the plate Haley must have left in the sink, Anna goes upstairs to her bedroom. As soon as she was inside her room, Anna took her shoes off and sighed relieved at the cold of the wooden floor. She passed a white storage rack, containing boxes and various items and placed her purple backpack on her white desk, standing in front of a large window. Beside the desk, was a tall white shelving unit, standing against the wall, holding neatly arranged storage boxes, books and decorative items. Anna fell onto her soft bed, covered by a soft purple blanket and purple accent pillows. She took a deep breath and looked over at the alarm clock on her bedside table. If she had known her parents wouldn't be here, she might have spend a little bit more time with Zack.