The Unofficial Zack Warren Fan Club

by J. C. Isabella

  She nodded. “He’s trying to get under your skin, just like Carlos does to me. He likes it when I get mad at him. Half the time I forget that I’m pissed and we end up making out.”

  I never thought arguing could be a turn on with a guy. But now that Stella brought it up, I guess all that adrenaline and excitement had to go somewhere.

  It was kind of exhilarating to yell at Zack.

  I couldn’t kiss him.

  I didn’t want to.

  But even if I did, I couldn’t kiss my stepbrother.

  Chapter 14

  By the time we were cleaned up and Stella was her normal color, Carlos had come back to see what was taking so long. We found him and Zack in the living room watching the news and talking cars.

  “Hey, we’re ready.” I announced. Carlos shot off the couch, jaw on the floor.

  “Stella, you’re not orange!” it was possible I’d just made him the happiest boyfriend on the planet.

  She skipped across the room and twirled. “Thanks to Chloe.”

  He sent me one of those knee-knocking grins that were very good at melting anyone with female parts. “You rock.”

  I blushed. “Oh, it wasn’t brain surgery.”

  “No, definitely not that.” Zack laughed.

  On our way out to Carlos’s jeep, Zack was kind enough to explain how I got the fake tan off, and the way he described it made Stella and I roll our eyes.

  So Carlos lived in the swamp. His dad had a big property that backed up to a canal, which led right into the everglades. There was a fence up around the whole place…to deter the alligators.

  Nothing says good morning like going to get your paper and finding a gator.

  Zack jumped out of the jeep, which was missing doors and a roof—it was the safari edition, complete with snorkel—and pulled open the gate. We drove up to the house. It was big, brown and ugly. It blended in so well with the swampy surroundings, it looked like it’d been there forever.

  The car stopped at the back of the house next to another mean looking jeep. This one with a giant spotlight attached to the top bars. There was another wide rolling gate leading down to a dock where three people were waiting.

  One of those people had a soggy middle and shaggy brown hair.

  I groaned, wondering if I was doomed to deal with Max for the rest of my week in the swamp.

  Zack looked unfazed, offering me a hand as I was figuring the best way to get out of the backseat. I stared at his outstretched arm for a second, and then jumped down next to him.

  I smiled.

  He scowled and went back to ignoring me.

  I just don’t get him.

  “Something wrong?” Stella asked, blocking me from stomping after him.

  “I have no idea. Zack has been acting so weird. Ignoring me, avoiding me. Then he’s nice to me, like he was never annoyed. And he wants to know where I’m going, like he cares.”

  “Could the problem be that you’re living with your boyfriend?”

  I gasped. “What?”

  “Max, the guy you met last night, was talking about you.”

  “I barely know him!”

  “He’s a nosy weasel.” Her nose wrinkled. “But he said Zack Warren was your boyfriend. I go to your house, and you tell me he’s your stepbrother.”

  “Zack is my stepbrother, has been for less than two weeks.” I explained.

  “Oh.” She whispered, “but is he your boyfriend?”

  “No, way.” I crossed my arms. “To be honest, we don’t like each other.”

  “Could have fooled me.” She smirked, slipping on a pair of white sunglasses.

  “We fight all the time.” I added.

  “I bet he wants you. Since he can’t have you he’s going to resort to the next best thing.”

  “Which is arguing?” That logic didn’t make any sense to me.

  “Didn’t your mother tell you boys tease the girls they like?”

  “That only applies to children.”

  “All men are babies.”

  “Point taken.”

  We joined the group on the dock and I remembered to text mom and tell her where Zack and I had gone. She didn’t answer, so I figured she and Glenn were still grocery shopping, or back to breaking in their new bed.

  “This is Ben and Lindsey.” Stella introduced me to a lanky red haired boy, and tall girl with curly purplish hair. It wasn’t a normal color, but she pulled it off nicely. I nodded at Max, not wanting to be rude, and then another girl came down to the dock. She was perky preppy, with a sporty tan to match her platinum locks. How she pulled off a full face of makeup in this heat was beyond me.

  Stella lowered her voice. “That’s Regina Johnson. She’s Ben’s twin sister.”

  “I don’t see the resemblance.” Ben was average, even a little geeky, and Regina, she was Hollywood.

  I glanced over at Zack and wanted to hurl. He was looking at Regina. I wasn’t sure if he was appreciating the view, or checking out the new member of the party. She was just his type though. Zack was better off with someone like her. An ego booster who’d dress cutesy, cheer him on and not have an opinion.

  The second Regina spotted Zack all bets were off.

  I was looking at a new couple in the making.

  “Hey, I’m Regina.” Lord, she even purred when she spoke.

  Zack put on his charming grin and cocked his head to one side. “Zack Warren.”

  She bubbled with laughter and flipped her hair, something I’d never been able to pull off. “It’s nice to meet you. I hear you’re new, so if you’d like I could show you around.”

  “She doesn’t waste time.” I muttered.

  “Why doesn’t she just strip and pull him into the bushes?” Beside me Stella pursed her lips, disgusted. “She’s not even a real blonde. Last year she bleached her hair and her IQ dropped thirty points.”

  “Maybe the fumes killed her brain cells.” I laughed. Zack flicked his gaze toward me. His grin widened, and he went back to talking with the bubblehead slut.

  Stella frowned. “Someone says boat and they come out of the woodwork. It was just supposed to be you and Zack, and Ben and Lindsey.”

  “Max and Regina must be frequent party crashers.”

  “Yeah, it’s annoying as hell, and even more so today because you brought fresh meat with you.”

  “Meat?” I was thinking about feeding alligators.

  “Zack.”

  Well, no matter how much he irritated me I couldn’t feed him to a reptile. “I find it hard to think of him as meat. He’s just a person.”

  “Regina’s got claws, and fangs. If Zack lacks any backbone, you can kiss him goodbye. He’s as good as hers.”

  Now why was that so upsetting to hear?

  But then I decided not to worry, because Stella didn’t know Zack. His assertive attitude would probably be a turnoff for Regina.

  I could only, secretly, hope.

  By the time everyone had been introduced, Carlos was ready for us to get in the boat. It was long and silvery, with three wide bench seats and a giant fan on the back. I allowed Zack to help me in and sat up front, sliding to the far left to make room for Stella. She had other ideas and went to the back of the boat, sitting next to where Carlos was probably going to be driving, or navigating.

  I wasn’t sure if you actually drove a boat…maybe it was motored.

  Then, much to my dismay, Max took the seat next to me. I ignored him. Regina took the seat behind us, and yanked Zack down next to her.

  Carlos started the boat. It was loud. The loudest engine I’d ever been around. We took off down the canal, slow at first. Our speed increased until I squinted at the hot air assaulting my eyes. Dazed by the sensation of flying on water, I decided this had to be, by far, the best boat ride I’d ever been on.

  Not much later the boat slowed. I was able to take out my camera, and the engines cut as we reached what looked to be a grassy field that hadn’t been mowed in forever. I was afraid we’d get stuck.
The boat drifted closer, nosing into the grass. I gripped the edge of my seat, bracing for impact.

  We never hit.

  I leaned over the side. The grass grew out of the water. We were still floating. I couldn’t make out a bottom, so the grass had to be pretty tall. As I looked closer I saw something slither through the thick green blades. I zoomed in to get a closer look with the camera and almost jumped.

  “That’s Joe.” Max leaned over to see too. “He’s a regular. At least six feet long.”

  I gulped, holding my camera with a death grip. Joe and I were too close for comfort. I would have preferred a barrier between a massive alligator and me. “You named him?”

  “Yeah, after the dog he ate.” Max slid closer, his chest pressing against my back.

  “Dog?” No way was I letting Kirk anywhere near this place.

  I stuck my hand out to steady myself against he bars. Max was too pushy, and I felt like I was going to end up in the drink. The boat started up again. He slid back to his side. I gripped the edge of my seat, storing my camera back in my bag, and faced strait ahead. Max, being the attentive type, draped his arm behind me, in what I presumed was meant to be a comforting gesture.

  This was going to be a long and painful day.

  Chapter 15

  Zack still pretended to ignore me for reasons I couldn’t fathom, and Regina did her best to keep him distracted. She might as well have his name tattooed on her ass. The only reprieve I had from her spastic laugh was when the boat drowned her out. Then Carlos would stop so we could look at something scaly or swampy. I’d snap a few pictures, Max would scoot too close, and Regina would be chattering Zack’s ear off about everything from her super driving skills, or relationship status, which was single. She planned on staying that way.

  Yeah, right.

  I was tempted to stage a biblical reenactment and walk on water to get away from the insanity.

  By late afternoon Carlos tied up to a dock that protruded from a flat grassy area in a narrow part of the canal. I stared around numbly, wanting to go home.

  The swamp seemed different…less swampy. It had more of a tropical forest feel. Walking up the rickety planks reminded me of the swinging rope bridges on a playground, and we came to yet another fence.

  More fences, too keep out unwanted gators I imagined.

  At least we weren’t at risk of being eaten.

  “Where are we?” I asked Stella, after I practically ran off the boat and up the dock to get away from Max, and Regina’s cackling laughter. She sounded like a hyena.

  “A park and camping ground. It’s mostly for tourists. Carlos’s family owns a few acres of land out here. They take groups to experience the everglades in a controlled environment.”

  “This doesn’t seem very controlled to me.” I eyed a tree and bushes, palms scattered around us teeming with life. From bugs and butterflies, to birds and squirrels.

  “Nothing is one hundred percent safe. Just don’t go wandering off alone.”

  “No problem.”

  And it really was a park. It had restrooms and a playground, picnic tables and hookups for RV’s, if guests were so inclined to drive in. Carlos’s family was definitely in the tourist business.

  “So why did we stop?”

  Stella walked with me to the bathrooms housed in a nondescript, blocked building with two steel doors. Everyone else was digging around in a cooler Zack had volunteered to carry off the boat.

  “I need to pee.”

  “Carlos is a very understanding boyfriend.” I said. “You are the strangest couple I’ve ever met. Like you’ve been together forever.”

  “Three years is a long time.” She agreed.

  “How did you meet?”

  “Well, I’d seen him around, but a few summers ago my aunt was visiting and she wanted to go on an airboat ride. Carlos was on the boat with his dad…and he saved my life.” She blushed deep red, lowering her voice. “I fell overboard, trying to get a better look at a flower growing out of the marsh.”

  “Oh my god!” I stopped to face her. “What happened?”

  “The reason we stopped was to see Joe. But I thought they were talking about a person.”

  “Gator Joe?”

  “Yeah, I landed right next to him, and I’m not sure what happened after that. It was so fast. My aunt said Joe came toward me and Carlos jumped off the boat feet first, right onto Joe’s head.” She pressed her hands to her pink cheeks, as if she still couldn’t believe it. “He jumped onto an alligator for me. I was in love. Bam! Just like that. We’ve been inseparable ever since.”

  “That is amazing. What did Joe do?”

  “Nothing. We don’t know how, but Joe was in a daze long enough for us to get into the boat.”

  “Wow, he must really love you.”

  “Yep.”

  “Then how do you know you love him?” saving someone from an alligator was great, but hardly a reason to declare feelings so strong.

  “Carlos doesn’t pressure me. I can be myself.” She sighed, swinging her arms back and forth. “The rest is hard to put into words. I just feel it, deep down, instinctively.”

  We paused the conversation to use the facilities.

  Stella went on as if she never stopped talking, “Carlos would never ask me to do anything I didn’t want to. He respects me, like with sex. We won’t have sex until I say I’m ready.”

  “Is he ready?”

  “Sure, and that’s how I know he loves me. He is willing to wait. If I was ready for it, and he wasn’t, I’d wait for him.” She beamed. “It goes both ways with everything.”

  To have such a trusting relationship really surprised me. I’m sure they had their problems, but they also had more going for them than most adults I knew.

  On our way back to the picnic area I saw Zack talking to Carlos. They readied a grill to light it. Regina was on her phone huddling in a small shady spot. They weren’t attached at the hip yet. Maybe that was a good sign.

  “Are we eating?” I asked.

  “Yep, lunch time.” Stella said, winking at Carlos.

  “You’re very prepared.”

  “I have to be. Don’t know where Carlos puts it all. That boy can pack it in. He’s my Cuban bottomless pit.”

  “What about when he gets old and his metabolism catches up?”

  “His father is the same way, and he’s not fat. But I can always threaten to withhold sex if he doesn’t go on a diet. He’ll cave.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You think you’re going to be together that long?”

  “Yes. Carlos is it. I know it, and he does too. We’re going to make beautiful Cuban-American babies one day.”

  “Wow.” Triple wow. Stella and Carlos weren’t the norm. I could tell she knew that, and seemed content with it. More power to her.

  My phone rang. Stella went to help Carlos, while I walked back the way we came to have some privacy. It was Lana. I didn’t want to ignore her. She was my friend. I had to give her a chance to fix the problem she’d created by taking the club to college with her.

  “Hey, still mad at me?” she asked, right down to business.

  “I wasn’t totally mad.” I said, finding a shady spot under a tree. I doubted if anyone could see me, the trees were really dense here. “More irritated.”

  “Why?”

  “You know why. I think the club is wrong. Can’t you make the club for the whole baseball team, instead of just the pitcher?” then the school could know about the club and it wouldn’t be a secret. Such a big secret was half the fun. I get it. Outing the club would go over like the Hindenburg.

  “Then it wouldn’t be the Unofficial Zack Warren Fan Club.”

  “I have enough problems trying to live with Zack. Worrying he’ll find out is driving me nuts.” I argued, wondering if I was being selfish. Nope. I had my rights.

  “I won’t promise anything…but I’ll think about it.”

  “Thank you, Lana.” I’d give her a few days to think before bringing
it up again to make sure she wasn’t putting me off, hoping I’d just leave her alone.

  “So I was thinking we should hang out. It is spring break.”

  “Sure, the only problem is, I don’t have a ride unless Zack goes back to Naples. He’s the one with the car.” The situation also makes me a prisoner, falling for my captor.

  “That’s fine, I’ll come to you.” She paused. “I’m on a trip with my family. It’s so last minute. How about I call you later when I figure out some sort of schedule?”

  “Great, text me.” I said bye and pushed to my feet, brushing the back of my shorts to make sure there wasn’t any dirt. Hopefully Lana would keep her word and change the fan club to include multiple guys.

  I stepped around the tree to head back for the group and almost slammed into Max.

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping.” He said.

  “Okay.” I stepped back to get some space.

  “I heard you don’t have a car.” He ran his hand through his matted hair, wiped the sweat glistening his palm on his shorts.

  Yuck. “So?”

  “So, I’m sorry. I misunderstood. See, I thought Zack was your boyfriend. Now I know he’s just your stepbrother, the offer still stands.”