Devious
The next day, Zac found himself actually happy to wake up and go to class. It wasn’t the classes themselves; he still found them tedious and pointless. But he felt a new sense of purpose. He still didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, but he knew he had to try. He had to do something, at least attempt to make something of himself.
Being with Taylor made Zac want to live again like he hadn’t in months. It cast a glow over the world and lifted the weight from Zac’s shoulders.
By the time he’d made it through his morning classes, Zac was surprised to find himself full of even more energy than he had begun the day with. He passed Melissa on his way to the student center, and waved cheerfully to her.
“Hey, Zac,” she called back, pausing in her tracks to fall into step next to him. “If I didn’t know better, I would say you look like you got laid last night.”
“I want to be offended that you think you know better than that.”
Melissa laughed. “Well, I feel like you might have mentioned it if things were progressing with that person you mentioned. And you don’t seem like the sleazy one night stand type, so…”
Zac felt himself blushing and glanced away. He wanted to be honest with Melissa, but he knew that he couldn’t. If he told her even the barest details, she would surely want to know more. Even Melissa, as sweet and quirky as she was, couldn’t possibly understand that Zac was sleeping with his own brother.
“I’m sorry, Zac.” Melissa shook her head. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I shouldn’t pry.”
“No, it’s fine, I just—” Zac sighed. “I’m still not really… I mean, it’s difficult to talk about. But I don’t want anything to bring me down today. Today is a really, really good day.”
“And why is that?” Melissa asked, smirking as though she already knew the answer.
Zac felt his blush deepen. “Well, let’s just say that your suspicion might not have been so far off the mark.”
“I want you to know it’s taking all of my self control not to ask for details right now,” Melissa replied.
“You should know I don’t kiss and tell,” Zac replied teasingly, then took her arm. “Come on, let’s get some lunch.”
Melissa grinned. “Sure, but do you mind if we swing by the campus post office first? I’m waiting for a very important letter.”
“Okay,” Zac replied.
He let Melissa practically drag him into the post office, where she had to stand on her tiptoes to open her box on the top row. He would have offered to help, but it amused him too much to watch, especially when Melissa turned to scowl at him, a fistful of envelopes in her hand.
She riffled through them quickly, pausing on one with a slightly confused expression on her face. “Oh, looks like this one is for you. That’s strange.”
“It is,” Zac replied, taking the envelope from her hand. “Especially considering I don’t have a box here or even live on campus at all.”
“Very, very strange,” Melissa agreed, her expression turning from confusion to amusement.
Zac eyed Melissa as he tore into the envelope, which did in fact bear his name on the front. It made absolutely no sense, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious. When he saw the museum letterhead at the top, his confusion only grew. The name of it sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it… at least, not until he had scanned the page.
“Melly,” Zac said. “What the hell is this?”
Melissa leaned over to look at the page Zac held out in front of him. “Oh, well, it looks like you won some sort of contest. Your art is going to be on exhibit. Very cool.”
“Very cool, yeah,” Zac replied. “Just one problem. I didn’t enter this contest. And since this came to your box, I have to wonder…”
She gave him a sheepish grin. “Okay, so I may have something to do with this. Just a little bit. But your brother helped. It was really all his idea, in fact. He just needed someone on campus to help get copies of your paintings.”
“So you both went behind my back on this.”
“That is technically true,” she said. With a frown, she asked, “You’re not angry, are you? Taylor just—we just—thought this would be a good opportunity for you. And we didn’t think you would do it on your own. You never give yourself enough credit.”
“I feel like I should really be upset about this,” Zac replied.
“But are you?” Melissa asked, looking genuinely concerned.
Zac sighed. He wanted to be. He really did. It was, after all, a betrayal of sorts. They had lied to him, at least by omission, gone behind his back… and for what? For something that was, ultimately, good.
“No,” he finally replied. “I’m not mad. I told you; I don’t want to be in a bad mood today. Not after—well, you know.”
“After your little hookup with this mysterious person you don’t want to tell me about.”
“Yeah. That.” Zac scrunched the letter up and stuffed it in his backpack. “I do have one question, though. How did you and Tay end up working together on this?”
“Well, the thing is, I already knew him. Kind of. I mean, I buy all my makeup at his Sephora, and he taught me everything I know about sculpting my eyebrows. Seriously, he’s got a gift. But umm, anyway, it’s not like he knows any of your other friends. So I guess when he saw that entry form—you must have dropped it out of your backpack or something—he really didn’t know anyone else who could help. And he may have peeked at your phone when you were in the shower to get my number.”
“I didn’t realize you knew him,” Zac replied dumbly.
Melissa shrugged. “It’s not like we’re best friends or anything. God, I wish I had known he was your brother. I mean, think about it. I knew both of you, at least as acquaintances, and had no idea. I don’t know, maybe I felt like helping him with this was somehow making up for the fact that I could have fixed this for both of you so much sooner if I had just known.”
“But you couldn’t have known. I mean, what are the chances?”
“I guess you’re right,” Melissa replied.
“I’m entitled to be once in my life,” Zac shot back, giving her a smirk. “Come on, I’m starving. And also a little disturbed about how devious the two of you are, but I can worry about that after lunch.”
Melissa just laughed, and offered to go find a table while Zac grabbed burritos for the two of them. She was still rattling off her needlessly complicated order as Zac found a spot in line, and he was sure he would fuck it up. He was also sure that Melly would forgive him if he did.
A few minutes later, he found his way the high top table where she had perched herself, and carefully sat their tray on the table’s top.
“There,” he said. “Black bean and extra quac for your highness.”
“Thanks.” Melissa gave him a big grin. “You know, for what it’s worth, I am kinda sorry that we went behind your back. But it was only to try to help you. I hope you get that we really did mean well.”
“I do get that,” Zac replied. “And it is good. It’s just a little overwhelming, too. I mean, I’m studying art history because I never really thought I was good enough to be an artist.”
Melissa gave him a blank stare. “I don’t believe that for a second. You’ve got eyes; you can see what your paintings look like.”
“Okay, well, I mean, they are pretty good. I guess. But I mean—amateur good. It takes something really, really good to actually make a living as an artist. And I know I’m not that good.”
“I’m not going to argue with you,” Melissa replied. “I just don’t think that’s what you really think. I think it’s what you’ve been told—that being an artist isn’t a viable career.”
“Maybe it is,” Zac admitted. And it was—it was exactly what Carly and his parents had repeatedly told him. They still couldn’t stop him from studying art, because the truth was there was nothing else he was good at, but they had been able to coerce him into a degree that would supposedly lead to better career prospects. Zac still had his doubts, but he had never voiced them.
“So,” Melissa said, something of a smirk on his lips. “There’s a big party for the showcase opening. Will you take your new girlfriend as your date?”
“I don’t have—I mean, she’s not… we’re not putting a label on it right now.” Zac was sure that in the larger scheme of things, Taylor would forgive him for calling him a she.
“Well, you should still bring this mystery girl. I’d really like to meet her. You know, threaten to break her legs if she breaks your heart. That sort of thing.”
Zac gave a nervous giggle. “Actually, I was thinking—I mean, since the two of you are responsible and everything, I should take you. And, and Taylor.”
“Aww, that’s really sweet. I’d be honored.” Melissa gave him a grin, quickly followed by a serious look. “But I will meet this special someone of yours eventually. You can’t hide her forever.”
“No, I don’t suppose I can,” Zac replied, laughing just a little at how ridiculous it all was. If only Melissa realized that she already knew Zac’s mysterious girlfriend.
“Well, look at these two lovebirds,” Shaun said, having apparently materialized out of thin air right next to their table.
Zac didn’t even try to fight the urge to roll his eyes.
“So what’s up?” Shaun asked, smiling obliviously at the two of them. “I feel like I haven’t seen you around campus in forever. Not you, Mel. You’re here more than I am.”
“I’ve been keeping to myself a bit this semester, I guess,” Zac mumbled.
“Well, he won’t be in two weeks,” Melissa cut in, a grin on her face that seemed to suggest she knew she was saying too much but couldn’t stop herself. “Zac’s got his first gallery opening then. You should come support him!”
“Hell yeah, wouldn’t miss it,” Shaun replied, clapping Zac on the back so hard that Zac nearly fell out of his chair. “That’s great, dude. Text me the details and I’ll be there. Drew, too.”
Zac nodded. “Yeah, alright. I’ll text you later. I just found out myself, so I don’t really know all the details.”
“Well, just let us know and we’ll be there with fucking bells on.” Shaun actually gave Melissa a wink at that, and Zac admired her self-restraint in not even reacting at all. “But hey, I’ve gotta run. Freshman orientation; fun stuff.”
“Fun stuff,” Zac echoed, his tone just sarcastic enough to earn him a kick in the shin from Melissa. He waited until Shaun was out of earshot before exclaiming, “Oww! What was that for? And what did you have to tell him about the gallery thing for?”
“Why not?” Melissa shrugged. “Don’t you want all of your friends there to support you?”
Zac gave a shrug of his own. “I don’t know; I just don’t like to make a big deal out of myself. I fade into the background; it’s what I’ve always done.”
“Well, maybe it’s time for you to shine,” Melissa replied. “What could it hurt?”
“I don’t know if shining is really my thing,” Zac said. “That’s more Taylor’s territory, really. I think he got all the shiny genes.”
“Oh, I’d say you two are more alike than you know.” Melissa smiled.
Zac snorted. “Well, you may be right about that, at least.”
He could only hope Melissa didn’t figure out just how right she was.