Mini Stories and One Shots

Gallagher Girls Fanfiction: Zach's POV. ("I went crazy.")

Cammie was gone.

As soon as Agent Abigail started to break the news, Cam was out of there and running down the halls. I watched her; I watched the way her brown hair blew behind her as she ran down the stairs and disappeared through a door. When will she stop running, I asked myself as I followed after her, knowing exactly where she’d be.

When she walked onto the centre of the mats and looked up at the skylights, I let her know I was right there. I always was. “You’re making a bad habit of this,” I informed her, easing closer, hands in pockets.

She never turned to look at me when she said, “You should be with him.”

I took another step closer, studying her – Gallagher Girl. “I’m right where I need to be.”

I noticed the way her bottom lip trembled for a second but she didn’t cry. She never did. “Did Abby...”

“She’s telling them now.”

And then she asked one thing I did not expect her to ask. “Is Joe your father, Zach?”

I blew out a breath of air at the question and shrugged. “No.” I shook my head at her and looked down. “I never knew my dad. I don’t know anything about him,” I said simply. I didn’t care. How can someone miss something they never had?

She looked at my guiltily and I saw something flash in her eyes; something I didn’t ponder for once. I knew exactly what just flashed in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

I smiled; a small one, but a smile nonetheless. “I’m not. I have Joe.”

“I’m glad he’s awake,” she said and then gulped. “I’m glad he’s...back.”

I stepped closer, wanting to touch her, to reassure her. “Gallagher Girl...”

“My dad’s not coming back.” She said this as if it was unbelievable that it was true, as if no one knew. My mother did this.

 I stepped closer. “I know,” was all I could say.

“My dad’s not missing, Zach. He’s dead.”

I looked at my Gallagher Girl and tried not to let the sadness I felt inside show on my face. My mother did this.

“I know,” I said again.

“They killed him!”

She did this.

I stepped closer until we were almost touching – almost. “You’re alive, Cammie,” I felt the need to point out.

“Mr Solomon is alive,” she told me.

I grabbed her arms and squeezed them. “You’re alive.” The sooner she realised this, the better.

“My dad...”

“You’re alive,” I said again, pulling her closer and watching as she broke down; an empty facade crumbling. I didn’t pull away when her tears started staining my shirt and I didn’t budge when she fell asleep.

I made sure she was in my arms when she woke up.

I smoothed her hair and held her tighter as we embraced on the mats. “Go back to sleep,” I said soothingly.

“Zach,” she said softly. “Where did you go when you were looking for me?”

And for once, I actually told the truth.

“Crazy.” I breathed out. “I went crazy.”