Four

"David! Why did you- ah! I can't do this. I can't! David, please," Kathryn said, knees almost bending down as she pleaded with David.

Plead not to meet up with Zachary.

David's eyes were still on the side, purposely avoiding Kathryn's as he still felt sorry for what he just dealt with Zachary. With a drunk, childish Zachary.

"David!." Kathryn almost wailed.

Ah, that pout again. The powerful pout not anyone, even the baddest human on the planet, could resist.

Chad was taking a sip from his coffee, seemingly oblivious to what was happening with the two youngest in their circle a few feet away from him. David gave Chad a silent stink face at that. How could he be so calm? This fucker!

"Would you please stop looking at me like that? It's giving me the creeps," Chad said after a shudder.

"You! Why don't YOU talk to Zachary instead?" David suddenly suggested. Well, not a bad idea. Since Zachary had known Chad since freshman in high school, David thought they had somehow created more good memories together.

"Hell no. That guy only lives for two things. One, obsessing over Kathryn. Two, throwing punches at anyone. Even his friends!" Chad tried to reason out.

"Then just try to avoid the punches while you two talk!" David tried again.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Not gonna work. Stop it, Dav. Don't concern yourself too much about it. It got nothing to do with you anyway."

Kathryn and David gasped. Both didn't expect to hear such insensitive words from Chad. Everyone knew while David was the ever-concern friend, Chad was the most blunt-speaking man, but Kathryn and David didn't expect him to be this insensitive. David clenched his fists and angrily stomped his feet out of the cafe.

"D-David, wait! - Ah, Chad, how could you? You shouldn't have said that to David!" Kathryn said, a bit panicking as she looked from David's retreating form to Chad who still looked so prideful.

"Let him be. What I said was only the truth," Chad focused on the cake on the table.

Kathryn puffed her cheeks out and got up, heading straight to where David had gone.

"David, wait!"

Zachary felt the familiar constriction of his heart. His eyes were directly meeting Kathryn's, but unlike the Kathryn he kissed breathlessly back in the hallway, this Kathryn wasn't wavering. This Kathryn had all her guards up.

Zachary slouched at the cafe sofa, legs crossed. Kathryn, on the other hand, was sitting properly - or oh so neatly - to her seat, eyes directly meeting Zachary's..... for at least one minute.

Kathryn cleared her throat and looked away. Neither was trying to have the first heavy word of hello, both knowing that it would be too heavy to pick up and carry it inside their pockets later on. Later on when they have to separate ways once again.

Zachary could do it though. He could watch Kathryn all day like this. Wavering or not, Kathryn is Kathryn. This is still his Kathryn.

"Z-Zack..." The bravery. Zachary wondered how many fingers Kathryn dug inside her palm to gather her strength with this mere action.

Unlike her though, Zachary had already lost count to it. The digging of the palms, the fisting, the punching of the walls―everything was slowly turning back to how he used to act when Kathryn hadn't entered his life yet.

"What is it, Kath?" Zachary couldn't help but smirk when Kathryn flinched upon hearing her nickname. She might have hidden it away quickly, but Zachary didn't fail to notice.

Kathryn flinched. And when she did, it only meant one thing: Zachary still had a big effect on her.

"I-I'm here t-to p-properly-"

"Quit the act, Kathryn. You stutter too much when you're too nervous and anxious or when you're uncomfortable. Am I, Am I making you uncomfortable?" Zachary stared at Kathryn, pain evident to his own face. There was a sudden twinge inside his heart as he realized what was happening. Zachary thought he had already numbed the pain with strong liquors the previous night.

For a split second, Zachary thought Kathryn's shoulders looked like they were carrying all the burdens of the world. She didn't need to be pitied though. She was a cheater. A liar. She betrayed Zachary. Kathryn and Chad betrayed Zachary. They don't deserve any sympathy from anyone, most especially from Zachary...

"Tell me why then. Why, Kathryn? Why? What did I do to make you do that?" Zachary felt his heart was about to burst. He was trying to control his feelings but they all seemed to have betrayed them too. They all screamed the same thing, the same word, the same name. Kathryn.

"What did I do, Kath? What did I do? Answer me!"

Kathryn looked away, avoiding Zachary's gaze. It irked Zachary too much. He slammed his palms on the table, cornering Kathryn.

"Dammit Kathryn, look at me and answer my damn question!!"

Kathryn anxiously looked at the people around them and bowed her head repeatedly, probably apologizing for Zachary's behavior. She then turned to look at Zachary, confusion written in her eyes. Zachary scoffed, how dare Kathryn be confused? Zachary should be the one feeling it!

Like she's had enough, Kathryn stood up, turning to leave. Zachary quickly followed and grabbed Kathryn's wrist.

"Don't go." Zachary's voice was stern, in contrast to his suddenly turning more than ever fragile heart. He could hear it cracking, silently shattering into pieces as he watched Kathryn's unreadable face stare back at him. When did his sweet Kathryn become this cold?

Kathryn glanced at Zachary's hand around her wrist, then coldly, harshly, pulled Zachary's hand off of her. She turned around and seemingly stopped for a second, before finally heading out of the cafe.

Not long after, Zachary found himself being dragged by two familiar pairs of hands out of the cafe. The looks on David and Earl's faces showed it all. They had witnessed what happened and they felt sorry for Zachary.

"You'll be alright," one of them tried to comfort.

Zachary could only give out a bitter smile. 

How he wished.