Falling Short

Zack and Becca had been dating almost as long as Derick and Kelly.  Their names were like Branjelina among their friends - Zecca and Delly.  The girls were never seen without the guys and vice versa.  That's the way it had always been, through high school and college.  That was the way it was probably always going to stay.

For Delly at least.

After sophomore year at the same big state school... Zecca had started falling through the cracks.  He never noticed before now.  Zack got real busy with football and keeping the coach happy with his C+ average, and Becca got real busy with her pre-med courses so she could get into the best nursing school in the region.  It just made sense that of course they were going to see each other a lot less.  Late nights making out in the back of his car had turned into quick dinners and kisses before they had to part.  Then those turned into kissy faces on text messages and over chat rooms.  Now, as Zack counted off in his head, he realized.  Not a text, or a call, or any kind of contact from Becca in three days.  In an hour it would be four.  He was at the gym jogging on the treadmill and his phone had vibrated in his pocket.  He'd pulled it out automatically expecting Becca's name... But instead it had been his brother.

That moment, even though it had happened a thousand times before this, made him stop like a brick had just been dropped on his head.  Becca wasn't texting him.  She wasn't calling him, or instant messaging him.  She wasn't even commenting or liking his stuff on facebook.  And she hadn't tweeted him in forever.  What hit him even harder was when he realized he wasn't doing any of that back to her.  When was the last time he asked her on a date instead of just picking up takeout for her and leaving it on the kitchen counter where she could get it later?  When was the last time they'd posted a couple picture for their relatives to ogle at and their single friends to seethe over?  He couldn't remember.  She probably couldn't either.

God, he sounded like the girl in the relationship here!

Zack quickly stuffed his phone into his gym bag and took off the sports jersey he exercised in.  Tossed it into the bag too, then grabbed a towel and went to shower.  His head always went clear in there.  He could run a hundred football plays perfectly in under a minute sometimes.  And he needed to, too.  Practicing in the park wasn't enough.  Open recruitment for the state team was coming up in a month.  This was his shot.  The flu in his senior year of college had ruined it for him once.  Zack wasn't going to let anything get between him and the pros this time.