The Rules Of A Gentleman

-:-

Zachary Goode rolled out of his bed as his alarm clock went off. He fell onto the floor and woke up with a startled grunting noise. He heard laughing in the background and sat up to see his girlfriend Cammie clutching her sides, nose scrunched up in a giggling fit.

"Shut up," he grumbled.

She grinned, "Well, good morning to you too!"

He mumbled something unintelligible and stood up, grabbing a dirty t-shirt off of the floor and some old jeans. He slipped them on and went into the kitchen where a fresh cup of coffee was waiting for him. Cammie followed suit.

"So, I thought that maybe we could do something today?" she asked, smiling brightly, "Because it is your day off of work and all."

"Sure, sure," Zach muttered, still trying to wake up as he drank his cup of coffee. Some of it didn't make it into his mouth and dribbled down his chin.

Cammie giggled and wiped it with a napkin.

Zach threw her a half-smile, "You know, someday-,"

He got cut off by Cammie's phone ringing. She gave him an apologetic glance and answered it, "Hello?"

A male's voice sounded through the opposite end and Cammie smiled a bit, "Oh, hey Josh. What's up?"

Zach frowned. He never had liked Cammie's ex-boyfriend, even though he knew that she would never cheat.

Cammie's eyebrows rose, "Oh, okay. I'll be there in… ten minutes? Okay, bye."

Zach sat there in his chair and fumbled with his hands, nostrils flaring as he heard Cammie gathering her stuff to go see Josh.

"Where are you going?" Zach asked her in a somewhat angry voice.

Cammie looked at him, her hands frozen en route to her purse, "I was gonna head over to Josh's. He needs help with some stuff for his work."

Zach glared, "Oh I'm sure he does," he muttered.

Cammie's mouth gaped open, "Excuse me?"

"Look Cammie. I don't care if you want to go over to your ex-boyfriends house and do whatever. I trust you. But this is the sixth time you've gone over there."

"Are you accusing me of cheating?" she asked, still gaping.

"Not necessarily. But I don't trust Jimmy. So maybe we should take a break until whatever it is you two are doing is over," Zach knew he was being harsh and childish and immature, but he couldn't stop himself.

"We should what?" Cammie asked, anger settling into her eyes.

Zach sighed. He couldn't take it back now, "Take a break."

Cammie gathered her things and glared at him, though he could see tears in her eyes,

"You know what? Fine."

"Fine."

And then she stomped out of the house, leaving a very regretful Zachary Goode.

-:-

"You did what?" Macey McHenry's voice sounded over the phone an hour later.

Zach sighed, "I told her that we should take a break. Or something like that."

He ran a hand through his hair. He had been a mess since Cammie left. Even though it had only been an hour ago. He didn't know what to do, so he called the best person for relationship advice: Macey.

Over the other end of the phone he could hear her shuffling through some papers, and the sound of a printer working in the back ground.

Macey sighed, "You screwed up big time, Goode. I'll be over in five."

Zach grimaced, "Fuck."

"Shut up. I'm doing you a favor. I'm helping you out, bro," she mocked in the deepest, manliest voice she could muster.

Zach rolled his eyes, "And what exactly would you be helping me out with?"

From her office, Macey grinned, "I'm going to teach you the rules of being a gentleman."

Zach groaned. Having to spend more time with Macey McHenry was definitely not on his bucket list.

But if it meant getting Cammie back, it was worth it.

Right?

-:-

Zach shuddered out of his daydream as the doorbell rang. Macey.

He threw open the door and Macey marched in, looking like a woman on a mission.

"Alright, Goode. I don't have the time to go through every single itty bitty detail, so I made you a list," she threw some papers onto his couch and went to make herself a cup of coffee.

"Help yourself!" he called sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

She walked back in, putting a hand on her hip, "Anything else I can do for you? Because I kind of have a tight schedule."

"I'm sure you do."

She cocked a hip and started for the door, "Well then, I guess my work here is done."

Zach gathered the papers, "Wait!"

Macey turned around, annoyed, "What now?" she snapped.

"How am I supposed to figure this out?" he waved the papers in the air frantically.

Macey grinned, "That's for me to know.. And for you to figure out. On your own. Now good-bye."

Then she walked out, leaving Zach to look down at the papers, reading off the first rule.

The

No. 1

Rule of A Gentleman

-Kindness goes a long way-

Zach sighed. This was going to be one long list.

-:-

He stood outside Cammie's apartment, holding a daisy. It was her favorite flower, she had said back in senior year.

He tried to think of something nice to say, but he just couldn't. He was nervous. It was a very unnatural thing for him to feel, and he didn't like it. So he decided to wing it.

Well, he kind of had to wing it, because in the next moment Cammie was throwing open the door and leaning against the doorframe, eyes narrowed at him.

Zach cleared his throat, "Hey. Cupid called. He says to tell you that he needs my heart back."

Okay, so he could have done better. Seriously, he hadn't used a pick up line since junior year of high school, but what do you say when you're trying to make your girlfriend forgive you?

But the humiliation was worth it. Cammie cracked a small smile but her eyes narrowed at him.

"What are you playing at, Zach?" she asked.

He swallowed, "I want to say I'm sorry. I mean, you don't have to forgive me right now, but I want to earn it back."

She smiled a bigger smile, "And how do you propose to do that?" she asked.

He smirked, "Oh, you'll see."

-:-

an: so, continue?

i kind of like it, and if i get some positive reviews, or critical reviews i'll continue

so, thoughts?

-a review a day keeps the haters away-

;)