One hour later, Katrina was at their place. Sam had opened the door, smiling at his girlfriend. "Hey, baby." He pulled her into a kiss, his arms wrapped around her.

Zella, who had been sitting on the couch with Colby and Pluto, quickly turns her attention to her phone, trying not to listen or watch the happy couple. Her stomach twisted with jealousy and hurt. Why did she have to develop feelings for a guy who had a girlfriend? It wasn't fair. She should've developed feelings for someone who wasn't in a relationship. She knew that wasn't Sam's fault, but she couldn't help but feel a little mad at him. She knew it was unfair to him, but she couldn't help the feelings she had. She had fallen for him. Hard. And now she was in deep. She hated that he was so loveable. She was so screwed.

"Hi, babe." Katrina smiled, kissing him back.

Colby notices Zella's mood change and he knew it was because of Sam and Katrina acting all lovey dovey. He knew of her crush on Sam, promising to keep it a secret. He felt bad for Zella, it sucked that she had a crush on a taken man. "Can you guys stop being so gross?" Colby joked, rolling his eyes. He knew the two could be gross and lovey dovey, but he was joking. Well, half joking. He also said it so it could get them to stop for Zella's sake and his. Sometimes it was a bit annoying. 

Sam laughs and pulls away from his girlfriend. "Sorry, man."

"Yeah, sorry." Katrina apologizes, pulling away as well. She notices Zella in the living room and grins. "Hey, Zell. You ready?"

Zella glances up and puts her phone away. She nods, smiling a little. "Yep." She stood up, petting Ace's head before heading to her bathroom.

Katrina smiles widely, kissing Sam's cheek before she followed Zella. Pluto had gotten up off the couch and trailed after the girls. Katrina was excited, she couldn't wait to help Zella with her hair. Once they got to the bathroom, Katrina began helping her. It was a new experience for Zella. But she was having fun. She was a little nervous about the results, but she was sure it would turn out okay. Pluto stayed in the bathroom with them, laying by Zella's feet as she sat in the chair. Katrina stood behind her with gloves on her hands and she was mixing the dye. They had music on as well. It helped Zella relax.

Katrina was explaining the process and what would happen. It was all a little overwhelming for Zella, but she was sure she could handle it. Katrina helped calm her down as well, knowing she was nervous. She had been where Zella was at. She understood her nerves. Zella listened to her as she explained. Her nerves had settled, thanks to her. She felt much more relaxed. And she couldn't wait to see the results. As Katrina worked on the whole process, the two girls talked and caught up. They hadn't seen each other in a while, so they had a lot to talk about. Katrina was a nice person, she was easy to talk to and very kind. She had a fun and positive energy. It was hard not to like her. She was one of those people that you couldn't dislike. She was sweet and genuine, caring and a great friend. Zella could see why Sam liked her. They were a cute couple.

"So, how are you and Sam doing? Are you two planning to move in together yet?" Zella asked, trying to not sound bitter. She couldn't believe she was jealous of their relationship.

Katrina hums, looking thoughtful. "We're good. We're happy. And yeah, we've been thinking about it. We'll probably discuss it more later on." She replied with a fond smile as she thought of Sam.

"Oh. That's nice." Zella nodded, trying not to let the sadness show on her face. She couldn't believe she was getting upset about that. She had no idea the couple had been talking about moving in together. Zella would miss living with Sam and Colby. She would still be living with Colby if Sam did move out to live with Katrina and that is if Colby didn't want to get his own place. But she was happy for them. They deserved to be happy. Though she would miss living with Sam too. She had always enjoyed living with the boys. While there were times they got on her nerves, she also cherished the friendship and sense of family between them. 

"So, any special guys in your life?" Katrina grinned, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Um, no. I'm single." Zella chuckles nervously. "I've been focusing on my career." She added. It was true. She had been working hard to get her YouTube channel going and to do her own things. She had been busy, so there hadn't been any time for dating. Plus she didn't plan on telling Katrina about her friends with benefits deal with Colby any time soon. 

"You should get back out into the dating world. I feel like it's been ages since you've been in a relationship." Katrina murmured, shaking her head.

Zella hums, not really paying attention to her. "Yeah, I'll try." She murmured.

Katrina looks at her, tilting her head. "You okay?" She asked in concern, noticing Zella's mood change.

Zella plasters on a smile, hoping to mask her inner turmoil. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about some stuff, you know?"

Katrina nods, though her expression showed she wasn't entirely convinced. "Well, if you ever need to talk about anything, you know I'm here for you, right?"

Zella's heart warms at Katrina's genuine offer of support. "Thanks, Katrina. I appreciate it."

As Katrina continued with Zella's hair, the atmosphere lightened a bit, but Zella couldn't shake the feeling of longing and regret swirling inside her. She hoped she could push those feelings aside and focus on enjoying the time with her friends.

"Okay, by the way, some of my friends would love to go out with you." Katrina adds. "They've all been bugging me about it, wanting to know if I could set you up with them." She giggled.

"Oh. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Zella gave her a small smile, not sure how to respond to that.

She appreciated Katrina and her friends wanting to set her up, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to be in a relationship yet. The conversation went back to lighter topics. And after a while, the two girls finished up with Zella's hair. It took longer than Zella expected. But she didn't mind. She had enjoyed Katrina's company. Soon enough they were done and everything was cleaned up in the bathroom. Zella loved the outcome of her hair, grinning as she looked at her reflection.

"Do you like it?" Katrina asks, looking at Zella through the mirror. She was standing besides her, a grin on her face and her eyes had lit up as she let out a small excited squeal. Katrina giggles, slight amusement in her eyes. "I'll take that look as a yes."

Zella couldn't stop staring at her reflection, loving how the pink highlights looked in her hair. "I love it. I never expected to love it this much, but I really love it." She admitted.

"I'm glad. It looks amazing, girl." Katrina smiles warmly. "It really suits you." She added, admiring her work.

"Thanks. You did an amazing job." Zella grins, looking away from the mirror and at Katrina. "Thank you for doing this, Kat. It means a lot."

"Of course, Zell." Katrina smiles. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"I am. I can't wait to see what the guys think of it." Zella's stomach twisted with nerves, she was nervous and excited. She was worried they would hate it, but she knew she should stay positive and hopeful.

"They're gonna love it." Katrina reassures her, sending her a smile. "Let's go show them."

"Alright." Zella nodded, a smile on her face. She followed her out of the bathroom, excited and nervous. Pluto had followed them, wagging his tail and his tongue hanging out.

When Zella and Katrina got back to the living room, Colby and Sam were watching a movie. Pluto had moved to jump on the couch by the boys, earning a smile from them and Colby had leaned over to pet him since he was closer to him. Colby looked away from him to look at the girls and his eyes widened. He hadn't expected Zella to come out with pink highlights in her blonde hair, he wasn't sure what color she would do, but he had to admit, he loved it. It looked amazing on her.

He whistles, giving her a smile. "Looking good, Z."

Sam turns his attention away from the tv, glancing at Colby before turning to look at Zella. He had to admit, he had loved how her hair looked when he had seen her this morning. It was cute. But now, seeing her hair dyed with pink highlights, he had to say, it looked even better. The pink highlights went perfectly with her blonde hair. "Wow."

Zella couldn't help but grin at their reactions, blushing slightly. "So, you like it?" She asked, trying to hide her nervousness.

Sam smiles widely, nodding in response. "It looks amazing, Zellie. It suits you." He adds. He was happy she was comfortable enough with herself to make such a big change. He knew that this was a big deal for her, and he was proud of her. He could tell she was nervous, but he knew she would be able to pull it off. He was glad she had made such a big decision. She looked incredible. "I think pink is your color."

Zella's heart flutters at Sam's compliment, even though she tried to suppress the feelings bubbling inside her. "Thanks, Sam," She murmurs, feeling a rush of warmth spread through her at his praise. "I appreciate it." 

"See, I told you they would like it!" Katrina says, grinning at Zella. "You look fantastic, girl! Hey, what if we had a girls day?" She suddenly suggests, her eyes lighting up at the idea. "We could go shopping or something."

"That sounds like so much fun, Kat! I'd love that," Zella replies enthusiastically, smiling brightly at Katrina. The idea of spending time with Katrina and maybe even some other friends sounded like the perfect way to distract herself from her swirling emotions. "Wanna go do our nails? I haven't painted mine in a while." She didn't know what color she wanted her nails, but she figured she could find a pretty color that she would love.

"Yes, definitely." Katrina grinned, linking her arm with Zella's and they walked back to her bedroom. Zella was looking forward to this, she hadn't had a girls day in a long time. And she was excited to have one with Katrina.

It would be a fun and relaxing time, and she was glad she would have some bonding time with the other girl. She had really enjoyed the time they had spent together, and she was glad that they had become friends. Katrina was a great person, and Zella was happy that they were able to have a good friendship.

****

The rest of the day, Zella spent with Katrina. They had gone out shopping, did their nails, got lunch and did a makeup challenge. It was a fun girls day. And it had been a while since they had hung out, so it was a nice and much needed hang out. They had even done a vlog, wanting to post a video of them having a fun girls day.

Now they were sitting in their kitchen, eating takeout food. It was late and they were exhausted. But they were having fun.

"Okay, we have to talk about boys." Katrina spoke up with a grin.

"Why? So you can remind me I'm single?" She pouted, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not trying to rub it in, girl. Promise. I'm just curious." Katrina rolls her eyes. "I mean, there has to be someone who has caught your eye." She wiggles her eyebrows, nudging her. "I noticed you and Colby seemed more closer."

"We've always been close." Zella shrugged, trying to play it off. She hoped Katrina hadn't seen anything, hadn't picked up on their friends with benefits deal.

"Yeah, but I feel like you two have gotten even closer." Katrina points out, giving her a look. "Did something happen? Did you hook up?" She gasps. "You hooked up, didn't you? Come on, spill."

"Nothing happened. We're just friends." Zella sighed, not meeting her eyes.

"Friends with benefits?" Katrina raises an eyebrow, giving her a knowing look. She wasn't stupid, she could tell something was going on between them. "Look, I won't judge. I won't say anything to anyone. You can trust me, Z. I'm your friend. And I want you to be happy. So, if Colby is making you happy, then I'm happy."

"You think I have a friends with benefits thing with Colby?" Zella chuckles nervously, twirling a piece of her hair. "No. That's ridiculous." She laughs, trying to act natural. She was nervous and her heart was racing, fear coursing through her. What if Katrina told Sam? "It's nothing. We're just best friends."

"Zella, you don't have to hide from me. I know you and I know that something is going on. So, just tell me. Please. I'm not going to judge you. You can trust me." Katrina frowns, worry evident in her eyes. "I promise I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to." She added, placing her hand over Zella's and squeezing it.

"Okay, fine." Zella sighs, giving in. She knew she couldn't keep it a secret from Katrina any longer. And she trusted her. "We have a friends with benefits deal. We're just hooking up. No strings attached." She told her, keeping her eyes downcast.

"I knew it!" Katrina smirks, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "How long has this been going on?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"For a couple of weeks. Since we went to that new club." Zella replies, shrugging her shoulders. She felt awkward and nervous. She didn't want anyone else finding out. She knew Colby didn't either. "Please don't tell anyone. We want to keep it a secret." She begged, not wanting Sam to find out. She wasn't sure how he would react and she didn't want to risk their friendship or cause any drama within their friend group.

"I won't, I promise." Katrina reassures her, squeezing her hand again. "Your secret's safe with me."

Zella sighs in relief, grateful for Katrina's understanding. "Thank you."

"Of course, girl. You know I've got your back." Katrina smiles warmly at her. "But are you sure this is what you want? I mean, I know you and Colby are close, but sometimes these things can get complicated."

Zella nods, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. "I know. But for now, it's what we both want. We're just having fun and keeping it casual."

"Alright. Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt." Katrina says, her tone gentle and caring. "Or him hurt either. I care about you both."

"I will. Thanks, Kat." Zella smiled gratefully at her friend, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. It was a relief to finally have someone to confide in about her complicated situation with Colby.

The two girls finish their food in comfortable silence, their conversation shifting to lighter topics as they enjoy each other's company. Despite the complicated situation with Colby, Zella feels grateful to have Katrina as a friend who she can trust and confide in. 

"Wanna watch a movie when we're done? Something light and fun?" Katrina suggested, giving her a warm smile.

"Sounds perfect, Kat." Zella agreed, smiling back at her. he idea of curling up on the couch and watching a movie sounded like the perfect end to their girls' day.

They cleaned up their takeout containers and moved to the living room. Katrina scrolled through the movie options while Zella made some popcorn. Ace, who had been lounging by their feet, followed them, wagging his tail as he plopped down beside the couch.

As they settled in, Katrina picked a romantic comedy, and Zella couldn't help but feel grateful for her friendship with Katrina. Despite the complicated feelings she had for Sam, she knew she had someone she could trust and confide in. As the movie played, Zella tried to push thoughts of Sam and her tangled emotions aside. Instead, she focused on the laughter and warmth of the moment, enjoying the simple pleasure of spending time with a good friend.

By the time the credits rolled, both girls were yawning, exhaustion catching up with them. They said their goodnights, and Zella headed to her room, feeling a mix of contentment and lingering heartache. She knew she had to find a way to move on from her feelings for Sam, and maybe, just maybe, focusing on her friendship with Katrina and her fun times with Colby would help her do just that. Though why did part of her not want to move on and still hope later on maybe she would have a chance with Sam? Maybe one day.

A/N i love zella's & kat's bond so much