Denial

I was sitting in the kitchen area with Brandon and Janey discussing the phone call I had with Matt the previous evening.

"What worried me, is that when I turned my phone back on, there were no missed calls, no messages."

"Maybe they just need some time to cool down." Janey suggested.

"That, or they finally came to terms that you were right." Brandon added. I shook my head.

"Matt would never settle for that. Not that easily." He nodded.

"I suppose you know them better than I do." I sighed.

"It's just stressing me out. I mean, I hope he doesn't do anything stupid. Knowing Matt and his temper he'd fly off in a rage and end up in the ER from a bad car wreck." Janey placed her hand on my shoulder comfortingly.

"Now you can't think like that sweetie. And I'm sure someone would have called to notify you if something like that happened."

"Yeah but what if they haven't found him yet and he's dying or something!"

"Shh, calm down." Brandon said, pulling me into a hug. "It's all gonna be alright."

"It's all my fault."

"Because you made a decision on your own for once?" I pulled away from him and wiped my eyes.

"I don't know. I just don't know anymore." Suddenly there was a knock at that door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Janey asked.

"It probably Marley the neighbor lady, she's always bringing me cookies and stuff." Brandon looked over at Janey.

"Can you get it Janey, I don't think Leny's really up for it right now."

"Of course." She nodded, before getting up and walking off. I sighed.

"What am I gonna do Bran? I don't want them to hate me."

"They don't hate you-"

"Hey Leny, you have a visitor, someone that needs to speak with you."

"Who is it?" She just shrugged.

I got up from my seat at the table wiping my eyes trying to make myself look presentable again and walked into the living room area where my visitor awaited me. And low and behold I nearly fainted at the presence before me.

"M-Matt? What are you doing here." I nearly gasped.

"I came to talk to you Leny."

"Wait, this is Matt?" Janey asked giving me a look. I simply just stared at him.

"Can I talk to you Leny? Alone?" I simply nodded and walked back to my bedroom sitting on the bed. I was still completely stunned that he was here.

"What do you wanna talk about?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"You need to come back home."

"This is my home now Matt."

"Don't say that Helena. You've got everybody back in Huntington mourning over you and Zack, did you know that?" I was busy occupying my gaze to the floor so I wouldn't have to look up at him. Unfortunately, he made me.

"Helena, look at me. None of our lives are gonna be the same without you guys. Nothing will be the same."

"So? The only thing that's ever stayed the same is that everything changes! Let it be!"

"No."

"Why not? Why can't you just let it be? Let me be? Why couldn't you have just stayed away? Left me here to be happy with my new life? Why can't you just except it?"

"Because I miss you! we all miss you and we won't you back, Helena!"

"What do I have to return to besides you guys? I don't mean to sound like you mean nothing to me, but in all honesty? My best friend's not coming back, he's gone. I've already ended things with my boyfriend. I mean what do I have to come back to? Why should I come back? Tell me Matt because I'm really confused!"

"You wanna know the truth Helena? I'll tell you everything."

"The only reason you're here right now is all my fault, because of me, which is why I felt it was my place to come get you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just listen, and you'll know."

"That day you turned Zacky down to go out with Billie, ya know?" She nodded.

"Well, told me about it. We were both suspicious so we were gonna go to your house and make you fess up. But when we got to the door, we saw you climbing in the car with Billie. He immediately fled from the room and into my spare bedroom and slammed the door. When I finally got him to let me in, I made him tell me what was wrong. Something about how you were always the first to complain when Gena drug him away, and when he does get a once in a life chance to hang with you, you ditch him for some dude and then lie about it."

"I don't get it. What does any of this have to do with you, or the reason I'm here? Or you for that matter?"

"Just listen." He said more sternly before continuing.

"I pushed the subject. I asked him why he cared so much anyway. And then it finally got to the point where I..I.."

"You what?" He sighed and took a deep breath in.

"I confronted him about being in love with you and told him that it was visible to all of us but the two of you." My eyes bugged and my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe my ears. They deceive me, surely.

"He denied it." My face flooded with relief.

"At first, and then I pressed the issue and actually got him to admit it. I never, ever expected him to. But he did." Now if you think I was stunned before, imagine how stunned I was now!

"He had started to leave when I was pushing it the first time. And I told him he was running away from his problems cause the truth hurts. He turned around and told me that the truth does hurt because he does love you, but he's convinced he can never be with you. And that's when he obviously left with Gena for Florida some time after that. I found the receipt to the plane ticket laying on his kitchen table."

"So, th-that's why you guys pieced together such a ridiculous story..." I murmured. He nodded.

My cell phone rang at that minute. I went to answer it, but as soon as I did it stopped. It barely got through the first round of the ring tone which in a normal ring is one and a half rings.

I shrugged and looked back at Matt.

"Anyway, we were trying to cover for him because he didn't want you to know obviously."

"He..he loves me?" Matt nodded.

"Come back with me, Leny." I looked up at him. "Come back with me. Brian's in Florida as we speak. He's bringing Zacky back." My eyes widened.

"Do you love him?" I looked up at him again and bit my lip. "Don't lie to me Helena."

"Since eighth grade." I grinned wide.

"I kinda figured."

"Shut up." I started blushing, which never happened and looked down.

"So what do ya say? Ya coming home?" I chewed anxiously on my bottom lip as he awaited his answer.

*****************************************************************

Brian's Point Of View...

"I still don't understand how you found me." Zacky grumbled, arms crossed, sitting on his bed across from me.

"It was easy, I'm your band mate." He rolled his eyes at this.

"Not anymore. I told you, I quit the band, I quit everything, find a new guitarist because I'm not going back home."

"Ya see that's the thing, you are coming home, whether you want to or not."

"No I'm not."

"Okay, Leny may have had a good reason for staying in London, but what's your reason?"

"Leny's staying in London?" He asked, ignoring my question.

"Yup. Said she wasn't coming home. Didn't have a reason to since you're not coming home." His face paled and he swallowed hard at this statement. I think I just hit home.

"N-no, she's not staying gone because of me." He said.

"Yes, as a matter of fact she is. Those were distinctively her words. Shall we call her up and ask her?" He just sat there and rolled his eyes again.

"Alright then."

I pulled out my cellphone and ran through my contacts list until I came across Leny's name and pressed the 'talk' button. It got about half way through the first round of her ring tone when Zacky gave in,

"Fine! Okay! She chose to stay because of me! Just don't bother her." He crossed his arms again, glaring at me. I flipped my phone shut and put it back in my pocket grinning.

"So you believe me then?" He just huffed, but I knew he did. "So you see Zack, she has a good excuse for being gone. What's yours?"

"I didn't want to have to go back there and face her. Put up with the torture."

"Then don't Zack! Tell her how you feel! I'm all for it! I wanted so badly to tell her when I first found out the truth but Matt said no." I exclaimed.

"No, no I can't! I just can't. I've got Gena, she's got-"

"She's not with Billie Joe anymore. She broke it off with him when she decided to stay in London."

"Well either way, she's gorgeous, before ya know it she'll be hooked up again."

"Not if you come back and tell her the truth about how you feel!"

"For one, Brian, how do we even know she feels the same way? And for two, how am I gonna confess to her in Huntington when she's in London?!" I grinned.

"For one, I know she feels the same way. It's written all over her face when she's with you, or how her eyes light up at the mention of your name or when you call her. For two, Matt's in London right now convincing Leny to come back home."

"And what if it doesn't work?"

"Come on Zack, it's Matt. We both know he's not leaving there without her." He sighed.

"I don't know man. I just don't know. What d you expect me to do? Just leave Gena here and head back?"

"As much as I would love that, I guess you really can't. Where is she anyway?"

"A meeting." I raised my eyebrow at him. "Boy she's got a lot of meetings doesn't she?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Anyways. So we all, the three of, including Gena go back to Huntington, tomorrow morning. Right?" He sat there thinking it over. He looked over at me and sighed.

*****************************************************************

Helena's Point Of View....

"So what do you say?" I sighed.

"You're lucky I love you." I said breaking out into a grin. He grinned even wider at this and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you Leny, thank you, thank you, thank you. Everybody's gonna be so happy." I laughed.

"You sound like I just gave you an ice cream cone or a hundred bucks." He pulled away from me kissing my forehead. "So when are we leaving?" I asked.

"I have to get in touch with Brian and find out when the our flights head out, he set all the crap up. So let me do all that while you break the new to your friends." I nodded getting up from the bed and walking into the kitchen where my friends sat waiting anxiously.

"Well? Took you long enough." Brandon said. I smiled.

"Yeah. Um, guys, I need to talk to you."

"You're going back to Huntington?" Janey asked. I stood there looking a little confused.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"We kinda figured that's why he was here." They laughed lightly.

"So you guys aren't gonna like totally hate me?" I asked.

"No, of course not." Janey shook her head and giggled lightly.

"Of course not Lane, they knew you first. You've only known us for a couple of weeks." I smiled.

"Thanks guys."

"No problem."

*****************************************************************

Zacky's Point Of View...

"Fine, whatever." I said, falling back on the bed. Brian grinned in triumph.

"Great. As I said we'll be leaving tomorrow. Now I just gotta let Shads know what's up. You, you need to pack and tell Gena to get packing wherever she is." I just sighed and nodded. I can't believe I was going back there again. I picked up my cellphone and dialed Gena's number.

"Hello?"

"Gena?"

"Yeah, it me."

"Hey babe. I need you to get back here asap."

"Why hon? I'm sort of in the middle of a meeting."

"I know, but this is more important." She sighed.

"Alright. I'll be there soon." I closed my phone and tossed it on the bed.

"So? She coming?" Brian asked. I nodded.

"Alright now I gotta-" About that time his cell rang. "It's Shadows." He said. "Hello? Yep, he totally agreed. We leave tomorrow be at the airport at seven am sharp. Alright, bye." He closed his phone and put it back in his pocket once again. "Get ready to go home lover boy!" He grinned.

"Call me that one more time and see if I step foot near a plane." He quickly wiped the grin off his face.

*****************************************************************

7:15 AM The Next Morning...
Helena's Point Of View...

"Will you chill? It'll all be alright."

"I'm just nervous."

"It's only been a couple weeks and a few days since you've seen everyone." I stared at Matt like he was an idiot.

"It's not them I'm worried about. It's Zacky."

"Oh. I see. It'll be fine, I can assure you."

"Yeah and I can assure you that I'm 100% guaranteed to have a nervous breakdown."

"Can I get a refund?" I glared at him. Flight B372 now boarding. The flight attendant's voice called. Matt stood up and grabbed my hand pulling me up with him. I grabbed his arm stopping him. He turned and looked at me.

"I can't do this." I said, biting my bottom lip nervously.

"Yes you can Leny, you'll see once we get home, everything will be just fine." He pulled me along towards the entrance way with me whining the whole time.

8 Hours...

592 iPod Songs...

And 7 Glasses Of Wine Later...

"The plane's landing Leny, buckle up." Matt said, pulling one of the ear phones out of my ear. I nodded and reach across my should pulling the strap over my body and locking it in place. I can't believe I'm actually doing this. I can't believe that here in just about an hour or less, I would be coming face to face with Zacky again, only this time, I would have to confess to him my life long secret.

Five...

Four...

Maybe there was a way I could still get out of this.

Three...

Two...

Maybe, just maybe, with some possible ounce of hope, I won't have to face Zacky tonight.

One...

Too late.