Denial

So...Jake and I have been going out now for probably at least a months if not a little more.

The guys have all met him and they're mostly cool with him I think. They all get along pretty great, but Zacky still acts weird sometimes. Like if I've just walked in the room and all the guys are sitting there talking with Jake, Zacky will look all frustrated and stuff, but then he'll straighten up real quick. Who knows, right?

I'm going out with Jake again here in just a little bit. I'm rushing around trying to get ready, and Jimmy wants to keep consistently bugging me.

"So where are you guys going?"

"Ugh! I don't know yet Jimmy! Probably just to a movie and dinner or something."

"Ah fluff nuts, he needs to take you some where extravagant!" I turned around and glared at him while putting an earring in my ear.

"Do I look like I need extravagant?"

"You look gorgeous, does that tell you anything?" I rolled my eyes a smirked turning back around.

"Thanks Jimmy."

"No problem My Little Senorita." I think that was my official nick name from him. I was okay with that. I smiled at myself in the mirror. I thought I looked pretty great. I was wearing the outfit Val had picked me up from the mall the other day and surprised me with. I thought it was the perfect occasion to wear it.

"Okay Jimmy, Jake's gonna be here any minute, and I don't trust you alone in my house so ya better leave hon." He stood up and came over to hug me.

"My Little Senorita's really growing up, she is." I laughed and hugged him.

"Shut up Jimmy."

"I'll see ya later short stuff."

"Bye Slim Jim."

Probably not ten minutes after Jimmy was gone, Jake showed up. He greeted me with a beautiful rose and a kiss.

"You ready to go babe?"

"Yeah, just let me go put this in water." I returned just minutes later after giving myself one last quick glance in the mirror.

"You look great." He smiled.

"Thanks, so do you." He led me out and to his car and we were off to wherever our destination might be. He pulled up outside of a nice restaurant.

"Welcome to Rue Bosio." He said as he opened my door for me and let me out.

"Ooo, sounds fancy." I smiled at him.

"It's french actually."

"Nice." He winked at me.

We were having a great time and the most amazing dinner I'd ever eaten, when my cell phone rang. I saw it was Zacky and thought about ignoring it, then thought better of it. "I'll be right back, I need to take this call." He smiled and gestured for me to go ahead. I walked over by the restrooms and answered my vibrating phone.

"Hello?"

"Leny! Where are you?"

"With Jake, why?"

"Cause I wanted to hang, why are you with him."

"Uh, he's my boyfriend and we're on a date."

I rolled my eyes at this.

"Be careful Helena."

"What, why?"

"Because I think he's up to no good."

"And I think you're crazy."

"Yeah you and the guys, but trust me. I'm just looking out for you here."

"Zacky, he's harmless. You could probably do more harm than him. Now I've gotta go."

He sighed.

"Alright. When will you be home."

"I dunno, probably here shortly, why?"

"Can I come over and hang out then?"

"Shouldn't Gena be coming over tonight?"

I asked cringing at the sound of her name.

"She had another meeting."

I sighed again glancing over at Jake.

"Alright hon, my house. You can come over and wait for me if you want just don't eat all the food or trash the place. And don't kill Fats."

He laughed.

"I won't. But hey, Jimmy said you didn't trust him alone at your place, why me?"

"You know I've always trusted you over everyone else. With the exception of Matt. But hey, I gotta go hon."

"Alright, have fun. But be careful."

I thought about that as I replied.

"I will Zacky, but he's fine....Really."

Before he could respond I'd hung up and was making my way back over to Jake. "One of the guys?"

"Uh yeah, just checkin' up on me again." I smiled.

"They really have a tight hold on you don't they?" I shrugged.

"You could say that I guess."

"So do you never get to go out and have fun?" My eyes widened.

"I always go out and have fun. We go to the clubs, or we're always partying-"

"I mean without them." He laughed.

"Well sure I'm here with you aren't I?" I smiled.

"Sure, but this is just dinner, this isn't real fun."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll show ya sometime." He winked and smiled. I just laughed it off and shook my head while finishing my food.

"Thanks for dinner Jake, it was awesome." I said smiling over at him as he was driving me home.

"No problem." He smiled back. But there was something that caught my eye, something I noticed. Instead of making a right on Baker Street, he made a left. To take me home, he should have made that right turn.

"Um, Jake, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"I thought you were taking me home?"

"Nah, not just yet. Remember earlier how I told you I'd show you a little fun in your life sometime? Well I know this guy who's throwing a party tonight. I just remembered it. So I thought, hey, perfect opportunity." I swallowed. Things could not end up good. Random parties are never good.

"Helena! This is my friend Bobby, Bobby this is my girl." He introduced us. I put a smug smile on my face as Jake wrapped his arm around me pulling me closer to his side as he tipped up his bottle of beer.

"Hello." The guy said. I knew right off he was flirting, and without a doubt had been drinking.

"This is the guy that's in charge of this party. You should thank him."

"Thank you." I said before starting to turn around and head the other way. I really wasn't in the mood for any parties tonight. Had I seriously misjudged Jake? Was Zacky right?

I needed to get out of here.

"Where are you going?" He asked. I stopped and turned around.

"Uh, just to the bathroom."

"Oh alright, hurry back." He grinned. He was already half crocked.

"Of course." I fake smiled. I scampered off to the bathroom and pulled out my cell.

I tried Zacky's number only to get his voice mail.

-Hey it's Zack or Zacky or whatever you call me. But hey there's a reason I didn't answer number one reason probably being that I saw your number and I didn't wanna talk to you. But if you leave a message and a good reason as to why I should call you back, I just might do that.-

Beep!

I flipped my phone shut not bothering to leave him a message. He'd probably fallen asleep. It was after all around one in the morning now.

I decided to try my next faithful contact. Matt.

"Hello?"

His voice was groggy and he sounded like I'd just woken him up.

"Matt? Hey it's me."

"Helena, hey, what's up?"

"I need you to come get me Matt. I'm scared. Jake took me to some Bobby guy's party after dinner because he said I needed to have some fun away from you guys and now he's drunk and everyone here's weird and I'm afraid of what might happen. Zacky didn't answer his phone or I wouldn't have woken you up I'm sorry."

"No, no, no. Don't mention hon, where are you?"

"I'm not sure. He turned left on Baker Street instead of right and the made another left and pulled in somewhere along that road. It's a really big white house, bunch of cars, party going on, you can't miss it."

"I'll find you."

"Alright. But I'm in the bathroom, what do I do?"

"Stay there and wait for me."

"Alright."

With that he hung up. I trusted Matt to get me out of here safely. I just didn't trust time.

ten more minutes passed by and there were tons of people banging on the door. When finally, I recognized one of the voices. "Helena? What are you still doing in there, are you ever gonna come out?" I froze. It was Jake. How did he even know it was still me? I could have come out long ago for all he knows.

"I'll be out in a minute, my stomach's upset."

"Let me in."

"No. I'll be fine, really."

"Come on Helena, I'm your boyfriend, let me in."

"I said no Jake! I'll be out in a few, just go get me a Sprite to help settle my stomach." He was drunk so it should take him awhile to get there and back.

"Fine." He grumbled. Hopefully Matt would show up between now and then.

"Can you please get out of there? I've had way to much to drink and if I hold it any longer, I think I'm gonna pee my pants!" Some girl shouted from outside the door.

"Well then you should have thought about that before you drank so much don't you think honey?"

"Get out of there!" She banged her fist on the door loudly.

"Woah, woah, woah. What's all the commotion?" I heard Matt's smooth voice as he worked his way through he crowd of girls. I immediately jumped up off the sink counter and flew to the door.

"M. Shadows?"

"Is it really him?"

"You're so hot!"

I heard a bunch of girls voices out there and smirked when I knew he was here to save me. He knocked softly on the bathroom door. "Leny, open up it's me." I unlocked the door quickly and nearly jumped into his arms.

"Save me! Get me out of here please!"

"Bathroom girl knows him?!" Some girl shrieked and I just shot a glare at her and stuck my tongue out at her.

Matt placed my feet back to the ground but still had me wrapped securely in his arms protecting me from all these nasty people.

"What are you doing with my girl in your arms Shadows?" Jake asked walking up.

"I'm getting her out of here. She didn't want to come to this party tonight."

"She didn't refuse."

"She was scared to!"

"Oh please, she's big enough to make her own decisions, what's there to be scared of?"

"Just shut your drunken mouth and walk on home boy."

"No, I ain't leaving here without my girl."

"As of tonight she's not your girl anymore."

"What are you her father?"

"No, but I care about her heck of a lot, and when she's scared or somebody does something that she doesn't like, I don't like it either so you best back off." Everyone surrounding us now was enthused by this argument.

"I don't think so. Come on Helena you're coming with me." He made a grab for my arm but Matt shoved me away and behind him and he punched Jake flat out. Jake stumbled and landed on the floor.

"Oh yeah, and incase you were wondering, it's because of scums like you that she only party's with us." He spat before turning, gathering me in his arms, and leaving.

"You sure you're gonna be okay at home by yourself?" He asked. I nodded.

"You can come over with me and Val."

"Val's over there?" He nodded, smiling.

"I'll be fine Matty, thanks though." I hugged him before walking off into my house.

I walked through the the door and into the kitchen. The sight before my very eyes put a smile on my face. Zacky was curled up on the couch with Fats asleep. I forgot there was the possibility he would be here. I walked over and kissed his cheek gently before taking the blanket off the back of the couch and placing it over him. I laid down at the other end of the couch and watched Zacky sleep peacefully as I felt my own self drifting off.