Denial

Zacky's Point Of View...

I woke up somewhere around three thirty, four in the morning. The first thing that I immediately noticed was that there was a blanket laying over me that wasn't there before. She must be home.

I sat up a little looking around and smiled when I saw her lying at the other end of the couch curled up and using a little bit of the blanket that was over top of me. I suddenly had an idea. I got up and removed the blanket from us both completely. I slipped behind her on her end of the couch, pulling the blanket up over us both, then wrapping my arms around her tightly.

She turned over in my arms and looked up at me for a minute through sleepy eyes. "Zacky..." She mumbled.

"Yeah, it's me Leny. Shh, go back to sleep, it's too early." She nodded snuggling up closer to me and tucking her head under my chin. I rubbed her back softly as my eyes started to fall again and I kissed her head before drifting off to Dreamland.

Helena's Point Of View...

I'm not sure what time it was when I woke up again. I just know, it was a very rude awakening.

"ZACKY!!!! How could you do this to me?! I come home and I find you're not there! So where's the first place I figure you'll go? Her house!" Gena jammed her finger in my direction. "Then I come over here to find the spare key up in the lantern, and she's wrapped in your arms!"

By this time Zacky had managed to sit up and sit me up in the process, and make his way over to Gena.

"Gena will you calm down please?! Nothing is going on between me and Leny okay? I fell asleep here last night waiting for her to come home, we were gonna hang out since you were at a meeting."

"Then what was she doing wrapped up in your arms?"

"People change positions during the night in their sleep, sweetheart!" I listened as Zacky defended himself. She crossed her arms and pouted some more. I watched as Zacky walked over and practically babied her.

"Come on baby, you know I love you." He pulled her face in his hands and made her look up at him.

"I want to believe that Zacky but you need to show it a little more." She gave him big, bright blue puppy dog eyes.

"Gena how do you want me to show it to you anymore? I've dedicated most of my life to you this past month or more!"

"Take me out for the day?" She asked. He sighed and kissed her lightly.

"Alright." She grinned and wrapped her arms around him glaring at me over his shoulder.

"I love you Zacky." She said in his ear just above a whisper. I shot her a look back that said, 'doesn't matter to me' and Zacky replied,

"I love you too Gena." I could almost hear the sigh in his voice.

"Go wait outside for me and I'll be there in just a minute." She immediately became cautious and pouty again.

"But Zacky, why can't we go now?"

"I just need to talk to Leny for one sec, okay?"

"But Zacky-"

"No it's okay, really Zacky, just go. Have fun! I'll be fine. I was gonna go over to Matt's soon anyway. He's going to help Jimmy pick out some new drum sticks today, so that should be interesting." I smiled at him.

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah, yeah. Go." I shoo'd them away with my hand and as soon as they were out the door I sighed with relief.

I was definitely going to take care of her.

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

"I really don't like her."

"I know you don't."

"I really don't like her."

"Yeah I know you don't."

"Maaaattttt!"

"What?" He laughed.

"Quit it."

"Well in all honesty, what do you wanna do about it?"

"I'm gonna take care of her, I will."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"I'm gonna make her regret she ever started dating Zacky Vengeance." He looked over at me and smirked.

"And just how do you plan on doing that?"

"I guess you'll see babes!" I said jumping up from the couch.

"But I will need you're help of course, and the others too."

"Okay, spill."

"You know Zacky and I are strictly platonic right? Nothing but friends." He nodded, grinning.

"Alright. Well, even though that fact may be true, I'm gonna need you guys to make Zacky and I's relationship look as more than friends, as much as possible to get her out of the picture, without him catching on. Like, if I need help with something, automatically volunteer Zacky or something, I dunno you're smart, you figure it out!" He laughed shaking his head.

"Evil, you're evil."

"I know, but hey. Nobody likes her, so I'm doing more good than I am bad." He nodded.

"That's true."

"Okay, so you can fill in everyone else while I put this little plan to action. Deal?"

"Deal."

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

I was lying on the bed in Matt's guest room later that evening when I heard the front door open and shut. I shook it off and didn't think much of it, I figured Matt had gone outside or something. It was official, everyone was in on the plan, and though some thought we were crazy, they agreed to help. I was getting bored listening to my iPod so I decided to do something I hadn't done in quite awhile. I pulled out Matt's laptop he kept in the room, and signed onto my Mibba account. A place for writers. I clicked on the link which said, 'submit a new poem' and was going to start typing.

The problem?

I didn't have the first bit of inspiration, not a bit. But then I looked over towards the desk in the room and my eyes locked with those of all the ones in the picture I was staring at. It was Matt, Jimmy, Johnny, Zacky, Brian, and I from when we were in high school. We were at one of the local bonfire parties sitting around the fire listening to the band play. It was the perfect picture. Jimmy was holding a can of beer in the air, I was sitting in between Matt and Zacky with my head on Zacky's shoulder and my feet in Johnny's lap who was leaned up against a tree cross ways from me. I was staring off into the fire and laughing at something Zacky at just said into my ear about Jimmy and Matt, and Matt was giving Zacky a glare with a smirk that told us he heard that. Johnny had his head leaned back with his eyes shut just relaxing. Someone had taken the picture and caught us off guard. But it turned out great and it's one of my very favorites. Suddenly, I had a big surge of inspiration bolt through my body.

I wonder, do you think about those days?
Just me and you?
You and I?
Together all day.
Doing nothing at all.
But it still meant everything.
You made me laugh.
You made me cry.
Do you think about those times?
Oh I wonder...

And I wonder...
Do you think about the times.
Like that one summer.
We stayed out every night.
Parents mad.
Siblings sad.
But we paid no mind.
For we were living,
In our own time.

Just as I was about to write more, I heard voice outside the door down the hallway. I set the laptop aside and strained to listen closely. Matt and....Zacky? When did he get here? Maybe that was the opening and closing of the door I heard.

"She told me to go with her! She even said, and I quote, 'have fun'!" I heard Zacky say.

"Man shut up, keep it down, she's right in there. I think she's sleeping though, I haven't heard a peep from her in awhile."

I decided to stay quiet at those words.

"But like I was saying, even if she dd say that...You know Leny, she's not gonna hold you back from something like that."

"Come on Matt of you had an extremely overreacting girlfriend hanging on your arm, pouting and begging you to come on and she tells you to go ahead, you're not gonna tell me you wouldn't just give in?"

I smirked at how Zacky called her an overreacting girlfriend. I wasn't the only one who thought so. Her own boyfriend thought so! I could hear Matt's sigh.

"Look man, it's besides that point. If you'd have taken five minutes out of your 'busy' schedule away from Gena to talk to Helena, you might of found out what happened last night."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, I don't think it's my place to tell you, so if you really wanna know, go apologize to Leny and ask her what's up."

I listened intently. He was talking about what went down with Jake last night. Ugh. Now Zacky would probably just gloat about being right with his I told ya so's.

"Come on Matt, just tell me would ya? I wanna know what happened! Was she hurt? Come on, tell me! She's my friend too!"

"Zacky! If you wanna know so bad just go ask her."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Look, all I'll say is, is that her night out last night with Jake, didn't end as planned. She tried to call you but you didn't answer your phone! Don't you know that's what it's for?"

I could almost see the puzzled look on Zacky's face and my mind immediately flashed back to the night before. It wasn't his fault, he'd fallen asleep on my couch!

"Forget it Zacky, just go talk to her." I heard Matt walk off. Then silence. A few minutes later I heard footsteps coming towards the doorway.

I quickly grabbed the laptop from beside me and placed it in my lap, making it look like I wasn't just eavesdropping. Not a minute later, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Come in." I called. Zacky appeared in the doorway, before shutting the door.

"Hey." He said softly.

"Matt said you were asleep." I shook my head.

"Nah, just messin' around." I gestured to the laptop. He nodded.

"Can I talk to you?" I looked up at him again and from the computer screen.

"Sure." He sat down next to me on the edge of the bed. "About what?" He sighed.

"First off, I'm sorry about Gena this morning. She had absolutely no right to go hunting down your spare key and breaking in your house like that." I shrugged.

"So she's psycho, I'll deal with it." I smiled lightly. He mocked the gesture but shook his head.

"I'm also sorry that I left before talking to you earlier." I shook my head immediately, waving it off. "No, Leny listen to me. I really wanted to apologize to you this morning for the way she acted, and ya know, but she, sometimes she just overreacts." I looked up at him and smirked.

"Finally seeing the light are we?" He laughed lightly and and shrugged his shoulder.

"Besides all of that, there's a more important reason as to why I wanted to talk to you." I looked up at him again, eyebrow raised. "Um, Matt, he mentioned that something happened last night with Jake, but he wouldn't say what..." He looked up at me with question in his piercing green eyes then. "What happened?"

I sighed pushing the laptop aside. "Jake told me last night at dinner that he thought I needed to have some fun away from you guys and that he'd show me some real fun some time. Well, little did I know, that his 'some time' was that very night. He ended up taking me to some freak party instead of taking me home and-"

"He what?"

I nodded.

"If he tried anything or let anything happen to you I'll kill him." Zacky said, jaw clenched, voice filled with venom.

"Shh, Zacky just listen. Not an hour after we got there, he was already crocked and I wanted to leave so bad. I mean, these people freaked me out! So I decided I was gonna call you-"

He looked down knowing that had failed. But I already knew it wasn't his fault.

"When I went to go call you, he asked me where I was going, I said just the bathroom, he said hurry back, like yeah right, right? So I went to the bathroom and called you but got no answer."

He went to say something but I cut him off.

"But I had already decided that you'd probably fallen asleep."

I gave him a reassuring smile.

"So after trying you, I called Matt. He came and found me and I swear. I'd never been in a bathroom so long in all my life. But once he did find me, so did Jake."

His eyes widened and his jaw clenched again.

"He tried to get me to come with him. Said he wasn't leaving without 'his girl', Matt told him as of last night I wasn't his girl anymore, ended up punching him which knocked him to the ground, and then told him that guys like him were the reason I don't party without you guys."

Zacky nodded and smiled. "It's true. That's why we were so harsh with that guy in the club Leny, it's only cause we love you." I nodded.

"Then Matt consistently asked me if I wanted to stay the night with him and Val and-"

"Val's been staying with him now?" I nodded.

"That's what I said! But anyway, after I'd convinced him that I'd be fine, I went in and found you sleeping on the couch with Fats." He smirked. "So I covered you up and lied down at the other end. Unfortunately, I had a very rude awakening." We both laughed at this.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that Leny." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm just glad I got to spend some time with you, even if we were just sleeping." He just laughed lightly and leaned over pulling me closer to him hugging me.

"I love you babe." He said. I looked up at him smiling.

"I love you too." He kissed my head.

Meanwhile Downstairs...

"Yes he's here." Matt said a little too eagerly, which he noticed himself and quickly straightened up.

"Good, then where is he? Because I'd like to see him." Gena pushed her way past Matt looking around the living room to see that Zacky wasn't there.

"Well right now he's upstairs but-"

"Could you go get him please?"

"Um, I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because he's talking to Leny right now." Matt had step one all set up in his head already, and Gena just got here. He was good.

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"And what could they possibly be talking about that shouldn't be interrupted?"

"Last night." I smirked knowing she'd take it the wrong way.

"Ooo, I knew it! I knew that little wretch was-"

"Was what? And you seriously better lay your mouth off of Leny." She let out a high pitched frustrated screech and stormed off towards the stairs.

"In all honesty Gena, you should just leave them alone." Matt said, following her up, knowing well she wouldn't.

"Oh you must think I'm crazy if you think I'm gonna leave them alone!" She shot back at him as she continued her rampage through. Matt was grinning the whole way which she couldn't see cause he was behind her.

"Fine, if you must." She was about to open the door when she heard their voices and it stopped her.

"I went in and found you sleeping on the couch with Fats." He smirked. "So I covered you up and lied down at the other end. Unfortunately, I had a very rude awakening." We both laughed at this.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that Leny." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm just glad I got to spend some time with you, even if we were just sleeping." He just laughed lightly and leaned over pulling me closer to him hugging me.

"I love you babe." He said. I looked up at him smiling.

"I love you too."

Her eyes filled up with nothing but rage as she busted through the door just as Zacky leaned down and planted a kiss on top of Leny's head.

"ZACHARY JONATHAN BAKER!! What makes you think you have the right to tell me you love me, and then wrap this, this skank up in your arms and tell her you love her too?!" She yelled. Helena's eyes widened. Matt immediately went into protective mode, and Zacky looked stunned.

"Gena what are you talking about?" Zacky asked trying to stay calm. He gently unwrapped Helena from his arms. She sat up, still looking confused, but thrilled. She looked over at Matt who discreetly shot her a look that said the plan was in action. She just sent him a slight smirk back in reply.

"I'm talking about what I just heard right before I came in, that's what I'm talking about." Gena hissed.

"So you were eavesdropping on me?"

"So what if I was! At least I found out what's going on behind my back!"

"Nothing's going on behind your back!"

"That's why I specifically heard the words, 'I love you babe' come out of your mouth to her right Zacky?" He rolled his eyes.

"Oh my good Lord Gena, I've called her babe since we were in Jr. High! I'm not gonna stop now just because I'm with you, and of course I love her! She's my best friend!"

"No Zacky! I'm your best friend. Or at least I'm supposed to be! Aren't couples supposed to be best friends? I mean look at my parents! But no! I'm not good enough for you Zacky freakin Vengeance!" Helena looked really enthused by this point, as well as Matt who was now sitting next to her as Gena and Zacky stood face to face.

"You listen to me Gena, if I didn't think you were good enough, I'd have never dated you in the first place!"

"Then why did you?! Because you obviously don't want me!" She screamed at him as she burst into tears.

Helena's Point Of View Again...

Oh great...Now she's gonna start the water works and he's gonna go all mush because he can't stand seeing girls cry. I've seen it happen one too many times. "Gena-please. Don't...don't cry." There he goes. Already getting weaker.

"I don't understand Zacky...What am I doing so wrong?" I bet I could tell you a few things.

"Shh. Nothing you're not doing anything wrong." And he caves. He pulled her into his arms stroking her hair, trying to calm her down. He pulled her back a little bit and looked her in the eyes.

"I love you Gena." Maybe you wouldn't love her as much if you'd seen the glare she just sent me over your shoulder Zacky. "Do you understand that?" She nodded slightly. "I love you." He pulled her back to him again, holding her tight.

After a few minutes, he pulled away from the embrace and turned to us, still holding her hand. "We're gonna head out Matt." Matt just sat there, motionless. Letting Zacky know he didn't approve of his actions. With one last nod towards us, Zacky and Gena were gone.

I let out a huge sigh that I'd been holding in nearly the whole time.

"Did you hear the way she talked about you?"

"Yeah or the way she talk to Zacky?"

"Lord I know, treating him more like she was his mother."

"Yeah and then she wanted to whip out the water works on him."

"She knows Zacky's a softy."

"God, I wish he wasn't so soft hearted sometimes for the simple fact that he falls for the fake tears every time."

"I agree."

"But thanks Matt." I smiled at him.

"No problem, the plan's put into action."

"Yup, sooner or later she's gonna wish she'd just backed off this time. Just left. Or better yet, just wished she'd never have come into the picture." Matt smirked and nodded.

"I couldn't agree more. And the guys and Val couldn't be more eager to help." I nodded.

"What's that?" he asked gesturing to hat was on the screen on his laptop.

"Oh, nothing." I said, grabbing it and trying to save, and close out. We ended up in a battle for the laptop.

"Come on Helena let me see it!"

"No!"

"I'll tickle you."

"NO!"

"Just tell me what it is."

"Let me go and I will." he let go of me and I sat back up straight on the bed as did he.

"It's a poem."

"Really?" I nodded. "You haven't written in like, forever!"

"I know."

"What inspired you?" I pointed to the picture on his desk and he grinned wide. "Can I read it please?" I sighed finally giving into him.

I was always self conscious about my writing even though the guys always told me it was great. He read it over then looked up at me and smiled and I could have sworn I saw the slightest, just the slightest trace of tears in his eyes as he thought back to the times in high school as I did when I'd written it.

"It's beautiful." I took it back from him.

"It's not finished yet."

"Are you gonna finish it?" I nodded.

"Sometime."

"Good." He smiled at me.

"I miss those times ya know?" I spoke. He looked over at me. "Just me you and the other guys, all days long, doing nothing. I mean, just hanging out and thinking and dreaming about what are lives would be like someday. I don't think we ever planned on them turning out like this." He nodded laughing lightly.

I had been laying back on the bed, with my hands behind my head when suddenly I remembered something. I sat up straight again. "Ooo, you remember that one 'dream' we had of all moving into a big mansion together." He laughed and nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah. I remember that one well. Who came up with that idea Jimmy? Johnny?"

"I think it was Jimmy." He laughed.

"Yeah."

"He said we could all just rule out of career together and move into a huge mansion so we'd never be separated or apart. Nothing would ever come between us." I frowned as I said this thinking of Zacky and how Gena was coming between him and all of us. Not just him and I.

"Hey." Matt said, lifting my chin up with two fingers. "Smile pretty face. Zacky will come around sooner or later." I smiled lightly at him and nodded.

"I hope so."