The ABC's of Growing Up

Teagan’s P.O.V

“I can’t believe you Teagan,” Lyndsey muttered before slamming her locker shut and walking away.

I looked at Sarah who shrugged and followed our friend. I tipped my head back and bit my lip before going after them.

“Lyndsey, will you wait.”

“For what?” She asked as she rounded and faced me. “For some kind of explanation as to why you took that fucker back?”

I felt my cheeks go a bit red as I realised that the rest of our friends were now watching us.

“Lyndsey,” Sarah voiced quietly as she placed a hand on Lyndsey’s arm.

“No,” Lyndsey shouted and shook Sarah off. “I want to know what the hell she’s thinking!”

“Shouting at her isn’t going to help,” Sarah pointed out calmly before looking over at me. “What are you thinking ducky? I just...I don’t understand after everything why you want to take him back.”

I opened my mouth to answer but Lyndsey cut me off again.

“Nothing you can say now is a good enough reason to take him back,” she spat at me. “Don’t come running to me when this bites you in the fucking ass.”

“Lyndsey!” Sarah shouted, obviously as shocked as I would that Lyndsey was willing to completely drop me over this.

Lyndsey shook her head before turning on her heel and walking away. Brian quickly went off after his girlfriend but not before looking at me, disappointment evident in his eyes. I looked at Sarah who just bit her lip and shook her head, going after Lyndsey too and taking Jason with her. One by one they all turned away and left me standing there until only Jimmy and Zacky stood there.

“Guys, I...”

Jimmy shook his head much like the others did and walked away. I felt tears pricking at my eyes as I locked gaze with Zacky. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at me, disappointment in his gaze too.

“I don’t get how you could want him in your life,” Zacky stated. “Not after why he broke up with you and the fact that he shot his mouth about you afterwards.”

“I don’t want to be alone,” I muttered.

“Alone?” Zacky scoffed and shook his head. “For one you’re fucking seventeen. Turning down one dickhead isn’t going to mean you’ll be alone. And two...you’ve got all of us.”

“You’re my friends,” I pointed out, not liking the anger that seemed to be showing on Zacky’s face.

“I don’t want to be your fucking friend Teagan,” Zacky suddenly shouted, attracting the attention of people walking past us but as he shot them a nasty glare the kids all scurried off.

“Fine!” I shouted back. “You want to drop me like everyone else is doing then fine. Go ahead. Leave me like everyone else has.”

Zacky rolled his eyes and ran his hands through his hair.

“You don’t get it do you? You’re a fucking idiot Teagan. They haven’t left you...you’ve pushed them away by choosing to be with that asshole,” he commented. “And I don’t want to drop you...I just...fuck it. Forget it. If you don’t realise it now then fuck it.”

“Realise what?”

“I said forget it,” he spat before turning on his heel and walking away too.

I stood there stunned by the way all my friends had just left me simply because I’d chosen to give Jack one more chance. I felt arms wrap around my waist from behind and I turned my head to see Jack there.

“You okay?”

I shook my head and rested comfortably in his arms as I cried a little.

“Come on. Let’s go back to mine.”

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I curled my legs up to my chin as Jack and I sat on his bed and watched a film. Well he was watching. I was blindly staring at it as I tried to forget what had happened a couple of hours beforehand, but it was hard. I didn’t want to think about the words Lyndsey had said to me or the disappointment that each of them shot at me. I didn’t want to think about how Zacky had reacted. But I couldn’t help it. My friends were my life and I was starting to think that maybe this had been a very, very bad idea.

“Baby,” Jack voiced softly. “Stop thinking about it okay? It’ll blow over.”

“They’ve been avoiding me for three days as it is,” I pointed out as I turned my head and looked at him.

“Everything will be okay. Trust me,” he replied as he brushed some of my hair out of my face.

Trust me. I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. This should have been a reason why I had said no to taking him back but for some reason I’d decided on yes. I decided to take him back regardless of how much in my gut it felt wrong.

Jack pressed his lips to mine gently and I couldn’t help but think how weird it was kissing him. I couldn’t stop myself from comparing his touch to Zacky’s and this in itself told me even more so that this was all so wrong. I didn’t want to be with Jack. This wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to...no, I needed to be with Zacky even if it was just in a friendship capacity. When Zacky was around I felt safe and knowing he was no longer here for me...I hadn’t felt so at risk in my whole life.

“Jack no,” I muttered as I pushed him away.

“What’s wrong?” He sighed in annoyance.

I shot him a look and he rolled his eyes.

“Babe, seriously it’s just a stupid fight. They’ll get over it.”

“It’s not a stupid fight,” I pointed out as I sat up straighter. “They hate you.”

Jack shrugged. “That’s not really important is it? As long as you don’t hate me...”

I rolled my eyes before pushing him away as he went to kiss me again.

“Teagan, seriously stop being awkward.”

“Awkward?” I squeaked slightly before trying to smack him away again.

Jack grabbed my wrists and I tried my hardest to wriggle away from him but he used my body weight against me and pinned me against his bed.

“Get the hell off of me!” I shouted, trying to kick him off but failing in doing so.

Jack silenced me by pushing his lips to mine again but I moved my head away, crying out a small shriek as he tried to get my vest off of me, only to end up ripping it down the front.

“No,” I shrieked and hit him as hard as I could but that just seemed to make him angrier.

He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head before pushing his body down against mine, successfully crushing me to the bed.

“Stop fighting,” he ground out in irritation as he held my wrists with one hand and started to try and undo my jeans.

I felt tears begin to fall down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe that I’d gotten myself into this kind of situation and I was scared shitless. I was even more scared because I knew that after this I would have no one to turn to. None of my friends would be there for me and I didn’t blame them.

I swallowed and turned my head away as he tried to kiss me again, only to receive a smack on the cheek. My mind went into overdrive but somewhere I managed to dig up the courage to fight back. There was no way I was going to let Jack do this to me.

I kicked my legs out, bringing one of my knees up and nailing Jack in the crotch. He groaned in pain and rolled off of me. I quickly pushed myself off his bed and grabbed my hoodie and my bag before running out of his room and down the stairs. I pulled my hoodie on and zipped it up as I ran out of his house, not lessening my pace as I tried to get as far away from his possible.

I eventually slowed down and collapsed on the pavement, my feet settling on the road as I shifted to sit down on the curb. I lowered my head in my hands as I openly cried, not caring about anyone who might be walking or driving past. I needed to get this out of my system.

I sniffed and ran a hand through my hair as I tried to calm down, hating myself for getting into this situation and wishing that I had seen sense and not taken Jack back. My reasons for doing so were never justified and like Zacky had said, I was a fucking idiot for letting Jack back in. And now I was paying for it. I was just nearly raped by my ex-boyfriend and I had no friends left.

“Teagan?”