The ABC's of Growing Up

My eyes fluttered open and I turned my head as I heard a door open. I smiled as Zacky’s eyes caught mine and he sent me a smile before walking over and sitting down beside me on the bed. I looked at him and frowned as I realised he was fully dressed.

“Brian phoned. Wanted to know if I was up for going to the beach today,” Zacky explained and ran a hand over my shoulders. “You want to go?”

I shook my head and buried my face in the pillow. “Too comfy...and they all hate me.”

“They don’t all hate you Tea,” Zacky replied and I looked at him to see him giving me a look that said if I argued he’d actually kill me.

I sighed and shook my head again. “I’m not going.”

“Please?” He pouted and wriggled down so he was lying beside me.

I shook my head again before closing my eyes as he pulled puppy dog eyes, the face that I can’t say no to. I felt Zacky’s lips on mine quickly and I opened my eyes once he’d pulled away. I looked at him for a second before groaning in frustration and turning on to my back, my hands covering my face as I shook my head once more.

“Teagan, they don’t hate you...” Zacky trailed off as he took my hands from my face as he realised that I was crying slightly. “Oh baby, please don’t cry.”

I sniffed and brought my hands up to wipe the couple of tears that had fallen away.

“Sorry but...you don’t get it Zacky. I just...Lyndsey looked like she was ready to kill me and I...I can’t take that again. And I don’t want them to know what happened because then I’ll just get a bunch of ‘I told you’ and I can’t handle that at the moment. I know it was a dumb move on my part but I,” I shrugged. “I don’t want to go. Please don’t make me go.”

Zacky ran a hand through my hair before pressing his lips to mine softly.

“I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to Tea, but I think it’ll be good. And if any of them give you shit then I’ll just bring you home okay?”

I looked at him and bit my lip. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. One part of me wanted to see all my friends, tell them I was sorry for taking Jack back and that I was a complete idiot for doing so but another part of me as scared of what they’d do when they saw me. I think I could handle being shouted at by Lyndsey again but I hated it when they all ignored me.

“It’s not them giving me shit that I’m worried about,” I told him, putting my gaze back on him. “It’s them ignoring me that I won’t be able to handle.”

“If it’s too hard for you then I’ll bring you back, I promise.”

I chewed the inside of my lip before sighing. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Zacky smiled.

I chuckled and nodded. “Okay.”

Zacky grinned before leaning over me to kiss me again. I kept him where he was by curling a hand around his neck, deepening the kiss slightly before pulling away.

“But you owe me.”

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I held on to Zacky’s hand tightly as we walked down to the beach. I could see and hear all our friends laughing together and I could feel my gut constrict. I chewed down hard against my lip and stopped walking, making Zacky stumble slightly beside me before he turned and looked at me.

“Teagan, it’ll be okay.”

I glanced at him and then focused on our friends...if they were still my friends. I shook my head and looked at Zacky again.

“I can’t do this Zacky.”

He stepped towards me, a somewhat sympathetic look on his face as he gently cupped my jaw in his hands.

“You can. They don’t hate you, honestly,” he commented before kissing my forehead. “It’ll be fine.”

I looked at everyone again, watching as Lyndsey and Sarah laughed and smiled with their boyfriends and remembering how they looked when they had found out I had chosen to let Jack have one more chance. They had looked crushed and looked so disappointed in me. Granted that Lyndsey also looked very angry but the anger I could deal with.

“Teagan, if you want I’ll take you home.”

I looked at Zacky before shaking my head and taking a deep breath.

“No. You’re right. I need to see them at some point.”

Zacky smiled warmly and nodded before leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine quickly.

“But if you want to at any point go home, just tell me and I’ll take you home.”

I smiled and kissed him quickly. “Thank you.”

Zacky smiled before linking our hands back together and pulling me towards where everyone else was.

“Oi! Fucker...what took you so...?”

Jimmy’s question trailed off as he noticed me beside Zacky, his eyes glancing down to our linked hands before coming back up to look at the two of us in question. Slowly, each of our friends looked over and fell silent as they realised I was here. I looked over at Lyndsey and Sarah, their reaction to me being what I was most worried about.

I bit my lip and felt tears prick at my eyes slightly as I saw the look of dispassion that Lyndsey held in her eyes. Sarah whispered something to her but Lyndsey simply shook her head and looked away from me. I looked at Zacky quickly before shaking my head and letting go of his hand.

“Tea...”

I shook my head again and sniffed before turning around and walking away from everyone, my pace quickening as I heard Zacky chase after me.

“Tea, if you want to go I’ll take you home.”

I took my hand away from Zacky’s grip and looked at him, my gaze glazing over slightly as my tears began to build up.

“I just want to be alone.”

I ignored the hurt look that flashed through Zacky’s eyes and turned away, walking once more as I tried to forget the look that Lyndsey had sent me.

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I leant against the post of the pier and watched as the waves crashed in the distance. My shoes dangled from my fingers and my jeans were rolled up slightly as the water calmly drifted up and down my feet. I sniffed and brought my hand up to run it through my hair. There wasn’t any point in trying to wipe away my tears because I knew that they’d just keep on coming. I wrapped an arm around me, holding on to my other arm as I sighed.

I’d walked away from everyone about fifteen minutes ago and although I had told Zacky that I’d wanted to be alone, I was hoping that he’d realise that I shouldn’t be alone. That I needed someone here with me and I hoped that he would be that someone.

“Baby?”

I looked around the post I was leaning against and saw Zacky walking towards me and I wondered what else I could think of that I would want to happen.

“I want a thousand dollars,” I muttered to myself, smiling weakly when I saw the confused look on Zacky’s face.

He came and stood beside me, his hand immediately linking with mine as he pulled me a little closer to him.

“I was thinking how I wanted you to come find me,” I explained. “And there you were. So I was seeing if it would work with something else.”

Zacky chuckled and pressed his lips to my forehead before ducking his head down and pressing his lips to mine.

“You know I’m always here for you Teagan,” he pointed out.

I nodded and rested my head against his shoulder as I swallowed and willed my tears away, though I knew it wouldn’t work. I bit my lip and looked up at Zacky as he rested his hand on my chin, making me tip my head back slightly anyway. His brow furrowed and he brushed his thumb across my cheek before running his fingers through my hair.

“No tears okay?” He asked.

I shrugged and rested my head back down. “It’s not that easy.”

Zacky moved so he was in front of me and cupped my jaw in his hands.

“I know, baby, I know. And I saw the look Lyndsey gave you and trust me, she’s gonna get it. I don’t care if Brian kicks my ass afterwards. You didn’t deserve that look,” Zacky voiced and ran his thumbs over my cheeks again but my tears just kept on coming. “I just hate seeing you cry.”

I smiled weakly and took a deep breath before wrapping my arms around him. The smell that is purely Zacky filtered through and I couldn’t help but feel a bit calmer.

“No more tears,” I replied as Zacky leant his forehead against mine.

Zacky smiled before moving, our noses bumping for a moment before his lips fell on mine. I kissed back, parting my lips to let his tongue slide against mine. Zacky’s hands fell to my waist and he pulled me closer to him, our bodies pressed tightly against one another as we kissed. Zacky was the one to pull away, leaving one last kiss on my lips before simply hugging me. I sighed in content and let my eyes close as I let myself relax in his arms.

“Baby,” Zacky voiced and I picked my head up and looked at him before looking over my shoulder as he nodded in that direction.

I bit my lip as I saw Sarah standing there, Lyndsey standing just behind her and with her arms crossed over her chest. I have a feeling that Sarah might have dragged Lyndsey over with her.

“I’ll leave you three to talk,” Zacky told me.

I looked at him in panic and shook my head. “Please don’t leave.”

Zacky chuckled and pressed his lips to mine quickly before walking away. I glared at his retreating figure before sighing and turning to look at my two best friends, if I was still allowed to call them that.

“You okay ducky?” Sarah asked.

I shrugged and dumped my shoes on to the sand, away from the water, as I pushed my hands in my front pockets. I watched as Sarah walked over to me before glancing over to Lyndsey who was still glaring at the ground. Sarah sighed and tugged at one of her pigtails.

“I’m sorry for walking away the other day,” Sarah voiced.

I looked at her somewhat shocked because, in all honesty, I didn’t think that I deserved an apology from anyone.

“You shouldn’t be the one saying sorry,” I replied quietly. “I should be.”

“Damn straight,” Lyndsey muttered.

I shot a glance at her and saw that her glare had shifted from the floor and to me. I flinched beneath her stare and looked at Sarah for help.

“Lyndsey,” Sarah sighed. “Can’t you see that she is apologising? Johnny Christ!”

Lyndsey huffed before walking over to us and leaning against one of the posts. I looked at her and guessed that this was my chance to apologise and beg for their forgiveness.

“I really am sorry,” I apologised. “I shouldn’t have let him back in and I don’t know why I did. I just...I didn’t think that...I thought I...I didn’t want to be alone. And it’s stupid I know...I definitely know that now but I...”

“Wait,” Lyndsey cut in and straightened up. “What do you mean definitely know? What the hell did that fucker do?”

I sighed and rubbed a hand across my forehead. “He tried to...”

“Stupid wanker,” Sarah hissed before her tone fell soft as she spoke to me. “You’re okay right?”

I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself. “Yeah. I hit him in the balls.”

Lyndsey chuckled as she looked at me. “I’m sorry for walking away from you too.”

“I’m sorry for making you that angry,” I replied. “The worst thing was, was that whilst he was...when it was happening I wasn’t so much scared of that so much as the fact I’d be all alone afterwards. I didn’t think that I’d have anyone but then...”

“Zacky?”

I smiled and nodded before giving Sarah a questioning look.

“We saw you kiss just now.”

I blushed and nodded slowly before glancing to where Zacky was now messing about with the guys.

“I thought he’d walk away from me again or give me a big ‘I told you so’ but he didn’t,” I told them. “He took me back to his place so I wasn’t just crying on the street.”

“Aw, bless him,” Sarah cooed and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Woman, would you stop blessing people!” Lyndsey exclaimed as she laughed slightly.

Sarah pouted and looked between us. “Do I do it too much?”

“Hell yeah,” Lyndsey and I both said at the same time.

We all fell into silence after a moment or two of laughing and I bit my lip as I wondered if we were okay now.

“Are we okay now?” I asked quietly.

Lyndsey and Sarah shared a look before jumping on me and hugging me. I laughed as they giggled either side of me.

“We’re okay,” Lyndsey affirmed as they pulled away. “But now you have to tell us about you and Zacky.”

I rolled my eyes, happy to have my best friends back, and bent down to get my shoes before walking back to the guys with them.

“We will keep badgering you for details,” Sarah pointed out.

“I know,” I chuckled. “We are now together.”

The girls both squealed and tackled me to the ground. I laughed and pushed them off of me and sitting up as they both laid beside me.

“You know how happy that makes us?”Sarah asked.

“Makes you?” I retorted. “Shit dude, you know how happy it makes me?”

Lyndsey cooed at me and I found myself going a bit red before I looked up as I heard people walking over to us. I smiled as Zacky pulled me to my feet and pecked my lips quickly. I wrapped my arms around his waist as the rest of the guys and girls came over, each of them looking at Zacky and I with raised eyebrows but not mentioning it. I looked over at Jimmy, seeing as out of the guys he was the one I was closest to – except of course Zacky.

He grinned at me and pulled me away from Zacky before sweeping me up in a hug. I laughed and held on to his shoulders tightly before stumbling as he put me on my feet.

“I’m guessing you don’t hate me then?” I questioned him.

Jimmy shook his head and hugged me again. “Nope. Now...what’s going on between you and Baker?”