The ABC's of Growing Up

“I have a new year’s resolution,” Lyndsey declared as we looked through rack upon rack of clothes.

I cocked an eyebrow and looked at her for a second as if I had misheard her but the cheesy grin on her face proved to me that she was in fact that insane.

“You are aware its September right?” I asked to which she nodded. “You can’t make a new year’s resolution, dumbass. That happens at the beginning of the year...you know? At new year?”

Lyndsey rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I am making it at the beginning of the year. At the beginning of the school year.”

“You’re an idiot,” I muttered.

I felt someone poke me in the sides and I jumped slightly before turning and looking at Sarah.

“What?”

Sarah simply grinned. I was starting to think that both my best friends have actually completely lost the plot.

“What’s the hot gossip of today’s shopping trip then?” Sarah asked as she rifled through a rack of jeans.

“My new year’s resolution,” Lyndsey replied.

Sarah brought her head up and looked at Lyndsey. “Babe...it’s not January.”

I chuckled at the pout that crept across Lyndsey’s lips.

“I know,” she whined. “But it’s my resolution for the new school year.”

“Oh,” Sarah answered slowly as she nodded. “I get it.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head slightly, ignoring the two of them as I pulled out a T-shirt I liked the look of. I did however look over at them as I heard Sarah shout out “that’s brilliant”.

“What’s brilliant?” I asked.

“Lyndsey’s resolution.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly at the somewhat suspicious look on the girls’ faces.

“I’m gonna regret asking this,” I sighed. “But what is it?”

Lyndsey grinned as she turned on her heel before moving to leave the shop, pointing a finger into the air as she called something out that made me turn a lovely shade of crimson.

“We are going to get you laid Teagan Jacobs! Even if it kills us!”

My jaw dropped and I smacked Sarah as she snickered slightly. She smiled at me before wrapping her arm around my shoulders and steered me out of the shop. I could feel the people in the shop staring after us as we walked.

“I hate you both so much,” I groaned as we caught up with Lyndsey.

Lyndsey giggled as she linked her arms with one of mine.

“No you don’t. You love us.”

“In theory,” I stated as I shrugged away from them. “In practice, you two make it very hard.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Why are you two pouting and whining?” Zacky asked.

We’d met up with the guys about half an hour later and Sarah and Lyndsey were still pouting about what I’d said.

“Tea says that she doesn’t love us,” Sarah whined as she snuggled into Jason’s lap.

“Why would she say that?”

“Because I happened to mention...”

I leapt forward and knocked Lyndsey off of Brian’s lap, smacking my hands over her mouth to stop the end of her sentence. The guys all stared down at us in amusement, my own stare firmly fixed on Lyndsey as I glared at her.

“Happened to mention what?” Jimmy questioned.

“That her resolution for this school year was to get Tea laid,” Sarah finished for Lyndsey.

My head snapped over to her and I felt my jaw drop as colour rose in my cheeks. I felt Lyndsey shake beneath me and saw that she was laughing. I grumbled as I climbed off of Lyndsey, smacking Sarah across the back of the head as I moved, and sat back beside Zacky where I’d originally been.

“There is one problem with your resolution baby,” Brian voiced as he picked a still giggling Lyndsey off the floor.

“There are no problems,” she managed to get out through her giggling.

Brian shook his head as she climbed on to his lap again. “There is.”

“What?”

“You’d need to find someone actually willing to sleep with her.”

As soon as those words fell from Brian’s mouth I felt tears well up in my eyes and I prayed that they wouldn’t spill over.

“Brian Elwin Haner fucking Junior!” Lyndsey screeched as she jumped to her feet and rounded so she could glare at her boyfriend.

“What?” He asked incomplete fake innocence.

I bit my lip as I tuned out what Lyndsey was shouting at him as I tried to focus on not crying in front of him. It would just add fuel to his fire. I looked down at my lap as my fingers fiddled with one another. Someone’s hand covered both of mine and I looked up to have my watery gaze meet with Zacky’s bright green gaze.

“Come on,” he whispered as he climbed to his feet and pulled me to mine.

“Teagan. Ignore him,” Sarah started but I shook my head and glanced at her quickly as I felt Zacky’s fingers lace with mine.

I turned to walk away when Lyndsey said my name. I turned and looked at her, glancing between her and Sarah and for the first time since I became friends with them I felt a small swell of hate for them.

“I wouldn’t have to ignore him,” I pointed out, my voice wavering slightly. “If you two could keep your mouths shut. Just leave my life up to me. Stop trying to control it.”

Without another word to the rest of the group Zacky led me away from them. I could feel them staring after me and felt my jaw tighten with every step we took. I sniffed a little and brought my hand up as I felt a tear fall down my cheek.

“Hey, come on now,” Zacky stated as he stopped us walking and turned me to face him.

He brought his hands up and wiped my tears away.

“No tears,” he commented. “Brian’s not worth them. He’s just being a dick.”

I shrugged and looked to the side as I felt more tears fall. I hugged my arms to myself before I started walking again, deciding that I wanted to go home. A moment later and I found arms wrapping around my shoulders and pulling me to them, turning my body so my face was pressed into his chest.

“Shh,” Zacky cooed as he stroked my hair gently.

My hands went to his chest where I curled my fingers into the material of his T-shirt as I leant my forehead against his chest and let my tears soak into the cotton. I bit my lip as I heaved a deep breath, thankful that I didn’t make that stupid honking noise that I made last time I cried on Zacky. With my breath I inhaled the smell of Zacky and I found myself oddly comforted. My hands snuck up from his chest and hooked around his neck as I carried on crying, though my tears were slowing down.

Zacky pulled away but just enough to look at me and ducked his head down so he could actually see my face.

“He’s not worth it Teagan.”

I shrugged again as I looked up at Zacky. “What if he’s right?”

“He’s not right,” Zacky replied with a furrowed brow. “He’s just being a fucking dick.”

I shook my head and swallowed. “He’s right.”

“No he’s not...”

“Yes he is,” I insisted as I pulled away from Zacky completely and hugged myself again. “Look at me Zack. Why, when guys could have any one of the gorgeous girls that walk around Huntingdon, would they want someone like me? I’m not even worth a first glance for most guys, let alone a second glance.”

Zacky was quiet for a moment as he looked at me, his gaze boring into mine and I fought with myself to keep the stare.

“I’m looking at you,” Zacky commented. “And I see a girl that can give all of those other girls a run for their fucking money. You are just as gorgeous if not more than all of them. And you’ve got to be fucking kidding me if you think guys don’t look at you. That’s all they do. First glance...second glance...fuck that...”

Zacky chuckled slightly as he saw the confused look on my face.

“You really don’t see it do you? You’re right I guess. You don’t get second glances...but that’s because they are too busy with their first glance. You don’t need a second glance Teagan because you get their attention and you hold it.”

I shook my head as I felt my cheeks grow hot due to his words. Zacky smiled as he stepped towards me and placed his hands on the tops of my arms.

“You’re so beautiful it hurts sometimes Teagan and you don’t know it, which makes it even worse,” he smiled down at me before pressing his lips to my forehead. “You need to start looking at yourself, and I mean really looking at yourself. Brian doesn’t know shit. He’s just being an asshole.”

“Not going to argue with you there,” I muttered and looked up at Zacky as he laughed.

I smiled before wrapping my arms around Zacky’s shoulders and hugging him tightly, breathing in his smell.

“Thank you,” I whispered and closed my eyes as I felt Zacky squeeze me gently.

“You don’t need to thank me,” he replied quietly. “But you’re welcome.”

He pulled away and looked at me, his eyes scanning my face.

“Now, no more tears?”

I nodded and smiled. “No more tears.”