The ABC's of Growing Up

I took in a deep breath and stared up at the big brick building that was looming in front of me.

“Come on,” Zacky laughed as he pushed me forward a few steps.

“I don’t want to,” I whined and stamped my foot.

Zacky chuckled before slinging an arm around my shoulders. I looked up at him with an unimpressed look but he simply laughed again as he steered me to where everyone else was standing.

It’s been three days since we had been at the park and Brian had made that remark about me. I hadn’t spoken to him since and I hadn’t spoken to Lyndsey or Sarah either. That was one of the reasons why I didn’t really want to be here. That and it would be the first time I’d see Jack since we broke up.

“Can’t I just be home-schooled?” I grumbled.

“Nope,” Zacky laughed as he pulled me closer to him. “I’d miss you too much.”

I felt myself blush and I looked away from him. Since I hadn’t spent the last three days with Lyndsey and Sarah, Zacky had made it his mission to keep me company. He didn’t want me to just sit at home and wallow. I can’t say that I was annoyed with him when he randomly turned up on my doorstep. It was nice to know that someone besides Sarah and Lyndsey cared about me.

I’d be lying too if I said that Zacky and I hadn’t become closer during these few days. He was possibly one of the nicest guys that I’d ever met and he was absolutely hilarious. He kept my mind off of everything and made sure that I kept smiling. Like I said, it was nice to know that someone besides Sarah and Lyndsey cared about me.

“You can be home-schooled with me then,” I suggested as I smiled up at him.

Zacky grinned at me and pressed his lips to the top of my head. I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arm around his waist before glancing up as I heard laughter. I slowed my steps down and Zacky looked down at me before looking at what I was looking at.

“It’ll be fine,” he whispered down at me.

I shrugged and bit my lip, keeping my gaze down as he led me over everyone.

“Teagan!”

I looked up just as Jimmy threw himself at me. He wrapped his arms around me and pushed Zacky away, making me laugh slightly as Zacky grumbled.

“You disappeared,” Jimmy pouted down at me.

I shrugged. “I was at home. Didn’t really fancy seeing people.”

“You saw Zacky,” Jimmy pointed out and I didn’t miss the smirk on his face.

“To be fair...Zacky doesn’t really count as people...Zacky isn’t quite human enough.”

“Hey!” Zacky protested as he came up beside us again, a finger coming up and pointing at me. “Not nice.”

I smirked slightly and smacked his hand away. “Truth hurts right?”

Jimmy literally howled with laughter and I could hear others laughing. Zacky pouted at me and I looked away from him because he was giving me the face that I always gave in to.

“Teagan,” he whined slightly.

I scrunched up my face before looking at him again and sighing.

“Fine. Fine! You are every bit of a human Zacky. Sometimes I even wish I was as awesome of a human as you.”

Zacky grinned and nodded as he threw an arm around my shoulders. “Thank you. I liked the bit at the end. Very nice.”

I laughed and nudged him slightly before glancing to the side as I heard someone clear their throat. I bit my lip as my smile fell slightly when I saw Lyndsey and Sarah looking over at me, both of them wrapped up in their boyfriend’s arms though I could tell that Lyndsey wasn’t too happy with Brian.

“Tea...can we talk please ducky?” Sarah asked quietly.

I swallowed and nodded before walking to the side so we could talk. We all stood there in silence for a while and I hugged myself as the awkwardness almost smothered me.

“We’re really sorry,” Lyndsey almost whispered. “We don’t mean to try and control your life.”

I looked up at them as I felt my eyes begin to water. “It’s just the...the...”

“The sex thing?” Sarah asked as they both stepped a bit closer to me.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s bad enough that Brian always brings it up but...by bringing it up all the time...it makes me feel like a freak.”

Lyndsey’s and Sarah’s faces both dropped before they rushed to my side their arms around me.

“You don’t do it a lot and you do defend me when Brian brings it up but...the other day when you said that it would be your resolution...it makes it feel like there is something wrong with me.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Lyndsey promised. “I honestly didn’t mean to and I’m so sorry Tea. I really, really am.”

“Me too ducky. I didn’t know you felt like that. Why didn’t you say anything?”

I shrugged as we all pulled apart for a bit. “It didn’t bother me so much when I was with Jack but now...now that I’m alone...”

“You won’t be alone for long,” Lyndsey smiled as she brushed some of my hair behind my ear.

I smiled back before we all hugged again.

“You forgive us?” Sarah asked, her question muffled against my shoulder.

I nodded and laughed slightly. “I can’t stay mad at you too for long. Then who would I be left with?”

Lyndsey smirked somewhat and nudged me. “You’d be left with Zacky.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, quiet laughter still falling from my lips.

“Don’t start on that. He’s just a friend.”

“Sure he is,” Sarah teased me as we walked back to everyone.

“He is,” I insisted. “And it’s nice having another friend. It’s nice to know that someone other than you two cares about me.”

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“Teagan, can I talk to you for a second?”

I looked over my shoulder as Brian spoke up and my brow furrowed. I looked at Zacky who was leaning against the locker beside mine. He simply shrugged.

“Well you’re no help,” I muttered as I shut my locker.

Zacky chuckled and I turned around to lean against my locker as I looked up at Brian.

“What do you want Brian?”

Brian looked at Zacky and I had a feeling that he wanted Zacky to leave us alone but Zacky simply grinned and remained where he was. I rolled my eyes and chuckled slightly before motioning to Brian for us to move to the side, slightly out of Zacky’s way.

“What is it Brian?”

“I just wanted to say that I’m really sorry for what I said the other day.”

My eyes snapped up to his and I think my eyebrows shot up through my hairline.

“You...you’re...wait,” I stuttered slightly. “You’re apologising to me?”

Brian nodded and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. A nervous habit I noticed a lot of men seemed to have.

“I really am sorry. And I’m not just saying this because Lyndsey is pissed off with me,” he chuckled slightly and I couldn’t help but smile. “And it’s not just the other day. I’m sorry for being a complete dickhead towards you. I honestly don’t know why and I can’t excuse it. All I can say is that I’m so fucking sorry.”

I nodded and smiled. “Knowing how big your ego is, I know that took a lot to apologise to me.”

Brian smirked slightly and shoved his hands in his front pockets of his jeans.

“I am sorry.”

“I know and as long as you keep your thoughts to yourself, then I forgive you.”

Brian grinned and nodded. “I promise you I will.”

I smiled before looking to the side as I heard yelling. My eyes widened as I saw Zacky push Jack up against some lockers and throw a punch.

“Fuck,” Brian hissed as people began to crowd around the two boys.

Brian and I ran over to them, the both of us pushing through people to get to them.

“Zacky!” I shouted but he ignored me as he punched Jack in the stomach.

I shrieked slightly as Jack threw a punch at Zacky, hitting him square in the mouth. I grabbed Brian’s arm and shook him slightly.

“Get them off of each other Brian!”

He nodded and grabbed Zacky, yanking him off of Jack and pulling him out of the fight. Zacky struggled to get away from Brian but I stood in front of him and stared him down.

“What the hell are you doing Zacky?” I shouted as I tried my best to ignore the blood running down his chin from his busted lip.

“He was talking shit about you!” He replied as he carried on trying to get out of Brian’s grip.

I turned and looked at Jack, finding him chuckling even though he had blood dripping down his face. He spat some blood on the floor and I scrunched my face up slightly.

“Can’t deal with the fact that I’ve been with her Baker?”

Zacky growled again and I looked to him just in time to see him lunge forward. I stepped out of the way just as Brian lost his grip and Zacky grabbed Jack’s collar and shoved him up against the lockers.

“Zacky!” I yelled again and placed my hand on his shoulder as he went to hit Jack.

Jack chuckled again as Zacky let him go and stepped back. I placed myself between them in a hope that it would stop Zacky from lunging forward again.

“You’d like her Baker. Really up for it,” Jack smirked as he looked at me. “She’ll do anything.”

I narrowed my eyes and stepped forward, Jack’s gaze remaining on me.

“We never did anything you dickhead,” I spat as I shoved him against the lockers.

“Doesn’t mean you weren’t up for it,” he pointed out, his smirk still there. “You were practically begging...”

I smacked him hard across the face and he looked at me in shock.

“I never begged you for anything,” I growled lowly. “I’d never sink to such a low that I’d have to beg for your worthless ass. Now do me a favour and fuck off before I let Zacky ruin your face that bit more.”

I shoved him into the locker once more before turning on my heel and pushing through everyone, catching Zacky’s hand on my way and bringing him with me.

“You’re an idiot,” I stated once we had stepped outside.

Zacky looked at me in shock and pulled me to a stop. “How am I an idiot?”

“What was that in there Zack?” I asked, gesturing back to the school where Brian was just coming out.

“That was me defending you,” he snapped.

I sighed and took a breath. “I get that. And I appreciate that you stick up for me but you can’t go around fighting.”

“Why not?” He pouted before hissing as, I’m presuming, pain went through his lip where it was split.

“For one, you’ll ruin your pretty face,” I teased him and he chuckled slightly. “But I don’t want you getting in trouble because of me.”

Zacky smiled as well as he could before slinging an arm around my shoulder and pressing his lips to my forehead. My face scrunched up and I wiped my forehead, seeing blood on my fingers.

“Thanks for that.”

“Anytime.”

Brian came up beside us and eyed up Zacky before shaking his head and laughing.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Why do people keep saying that?” Zacky whined.

I laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“Come on love. Let’s get you cleaned up.”