Note to Self

Ari's POV
I found River sitting on the sidewalk. I sat down next to him and kissed his cheek. "Hey." I smiled.
"Oh, hi." He smiled back and took my hand. "Ari, will you be my boyfriend?"
"Of course." I said. He kissed me passionately. Reese and Reggie were skating a few houses down. I didn't care that my two best friends currently hated me. None of that mattered. Why they hated me was a mystery, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that I was with an amazing guy.
"Hey, Ari!" Reese called and skated over to me.
"So you're talking to me again?" He hadn’t talked to me since he dumped me.
Flashback:
"Hi Reese." I kissed him. "What's up?" Reese and Reggie glared at me.
"How could you?" Reese whispered.
"How could I what? What did I do?"
"Oh, don't play dumb with me." Reese stood up.
"Really I don't know."
"Okay. Uh, how about you took us off tour? You're too fucking scared to try music again. It's making me mad. I want to be something. I want to make something out of myself and you're just ruining it. And to top it all off, your lying to me."
"About what?"
"You say that you love me, but Julie says that you and her hooked up."
"I didn’t. Gross. I don't even like Julie. She's just Emma's friend." I said.
"You fucking cunt. I hate you. We're over. Don't talk to me again. Come on Reggie." I stood there numb, before the tears started to fall.
End of Flashback
"Yeah. Who's this?"
"Um, this is River Masters. River this is Reese Farris."
"Nice to meet you." River said.
"Like wise. Hey, Ari, can I talk to you?"
"Yeah sure." I followed him to where he leaned against my dad's car.
"Look I'm sorry about believing Julie, but Emily was saying it was true and Reggie, well he was being Reggie. You're not ruining my life. I get that you're scared. So best friends again?"
"Of course." I hugged him.
"So about your sexy little friend. What's his story?"
"Uh, well he's one of Zakky's patients who's parents dumped him on us. They're also suing Zakky. So I guess my whole rich kid status is going to deteriorate. Eddie was just, well he just works at a restaurant as a waiter. I mean, it's a really fancy restaurant, but how can anything be good when you live on minimum wage plus tips?"
"I’m sorry."
"I don't care that I'm not going to have rich parents anymore, but the fact that Zakky loves helping kids and that he'll be crushed. And then how are we supposed to pay bills? How are we supposed to buy food?"
"I'm sorry. Maybe you could try getting us back on the lineup."
"Starting out takes more money than you get."
"Well it's a start right? And you don't even know that Zakky's gonna get his license revoked."
"But what if it is?"
"I don't know. But think positively okay?"
"Um, sure."
"So back to sexy River. You think he's interested in me?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because he just asked me out."
"You said know right?"
"I'm not stupid."
"I broke up with you a month ago and you already moved on?"
"Mhm."
"Damn." Reggie came over and hugged me.
"I'm sorry. Please take this kiss as a token of friendship." He grabbed my face and kissed my cheek. "Let's go out for pizza."
"Sounds good. It'll be a way for you and us to get caught up." Reese said.
"You're forgiven both of you, but I should really get back to River."
"He can come if he wants." Reese smiled.
"Um, let me ask." I went over to him.
"So who are they?"
"Oh, Reese is my ex. Broke my heart, Thanks for repairing it. But they are my best friends."
"Oh."
"They just started talking to me. They want to know if we want to go out for pizza."
"Okay." He stood up and took my hand.
"So that's a yes?" Reggie asked.
"Mhm." I nodded.
Ash's POV
We were at the restaurant that Eddie worked at for dinner. I was bored. Aqua kept braiding and rebraiding the same strand of hair. "Well this is taking forever." I muttered.
"Be patient." Dad told me.
"But Dad, they haven't even taken orders." Eddie came over with our drinks.
"Aw, thank you Eddie." Daddy smiled. "But you're not our waiter."
"True, but we're swamped." I looked around the restaurant. There was barely anyone here.
"Doesn't look like it to me." I said.
"Ash, don't be rude." Daddy said.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. You're right. It's slow, but Angie is having a hard time right now."
"Oh…"
"So what can I get for you guys?" Eddie smiled.
"Uh…I'll get the lobster." Aqua smiled.
"Aqua…" Dad said.
"Aaron, let her get what she wants." Eddie smiled.
"Don't tell me what to do." Dad said swatting at Eddie.
"I do want the lobster legs Dad." Aqua said sipping her coke.
"Fine." The rest of us ordered and Eddie put the order in. He came and pulled up a chair.
"I'm on break for ten minutes. How's life?"
"Good." I said. "Is Ari home?"
"Yeah." Eddie said. "Got himself a new boy to run around with only he's living with us."
"What?" Daddy asked.
"Well Zakky's patient came to live with us. His parents, as it turns out are very abusive. They're also suing Zakky, so I'm kinda worried. I mean you know how the courts are. They are always siding with straight people over gays. I'm sick of it. They're gonna get away with beating a kid. It's horrible. Anyway, Ari's all over the guy and they've been acquainted if you catch my drift."
"What?" Aqua asked.
"They had sex." I whispered.
"Ash." Daddy shook his head at me. I knew that telling my sister things like that were kinda not good, but she was thirteen. She should get it.
"Yeah." Eddie said. "Ari and Em are changing so fast Zakky and I don't get it. I mean, I guess Ari is still a good kid, but Emily…drugs and alcohol." He shook his head. "And then she gave me and Zakky the whole, 'your not my father' thing and Zakky was pulled the 'well I'm your uncle' thing and so now she only listens to him." Eddie sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"Well…" Dad started.
"Eddie, you got a call." Our original waitress said. She looked worried.
"Is everything okay?"
"Just go get your phone." Eddie quickly went away.
"I hope it's not bad." Daddy said quietly.
Eddie's POV
I picked up my cell out of my locker. "Hello?"
"Eddie, can you please get home now." Zakky's said sobbing.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Um, Eddie just come home."
"I'll need a reason Zak. You know that."
"Um…it's Ari. Just please."
"What happened?"
"I don't know. His friends brought him home. It's not good Eddie…just please."
"I'll be home as soon as I can." I hung up the phone and found my boss, Jim.
"Um, Jim."
"What?" He looked at me coldly. He hated being bothered, but sue me.
"Uh, my husband just called and I need to get home. Something happened to our son."
"Listen Eddie, I like you as a person and all. You're a real nice guy. Great waiter, but there's a reason you've stayed a waiter for eighteen years. I hate gays, okay? So give me one reason why I should let you go home to your faggy husband?"
"Because I know you have kids. You wouldn't even ask to leave, you'd just go. I'm asking you just because it's what I should do. I'm not going to care on way or another. I promise I'll make up the work. Just please."
"Go, but don't come back. You're fired."
"What?"
"This is my restaurant. You're fired." I sighed and left. I'd worked here since I was sixteen. I was now thirty-four. There was a reason I had stayed being a waiter. I hated college. It sucked. I loved being a waiter. I grabbed my things and rushed home.
Zakky's POV
This couldn't be happening. Why were things falling apart? Why? Why had things gone so badly after Kyler died? I guess I'd never know. All I knew was Emily was not herself and she wouldn't talk to me unless she was saying something horrible and Ari had been beat up…badly. Reese was in bad, but not too bad, shape and River too. Reggie said it was that guy, Jerry, and his fucked up friends. If you ask me, homophobes are the lowest form of low. Eddie came into our room.
"How is he?" I asked.
"Uh, he's sleeping." He came over and wrapped him arms around me. "You okay?" I was shaking I realized.
"I'll be fine."
"Zakky, I love you."
"I love you too." I kissed him and we laid next to each other snuggling.