Hollowed Hearts

Brian’s POV
I’ve known Ari way longer than Zacky ever did. She lived right across the street from me and her parents would always drop her off every day for as long as I can remember. But the first memory I remember...well...technically...I tried to kill her.
Flashback

“Give it back Ari!” Brian’s cheeks turned bright red as Ari hugged the box to her chest. She grinned at Brian malicously and stuck her tongue out at him. Brian got up to run after her and they chased each other in circles around Brian’s backyard.
They both collapsed from exhaustion but Brian folded his arms angrily, his entire face red.
“Give it to me now Ari!”
“If you don’t tell me what’s in it, I’m going to throw it in the pond.” Ari stood up and walked over to the river, opening the box as Brian stood up. She burst out laughing and he screamed at her.
The next thing Brian knew, he was standing by the edge of the pool. And Ari wasn’t there. He looked down in the water, tears burning his eyes, because Ari disappeared.
Behind him, someone screamed. Brian turned and saw his mother, completely pale-faced and wide eyed, she stared at her son with fear and shock.
“Brian, you pushed Ari in the water! She can’t swim!” She ran over to the pond, pushing a frozen Brian out of the way and searched the water for Ari.
A minute later, his mother pulled Ari’s body out of the water.
An ambulance arrived not soon after.
Brian didn’t remember riding in the ambulance, or seeing Ari being carried away by people. He didn’t remember waiting in the waiting room and he didn’t remember his mom telling him off. But he did remember seeing her body lying on floor, holding her limp almost blue hand in the ambulance, and curling up with her that night on the hospital bed while she was falling asleep, trying to convince himself that he never meant to push her, for years and years to come.

Flashback
But it was an accident. I don’t hate Ari.
“Brian hurry up! We’re on!” Zacky shoved me forward with his guitar, making me fall forward.
“Wow Zacky. All you have to do is knock Matt and Jimmy out and then the whole band can’t play tonight.” Zacky grinned as he helped me off the floor.
"Sorry man. Break a leg out there."
"You too." Zacky brushed past me, waiting by the door before turning to me. "Yo Brian! We're on. Watcha waiting for?" I ran in front of him and walked on stage,hearing thousands of people scream as I came on. Zacky came up beside me, and hit me playfully with his guitar, making the audience go crazy.
'Whatcha waiting for?' What am I waiting for?
Blinded in Chains started and I began playing, cursing as I almost missed my cue.
'Whatch waiting for?' Ari was in the very front row, her arms waving wildly at us. Her eyes focused on me and a seductive smile appeared as she blew me a kiss.
I winked back at her - and regretted it - because that kiss wasn't meant for me, but for Zacky, who stood behind me like he always had.
'Whatcha waiting for?'' Her. I'm waiting for her.
Ari's POV
Blinded in Chains was playing so loud that I thought I was going to go deaf. But as long as I lose my hearing when I'm old and crippled, I'm good for now.
People next to me and behind me kept shoving me to the side so they could get closer to the stage. One girl even tried climbing on top of me before I shoved her on top of someone else. She tried climbing on top of me again, shoving my hands down so I couldn't push her off but she was eventually - finally - taken out by security and I waved at her happilyas she desperately tried to get back. At least until she saw me and screamed ''Fuck you, you stupid bitch!", even though I could swear she was screaming my name.

Flashback

Ari stood in the kitchen, wishing that she had stayed at Brian's house for the night. Her mother was out cold on the floor, with barf splattered everywhere that she knew she would have to clean up. An empty bottle of vodka lay by her feet, the top of it completely broken from being dropped. She tiptoed past the vomit to grab the bottleand broken glass so she could throw it in the trash.
Ari remembered Brian asking her if she would stay at his place, remembered seeing his sad puppy dog face, remembered Zacky grabbing her hand and pulling her back into Brian's house so she wouldn't leave. Wiping her eyes so she wouldn't start to cry, she walked over to the closet to graba mop and a bucket.
*****
Ari felt something grab her foot and she screamed. Her mother moaned tiredly and let go of Ari's foot, grabbing her head in pain. "Fuck Ari, you stupid bitch! Your so loud!" Ari put down the dirty mop and grabbed her mother's arms, struggling to drag her out of the kitchen. She had gained more weight in the past three months and it was getting harder and harder for Ari to pull her drunk body when she was so physically weak herself.
Ari hadn't even made it halfway through the living room before she collapsed from exhaustion, she had to drag her mom not only through three other rooms and a corridor but five giant steps before pulling her on top of her mom's bed. It would take a good twenty minutes for Ari if she was lucky.
"Ari?" Ari jumped at the soft voice that was to gentle to be her mom's voice. She turned around and saw Zacky standing in her kitchen, his hand on the wall. "Knock knock." He joked gently, but frowned again. Ari's heart began to pound so loudly in her chest that she was sure Zacky could hear it.
"How long have you been here?" She asked in a cracked voice.
"Awhile.” He answered, walking over to her slowly as if she were a frightened animal he didn't want to scare. He picked up her mother's legs and looked at her expectantly. "Do you want me to carry her?" He asked in that same quiet voice. He must've known that this wasn't the first time her mother had gotten drunk, even if this was the first time he had seen her like this. Like an alcoholic. But Ari grabbed her mother's arms and they hoisted her up in the air.
Eventually, they made it to her mother's bedroom and Zacky let go of her legs as Ari made her mother comfortable by tucking her in and propping her pillows. Ari's mom pointed to the remote control across the room. Ari handed it to her mother and turned around, noticing Zacky was gone. The tears once again crept back to her eyes and a funny feeling filled her chest. He had run away like she had always expected him to do if he found out. This is why she had tried so hard to hide it, so they wouldn’t run, so they wouldn’t leave her.
"Ari baby get me the....” Her mother’s head fell back on the pillow, finally unconscious. She stood there for a moment, wondering whether or not she preferred her mother this way.
Ari was finally ready to go order pizza for dinner again for the third time this week when she realized that there was still barf in the kitchen. Walking slowly out of the room, she turned on the lights and saw Zacky with a sponge, rag, and soap, cleaning up the rest of the mess on the floor. He didn’t look up at her when she came in and she didn’t move from where she was standing until he finished cleaning up and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.
Ari reached over to pick up the soap and dirty rag but threw them both away. She didn’t like reminders. What surprised her even more is without saying a word, Zacky had shuffled through her fridge and pulled out a box of frozen Kentucky Fried Chicken and popped it into the microwave. He grabbed the phone, ordered a box of pizza and soda, and called his mom to let her know he was staying over at Ari’s for a little while before coming home. And then he finally looked at her.
"I don’t know what to say,” He said as his cheeks turned bright red. “Promise you won’t tell anyone.” He took a step towards her but she took a step back. “Promise me.” He lifted his hand and made an X over his heart.
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

Flashback

I looked away from the woman who reminded me so much of my mother and looked back at Zacky, who stayed with me all night despite what he told his mom about coming home soon and held me close on my bed until I fell asleep. I remember waking up hours later, noticing Zacky had finally left and feeling awful because he couldn’t wait for me forever.
Zacky’s POV
This concert was fucking amazing and it was hard to believe it was passing by so fast. But something was really bugging me. Brian messed up three times without making a face, he just looked all zoned out which is weird because Brian gets pissed easily when he messes up. And Ari had made that pouty face she makes when she’s about to cry and more than anything, I wanted to stop playing and see what’s wrong.
But then again I'm not crazy. I just want to see what's wrong.
Thank god Ari hasn’t run off somewhere because then it would take me hours to find her. And I’m getting sick and tired of hunting around for her when she doesn’t want to see me. I mean, why wouldn’t she want to talk to me when she’s sad? I’m all she’s got to love anymore. Me, Brian, and the band.