This Couldn't Be More Complicated.

Addison’s POV.

Ronnie was at band practice. So here I was sitting in my room, bored, alone and going crazy out of my mind. Usually I would go over to Zack’s..but I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye. I heard my mother halt at my bedroom door when she was walking down the hall.

“Addison, honey-“ my mother started.
“3 weeks, 2 days and” I glanced over at my clock “3 hours” She let out a slow sigh and sat next to me on my bed. She placed one arm around me and let my head rest on her shoulder.
“Why don’t you go talk to him?”
“Because I freaked out at him! I called him an idiot and a bad friend and how dare he go and mess up our friendship and that I never wanted to talk to him again. Why would he want to even look at me?” My eyes started to well up. “I fucked everything up.”
“Watch your language, dear. And he has been your best friend for so long, it couldn’t be that bad” she smiled down reassuringly at me. “I promise that when you go over there and he sees how sorry you are, everything will go back to normal.”

I nodded in agreement at her, threw on a hoodie and left her sitting on the bed alone, smiling, as I flew down the stairs. I walked the familiar route to Zack’s, doubling the pace I would usually take. When I arrived at his door, I hesitated. All my previous confidence vanished as I knocked on the door softly, silently praying that he was either not home, or didn’t hear it. My stomach flipped over when I heard shuffling from behind the door.

“Yeah?” I looked up to an open door, with an extremely large stranger standing before me.
“I, uh, is Zack h-here?” I was surprised I even got that much out.
“Depends. Who are you?” I opened my mouth to answer when I heard Zack from inside.
“Dude just let her in.” I slinked past the large stranger, who barely left me enough room to get past and came face to face with Zack and three other large strangers. I suddenly felt very vulnerable and small. “So what is it?” He asked me as he fumbled with a packet of peanut M’n’M’s.

“Can, can I t-talk to you in p-private?” I said uncharacteristically nervously. The four others stifled laughter, some of them disguising it as coughing.
“Yeah, fine whatever. I have to change my shirt anyways” He motioned for me to follow him up the stairs, and into his bedroom. He closed the bedroom door behind me and pulled his shirt over his head. All I could do was stare. I looked at his chest in awe, and I don’t think my eyes could’ve gotten wider.
“Zacky, what is that?” I pointed to his chest, at the large tattoo that was blazoned across it.
“Oh, that.” He looked down at his own chest, and quickened his search for a shirt in an attempt to cover it back up. “It’s called a deathbat”
I moved closer toward him and looked closer at the tattoo. It was a skull, but with the skeletal wings of a bat. It was interesting, but I couldn’t understand it.
“Why did you?” he ignored my question as he picked up a shirt and closed it over his chest, buttoning it up and covering that tattoo.

“Look, why are you here?” His tone hurt, but I deserved it.
“I just wanted to talk to you about…what happened”
“well?”
“Well why did you tell me?” I asked quietly. He scoffed.
“How could you not know?” I didn’t have an answer. I looked at him blankly. “God, Addy, you’re not stupid” He turned to pick up a belt up off of the floor. “and a whore” He mumbled so quietly I almost didn’t hear him. I stepped back and my arms fell to my sides.
“Excuse me?” His eyes widened as he returned his stance to face me. But then he raised his head and crossed his arms.
“A whore” I blinked back tears. “He has turned you into one. What kind of girl-“
“I can’t believe you” Was all I said. I turned on my heels and exited Zack’s room and made my way down the stairs.

“Addison, wait!” I heard his say behind me. I ignored him. The large stranger that greeted me ever so politely when I first arrived stood in front of the door, blocking it with a smirk on his face. I almost slapped it off. Zack appeared at the bottom of the steps. “You know that’s not how I meant it.”
“How did you mean it then?”
“Get serious Addison, what girl gives it up to some guy she’s known for 5 minutes in the back of a car. Not you. I know you. And I have it on good authority that you fuck him pretty much every time you see each other.” My cheeks burned hot, and there was silence.

“Well hi, my name is Johnny-“ One stood forward with a hand outstretched toward me, but was quickly pulled back by one of the other ones, who was trying to hide laughter.

“Get out of my way” I tried to muster my most threatening voice to the large one blocking the door. All he did was stand there and smirk like an idiot. I turned back to Zack.
“Look, Zack. I’m sorry for the way I reacted”
“It’s okay” My face lit up; “I regret every minute of it anyway” Only to fall.

It was only then that the large one moved from the door, and I swiftly made my way home. It wasn’t until I made sure my mother had left for work and I was in my room, alone, that I let a single tear fall.