So Sacrifice Yourself, and Let Me Have What's Left

I giggled slightly against Zacky’s plush lips as he unexpectedly crashed them against mine not two seconds after I got in his car once the final bell rang for school to be out for the day as well as summer. Other students were quickly rushing to their cars, not paying any attention as Zacky pulled away and started to drive out of the student parking lot at Liberty High School. He was quick to take my hand from my lap and lace his fingers with mine. I smiled, looking at him, and I could see the smile forming on his lips as well.

“Just think, next year you get to be a junior and you’ll have to take all those god damn tests!” Zacky said with mock enthusiasm in his voice, only causing me to smile at his actions. This boy always drove me crazy in the weirdest ways. He always made me happy, no matter what.

I heard the familiar voice of James Hetfield and the other guys from Metallica as Zacky’s phone rang. He was quick to answer it, and I watched with confusion as a look of both wonder and disappointment ran across his face once he read the name of the person who was calling. His voice didn’t show his emotion, however, once he greeted, and I immediately knew who it was. “Hey hun.” He said calmly in his normal voice. Zacky’s brows furrowed slightly, and he knew I was watching him, but he ignored me anyway. “What’s wrong?” he paused, looked at me, and shrugged, answering my confused facial expression. “Okay, yeah, of course. What time to do you want me to be there?” my brows furrowed along with his, wondering what he could be talking about. “Alright, sounds good. Bye.” I wasn’t shocked that he didn’t say ‘I love you’ to his girlfriend. He hardly ever did in the past two months, which was when he told me he loved me. Zacky was quiet for a moment as we drove down the familiar road that led to mine and Brian’s house. I still lived there, and Zacky pretty much did as well during the nighttime. Zacky sighed, and I knew he was going to speak. “Gena wants to talk to me in private.” He said quietly, but I still heard him. “I think this is it.”

I knew what he was talking about, and my heart dropped. We had been secretly been together in ways we shouldn’t have been for ten months, but nothing ever stays a secret anymore. I knew Gena was going to figure it out, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. I thought that maybe Zacky was going to be the one to tell her, but somehow Gena beat him to the punch. I knew that this wasn’t the end of their friendship, just their relationship. They were good friends, so maybe even after this whole predicament they could still stay that way. It sounded like Zacky to do something like that, considering he hated giving up on friendships.

“Yay! Acey gets to spend the day with me!” Brian cheered as Zacky and I walked into mine and Brian’s house. I knew what he meant, and now he knew Zacky was probably going to be gone for the rest of the night, considering they can read each others minds, what with them being werewolves and all. Zacky may have been a Hybrid, but he was still a werewolf, meaning he had all of the qualities and abilities as one.

“I’m gonna go ahead and go.” Zacky told me as he pulled me by my waist in a hug. I nodded, hugging his middle. I felt bad about what exactly Zacky was headed to do. But it was bound to happen, so it might as well be now or never. Zacky placed his index finger on my chin, gently forcing me to look at him. I smiled slightly at the smirk forming on his lips as he gently pressed his lips against mine. He lingered there for a bit, and I didn’t mind one bit.

“Awh, how cute!” Brian cooed from behind us. I laughed quietly against Zacky’s lips, but he didn’t find it so funny. A low growl emitted from his throat, and I could tell that Brian rolled his eyes. “God, you’re so protective.” I could hear footsteps coming from behind me as Zacky pulled away from our kiss. I quickly let out a small squeal as Brian tore me away from Zacky’s arms and into his.

I laughed quietly, and Zacky rolled his eyes. “Make sure you remember that Ace needs food, too, you pig.” He smirked, and then looked at me. “I’ll see you tonight.” He winked, causing my cheeks to burn.

“Rapist,” Brian mumbled, but Zacky heard him anyway. Before leaving, Zacky flipped Brian off and closed the door behind him. I smiled, and felt Brian’s chin on my shoulder. “So, whaddya wanna do today, Acey?” he asked.

I rolled my eyes at the name Brian had made up for me. It wasn’t as big of a deal to me like when Jimmy came up with the name ‘Ace’, but I still loved it. Only Brian called me Acey, mainly because everyone else was apparently too manly to, but I didn’t care. I shrugged once I realized that Brian was waiting for me to suggest something. “I’m kinda hungry.” I said.

“Then pizza it is!” Brian said, grabbing my hands and dragging me out of our house, practically pushed me into his car like he had the first time he took me to his place so long ago.

[Zacky]

I thought maybe music would help, but it just made me feel guiltier. Of course this song starts playing when I’m about to go to Gena’s house to possibly end this once and for all. It was Helena, by the Misfits, our song. It was the first song we kissed to, and the song that was playing when I asked her to be my girlfriend. I quickly turned the volume all the way down, hoping that my guilt wouldn’t get any heavier than it already was. I tried to get my mind off of this whole situation, but then I saw a girl with dark brown hair walking down the sidewalk.

It looked like Candace’s, just not as shiny. It amazed me at how, even when the clouds were completely covering the sun and the moon, her hair still glistened in some type of unknown light that was invisible to the naked eye. Her eyes were just as magical. She hardly ever wore makeup, meaning her eyes were never weight down with thick black eyeliner. They were always the first thing I saw—those perfect, sparkling dark green eyes of hers. But, no matter how hard I tried not to, I would always catch my eyes wandering towards other places south of her eyes. Candace never caught me, or at least she never said anything about it. I usually it at night, when she was fast asleep in my arms. It made me feel at peace watching her sleep, because she looked so innocent and unknown to the world around her. I usually get distracted from her perfect face when I see her chest moving up and down, causing me to look at them. There are days when I want to touch them, and watch her eyes close and hear her sigh in pleasure, but I knew I would just have to wait. Candace was perfect and tempting, but saving her from the Kingdom and the Lycans was the first thing to do on my list. Well, actually, the second thing. The first thing right now was to watch Gena’s heart shatter into a thousand pieces in my hand.

I sighed once I parked in her driveway, staring at her front porch that led into her house, where she was waiting. I ran the words through my head over and over again, making each outcome different form the other so I could be prepared for anything. Of course I prepared myself for watching Gena cry, which was a definite yes on the possibilities. Others I came up with were shouting, screaming, the occasional slap or two, but I wasn’t going to crack. I wasn’t going to let Gena know that Candace was involved in all of this. I knew Gena, and I knew that she would go on an all out hunt for Candace, which, as slightly hot as that sounds, I wasn’t going to let it happen. I love Candace, and I don’t want her to get hurt.

Finally, after getting all the guts I could find, I slowly got out of my car and walked up Gena’s front porch. I thought of Candace, and her gorgeous features, telling myself that this was all for her, which was all the persuasion I needed to knock three times on Gena’s door.
I seriously thought about heading for the hills when I saw her face. She was always so happy, and so nurturing towards others, but now that was all gone. Her eyes squinted slightly, sending invisible daggers right at my head. Where there was normally a bright smile now contained pursed lips, and I could tell she had her teeth clenched. Her voice, however, sounded the same as it always did.

“Come in.” Gena said in her high pitched mouse voice that usually fit her personality perfectly, but now it didn’t. I knew that I was in for it.

I walked cautiously behind her, and scanned her cozy home that I had been in so many times before. The furniture was still in the same place from the last time I saw it, and I saw her little brother, David, watching TV while he ate what looked like chicken strips. He noticed me, and his face lit up with a smile that was so contagious that I just had to smile back. I looked into the kitchen, and saw Gena’s mom, Sally, cooking up a storm. It was something she always loved doing, and also was the only thing distracting her from noticing my existence. Good, now I don’t have to explain myself. I could smell what she was cooking and, as always, my stomach rumbled slightly. Before going into the kitchen to see what Sally was cooking, Gena quickly grabbed my hand, practically dragging me up the familiar stairs that led to her room.

I noticed her hand in mine didn’t have that spark of electricity like it had when we first started going out. Her hand was much colder, compared to Candace’s. Her hands were always so warm, and I loved the feel of having them holding my neck when she kissed me. I shook these thoughts out of my head, telling myself that I had to be serious, meaning I couldn’t think about Candace, which was the only thing I’ve been doing for the past ten months.

Gena closed the door after I walked in, and looked around at her familiar bedroom. Same bed, same black with white polka dots comforter and pillow, same beige colored walls, same wooden vanity that had lights outlining the mirror, same closet, hell even her posters were the same. I usually don’t get annoyed by these kinds of things, considering I haven’t changed much either from when we first started dating, but this was different. I at least expected her to change her sheets on her bed, or something. But no, everything was still the same. I did catch one thing, however, that was going to change. There, on her nightstand beside her bed, was a picture of us that Jimmy had taken without us knowing one night a few days after I asked her to be my girlfriend. We looked so happy and like we both adored each other. Gena says she hates the way she looked in that picture, considering it was before she got her hair cut, but I didn’t see anything wrong. She was beautiful, that much I knew from common sense, but there was something about Candace that made her different. She had this spark, and Gena doesn’t.

I watched as Gena walked past me to sit on her bed. She sat in the middle, her back pressed against the bed post, and her knees pulled up to her chin, leaving me room to sit as well. I followed and sat on her bed as well, only my legs hung off the edge of it. I turned to face Gena, and my heart rate picked up at what we were about to do.

Gena sighed, and looked at me with her soft brown eyes that used to drive me crazy, that is, until a pair of glistening dark green ones looked at me ten months ago. “So, uhm, I’ve been noticing that you’ve been acting…different…lately.” She said quietly, and I knew that she had no idea of how to get the right words out.

I, however, knew exactly what I was doing. I was thanking Candace in my head for telling me that Gena was starting to figure it out so I wouldn’t sound like a total idiot when I was trying to explain myself. “How so?” I asked, very proud of myself that I didn’t hesitate or sound nervous.

Gena shrugged, lifting her tiny shoulders up and down, nodding her head to one side as she looked at my lap. I really wish she would look me in the eyes. “I don’t know, really. It just seems like…you’ve been separating yourself.” She paused, but I knew it wasn’t the end. “I don’t mean to jump to conclusions, but I can’t help it. You know how I am. I know this is gonna sound straightforward, but…” I was now starting to get confused. “Zacky, are you…cheating on me?”

Shit. The one thing I didn’t prepare myself for. I thought I was going to tell her on my own free will, not have Gena actually ask me. I thought I would just tell her that I thought we were better off friends, not that I was cheating on her. This can’t be good. I don’t even know what to say to her. I saw the look of pain on her face when I didn’t answer and she, like she said, jumped to conclusions.

“You are, aren’t you?” Gena whispered, lifting her head, and my heart sank at the tears forming in her eyes. Her lower lip quivered, and I told myself to get ready for screaming. I thought of how much Mom would scream at Dad, and I told myself that if I could live through that, I could live through anything. “Wh-why? Am I really that horrible of a person?” Gena asked, her voice rising a bit.

I tried to get some words out before a battle took place in this room, but it came out as: “N-no, I just—” but Gena held her hand up, telling me to shut up.

“No, you listen here, Zachary.” She spat. My eyes widened, she never actually raised her voice to me, much less called me Zachary. “I want some answers and I want them now, dammit! Are you fucking cheating on me? And if so, what the fuck did I do to you? I did everything in my power to make you happy, but no, I’m not good enough, am I? Who is she, Zack, who the fuck is she? I wanna meet the little bitch whose apparently so much more gorgeous than me to be able to take you away.” She said through clenched teeth, and I could see the angry tears falling down her cheeks.

I wasn’t going to yell, that was my main objective through this entire argument. I wasn’t going to raise my voice to her, and I wasn’t going to hurt her anymore than she had already hurt herself by jumping to conclusions. I was going to try to reason with her, and try to explain things and make myself out to be the good guy. It sounds a bit selfish, I know, but I really want to keep Gena in my life. She’s like my best friend, and I don’t want to lose her when I could tell her everything. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as I waited for Gena to calm down. She didn’t look like she was going to any time soon, so I decided to put my words of input out in the open. “Gena, I’m not cheating on you.” I lied. Of course I lied; it’s the only way of getting your ass out of these situations. “I am talking to other girls, yes, but I haven’t done anything with them. You’re still everything to me, and I want to keep you around.” I wasn’t going to tell her I loved her, mainly because that would’ve been the most fucked up lie of all. I loved Candace, not her. I just hoped Gena wouldn’t figure that out any time soon, or else I would really be royally fucked.

Gena sniffed, and I knew her anger was calming down a bit, but there was still that hint of rage bubbling inside of her. “I’m okay with you talking to other girls,” she said quietly, looking down at her hands. “But, what I don’t understand is, why did you take someone else to school and kiss them?"

My eyes widened for a split second. Why the fuck didn’t Candace tell me this? How did Gena even find out about this? I then thought about one of her friends, Kelsey. She was always getting into other people’s business. It had to have been her that saw all of this. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I stated quietly, hoping Gena would fall for it.

She didn’t. She scoffed and looked up at me, and I could see that more tears had started to fall from her eyes. “Don’t try to pull that bullshit with me, Zachary.” She spat my name like it was some type of venom that had seeped through her body, and she was now spitting it back out. “Kelsey fucking saw you kiss another girl! She’s the only friend I actually trust, so of course I know what she saw was the real thing.” I kept in the urge to roll my eyes. Of course Gena trusted a nosy stuck-up like Kelsey over her own boyfriend. “Seriously, if you just tell me the bitch’s name, then I’ll be okay. Just admit that you’re cheating on me, and we can call it quits. It’s that fucking simple.”

I held in a laugh. She says it’s simple, but I know she’s lieing. I know her better than that. If I told her the bitch’s name, as Gena called it, she would go crazy. If I actually admitted to her that I was cheating on her, she wouldn’t just call it quits and that would be the end of our story, oh no, she would make it much worse. She would find this girl whose name I said, and she would kill her. I hated this side of Gena. I had only seen it once, when her ex-boyfriend broke up with her. I was now about to fall under that category of people she hated. The girl whose name I said would go under that category, too. I sighed as I got a good look at the pain and anger that was plastered all over Gena’s normally calm and laid back face. I had to tell her. I had to make that pain go away. I sighed, looking right at her. She wasn’t looking at me, so I cupped her face in my hands. She tried to get away, but I wouldn’t let her. I forced her to look at me, and she played a look of innocence on her face. That look would only apply to one person and one person only, the only person to ever make me want to attack her when I saw that look—Candace. I think Gena knew that I liked the innocent thing, but it didn’t work on her. But when Candace did it, my God, I want to pounce on her right then and there and make her mine.

Okay, Zack, pay attention…

“Gena…do you want to know the truth?” I asked slowly and quietly. She nodded, and I had a plan all worked out. I smirked slightly, knowing that she could never get enough of it, and it worked this time as well. “I’m not seeing another girl. I have kissed another girl, however.” Her eyes widened, and my smirk grew, only making her more calm and relaxed, which was the only way I could think of how to get her to listen to me. “It was a dare, and all the guys were watching us, and neither one of us could back down. That’s all I’ve ever done.” I lied, but she didn’t see it. I knew she wanted to know who this girl was, but I was debating whether or not to tell her.

“Wh-who was sh-she?” Gena stammered like she always did when I was this close to her. I swear this girl was absolutely nuts about me. I used to be that way towards her, that is, before I met Candace. I need to stop thinking about her. This is driving me crazy.

I gently began to rub one of my thumbs against her cheek, and she fell right into my plan by relaxing even more. “Do you really want to know?” I whispered, and she nodded against my hands. I took in a breath, preparing myself for the worst. “Kelsey.” The minute the name escaped my lips, Gena pushed me away angrily, causing me to fall off the bed.

“What the fuck?!” she screamed as I landed on the floor of her bedroom. I really hoped that Sally didn’t hear the thump I had made, or else she would be up here any minute, and have Jared, Gena’s Dad, drag me out of here himself and away from his daughter completely. I rubbed the back of my head that had hit the floor and looked up at Gena, knowing that she was going to go crazy. “You kissed my fucking friend?! How sick are you?! So that dumb bitch fucking told me that she kissed you herself?!” she yelled, and I knew she was talking about when Kelsey had seen me kiss Candace. “Fuck, and to think I loved you!” she screamed, and that really hit me. I knew she loved me, but I didn’t think she would regret it. I sighed, but I knew that there was nothing I could say. “Get the fuck out of my house, Zachary Baker! I never want to see you again!” she quickly jumped off of her bed and brought me to my feet. I didn’t struggle, considering I knew it was coming, which was why Gena could actually lift someone that weighed maybe four times as much as she did to their feet. She violently yanked the door open before pushing me through it. I really didn’t want to see Sally or Jared now. I had actually started to regret coming here in the first place. “We’re through, you no good bastard! You can just go to hell, and kiss my ass on your way down!” she screamed, slamming the door shut in my face, leaving me dumbfounded.

Everything was eerily silent downstairs, meaning that Sally had heard every word of what just went on upstairs. I didn’t want to go down there, but I had to. I winced slightly when I heard what sounded like glass breaking, and I knew that Gena had thrown the picture frame against the wall that contained the photo of me and her. I sighed, thinking of how the entire year and five months was now down the drain to be forgotten in the sewers.

Everything was still quiet, and I knew I couldn’t go down there. I thought of when I snuck into Gena’s house once last summer, and I was going to use that escape plan instead. I walked towards the window at the dead end of the hallway in Gena’s house, and escaped through there. As I was climbing down, I could hear Sally’s footsteps run up the stairs, which made me feel lucky that I hadn’t stayed any longer. I jumped down with a soft thud against the grass, and I could only think of one thing that really did make me feel like the no good bastard Gena said I was. I needed Candace in my arms, not Gena.

[Brian]

You can just go to hell, and kiss my ass on your way down!

I couldn’t help myself any longer. I literally spit out my coke that I was drinking all over the table in front of me before bursting into hysterics, earning strange looks from everyone, including Candace. I didn’t think Gena had it in her to scream at Zacky. She always treated him as if he was godsend, or something. I continued to laugh as I felt the tears swell up in my eyes. I tried to stop, but it just didn’t work. I know it’s not right to laugh at Gena’s pain and misery, but, let’s face it, I’m an ass. I live to do these kinds of things.

“Uh, Bri, are you alright?” Candace asked slowly, and I looked up at her to see that she was staring at me with her brows furrowed, making the skin in between them scrunch together a bit. She looked adorable, as she always did, but I didn’t say anything about it. Zacky already had dibs on her, meaning he would most likely slaughter me if I tried anything.

I nodded after my laughter calmed down a bit, and looked at her. The confusion had gradually begun to sweep away from her flawless face. She really was beautiful, and I would always get pissed at how Zacky said that Candace never thought of herself that way. “S-sorry,” I choked in between the final giggles. “It’s just that…Gena…she ended it with…Zack.”

I watched as her eyes widened, and it made me laugh slightly more because I knew how long she was waiting for this to happen. She had wanted Zacky since the minute she met him. I knew that from when I touched her arm for the first time. I saw how she felt about him, and I was slightly disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, I love Michelle and all, but there was a part of me that wanted Candace. I wasn’t going to do anything stupid, considering Zacky watched over her like a hawk, and because something told me that Candace was too innocent for me. She wasn’t a virgin, I knew that from reading her mind when I touched her, but she doesn’t even remember it, thanks to her being drunk and all at the time, meaning she would have no idea of what to do. So, in the meantime, I would just have to let that one itsy bitsy part of me that liked Candace stay itsy bitsy, ‘cause I knew she loved Zacky, and he loved her. I wasn’t going to fuck that up.

“D-did sh-she r-really?” Candace asked in an almost unbelieving tone. She stared at me with wide eyes, waiting for my answer. I nodded, a slight smirk playing on my face, and Candace’s face lit up. She looked so happy at Gena’s pain, and I knew that I was really going to like this girl. “Where is he?” she asked breathlessly. I held up my index finger, telling her to wait for a minute, and she understood by patiently waiting in her seat.

Are you gonna join us? I thought, hoping Zacky wouldn’t tune me out like he did almost every other time I tried talking to him.

Yeah, but I’m not eating. I have to talk to Ace. Zacky thought, and I could hear the slight pant in his voice. He was obviously running.

Okie dokie, we’ll be here waiting. I thought, looking back at Candace, who still had a look of disbelief on her face. I smiled slightly at how shocked she looked. Zacky was single, and I knew Candace was going to be around him a lot more. But it wasn’t going to be Candace that practically throws herself at Zacky. No, I was pretty sure it was going to be the other way around. I then thought about what they would do should they actually become a couple. I groaned, but Candace didn’t hear it. I need to get some earplugs if they’re gonna do that all night.