Carry Me

Zacky groaned and opened his eyes, feeling the familiar headache come on.

Hangover.

He was surprised, to say the least, to find himself staring at a black ceiling. He had no black ceilings in his house, and he knew Brian didn’t either.

There was only one room with black ceilings…

Levia’s.

His eyes widened when he found he was laying in her bed. The deep purple and black sheets covering him matched the walls of the room, which Zacky always found amusing. Levia loved for everything to match.

He couldn’t help but let out a small grunt of confusion when he found that he was naked. Why was he na-

Oh.

Oh.

Fragments of memories flooded his mind as he thought about last night. Something about everyone naked running down the street, everyone naked at Brian’s house, and everyone naked at Addison’s party. Something about a ‘Roberto’, porn, and Brian being a stripper. Something about Levia wanting to fu-

Oh.

None of it made sense to him, other than the parts concerning Levia. He was pretty sure he had slept with her last night…

Damn it. He was trying to wait, to not push her into anything. She probably hated him now. And the worst part was he didn’t even remember it.

Now here he was, naked and alone in his girlfriend’s bed at his best friend and band mate’s house, clueless and confused.

Alone…he was alone…

Where was Levia?

He let his gaze wander around the room and inspect it fully. Nothing appeared any different, other than the comforter of the bed was laying on the floor nearby. No clothes were in sight, which made Zacky wonder where his went, since he was pretty sure he was wearing them when he left Brian’s last night.

He got up and ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Ignoring the cold air from the air conditioning blowing on his nude self, he tried to think of a way to get clothes. He couldn’t just walk around without any, since he had no idea who was downstairs and didn’t want to take the chance.

He had heard a voice, a single voice, singing downstairs. It sounded like a guy, but Zacky wasn’t really sure. Either way, he thought it best to find something to put on.

He eventually settled with a deep green towel he found in Levia’s adjoining bathroom. Surely she wouldn’t care if he wore it until he figured something else out, right?

Zacky wrapped the towel snugly around his waist, surprised at the softness of it. Levia must like her towels really soft.

Ignoring the mental images of Levia in nothing but a towel, Zacky wandered out of the bathroom, out of Levia’s room, and into the hallway. He swore he caught a whiff of pancakes, and went downstairs to inspect the smell further.

He spotted no other than Jimmy, in the kitchen cooking pancakes. He was singing a song Zacky recognized as something by one of the bands that Levia liked. A band he had never heard of. Rev Theory, maybe?

“Good morning, beautiful!” Jimmy called, skipping over to Zacky and planting a kiss on his cheek. Zacky cringed away, laughing, when he noticed Jimmy was wearing nothing but one of Addison’s aprons.

“Nice outfit,” he commented, trying to hold back laughter.

“I could say the same for you.”

Zacky shrugged, “My clothes were gone.”

Jimmy laughed, “I never was wearing any.”

“So why are you making pancakes?”

“I’ve got the munchies like a motherfucker.”

Zacky chuckled and sat at one of the stools on the island counter, “Where are the girls?”

“Lee and Laney went shopping, Addi, CJ, and Lev-Lev went to the beach, Veronica went home, and I don’t know where the fuck that other whore went.”

“Levia went to the beach?” Zacky asked.

Jimmy nodded, “Yeah. Why so glum, beautiful?”

Zacky cracked a smile at Jimmy’s attempt at cheering him up, “I was just wondering since…you know…we did the deed last night and-”

“You did?!” Jimmy exclaimed, sounding half excited and half outraged.

Zacky watched Jimmy with caution, “Yes?”

Jimmy tapped his chin, lazily plopping pancakes on the counter in front of Zacky for him to eat, without a plate or silverware. Zacky raised a brow, but Jimmy still looked as though he was thinking.

“So you’re wondering why she left without saying anything?”

Zacky nodded, looking slightly embarrassed, “Well, yeah.”

Jimmy put a hand on Zacky’s shoulder, “She didn’t want to wake you up. I think she was a little flustered over having sex. You know how my poor Lev-Lev gets with awkward situations.”

Zacky was about to object, when he realized Jimmy was probably right. Levia was probably mortified and afraid to face Zacky, so she had run off to the beach with her sisters. It hurt Zacky a little, but he knew it was just the way Levia was.

“Where are the other guys?” Zacky asked, not even bothering to ask why or how Jimmy was over here. He probably didn’t remember anyway.

“Passed out at Brian’s still,” Jimmy answered, turning off the burners and wiping his greasy hands on Addison’s clean, stark white apron. He avoiding getting the pink lace on the edges dirty, though.

“How’d the Roach guys hold up?”

“Good. I ran over there to wake them all up but no one moved except Jerry, who told me to fuck off so he could sleep.”

Zacky laughed, “What about the other three?”

Jimmy sat down on the stool next to Zacky, shrieking at the feeling of the cold stool on his bare backside.

“Tobin was face down on the floor, Tony was cuddling a couch cushion in the closet, and Jacoby was clutching onto Bri’s porn collection and spooning Shads. It was awesome.”

Zacky couldn’t hide his laughter and lay his head on the table, “I love those guys. I bet I don’t even want to know about Syn and Johnny.”

Jimmy shook his head, a look of amusement on his face.

“You do not.”

-------------------------------------

Levia lay sprawled out on her blanket, safely hidden from the mid afternoon, Californian sun. She loved her umbrella.

She pushed her aviators up her nose and observed her surroundings.

A family of four were working on a sandcastle a few yards off to the left, and Levia smiled. She hoped she had a family like that someday.

Off to the right, there were a couple of overly tan girls who couldn’t be much younger than Levia. Their skin was such a dark, tan, yet unnatural shade that Levia couldn’t help but wonder how they weren’t wrinkled up like prunes yet. The platinum blonde was on her laptop and the orange haired one was laying with her legs spread widely apart. Levia scoffed.

Straight ahead she could see a couple of really buff guys tossing a Frisbee back and forth. If she didn’t have enough guy problems already, she would quite be enjoying that view.

She let her thoughts drift back to Zacky, as they had been all day. She just couldn’t get him off her mind, for obvious reasons. Addison had insisted that the three sisters go to the beach and get one last tan before Addison got married. CJ didn’t see the point, since her skin was naturally a shade darker and tan-looking, and Addison was going to her honeymoon in the Caribbean, where she would only get more tan. Addison argued that it was all for Levia, and she needed a place to go clear her mind.

Really, there was nothing to clear. Levia just felt so…weird about the whole sleeping with Zacky thing. Sure, she had no problem with it, but she told herself that she wouldn’t have sex again until she had found a guy she was in love with. She hadn’t known Zacky long enough to truly be in love with him, she told herself, and she was confused about how she felt about him and Jacoby anyway.

Levia inwardly groaned. She had been trying so hard not to think of Jacoby all day, for obvious reasons, and try to keep just Zacky on her mind, but it was impossible. It was like she didn’t even have control of her thoughts. Jacoby controlled them all.

Levia really did feel bad for leaving the house and not waiting for Zacky to wake up, but it was just so awkward. Every other time she had had sex with a guy he had always left before she even woke up. It was just a new situation to her, and she didn’t like dealing with new things. They scared her.

That didn’t include that she was also afraid that she had somehow scared Zacky off. That she had somehow disappointed him in the sack and he would dump her for a girl who could fuck better. Like Amber.

Levia scowled at the thought of the redhead who had really been getting on her nerves lately. She was sure Amber would try something with Zacky at the wedding tomorrow, since they were partnered up, and she just hoped Zacky wouldn’t allow it. Whether he knew it or not, Levia did really feel a bond with him, especially after last night, and she wasn’t willing to give it up anytime soon.

Levia’s thoughts slowly drifted back to Jacoby, and she audibly groaned. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about him already?

“Problems?” CJ asked, snapping Levia from her daze.

Levia let her head fall back against the blanket, “You could say that.”

“Is it about Zacky?” Addison asked, pushing her aviators down the bridge of her nose in a manner Levia had seen Matt do many-a-time.

“Kind of,” she admitted.

“Kind of? Does that mean not completely?”

Levia nodded at CJ, “Yeah.”

“Is it Jacoby too?”

Levia turned her head on her left side to get a better look at Addison through her sunglasses, “Possibly. How do you always know?”

“Know what?” Addison asked, sitting up and adjusting her aqua blue bikini top.

Levia looked from the roses on her swimsuit to the silver skulls on Addison’s, “When I think about Jacoby. Or Zacky. You always know who.”

Addison smiled, “It’s obvious. You have this look on your face like you’re fighting yourself in your head. If you’re half smiling, it’s probably Zacky. If you have more of a dazed look on your face, it’s Jacoby.”

“Am I really that readable?” Levia frowned.

CJ shook her head, answering for Addison, “Not at all. Half the time no one can tell how you feel other than embarrassment. We just know since we’ve been around you for so long. Like your entire life.”

Levia smiled softly, “I guess that’s true.”

“So what about Zacky and Jacoby?” Addison asked, laying back down on her own blanket, this time on her front side.

“Just stuff,” Levia answered shortly, not really feeling like explaining. As much as she loved her sister, she just wouldn’t understand.

Addison huffed, “Fine, then. Don’t tell me. I know you will eventually anyway.”

Levia let out a chuckle. It was true.

“Do you plan on seeing either of your boy toys before tomorrow, Lev?” CJ asked, smirking slightly.

Levia bit her lip, “I only have one. And yes.”

Addison shook her head, “Nope, it’s two.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“One!”

“Two!”

“Alright!” CJ yelled, earning a few strange looks from the nearby family and two girls. The two guys even stopped their game of Frisbee. CJ smiled sheepishly at them and the guys smirked, going back to their game.

“I don’t understand how you can’t see it, Lev. Coby really likes you,” Addison argued.

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Levia said, a hint of sadness to her words.

Addison opened her mouth to reply, but a cold look from CJ caused her to shut her mouth. The two still had some unresolved tension, making it obvious every time they spoke to each other.

Levia sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing in the cool shade her large white and purple beach umbrella gave.

She hoped that everything worked out okay.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jacoby woke to the sound of loud snoring and something poking him painfully in the ribs. Upon further inspection, the snoring was coming from Matt and the poking was from a bunch of plastic cases, all with porn videos in them.

He was more than just confused, he was slightly shocked. He didn’t remembering drinking enough to make him do stuff like this, and couldn’t remember the last time he had been that wasted.

Here he was, naked and spooning M.Shadows, a good friend of his, while cuddling a stack of pornos. Bachelor party or not, what had his life come to?

Jacoby slowly got up, holding his head for support. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel all that hungover. He must be gaining his tolerance back.

That wasn’t really a good thing.

From the staircase, he could see Brian, Jerry, and Tony up and moving around. He carefully stepped over Matt and the porn and made his way into the living room. Jerry greeted him with a nod, Tony with a small wave, and Brian with a finger.

Jacoby flipped him back off, “Fuck you too, asshole.”

Brian laughed, “Someone’s happy this morning.”

At first, Jacoby thought he was implying he had morning wood, but after looking down he realized Brian was just using sarcasm.

It was too early for his shit.

“I need some clothes,” Jacoby mumbled, looking around for any articles of clothing on the ground. He found some black and red striped boxers, which he remembered as being his, and slipped them on while the other three watched.

“Can I help you?” Jacoby asked, a light bitterness to his words. Memories of last night were beginning to fill his mind, and he remembered Zacky leaving to visit Levia and not coming back.

He automatically jumped to conclusions and could only imagine what they did over at Matt and Addi’s last night. Just the thought made him upset for some reason.

Jacoby slapped himself across the face. He was such an idiot, falling in so deep so soon.

“Coby? Dude chill,” Brain said, putting a hand on Jacoby’s shoulder. Jacoby shrugged him off.

Jerry and Tony left the room, not really in the mood to deal with their pissy and possibly hungover lead singer. They needed to recover elsewhere.

“I’m fine. I just…have stuff on my mind.”

Brian gave him a knowing look, though he didn’t make a comment, just gave him a pat on the back and walked out, following Jerry and Tony.

Jacoby scratched his head and frowned.

He wondered how tomorrow would go.