Seize the Day

Cadey stood up, much to the dismay of Jimmy and Zacky, and dusted herself off.

She turned to the two guys, “I’m gonna go take a walk. Care to join?”

Jimmy and Zacky looked at each other and shrugged, getting up and heading for the door of the bus. Cadey started to follow after them, but not before turning around to wink at Lacey, who stared at her, confused. Cadey winked at Johnny, who just shook his head with a smile. She waved at the two before going down the stairs and jumping out of the bus, shutting the door behind her.

Zacky put his hands in his pockets, not enjoying the cold, October breeze. He watched Cadey.

“Where are we walking to?”

Cadey shrugged, “Just walking. The campus is big and pretty enough. Well, maybe not the actual campus, but the trees sure are beautiful.”

Indeed, the yellow, orange, and sometimes red trees were quite the site to see. Townies flocked to the campus during the fall just to sit and look at the trees. Cadey loved them.

After wandering aimlessly for about 15 minutes, Jimmy started to get hungry.

“Didn’t you just eat?” Zacky asked, staring at the taller man like he was insane.

Jimmy nodded, “Well, yeah, but I’m a growing boy, you see!”

Cadey giggled, “You don’t need to grow anymore! You’re already a giant beanstalk!”

“You’re just saying that ‘cause you’re short.”

“You’re just saying that ‘cause you’re tall!”

“Touché.”

Zacky frowned, “What about me?”

Cadey observed him, “You’re in the middle.”

Jimmy flicked his nose, “At least you’re taller than short shit.”

Zacky swatted him away and slapped him upside the head, “Stop that.”

The two continued to then get into a slap fight, and Cadey was highly amused. She found it entertaining until she was disturbed by a looming presence directly behind her.

“Hey, Cade.”

Cadey jumped and clutched her chest, severely alarmed by the breath on her ear and the oh-so-familiar voice.

“Hi, Ben,” she said, spitting out his name like it were a disease.

He smiled, looking a little offended by the tone of Cadey’s voice. Her face softened and she pulled down on her hoodie, forgetting about Zacky and Jimmy and not knowing that they had stopped their fight to watch her interact with the newcomer. He was tall and of normal stature, with some muscles but yet still rather skinny. His short, yet wavy blonde hair curled around his ears and over his eyes and Cadey wondered for a split second why she ever left him.

“I haven’t seen you in forever,” Ben commented, his cool blue eyes scanning over Cadey’s body.

She subconsciously pulled down on her shorts, remembering the days when he would literally tear them off of her.

“Not since, uh, you know…” he trailed off, staring at the ground.

Cadey’s eyes narrowed, “Never bring it up. Ever. Again.”

Ben held his hands up in surrender, though he remained undressing Cadey with his eyes, “My apologies.”

Zacky crossed his arms and stood directly behind Cadey, giving Ben a cold stare. Ben’s smile faltered.

“Who’s your friend?” he asked, displeased.

Cadey turned to find Zacky right behind her and jumped again. She shouldn’t be scared so easily.

“This is Zacky,” she said with a smile, linking her arms through Zacky’s and giving his arm a squeeze. He grinned at her.

Jimmy moved up to stand on the other side of Cadey, putting an arm around her waist and giving Ben a sly smile.

Ben looked even more surprised, “And that is?”

Cadey’s smile only got bigger as she turned over to Jimmy and wrapped her arms fully around him, resting her head on his chest as she spoke.

“Jimmy,” she said happily.

Ben looked confused and still a little hurt. It was almost as if he were offended to know that Cadey had found not just one other guy, but two.

“You haven’t lost your touch, I see,” Ben smirked, licking over his lips and watching Cadey like she was his prey.

Cadey looked down at the ground. She didn’t care to have him bring up their rather…filthy past. Especially not in front of Jimmy and Zacky.

“Not now,” she mumbled, refusing to meet Ben’s gaze. She knew she could never resist it.

“Oh, but now is as good of a time as ever,” he said. She could almost picture that irresistible, devious smirk planted on his face.

“Back off,” Zacky warned, stepping in front of Cadey, who was still holding onto Jimmy.

Ben held his hands up in surrender again, “I’m not hurting anybody. I’m not Brandon. You know that, Cade.”

Cadey scrunched her eyes shut and held onto Jimmy tighter, “Shut up.”

“If anything, you hurt me, leaving me like that. Just because my friend is an abusive asshole-”

“I said shut up!” Cadey screeched, letting go of Jimmy and turning around to glare at Ben, “Don’t say another word or I’ll shove my foot up your ass!”

“You always were a kinky one, Cade.”

Cadey screamed and launched herself at Ben like she had at Brandon, Jimmy having to hold her back again. She would have escaped if Zacky hadn’t held her from the front.

“Just keep your friend,” she spat, “away from Lacey, you hear?! I know some people who would kill just to kick his ass! And yours!”

Ben’s hurt expression remained, and for a split second Cadey felt bad. He was always good to her, other than his outrageous sex drive and always having to touch her, but his friendship with Brandon made her want nothing to do with him. Ben tried to hide his expression before Cadey saw it, but it was too late. He smirked instead.

“Who? Your two little boy toys? There‘s more of them, isn’t there? You never could get enough. Is five guys good for you now?”

“Oh that is it!” Jimmy said, shoving Cadey into Zacky’s arms and taking long strides over to Ben, punching him square in the jaw.

Ben stumbled backwards, holding his jaw. Instead of fighting back he laughed, almost evilly, and glared right at Cadey. His offended and hurt expression was long gone.

Cadey gulped. She had never seen him like this before. He looked like…

Brandon.

“This isn’t over, Cade,” Ben said, spitting out a small amount of blood, “and I can’t promise Lacey will be safe. Here I was, going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but then I find you replace me with not one, but two other guys? You lost your chance. Not even your little friends can protect Lacey from Brandon now.”

He sent Cadey a sadistic, sarcastic smile before storming off in the direction he came from, spitting blood as he went.

Cadey distanced herself from Zacky and Jimmy, not wanting to do anything stupid to them. She stood there, fuming and glaring at Ben’s retreating back. Tears of anger and worry threatened to spill from her eyes.

“I know now isn’t the best time, but who was that, anyway?” Zacky asked, walking closer to Cadey. He knew better than to touch her in her upset state, but he could at least talk to her, right?

Cadey let out a shaky breath. Her voice sounded forced.

“That was my ex, Ben. Best friend of Brandon.”

“Is that why you left him? Because of Lacey’s…situation?” Jimmy asked, shaking his hand around and ignoring his soon to be bruised knuckles.

Cadey nodded, “Yeah. I did it for Lacey. She meant more to me than he did.”

Jimmy and Zacky shared a look before both approaching Cadey.

“Do you want to go back to the bus or stay out here for a while?” Zacky asked, tenderly setting a hand on Cadey’s shoulder. She flinched, but said nothing about it.

She watched the leaves fall from a nearby tree and blow away in the breeze. She got a sudden chill, remembering that she was wearing shorts and how stupid of her that was. She rubbed her cold thighs and looked up at Jimmy, who was the only one in her vision.

He noted that her eyes were red and puffy from holding back tears and her face was flushed with anger. He could practically see the steam shooting out from her ears, though she tried her best to hide it.

“Let’s go back,” she mumbled, walking with her head down back towards the bus.

Lacey was in for it from Brandon. And it was all Cadey’s fault.