All Again For You

I opened my eyes to the sound of my door shutting, being left in my room alone. I stared at the ceiling for a good ten minutes until I heard two low voices start to converse in the hallway.

"What the fuck do you think you are you doing?" I heard a high-pitched voice shriek. I instantly had a hunch that it was Charlotte. Her voice always got at least two octaves higher when she spoke in a hushed tone.

"I came to apologize to her, Charlotte. It was nothing." Garrett's voice said in a hushed tone. I sat up, scooting closer to the edge of my bed, wiping sleep from my eyes. Garrett was no longer in his spot on the edge of my bed, being replaced by his dark sweatshirt. "Don't be so damn-"

"It sure didn't look like nothing, Garrett." She spat back, cutting him off. She said something in a lower tone that I couldn't quite make out, and then raised her voice again before Garrett could reply. "I don't care! You hurt her, and you will die, Nickelsen." Charlotte's words were laced with venom, something she did when she got protective of people or things. Like the time someone she had met out in Phoenix trash talked Kennedy about his clothes, she tore the girl apart verbally.

Garrett let out an aggravated sigh. I could picture him right now: running his fingers through his already-touseled hair repeatedly out of frustration, his eyebrows furrowing together and one arm crossed across his chest. He would be tapping his foot, shaking his head finally before letting his arms dangle free at his sides.

My door swung open, quite forcefully I might add, and Charlotte was standing in the doorway, Garrett in the hall behind her.

"Feeling any better?" She smirked, sitting down at the computer chair by my desk. She propped her head on her hands, her elbows resting on her knees for support. I nodded slowly, unsure of what to say at that exact moment.

"Y-yeah, I am." I stuttered, glancing from Garrett who was standing awkwardly in the doorway to Charlotte, who was aimlessly spinning on my computer chair, then down to my hands folded in my lap. "Just a question though, why are you here?"

"Well, I was supposed to stay over, but then you got 'sick,'" She put air quotations around the word 'sick,' as if I were faking it. Truthfully, I was too upset and annoyed with both Garrett and my own father to really be considered okay.

"Oh," I breathed.

"Yeah, I better get going. My parents are leaving now. I'll talk to you later, Sav." Charlotte got up from the chair, brushing past Garrett as if he weren't standing right in the middle of my doorway, looking out the window of my room.

"Garrett? Are you okay?" I asked, getting up off the bed. My legs felt numb from the lack of movement I had done within the past few hours of the day. I walked towards him, snapping him out of his little trance.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He grunted. I stood close to him, the top of my head barely reaching the bottom of his nose. "I should get going. My mom's probably wondering where I am."

"Okay," I said quietly. I wrapped my arms around his middle, hugging him goodbye. I waited until he was down the stairs until I closed my door and flopped back onto my bed. I turned onto my side, looking back up at my wall until my eyes started to droop shut.

I wanted to will myself to make me stay awake. I didn't want to go to sleep with all these thoughts running through my head. I wanted to know what Charlotte and Garrett were talking about. Something about "hurting me," was all I knew.

My mind was reeling, to say the least. It was nearly four in the morning before I fell asleep, and I planned on sleeping the day away.

&&

So much for sleeping the day away. I thought. The clock from my alarm read 2:14 PM, making me groan loudly. Light from my window above my bed poured into my room, spilling onto my sheets. I pulled my blanket above my head, trying to block out the rays.

My phone buzzed on my nightstand, ringing out All Time Low's "Coffee Shop Soundtrack."

"Hello?" I asked groggily.

"Dude, where the fuck have you been within the past 48 hours? I've tried calling you like, ten times." Charlotte was sounding frantic on the other end.

"Woah, calm down." I replied. "I guess I've been sleeping. I don't even know myself." I was shocked to see how long I was asleep for- I'd never slept in past ten o'clock, much less for almost two days straight.

"Seriously, Sav?" She laughed, I could picture her shaking her head. There was yelling in the background, which I imagined was the guys all fighting with each other. "Anyway, get your ass over to John's. There's gonna be a late-night movie fest. You're coming, and staying."

This time I heard another voice in the background, which didn't belong to any of the guys, I knew for sure.

"Char, who else is there? Besides the guys, I mean." I asked quietly.

"Marie. She apparently doesn't understand the terms of no-girlfriends at the movie fests."

"Fuck, she's with Garrett again?" I sighed, pushing my bangs out of my eyes.

"Yeah, I guess so. Now get your ass over here!" She hung up, the line going dead. I tossed my phone into my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I scribbled a quick note to my mom, who was already asleep in bed.

I grabbed my keys to my car out of the kitchen drawer and headed out into the dry Arizona heat. Even at nine o'clock it still felt like the sun was beating down on my back, a light sweat forming on my brow. I started my car and sped off down the road, heading into a different neighborhood and maneuvered my way to John's house.

"Savannah!" John yelled, holding out the "h" in my name for as long as his lungs would allow him to.

The guys all either nodded or waved and gave a 'sup,' or 'hey,' as their greeting before becoming totally engrossed in the movie again. The only one not to greet me was Garrett, who had a half smile on his face, and a girl I despised on his lap. I rolled my eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to see me, and sat down in between Jared and John.

"Don't worry, she's leaving soon." John whispered, leaning down close to me. I sighed and leaned back into him, earning the two of us a bewildered look from Garrett.

Marie made me absolutely sick to my stomach. I didn't mind her when she and Garrett had first started dating, but as the months went on she got far too controlling for him. She would start telling him how to dress and who to talk to, meaning that he wasn't allowed to basically even be in the same room as me.

"Gary, kiss me." She said in a sickly-sweet manner. I pointed my index finger to my mouth, making it as if I were going to make myself throw up. Jared laughed while Marie narrowed her eyes, sending me daggers. I rolled my eyes and continued watching the movie when John put his arm around me. I knew it was all in good fun, but Garrett didn't realize this. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Marie pressed her lips forcefully against his. My stomach did a flip-flop. I tried to shake the feeling of them, but they continued on.

Not even three-quarters of the way through the movie, Garrett and Marie got up to leave. Garrett said he'd be back before the movie was over, but knowing Marie, she would have kept him with her longer than necessary.

"That whore makes me sick to my stomach." Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest as Kennedy gave her shoulders a light squeeze. She shifted so she was laying against him, her head on his chest.

"You and I both, Char." I replied, mimicking her actions of crossing her arms. We looked at each other and rolled our eyes, then continued watching the movie.

"Woah, what just went on?" Jared asked from out of confusion.

"Yeah, dude, some sort of girl-law?" John scratched his head, knocking elbows with me.

"You guys have a bro-code, right?" All four boys in the room nodded their heads, including Pat, whom I'd forgotten was there.

"It's basically like that, only a girl-code." I finished for her, seeing that Kennedy had gotten her attention. The boys all nodded their heads in unison and continued to talk through the end credits. None of us had noticed Garrett walk back in and sit back down on the couch.

His hair was ruffled and the first button of his shirt undone. I opened my mouth to speak, but John beat me to it.

"What did she do to you, Gar? Try to grope you?" He chuckled to himself, causing Jared and Pat to join in with him.

Garrett sneered, ignoring the question. "The movie's over?"

"You were pretty much gone for the last half hour, you do realize that, right?" I asked, instantly regretting sounding so prude.

"Marie lives in Scottsdale, remember?" He said quietly. Something told me by the tone of his voice that things still weren't "good" between them.

"Dude, you alright?" Pat asked, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth while taking a sip of soda simultaneously. I had to look away from him as he chewed noisily, kernels popping in his mouth.

"I'm fine, alright?" Garrett snapped. Charlotte pulled away from Kennedy and turned towards Garrett. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Garrett beat her to the chase.

"And I don't need any of your 'it's going to get better, Garrett,' speeches, Charlotte." He threw on his hoodie over his head and got up from the recliner. "I'm going home. I'll see you guys later." We all remained silent until we heard the front door slam and his car speed back off down the pavement.

The night ended on a bit of bitter note, with Garrett at least. Kennedy went back home with Charlotte, Jared had to drive home Pat, while I was left with John.

We sat in an awkward silence, something uncommon for the two of us. We had known each other since we were five, our mothers practically best friends.

"I should get going," I said after a few moments. I grabbed my keys from the table in the front hall and headed out the door, John calling a goodbye after me.

I got in my car, gripping the wheel tightly as I sped off. I maneuvered through the streets and back into my neighborhood, taking in the silence of the ten minute drive. I nearly skidded as I sped past a yellow car parked on the side of the road. I knew it had to be Garrett, it wasn't common for a yellow sports car to be seen around the streets of Tempe.

I ignored my thoughts and kept on driving, determined to be home before one.