You Don't See Me

Zacky was deep in sleep when he heard his phone vibrate from his nightstand. He thought about ignoring, but something told him to answer. He flipped to his back and reached for his phone. He saw Kayla’s name flash on his screen and he became alerted at once. He sat up and pressed the green button and brought the phone to his ear.

“Kayla, what’s wrong?” his worry was not hidden.

He heard a sniffle and he had a feeling what was wrong.

“Zacky,” she choked out her name in a sob.

“I’ll be right over,” she didn’t need to tell him she needed him. He already knew. He ended the call and quickly got dressed. He took his wallet, phone and keys. He was on the freeway on his way to her apartment in a heartbeat.

Only a man in love would move so fast, and he did love Kayla. He loved her, but she didn’t love him because she was too blinded by her stupid, ignorant boyfriend Justin.

She was too kind hearted. She believed she could change him, but Zacky knew Justin was just a fucking asshole taking advantage of her golden heart.

Zacky figured Justin broke up with her again, and she was aching. Zacky was deeply in love with his best friend. He met her during one of their first concert in Warped Tour years ago. She came up to their small booth and befriended Valery, and then Kayla befriended everyone else, and it was like she was part of the family at once.

Her bright smile just brought the room to life. She made his life exciting, so when someone would hurt her, he would go to the end of the world just to make her happy again.

He was stupid for not taking the leap and telling her how he felt two years ago. He should have kissed her, and then she wouldn’t be hurting like she was because he would never hurt her.

He arrived outside of her apartment building and raced to her door. He knocked lightly on it when he reached her door. He heard her light steps and then she unlocked the door and opened it.

Her red hair was a mess and her blue eyes were red and puffy from all of the crying. It broke his heart to see her broken down.

She had a tissue in her hands. She rested her head on the door and gave him a sad smile.

“You didn’t have to come. I just needed someone to talk to,” her voice was hoarse.

“It’s better if I’m here because then I can give you your medicine,” and then he hugged her. She once told him all of the problems in the world could be solved with a hug. She laughed and hugged him back. She did feel better in his embrace.

She closed the door behind them and then went to her couch. She lifted her legs up and hugged them.

“What happened?” he asked turning half his body towards her.

She shrugged. “We just starting arguing how he doesn’t… want to go out anymore. At least we don’t go out together, and he just exploded and you know I get when I’m cornered.”

“You strike,” he nodded.

“Yeah, and we said some mean things to each other. I think it’s over,” she sniffled. “This time for real.”

Zacky wished he could believe her, but six months ago something similar happened and she went back to him when Justin came back with flowers and chocolates and his apology was so sloppy.

“I wish I could believe you,” he muttered under his breath and he thought she didn’t hear him.

“What?” she asked with confusion on her face. “What do you mean?”

Zacky looked into her eyes. Total honesty. He had to do it or he would regret it. So, he started his rant.

“You give him your love. The one who humiliates you and treats you so bad and you give him your love. And I love you so much, but you don’t see me. I’m the one who loves you, but I’m invisible to you, Kayla! Do you have any idea how I suffer knowing that I don’t even have one bit of your love? And yet I’m always hoping you’ll dump the fucker for real and let me give you the real love you deserve! I’m dying here to give you my love, but you don’t even see me!”

Her mouth was wide along with her eyes. She was shocked by his confession. They were friends for so long, and yes at one point she thought he liked her, but he never made an actual move. She thought he just wanted to be friends, so she moved on. Now, he was telling her he was in love with her.

“I have to go,” Zacky muttered when she didn’t react to his hear felt confession. He got up from the couch and started to walk away.

“Zacky, wait,” Kayla called out, but he closed the door behind him and left. She was about to go after him when the house phone rang. She answered. “Hello?”

“Kay, baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to explode like that. It’s just that you’re like so different from like before. And like… I want us to like work out.”

Kayla made a face. She never realized how many times Justin said the word ‘like’. It irritated her. She also recalled so many horrible things he said to her. She couldn’t forgive him anymore. Not when she had someone like Zacky in love with her.

Someone who knew her inside and out. Someone who would drive for twenty minutes at midnight just to give her a hug and listen to her fucked up relationship. No, she couldn’t go back to the bad guy, that would be just plain stupid.

“Well, Justin, I don’t think we can like work out because we are like so over for like real this time,” she mocked him and hung up the phone.

She quickly dialed Zacky’s, but he didn’t answer. She tried several times after that and left a couple of messages how they needed to talk, but he never called back. She had to tell him she felt something for him. She had to tell him she loved him.

Two weeks later

Zacky looked out to the crowd of Madrid. He was smiling for them, but on the inside he was a little dead. He had not talked to Kayla in two weeks, and that was a record for him. He was used to talking to her everyday even by just text.

He thought a world tour would take his mind off Kayla, but it didn’t work. He found himself seeing Kayla everywhere. Any redhead caught his attention. But he should know better. Kayla absolutely hated flying. She hated planes. She was terrified of them, well she was paranoid.

The concert ended and he gave some guitar picks to the crowd. Jimmy threw his drumsticks and people fought over them. Matt tossed his shirt into the crowd and there was a riot for it. Johnny and Brian also tossed picks into the crowd.

Zacky and his friends stepped off the stage to let the roadies for Metallica get their instruments ready. One of his ultimate dreams was to one day share a stage with Metallica and now that it was happening, he couldn’t even enjoy it as much as he wanted because his mind was filled with a single person.

He ran a hand through his hair and groaned.

Someone came up behind him and wrapped their arms around him.

“The best medicine in the world is a hug,” Kayla’s voice filled his head.

He was insane. He could smell her, hear and feel her. He opened his eyes and saw her arms around his waist. Then she pulled them away and walked around him to be in front of him. She had a smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled with delight and something else. He wasn’t sure if it was true, so he didn’t get his hopes up.

She wore a corset with a black jeans. Her hair was done in a pin-up fashion along with her makeup, except she wasn’t wearing her usual bright red lipstick. Yet, her lips didn’t need the lipstick to look delicious.

Then, it finally hit him.

“You’re here?” he looked around to make sure he wasn’t imagining her.

“Hi, Kay!” Jason Barry waved at Kayla and she waved back to J.B.

So, he wasn’t imagining her.

“Zacky, you’re pale,” she laughed. Her laugher made his heart leap in joy. “It’s like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“You hate flying, yet you’re here in Madrid. You must’ve taken a plane here.”

She licked her lips and nodded. “Yes, I hate flying and I did take a plane to get here.”

“Why?” he asked.

Her smile widened. “Because of you,” she poked his chest. “Do you still love me?”

“Always.”

She placed her hand on the nape of his neck and brought down those full lips. It was like stars exploded inside of them. And then everything around them numbed down. Their worlds became complete. She didn’t know for how long they kissed. She didn’t care for time. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer to her.

He was going to make up for all of the time lost. He wasn’t going to let her go.

They pulled out for a breath of much needed air.

“You’ve never been invisible to me, Zacky.”