Holly, Would You Turn Me

“Holly thanks for leaving me,” Zack said and I chewed at my lip aware of what was coming.

“Holly are you smoking? Put it out,” he snapped taking it from me standing on it.

“How many times do you need telling to stop doing that!” he snapped and I noticed Wayne disappear back inside.

“It was one Zack,” I replied and he shook his head.

“One’s enough to kill you!” he snapped back.

“What are you my mother?” I asked and his eyes widened.

“No I’m your…your friend and I’m just worried about you,” he said saving himself.

He was so going to say boyfriend!

“You do this when your stressed,” he said leaning against the wall and I nodded.

“Yeah and I’d describe my life as stressful right now,” I stated as he pulled me into the shadows with him.

“Holly don’t smoke, talk to someone,” he said and I shook my head.

“I have no one to really talk to do I! Jack hates me, Alex is in the same state I am, you don’t like me and I don’t want Rian being dragged into everyone’s fights. I can’t talk to anyone else because nobody else knows,” I admitted and he hugged me.

“I still like you Holz you know that, you can talk to me about anything,” he reassured as I wrapped my arms around him and he pulled me against him.

Zack was cute but I’d never really been close to him right up until about 3 weeks before we started dating.

When you meet them all Zack is the one that gets lost behind everyone else, Alex loves attention and he was that kid that did everything and anything to get your attention and Jack was a lot like him.

That was part of the reason they argued so much they both wanted to be center of attention and they wouldn’t share.

Rian was next in line with his jokes and his talkative nature and then along came Zachary, quiet and shy and appearing to want to disappear into the background.

He loved music and skateboarding and hated talking to new people, I never understood how he was friends with Alex because they were opposites but they got on great and Alex assured me I’d like him.

I got to know him gradually and he was really nice but he was never the same with me as he was with the guys, they could make him outgoing and he’d crack jokes but as soon as I joined in he went quiet and I hated it but everyone told me he was just shy around girls sometimes.

So I kept at it and one day he just didn’t care who I was anymore and we got on great after that we went out a few times and then we started dating properly.

“I just don’t want to do this anymore, I hate all of this but I can’t just walk away from Alex. He’s my best friend and he needs this,” I admitted.

“What if I stop being that girl for him and everything goes really wrong? I’d hate myself,” I explained.

“You can’t make yourself ill worrying about Alex, you have to think of yourself for a change Holz,” he replied.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore, normally I don’t even care about Alex being away but I feel strange. I want him home so I know he’s there,” I said and he placed his hand in my hair.

“Babe if you want him home ask him to come, you know he will and if you don’t want to ask him I’ll make him come home or I’ll stay at yours for a bit to keep you company,” he offered and I nodded.

I felt his body move as he started to dance to the music coming from inside and I laughed quietly making him move more and I started to laugh louder and he laughed as I moved to look at him.

“See that’s the Holly I know, come on lets have a dance babe,” he said grabbing my hand.

He danced worse than my dad did but that was the beautiful thing about him, he did it to make me laugh and Zack’s dancing was a sure fire way to cheer me right up.

“I’m doing all the dancing here,” he said and I smiled.

“Your so amazing at it though Zachary,” I replied as the song finished and a slow one started and he pulled me back towards him.

“Come on, dance with me,” he said putting his hands on my waist and I put my arms around his neck.

“Holly sweetie I‘m sorry I was a two faced jerk over the Jack thing, he should never have touched you and I should never have let him get away with it. I should have punched him one back for you but I saw the argument Alex and him were having and I didn’t want dragging into one. I should’ve just been honest but I didn’t want to fall out with anyone,” he said quietly.

“I know but it just annoyed me that you would say one thing to me and another to everyone else. I didn’t care what you did, but that you weren’t straight with anyone annoyed me and then to ask me to make Alex get back with Jack. I was never going to do that and you knew it,” I replied and he nodded.

“I know but I just felt pushed from every way, I just don’t want them to argue anymore and I know Alex does what you ask him to and I was just in a grumpy mood,” he admitted and I laughed.

“Time of the month?” I asked and he laughed.

“Yeah something like that, either way I’m sorry. I guess I get like Jack sometimes,” he admitted.

“What tall and weird?” I asked as he stood on my toe for the 6th time as he moved slowly in the shadows so nobody would see us.

“No, I know Alex and you are never going to happen but I hate that he gets to be with you all the time. I hate that, it’s not jealously its just getting tired of the situation even though we know it’s for the best,” he said and I nodded.

“It was never going to be easy, we all knew that,” I replied.

“I know,” he whispered

I looked at him and he smiled moving my fringe from my face before kissing me, I kissed him back before realizing what I was doing and I stopped.

“Zack I…”

“I’m sorry Holly I shouldn’t have, I just thought and well I guess I didn’t think that was the problem,” he rambled.

“I think I’m going to go back inside,” I said walking away from him and back into the others to see them all dancing and singing.

“Hey you,” Rian said as he walked past and I smiled.

I walked off through the house going upstairs.

I dialed the number from memory on my cell and waited for an answer but never got one so I tried again but nothing.

I sat on the bed in Rian's room trying one more time but it just went to voice mail, I cursed throwing the phone on the bed and putting my head in my hands

“Why aren’t you here? You can’t just run off when it gets too much for you and leave me with all this!” I said to no one.

I realized I should just go home, Rian was having a good time, Jack hated me and now Zack and I would be awkward, I walked down the stairs to see Jack and he looked at me and then seemed to read me before watching me.

“Where are you going?” he stated as I walked towards the door.

“Home, tell Rian I said bye,” I stated and his friend looked.

“Your going? Me too I’ll walk with you, cheers dude,” he said and Jack shrugged walking off.

I stepped outside and this guy started talking to me and he seemed friendly enough and Jack wouldn’t let some creep walk off with me, well at least I hoped he wouldn’t.

As we walked past the shortcut into town I felt him grab me pulling me down the alley and I froze.

“So Holly, where’s your boyfriend now?” he asked and I tried to walk away but he pushed me against the wall.

“What are you doing?” I asked and he laughed.

“Talking to you, where’s your boyfriend?” he asked and I wished Alex was there.

“Out of town, why?” I asked and he smiled.

“Means nobody will notice your missing this way,” he stated and I could smell alcohol on him.