I Tried

Zacky

We sat in the living room of Brian and Michelle’s house and had a few more beers. All of us were telling them how happy we all were for the two of them and throwing really stupid wedding theme ideas their way. We laughed and talked for a while about anything that came to mind really. I always loved these conversations, especially when all of us were drunk or at the very least tipsy like we were right then. Michelle always had some interesting things to say about the topics we often talked about, but she was never really on the same page as all of us. She would either get the joke too late but would already be behind because we had already moved onto a new subject or wouldn’t get the jokes at all. She was very different from Juli. Or Kerri, I guess. 

Sometimes, I think that that was the reason Brian was with her. He didn’t have as deep of a relationship with Michelle like he did with Juli Kerri. I had seen one-night stands that had more chemistry going than with him and Michelle. Not that I didn’t like her or anything, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Brain was only doing this to prove more to himself than anyone else that he was over Kerri. Was I happy for him? I was his friend wasn’t I? And if so, why wasn’t I happy for him? Did I think that the two of them would last? No way in hell. 

I remembered my conversation with him a few days ago. He asked me why we were all so pissy that he was going to ask Michelle to marry him. I hadn’t told him what I thought because I knew that the truth wasn’t always the best way to go with Brian. The truth was, I had only told him to ask her because I never for one second thought he would actually do it! But I guess that was all water under the bridge because he sure as hell did.
 
“I’m bored. Lacey, wanna go rent a movie?” Michelle asked.
 
“Sure. You wanna come, Val?” Lacey asked an already passed out Valerie.
 
“I think she’s just going to stay here,” Matt said laughing.
 
“You two aren’t going to drive,” Brian told them sternly.
 
“We know. We’re just going to walk,” Michelle said as she and Lacey walked to the door.
 
“It’s dark out. The two of you shouldn’t go by yourselves,” Brian said, frowning.
 
“Then come with us,” Michelle said taking him by the hand and dragging him out the door.
 
Lacey waved goodbye and closed the door behind them. On the couch, I heard light snores coming from an unconscious Val. Matt sat down on the floor beside her and ran a feather he had found earlier over her face and tickled her nose. I chuckled and he grinned. Noticing the quiet, I looked around and realized that both Johnny and Jimmy were missing. Standing up from the chair I had been sitting in, I set off to find them. As it turned out, the two were just outside talking quietly to each other. I knew that something was wrong since the two were never quiet.
 
“What’s up?” I asked as I sat down next to Jimmy.
 
“Just having a talk about recent events,” Johnny said taking a drag from his cigarette.
 
I looked to Jimmy’s face and saw that his eyes were slightly puffy as if he had been crying. Concerned, I asked, “You okay?”
 
He looked at me and tried to smile. “I’ve been better.”
 
“We’re just a little upset about the engagement,” Johnny said.
 
“It’s not like I’m not happy for them because  I am,” he said quickly. “It’s just that I can still remember the day that the five of us walked down to the pier and Brian asked if he could ask Jules for her hand,” he said.
 
“And then you almost threw him over the ledge because you thought it was because he knocked her up,” I said smiling as I reminisced on those last few days of easy times. Jimmy laughed but Johnny, I noticed, just sat there looking extremely uncomfortable. “You okay, Johnny?” I asked, suspicious. He knew where Kerri had been hiding… What else did he know?
 
“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine. Lucky for Brian that Juli came running over and stopped Jimmy from attempting to drown him,” he said laughing awkwardly.
 
“Good times, man,” Jimmy said. His laughter slowly died away and he said, “This whole thing just keeps reminding me that she’s gone. I wish I could hear from her just to know that she’s okay.”
 
“You don’t have to worry. She’s perfectly fine,” I said, patting him on the back.
 
“You say that like you know,” he said taking a gulp of his beer.
 
“That’s cause I do know. I saw her just today."
 
Johnny, I guess, breathed in a little too much smoke because he began to cough up a lung while Jimmy almost choked on his beer and had to spit it back out. “What?!” Jimmy asked me incredulously.
 
“Whoa! You okay, Jimmy?” I asked him.
 
“What did you just say?” he asked grabbing hold of my shoulders and shaking me. “Where did you see her?”
 
“At the restaurant! Jesus Christ, lemme fucking go!” I yelled in pain.
 
“You knew where she was and you didn’t think to tell me?” he asked, his nails digging into my skin.
 
“Jimmy! Let him go!” I heard Johnny order him.
 
Ignoring Johnny, Jimmy continued questioning me. “How long have you known that she’s been here?”
 
“I didn’t know until today! I still wouldn’t if I hadn’t heard Johnny-”
 
“Johnny?” he repeated, finally letting me go. “She told you?”
 
“Thanks, Zacky,” he said sarcastically.
 
“Answer me!” Jimmy yelled, pushing Johnny’s shoulder to get his attention.
 
“What the hell is going on out here?” Matt asked from the door.
 
“These assholes saw Jules today and Christ has apparently known where she’s been all along,” Jimmy told him.
 
“What?” Matt said.
 
“I don’t know where she’s been exactly,” Johnny said.
 
“That’s not the point! The point is that you knew! You knew about her all this time and you never told me! Hell, you didn’t even tell me today! She’s my fucking sister, Johnny!” Jimmy yelled, pushing him again.
 
“Hey!” Matt snapped, running to stand between Jimmy and Johnny. “Rev, we’ve all had a few drinks. These guys don’t know what they’re saying. Let’s just calm down before you do something that you’re going to regret later,” Matt said.
 
“Get out of my way, Matt. I’m gonna fucking kill him!” Jimmy exclaimed, glaring at Johnny.
 
Inside, I heard Brian open the front door and ask in a loud voice, “Where is everyone?”
 
“We’re out here. Come help us out,” I called to him.
 
“Are you insane?” Johnny yelled at me. “If Jimmy doesn’t kill us then Brian will!”
 
“Michelle, Lacey, Val? Stay inside,” Brian told them in a hard voice.
 
Brian appeared at the door and began to walk toward Matt and Jimmy. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
 
“Jules is back in town,” Jimmy said.
 
Brian froze in his tracks and just stared at Jimmy as if he had grown a second head.
 
“What do you mean?” Brian growled.
 
“Well, since Zacky and Johnny are such good friends with her, she made sure to make her presence know to them. But get this! If it wasn’t for all the booze they had to drink tonight, they wouldn’t have even told us!” Jimmy yelled.
 
No longer frozen from his shock, Brian turned around and punched me in the nose.