She Will Be Loved

“Hold still and it won’t hurt, geeze.”

“Oh, that is a load of bullshit. Stop touching it!”

“I have to get it out!” Jimmy let out a huff and leaned back on the table with his arms crossed over his chest. Jimmy and I had come back to the house, after him playfully glaring me down for the fake spider, to be taken into hugs by everyone, minus Brian obviously. From there Jimmy had drug me into the (very elegant) dining room, sitting on the table with me sitting in the chair between his long, lanky legs.

“I say we leave it,” I said. I looked down at my palm and winced slightly. The area around the glass was turning a bright red, probably from the building up blood not being released yet.

“If we do that it’s going to get infected. We need to take it out and clean it with peroxide,” Jimmy said sternly. I shook my head violently in return. The sound of footsteps entering the room caused us both to look over. Zacky walked forward with Johnny on his heels.

“What’s all the arguing in here?” Johnny asked.

“Koty won’t let me take out the glass in her hand,” Jimmy sighed, pointing at my left hand that was cradled against my chest. Zacky walked forward, hand out stretched.

“Let me see.” I hesitated, but placed my hand in his, palm upwards. He looked at it and made an ‘hmm’ noise. It was then that I noticed his black eye. I winced, knowing it was from when Brian hit him earlier.

“Hey Koty?” I looked over at Johnny who stood on my right, opposite from Zacky. As soon as I did I felt a small prick in my left hand. My head snapped back to see the glass gone and a bleeding cut in its place. I was about to start freaking out when Zacky took a damp washcloth and held it over my cut, applying pressure to it.

“There. Now was that so bad?” Zacky teased.

“Fuck you,” I hissed through clenched teeth. He chuckled before removing the red tinted washcloth. Beneath the blood had stopped for the most part. Jimmy picked up a brown bottle, unscrewing the white cap.

“This might hurt a little. You ready?” My eyes grew wide and I shook my head. “We’re gunna have to do this eventually Koty. We might as well do it now.”

“Just give me a - ” I wasn’t able to finish my plead as the clear liquid poured into the cut. I let out a cry of pain as it stung. I probably cried a bit louder than what was necessary, but it was just a natural reaction of mine. Once the liquid had turned to white bubbles all over the wound, Jimmy wrapped it up in gauze.

“All done,” Jimmy announced, shutting the first aid kit with some finality. I took my hand out of his grasp before using my other fist to punch him in the stomach and then Zacky in the shoulder.

“Assholes,” I muttered. All three men just smiled, letting me know I hadn’t hurt the two in any way. I sighed, using my uninjured hand to cover my eyes. I didn’t know why I needed the sudden darkness, I just did. I heard shuffles and shifting on the table. I looked up to see Zacky sitting where Jimmy recently had been.

“What’s up kiddo?” Zacky asked. I let out a sigh and shrugged. Against my better judgment I laid my head in his lap. I felt him slightly tense up, but slowly relaxed, petting my hair.

“This just feels so surreal is all,” I muttered, beginning to doze off. The sleep I had was beginning to wear off leaving me drained in its place.

“Hey Koty?” I ‘mhm’ed, encouraging him to go on. “Why did you want to leave so bad?”

“You will never amount to shit! You’ll end up just like your mother.”

My body tensed up and I squeezed my eyes shut tighter. My breathing began to get ragged as my mind was trapped in the past. My hands, which had been resting on Zacky’s thighs, curled into fists, clenching two handfuls of his jeans. Pathetically I whispered out, “I’m sorry.”

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down Kota. It’s alright.” Someone touched my back, causing me to shoot up, my eyes wide open. When I realized it was Zacky I began to breathe again. It was short, sharp breaths, but it was breaths none the less. Tears weld up in my eyes, causing me to duck my head and hope he hadn’t seen them.

“I’m s - sorry,” I choked out. He brought me into a sudden, comforting hug, something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I awkwardly wrapped my arms around his waist, trying to take deep breaths to calm myself. Getting a nose full of Zacky’s scent helped with that calming process. After a minute or so I pulled back, wiping my cheeks clean of dried tears. “I’m sorry. That usually doesn’t happen.”

“It’s okay. It looked like you needed it.” It lapsed into a slightly awkward silence. I shifted in my seat, staring out the wide window on the side of the room. It looked out onto the front lawn and showed almost nothing in sight. There were neighbors, I had seen them on the way in, but the houses were just so spaced out it was like they didn’t exist.

“I’m going to go outside,” I said quickly, standing to my feet. I had to refrain from running outside. Instead I walked casually, sliding one of the clear, glass doors open. What I hadn’t seen from the angle in my room was the huge pool between the beach and house. I stepped outside, letting the door slide shut behind me. I sat on one of the chairs underneath the orange umbrella, resting my elbows on the table. Why did my mind have to second guess everything?

“Hey Kota.” I looked up to see Val walking over to me. She sat on the chair next to me, leaning back in her seat to stare out at the ocean.

“Hey Val,” I muttered, lying my head on the glass table.

“Are you still worried about being here?” I let out a sigh, just nodding instead of lying to her. “Well stop it! You know what?”

“What?”

“We’re going shopping!” I laughed at how excited she sounded.

“I would love to, but I don’t have the money to go shopping.”

“I’ll pay.” My head snapped up with my eyes wide.

“No! I mean, you’ve done enough already. I couldn’t possibly have you do that.”

“Nonsense. It’s my treat. Come on.” She grabbed my right hand and pulled me along with her. I was fighting her as she pulled my up the stairs. “Now go get shoes missy.”

I sighed as she pushed me towards my room. I headed back over to the chair, hopping so I could pull on my boots. I also picked up my beanie, slipping it over my hair. As I walked back outside I saw Brian leaning against his doorframe, glaring at me. Just then Val walked out of her and Matt’s room, Matt behind her.

“Well we’re off to the mall. Sure you don’t want to come with Matt?” Val asked with a slight pout on her face. Matt laughed, shaking his head.

“No, no. Girl time is a time for us to stay home,” Matt replied. Brian raised an eyebrow, looking over at the couple.

“Mall huh? Who’s paying for the kid?”

“I fail to see how it’s any of your business, but I am,” Val replied. Brian laughed mocking, his face cocky. Val sighed, walking forward to take my arm and lead me down the stairs. She gave Matt a quick peck on the lips before we headed outside. The BMVs were gone which confused me. “The record company came to pick up the rentals.”

“Oh.” We walked over to the garage which she opened with a clicker on her keychain. Inside were a few chairs, one of which was a bright blue Jeep. Val climbed into the driver’s seat leaving me to get into the passenger seat. She backed out before heading down the street. “Hey Val?”

“Yeah Koty?” Val asked, turning down the radio slightly. It had a nice ballad sound to it, making me smile slightly.

“Why does Brian hate me so much?” Val sighed as we pulled to a stoplight. She drummed a beat on the steering wheel with her fingers. She didn’t speak until the light turned green.

“Brian is a complicated person, you have to understand that. He’s doing this all because he’s looking out for Zacky. They’ve been friends long than either of them had with any of us. He’s just making sure Zacky won’t get hurt like his last ex did. She was using him for his money,” Val explained. I nodded, understanding a lot now. I couldn’t blame Brian for his behavior then.

“I wish he would just give me a chance though. I would never hurt Zacky. As cheesy as it sounds, he’s kind of my knight in shining armor.”

“Well I wish Brian would realize that. He’s also still a bit hung up over his last ex too. She was just a bitch. That’s another story for another day.” The look on Val’s face was solid anger which caused me to slightly flinch. It was obvious she hated whoever this person was.

“Okay.” Just then Val pulled into a parking lot in the local mall. She hopped out which made me follow suit. She grabbed my hand and skipped to the entrance which made my recent fear of her disappear in a heartbeat and be replaced by a smile.

“Let’s get goin’ Koty!”