Everyday Combat

Not long after Sarah had gone Zack shuffled off on his own, his head hung, back hunched and hands in his pockets as he kicked a stone along the gravel path towards the Science and Technology block of the school. I turned back to my friends grabbing my bag up in my hands before climbing to my feet.

Then with my Converse clad feet I kicked both Jimmy and Matt. "What the fuck was that for?!" Matt yelled back at me.

"Try upsetting my brother again Matt and it'll be worse than a fucking kick!" I yelled back before hurrying off after Zack. Brian followed after me a fact I found out when he pushed open a door for me and I had looked round to say thank you to find it was him.

A little further down the cool new corridors of this block we reached the stairs and headed up to the first floor and then made our way to our physics room. Well, I made my way there and Brian just followed. Gently I pushed the door open and looked round it to see Zack sitting in his seat in the back row, his head buried in his arms.

"Sorry sir I'll-"

"S'okay, it's only us," I smiled as I dug my hands into the back pockets of my skirt and walked into the room.

Zack sank back into the seat when he saw who it was and smiled weakly. "Hi," he mumbled gloomily.

"I kicked Matt and Jimmy for you," I offered as I sat on the table beside him. I hated it when he was upset because it upset me too.

He laughed slightly before resting his head back on the table. I sighed, catching Brian's gaze as I began to brush my fingers through Zack's almost untameable hair. I really hated it when Zack was upset, even if it was over Sarah. Especially when it was over her, because it was always ten times worse.

Then again last week when he was upset because of both of us that was absolute torture. I just wanted to cry all the time because I knew he was hurting. It was one of the reasons I forgave him so fast, because I couldn't bare to see him like that.

"Please cheer up Zack, you're gonna make me cry if you don't," I sighed softly and he looked up at me with an apologetic look.

"I can't cheer up," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. "I wish I could to stop you from crying but I can't because I feel like crying myself."

"If I could make this better I would," I then said.

"You don't have to make this better though," he sighed as he sat up. "I messed up so I should fix it."

"I can't bear to see you like this though."

Zack didn't say anything but put his head down in his arms once more. It really did make me realise just how wrong his priorities were. Zack only ever thought of Sarah now - which she was obviously sick of - and that really hurt to think about considering I easily had him at the top of mine.

Then again I didn't have a boyfriend so I didn't know what it was like to have someone other than friends and family to think about. Zack did, and Zack cared about Sarah so much it was painful.

Suddenly I leapt up from where I was sitting, leaving my bag on the table. Sarah had made Zack miserable and even though she had stuck up for me, the point was she'd made my brother miserable. Only I was allowed to make him miserable because I knew it would only be a few hours before I couldn't take it anymore and made up with him.

Sarah, however, was from Stubborn Central. I mean sure, Zack and I were Italian but Sarah was from England which was famous for it's stubbornness. Zack was going to be miserable for an entire week because of her.

"Where are you going?" Brian spoke up as I pulled the door open to step into the corridor.

"To talk to someone."

It wasn't hard to find Sarah. If she argued with my brother or the guys she always stalked off here. A fact I knew since I was always the one picked to accompany the one who was picked to go talk to her. Matt and Jimmy were just turning up at the table when I turned up too, and she glanced at us all.

"Yes?" She asked with a frown.

"I don't appreciate it when you make my brother cry, regardless of the fact that you stuck up for me," I frowned back, folding my arms across my chest. "You're not the one that has to put up with him for the next week, and you certainly aren't the one who is going to want to cry every time you so much as look at him."

"Oh and you think I don't want to cry?!" Sarah snapped back at me. "He's my boyfriend and he upset me, Faith. I know just how much he hates falling out with me, and I know what it's like to see him upset. At least he has you as a shoulder to cry on!"

"I can't believe you take it out on him!" I snapped back throwing my arms out. "I know it's not your fault that you're an only child and I feel so sorry for you, I do, but stop taking it out on Zack too!"

"He knows just how much it hurts me when you two fight!" Sarah now yelled standing up to me. "So he's obviously going to have to learn to deal when I get at him for arguing with you!" She took a step closer to me. I was surprised the librarian hadn't come over. "You mop up his tears when we fall out, and I do exactly the same when you two fall out. I know his priorities are way to the left of centre but he still gets upset when you argue!"

"I do live with the guy so I had noticed thank you," I retorted hotly. "Why do you think we never fall out for more than a few hours, huh? Because we can't stand it when each other are upset, but you are the most stubborn person I have ever met and I have no fucking idea when you two are going to reconcile meaning I don't know how long my brother is going to be moping round like an Emo kid for!"

"Which will make you all upset, change the fucking track Faith!" Sarah shouted in my face. "You pull that card every fucking time, when will you stop being so selfish? This is Zack's problem not yours so why can't you just leave well enough alone, huh?"

"Because he's my brother that's why," I hissed back.

"Okay enough girls, out, I want you out now." The librarian finally turned up. I continued to stare Sarah out, waiting for her to say something. When she didn't I turned and left the library to head back to our lesson, seething after my argument.