Status: Ladies and Gents... it is back on!
Burn You Down
G
I woke up at around 10:30 am to my phone ringing. I picked it up without looking at it.
“Hello?” I said groggily.
“Hey, it’s Val. I know last night sucked but do you think we could have a do-over? Say, come over and go swimming in our awesome in ground pool and grill out and have drinks?” She said, hopefully.
“Uh, I don’t know Val-“
“Look, I know you didn’t see it because you bolted after your kick-ass speech, but Zacky actually felt kind of shitty afterward. He was going to come out and talk to you, but by the time he grew a pair, you were in the cab.”
“I highly doubt that, Val.”
“Really, Avinne. I think he’s slowly starting to realize how much he’s changed and how Gena’s warped him. I won’t lie, they’re both going to be here, but either he’ll apologize or steer clear altogether. Please come, Jimmy and Michelle are climbing the walls waiting to see what you say,” she laughed at the end, and I could hear Jimmy protest and Michelle yelling.
“Fine, let me wake up and I’ll be over in an hour.”
“Yay! Yay! Yay! See you then!”
I drug myself out of bed and grabbed my bathing suit and a coverup. After packing everything I needed, I hopped into my black Honda Civic and drove over to the gigantic house I was at last night.
I pulled into the long driveway and parked, heading toward the backyard. Everyone was splashing in the pool and lying on the chairs. When I approached everyone, Icky came bounding (as best he could) over to me, snorting and licking his nose the whole way. I knelt down and scratched behind his ears, which he absolutely loved.
“Icky, come! Don’t associate with her, come here!” Oh, Gena, how I hate you. Icky didn’t even look her way and continued to follow me as I said my hellos to the guys and the other girls.
Zacky and Gena sat on a chair at the deep end of the pool. I made sure I stayed over on the shallow end. Val, Michelle, Maria, and I waded into the shallow end and sipped mimosas that were Michelle’s signature drink. Brian began grilling burgers and hot dogs, and some sad looking vegetables for Gena (she was on some freaky diet). After a few drinks, I could feel myself calming down and loosening up. I began to laugh more and make more jokes. The girls, Jimmy, Matt, and I began to play a game of Marco Polo. I could feel Zacky’s eyes boring into my skull. He stared unwaveringly at me for a solid 20 minutes at least. Gena must have noticed because she literally began talking about things that were so unimportant, she didn’t even care about them. She raised her voice to where she was almost shouting, and began laughing in a way that I imagine a walrus would laugh. Everyone kept looking at her like she was nuts.
After a few drinks, she had to go inside and use the restroom. At the time, I was “it” and so I had to swim blind around the pool. I was in the deep end, yelling Marco when I felt a voice in my ear.
“Dive under about a foot and swim straight as fast as you can. You’ll catch Matt, he’s a slow swimmer.” Zacky’s breath in my ear scared the living shit out of me and made me feel uncomfortable at the same time. He let out a light chuckle before sitting back in his chair. I did as he instructed and slapped Matt right in the stomach with my hand.
“Dammit Vengeance, you cheating son of a bitch!” Matt yelled.
Everyone laughed, and for a second, I could imagine how it is like when everyone gets along and enjoys each other’s company. When there’s no awkwardness or tension. When everyone’s happy. I really wanted to be a part of that, not the opposition to it.
“Who’s cheating?!” Gena stormed outside screaming.
“G, chill out, I was playing Marco Polo.”
“Are you flirting with her?!”
“What? No I-“
“No excuses, we’re leaving! I don’t want you associating with her!”
I almost flew out of the water, but decided that this time, I would play it cool. She grabbed Zacky’s wrist and yanked him out of the chair. He turned his head and stared at me, as if about to say something. He changed his mind and pulled his wrist out of Gena’s grip, storming past her. She chased after him as he flung the car door open, got in and slammed the door shut. Gena baby-talked through the driver side window, trying to pacify him. He rolled the window, looking angrier than he had last night.
“Get in the fucking car, Gena,” he snarled. She obeyed without protest. She hadn’t even shut the door all the way when he peeled out of the driveway, tires screeching. Long after he had gone, nobody said anything. Finally, Maria offered words of wisdom.
“Well, that certainly sucked.”
This ridiculous comment broke the ice and everyone returned to their normal selves. I got out of the pool and sat in the chair that Zacky had just been sitting in. Michelle came over and sat opposite me.
“’Chelle, I did everything right. I didn’t harass her, I didn’t start anything. I just want you guys to all be happy. I don’t want to ruin your friendships-“
“Girl, please. She did that all on her own. Their relationship is breaking down, and fast. Zacky has never gotten that mad at or been that visibly angry with her as far as I know. Never. I think you guys are helping him realize that she sucks. Gena is the newest girlfriend, so Z has always just assumed that she doesn’t fit in because we aren’t comfortable with her yet. But you and Maria just come in and steal all of our hearts,” she laughed. “He’s noticed that Gena’s different, and not in a good way. She doesn’t get along with us because she doesn’t want to. Val and I have tried everything to bond with her and she just doesn’t care. She’s not even nice to the rest of the guys.”
“I. hate. her,” Johnny added.
“Yeah, she’s rude as fuck to Johnny. We tease him because he’s the youngest, but she turns that into berating him. She thinks that we’re picking on him, so she joins in for fun.”
“Zack will come around,” Matt said. “Maybe get him a better girl, eh?” He winked at me when he said this.
“Ha ha Matt, please. That would never happen.”
The burgers and hot dogs were done, so we sat around and ate. It was nearing 4pm when we heard a car pull up. Zacky got out of the car and walked over to us. He grabbed a hot dog and ate it without a word. Brian dared to speak first.
“Zacky-“
“Dude. I know, okay. I really don’t want to talk about it. I just want to enjoy my friends and my day. My life,” Zacky looked up with a sad look on his face. Brian patted him on the back and handed him a beer.”
We swam and hung out until around 10pm, when I felt so waterlogged it scared me. I dried off and sat down on one of the poolchairs. Zacky sat down on the chair next to me and sighed heavily.
“Avinne.”
“Yeah?”
“I-I...look I suck at apologies. I don’t give them very often because I usually think about what I am going to say before the words come out of my mouth. But last night was out of line, especially for me. Nurses are awesome, and Jimmy’s nose looks awesome for how hard he nailed his face. I never meant to offend or upset you. I don’t know you very well, but everyone else seems to like you, love you, even. I have a hard time trusting people and lately, I’ve just been off. I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, I understand,” I stuck my face directly in front of his. “But if you ever, ever, insult a nurse or the profession in general, I will catheterize you.”
Zacky was so startled by this that he threw his head and laughed so hard tears were coming out of his eyes. Everyone whipped their heads around and smiled, even laughing at how hard he was laughing. When he settled down, he smiled at me.
“Understood. That’s a scary ass thought.”
“Hello?” I said groggily.
“Hey, it’s Val. I know last night sucked but do you think we could have a do-over? Say, come over and go swimming in our awesome in ground pool and grill out and have drinks?” She said, hopefully.
“Uh, I don’t know Val-“
“Look, I know you didn’t see it because you bolted after your kick-ass speech, but Zacky actually felt kind of shitty afterward. He was going to come out and talk to you, but by the time he grew a pair, you were in the cab.”
“I highly doubt that, Val.”
“Really, Avinne. I think he’s slowly starting to realize how much he’s changed and how Gena’s warped him. I won’t lie, they’re both going to be here, but either he’ll apologize or steer clear altogether. Please come, Jimmy and Michelle are climbing the walls waiting to see what you say,” she laughed at the end, and I could hear Jimmy protest and Michelle yelling.
“Fine, let me wake up and I’ll be over in an hour.”
“Yay! Yay! Yay! See you then!”
I drug myself out of bed and grabbed my bathing suit and a coverup. After packing everything I needed, I hopped into my black Honda Civic and drove over to the gigantic house I was at last night.
I pulled into the long driveway and parked, heading toward the backyard. Everyone was splashing in the pool and lying on the chairs. When I approached everyone, Icky came bounding (as best he could) over to me, snorting and licking his nose the whole way. I knelt down and scratched behind his ears, which he absolutely loved.
“Icky, come! Don’t associate with her, come here!” Oh, Gena, how I hate you. Icky didn’t even look her way and continued to follow me as I said my hellos to the guys and the other girls.
Zacky and Gena sat on a chair at the deep end of the pool. I made sure I stayed over on the shallow end. Val, Michelle, Maria, and I waded into the shallow end and sipped mimosas that were Michelle’s signature drink. Brian began grilling burgers and hot dogs, and some sad looking vegetables for Gena (she was on some freaky diet). After a few drinks, I could feel myself calming down and loosening up. I began to laugh more and make more jokes. The girls, Jimmy, Matt, and I began to play a game of Marco Polo. I could feel Zacky’s eyes boring into my skull. He stared unwaveringly at me for a solid 20 minutes at least. Gena must have noticed because she literally began talking about things that were so unimportant, she didn’t even care about them. She raised her voice to where she was almost shouting, and began laughing in a way that I imagine a walrus would laugh. Everyone kept looking at her like she was nuts.
After a few drinks, she had to go inside and use the restroom. At the time, I was “it” and so I had to swim blind around the pool. I was in the deep end, yelling Marco when I felt a voice in my ear.
“Dive under about a foot and swim straight as fast as you can. You’ll catch Matt, he’s a slow swimmer.” Zacky’s breath in my ear scared the living shit out of me and made me feel uncomfortable at the same time. He let out a light chuckle before sitting back in his chair. I did as he instructed and slapped Matt right in the stomach with my hand.
“Dammit Vengeance, you cheating son of a bitch!” Matt yelled.
Everyone laughed, and for a second, I could imagine how it is like when everyone gets along and enjoys each other’s company. When there’s no awkwardness or tension. When everyone’s happy. I really wanted to be a part of that, not the opposition to it.
“Who’s cheating?!” Gena stormed outside screaming.
“G, chill out, I was playing Marco Polo.”
“Are you flirting with her?!”
“What? No I-“
“No excuses, we’re leaving! I don’t want you associating with her!”
I almost flew out of the water, but decided that this time, I would play it cool. She grabbed Zacky’s wrist and yanked him out of the chair. He turned his head and stared at me, as if about to say something. He changed his mind and pulled his wrist out of Gena’s grip, storming past her. She chased after him as he flung the car door open, got in and slammed the door shut. Gena baby-talked through the driver side window, trying to pacify him. He rolled the window, looking angrier than he had last night.
“Get in the fucking car, Gena,” he snarled. She obeyed without protest. She hadn’t even shut the door all the way when he peeled out of the driveway, tires screeching. Long after he had gone, nobody said anything. Finally, Maria offered words of wisdom.
“Well, that certainly sucked.”
This ridiculous comment broke the ice and everyone returned to their normal selves. I got out of the pool and sat in the chair that Zacky had just been sitting in. Michelle came over and sat opposite me.
“’Chelle, I did everything right. I didn’t harass her, I didn’t start anything. I just want you guys to all be happy. I don’t want to ruin your friendships-“
“Girl, please. She did that all on her own. Their relationship is breaking down, and fast. Zacky has never gotten that mad at or been that visibly angry with her as far as I know. Never. I think you guys are helping him realize that she sucks. Gena is the newest girlfriend, so Z has always just assumed that she doesn’t fit in because we aren’t comfortable with her yet. But you and Maria just come in and steal all of our hearts,” she laughed. “He’s noticed that Gena’s different, and not in a good way. She doesn’t get along with us because she doesn’t want to. Val and I have tried everything to bond with her and she just doesn’t care. She’s not even nice to the rest of the guys.”
“I. hate. her,” Johnny added.
“Yeah, she’s rude as fuck to Johnny. We tease him because he’s the youngest, but she turns that into berating him. She thinks that we’re picking on him, so she joins in for fun.”
“Zack will come around,” Matt said. “Maybe get him a better girl, eh?” He winked at me when he said this.
“Ha ha Matt, please. That would never happen.”
The burgers and hot dogs were done, so we sat around and ate. It was nearing 4pm when we heard a car pull up. Zacky got out of the car and walked over to us. He grabbed a hot dog and ate it without a word. Brian dared to speak first.
“Zacky-“
“Dude. I know, okay. I really don’t want to talk about it. I just want to enjoy my friends and my day. My life,” Zacky looked up with a sad look on his face. Brian patted him on the back and handed him a beer.”
We swam and hung out until around 10pm, when I felt so waterlogged it scared me. I dried off and sat down on one of the poolchairs. Zacky sat down on the chair next to me and sighed heavily.
“Avinne.”
“Yeah?”
“I-I...look I suck at apologies. I don’t give them very often because I usually think about what I am going to say before the words come out of my mouth. But last night was out of line, especially for me. Nurses are awesome, and Jimmy’s nose looks awesome for how hard he nailed his face. I never meant to offend or upset you. I don’t know you very well, but everyone else seems to like you, love you, even. I have a hard time trusting people and lately, I’ve just been off. I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, I understand,” I stuck my face directly in front of his. “But if you ever, ever, insult a nurse or the profession in general, I will catheterize you.”
Zacky was so startled by this that he threw his head and laughed so hard tears were coming out of his eyes. Everyone whipped their heads around and smiled, even laughing at how hard he was laughing. When he settled down, he smiled at me.
“Understood. That’s a scary ass thought.”