Womanizer

Megan didn’t speak to Brian at all the next morning while they prepared to check out of the hotel. Nor did she open her mouth the entire drive from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Decatur, Alabama. She’d lain awake for hours the night before, thinking over the scene in the bar, and she’d decided she had every right to be pissed. What she did or didn’t do with John was none of Brian’s business. Hadn’t he told her, only a week ago, that it was none of her business who he fooled around with?

The instant Brian’s rental came to a halt in Janine and Zacky’s driveway, Megan hopped out and stormed towards the front door.

“Megan!” Brian caught up to her while she was unlocking the door and somehow managed to plant himself between her and the door.

“Fuck you!” she snarled.

“Megan, you have to understand—“

“No, you have to understand! You don’t own me and if I want to sleep with every single one of Alabama’s players, it’s none of you business!” she yelled.

The front door suddenly opened to reveal Zacky, drawn out of bed by Megan’s shouting. Brian moved to let Zacky step out onto the porch. Zacky’s brow was furrowed. “What’s going on out here?”

“I’m in trouble,” Brian said sarcastically.

Megan glared.

“Why?” Zacky asked, looking from Brian to Megan and back again.

“Because he’s an asshole,” Megan muttered.

“You know what? If you want to fuck John, you go right ahead. But you’re driving yourself to whatever city he’s in next,” Brian retorted angrily. “It’s not my job to chauffeur you all over the Southeast so you can get laid!”

“I don’t want to fuck John, and I don’t want to fuck you! Why don’t you just admit it--that is the part that infuriates you!” She shoved past the two speechless guitarists, paused with her hand on the doorknob, and turned to Zacky. “And you can stay the hell out of this one.” She vanished inside, letting the door slam shut behind her.

“Dude, what did you do?” Zacky queried.

“I prevented her from making a huge mistake with John Parker Wilson. What did you do?”

“Apparently, I treated her like a little kid. She’s been pissed at me for about a week now.” Zacky couldn’t bring himself to tell Brian what had really happened. He knew it would hurt Brian’s feelings to know that he, Zacky, had warned Megan to stay away from him. They were best friends, and if Brian thought Zacky had a negative opinion of him…

“Yeah, well, she doesn’t know what’s best for her,” Brian said, anger still in his voice. “She doesn’t understand that not everyone is as sweet as she is. If she isn’t careful, someone is going to take advantage of her innocence.”

Someone like you? Zacky thought, but didn't voice it aloud.

“I’m going to the house,” Brian grumbled. “See ya.”

“See ya,” Zacky echoed. He watched Brian climb in his car and drive away.

**********

“You okay?” Danny asked Thursday afternoon. It was the first time all week that he and Megan had worked together. He’d had her helping him all day and now it was almost time for her to go home.

“I’m fine,” Megan said, disappearing into the break room. The refrigerator door opened and closed.

“You sure?” Danny finished breaking down a box and crammed it in the baler. When he turned to pick up another box, he caught sight of Megan standing in the doorway of the break room, a bottled water in hand.

“I’m positive. Why?”

Danny lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. You’ve just been—“ He paused, trying to figure out how to word what he wanted to say. He finally settled for "less animated than usual.”

Megan didn’t say anything. She simply took a sip of her water.

“How are things with Brian?” Danny questioned.

“Things are…” Non-existent, Megan finished silently. She hadn’t talked to Brian—or Zacky, for that matter—since the fight Sunday night. “Things could be better,” she said at last.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Megan knew Danny would grow uncomfortable if the conversation went much deeper, so she forced a smile and gave a little shrug. “Eh, it’ll be okay. And if it’s not, oh well. Single girls have more fun anyway.”

Much to Megan’s surprise, Danny didn’t come up with some smart-ass response to her declaration. She frowned as he began breaking down another box, but before she could try to find out what was up, Jill (third-in-command) strolled into the stock room. “It’s five o’clock!” she announced happily, heading for her locker.

“Hells yeah!” Megan enthused. “Bye, Danny. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Y’all be good,” Danny said. “And Megan, stay out of jail.”

“Ha ha.” She waited on Jill to join her. They both waved to Danny and hurried to the front of the store, where they took turns clocking out. Talking about nothing in particular, they pushed through the doors and walked to their cars.

“Bye,” Jill said.

“Bye.” Megan got in her car and drove home, singing Marilyn Manson at the top of her lungs. She turned into the driveway. Janine was climbing into the passenger side of Zacky’s car while Zacky locked the front door.

“Where are y’all going?” Megan inquired, leaning through the passenger window to talk to Janine.

"Wal-Mart. Wanna come?”

“I don’t know…”

“Come on,” Janine urged. “You’ve gotta help me. I’m pregnant.”

“Isn’t that what Zacky’s for?”

Janine snorted. “He can barely take care of himself. How the hell is he going to help me?”

Megan grinned. “Fine. I’ll come.” She slid into the back.

Zacky spotted Megan and hesitated to get in the car. She was giving him one of the dirtiest looks he’d ever received from a female.

They rode to Wal-Mart with the radio blasting. Once inside, Megan trailed behind Zacky and Janine like a sulky little kid. Zacky felt a surge of sympathy, though he wasn’t sure why. As they were passing toys, an idea formulated in Zacky’s mind. He dropped Janine’s hand and ran ahead, disappearing down an aisle.

“What is he doing?” Megan mused aloud.

“Who knows?” Janine responded.

They reached the aisle Zacky had been so eager to explore and Zacky stepped out of it, wielding a red light saber. He put the plastic saber to Megan’s throat. “Show me what you’ve got.”

Megan rolled her eyes. “Stop fucking around, Zack.”

“Show me what you’ve got,” Zacky repeated, then added, “Yoda.”

“Zee—“ Janine started.

“No, shh.” Megan held up a hand to silence Janine and narrowed her eyes at Zacky. “Did you just call me Yoda?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Are you implying that I'm short and wrinkly with big ears?”

Zacky’s mouth twitched. “Maybe. What are you gonna do about it?”

Megan glared at him for a full minute, during which he began singing softly, “Yoda, Y-O-D-A, Yoda.” Suddenly, Megan darted down the aisle. Zacky spun around in time to see her scoop up a purple light saber.

“Bring it on,” Zacky challenged.

“Oh, I’m so out of here,” Janine said. “I’ll come collect you, children, when I’m done with the shopping.”

Neither Zacky nor Megan even acknowledged her. She shook her head and set off for the opposite side of the store.

Zacky and Megan circled each other in the middle of the aisle, Zacky imitating the sounds of their light sabers. Megan had to bite her lip to prevent herself from giggling.

“C’mon, Yoda,” Zacky taunted. “Or are you scared?”

Megan leapt forward, swinging her saber aggressively. Zacky blocked. “The force is strong within you.”

“Hey! I’m the teacher. That’s my line!” Megan again took the offense, and Zacky again blocked her attack.

“I shall kill the green one,” Zacky said in a fairly accurate imitation of Darth Vader.

This time, Megan couldn’t stop her giggle. Zacky charged her, and she barely managed to block in time.

“Hey!” A Wal-Mart employee appeared at the end of the aisle.

“Oh, shit! More forces from the light side!” And Zacky sprinted away.

“Oi, Vader, I’m not done with you!” Megan raced after Zacky. She could hear the Wal-Mart employee pounding along behind her. She knew that she and Zacky were in trouble; however, she was having too much fun to care.

“Ha ha ha! You are old and slow, oh tiny green one!” Zacky crowed, slipping between two racks of clothes.

Megan followed Zacky into the children’s apparel section. He was nowhere in sight.

“Show yourself, Vader!” she called out, weaving between the racks of clothing. She stepped out of the apparel section, into one of the wide aisles filled with displays. “Come out and fight like a man!”

She heard the sound of approaching feet a split second before someone barreled into her. “ZACKY!” she shrieked.

With an almighty crash, they plowed through the huge display of Doritos. Several bags blew open with a sound like a multiple firecrackers exploding at once.

Panting, the Wal-Mart employee came to a halt, glaring down at them. They were laying amongst the torn bags and chip shrapnel, laughing.

“Y’all need to leave,” the employee said.

“Yeah, sure, as soon as I pay for this.” Zacky held up his light saber, only to find that it had snapped in half in the fall.

Megan laughed even harder, clutching at her stomach.

“Get out,” the employee insisted.

“Do you know who I am?” Zacky asked, getting to his feet and brushing chip crumbs and nacho powder from his clothes.

“I don’t think he gives a damn who you are, Zee,” Megan commented.

At that moment, Janine came out of an aisle. She stopped short at the sight of Zacky, Megan, and the destroyed Doritos display.

“Janine!” Zacky exclaimed.

Her eyes widened and she quickly ducked down the next aisle.

“If we prove we know her, can we stay in the store?” Zacky queried of
the employee.

The employee shook his head. “No. Leave now or I’m calling the police.”

Zacky helped Megan to her feet. She handed the employee her (amazingly) undamaged light saber and led the way out of the store. Zacky leaned against the building, lighting a cigarette. Megan sat on the sidewalk with her knees hugged to her chest and her chin resting on her knees.

Eventually, Megan broke the silence. “Zee?”

He squinted at her through the sunlight and the haze of cigarette smoke curling in front of his face. “Yeah?”

Megan watched an elderly couple amble past, not looking at Zacky. “Thanks,” she murmured. “I know you did that for me.”

Ten minutes later, Janine emerged from the store. “I hope both of you know that y’all are idiots.”

Zacky and Megan exchanged a glance, both suppressing grins.