Don't Give up on Me

ZACKY POV

I sat in my car in front of the apartment complex, hoping that if I never left it in the first place, then maybe I would still have her and none of what happened this morning was real. I didn't want to leave, no matter how much she said that we wouldn't work. I could tell by the way she refused to look at me that she didn' mean a goddamn word she said. Even though we had temporarily resolved and forgave each other for what had happened, I guessed I deserved her harshness and uncertainty about me. I still couldn't believe that she made a complete 180 in less than six hours.

Her flight left in two hours. I had left at six a.m. without hearing any attempts to stop me I had secretly wished for. I felt frozen in place now, without her.

The passenger door opened and Jimmy slipped inside of the car. I wasn't surprised by it; we had been friends for so long that I no longer questioned his sudden appearances.

"You want to go get some doughnuts?" he asked, breaking the silence. "I'm buying."

Violet then runs down to the car and hops into the back. "Are we going? I'm starving. I haven't eaten since yesterday at lunch. These late shifts at the store are killing me."

I didn't answer, instead starting the car and pulling out of the space. I noticed the both of them exchange a look before settling into conversation, only reminding me that I was about to get a tidal wave of sympathy and pity that I didn't deserve nor want. I knew I fucked up the day I broke up with her, and now karma was making me pay the price. It was as simple as that.

"Hey, Zack, Matt said that he'd meet us at Eddie's Donuts if that's okay. He also needs a ride to the apartment," Violet said while we were at a stoplight.

"Okay," I muttered, the first word I'd said since I said goodbye to Andi. It came out a bit harsh, and I hadn't meant it to, considering Violet was the main person to push me to go back to Andi. She didn't seem bothered by it, though, and went back to talking with Jimmy as if it didn't happen.

We arrived at the donut shop a minute later, and I parked while they both went inside. My mind went back to the web of thoughts it jumbled before they both climbed in. Of course, they all revolved around her. They had done so for nearly three years straight, why would it end now?

It was finally starting to hit me that she didn't want a relationship anymore when the three of them re-entered the car, the smell of coffee and donuts filling the air. "Hey dude, you want me to drive back?" Jimmy asked, but I shook my head. The world had become a little clear again, so I sped home before the edges blurred once again.

I finally left the car when we got back, and made a beeline for the balcony, but Violet beat me to it and said, "Can you at least talk to me about it before you start being some emo mess?"

"There's nothing to talk about," I replied briskly, trying to move past her.

"Nope, I don't believe that. Do you, guys?" she said, and Jimmy and Matt both shook their heads. "What happened, Z?"

I sighed. "I was too late. She and I cleared everything up and were going to get back together, and then we woke up this morning and she basically said that she didn't trust me. She ended it for good."

"But why would she-- I am just-- You need to go after her!" she said quickly.

"There's no point. She's as good as gone."

She sighed. "Look, you two 'resolved things' and I'm sure she really did mean it. But you know how she can be! She needs that reassurance, that slap in the face of reality, or else she'll back out. So go tell her that you still want her, no matter what!"

"What do you mean, go tell her?! She's probably at customs right now or checking all of her crap before she boards the plane."

She and Jimmy shared a look. "Give me your keys," she said with a smirk.

"What?!"

"Give me. Your keys," she repeats, smiling her mischievous smile that has gotten us into trouble since we were six years old. "Babe, get Delta on the phone. I need to book two tickets just in case it comes to that. My dad has plenty of miles anyways, so it should be pretty much free. Jimmy, go wake Cara up and tell her we're going on a mission."

"You're fucking insane if you think we can do this! We have less than an hour!"

"I'll tell Jimmy to speed. You have all of your ID and such, right?"

"In my glovebox..."

She brightens. "Perfect! Let's go, now!"

She takes the set of keys from my hand start for the door, while I only stared at her. "Violet, this is crazy--"

"Zack," she turns to me with a hard look. "Don't fight me on this. You want her, we're going, end of story."

"Vi--"

"No buts. We're going."

I sighed and followed her downstairs without another word. She was right, I did want Andi. But Violet always had a flair for the dramatic scheme of things. Most of the things she roped us into came from a movie, and this wasn't excluded.

"I haven't organized an adventure in so long," Violet says when we're all inside the car, a confused-looking Cara included. "We should do things like this more often."

"Violet, what's the card number that I need to tell the guy?" Matt asks, and she starts to recite her father's card from her cell phone calmly, as if this were normal.

It hits me that I don't have a clue as to what I'd say if we made it to Andi in time. Now my mind went into a new cluster of thoughts that didn't make sense. What do they do in the movies? The only thing I could remember was the guy running to the gate and kissing the girl, without a single word spoken. I couldn't just do that with Andi. She'd smack the shit out of me before I even got an arm around her.

"Look alive, sunshine," Violet sings into my ear. "We're already almost there, thanks to Lead Foot right here."

He turns so sharply that my Mazda nearly drifts, something I never thought it could do. "Jesus, Jimmy, you nearly flipped the fucking car!"

"Well shit, my bad," he replies before he slams on the brakes. "But did you die?"

Cara rolls her eyes. Violet is already out of the car and yanking my door open. "We have twenty minutes until we depart, now let's go! We got to skip the screening so we just have to get the passes and run like hell."

"We'll be back," I shouted over my shoulder and followed Violet inside, weaving through people as we tried to find the Delta desk. "Where the fuck is it?"

"Oh, so now you're enthusiastic?" she grinned. "Look at the sign, we have to take a right and it should be straight from there."

We make the turn and jog down another long hallway until we reach the counter, where the clerk informs us that the flight was delayed until two. "There's a severe thunderstorm moving in at a fast rate. We're sorry for the inconvenience."

"No, no," Violet grinned. "You just gave us some time. Thank you!"

She scans over the boarding information and snarls. "We have to go all the way to the other side of the damn airport."

"Lead the way, Vi. You know this place better than I do."

"Oh, please. You're just being a pussy because you're scared to tell Andi how you feel."

"I already did, Vi, and she pushed me away."

"Well, you need to use that charming skill of persuasive power over her and make her believe that it's worth it." She sighs. "I know that she's still willing to go the distance. She's just scared. You know how she can get; if she is even the slightest bit hesitant about something, she runs. It's just in her nature."

"She doesn't trust me, Vi," I murmured. "Because of Jourdan."

"Well, I don't necessarily blame her. That was sort of stupid, because you hurt Andi even more, and you lead Jourdan on. I mean, what Jourdan did was messed up, too, but I never thought that you'd go back to your old ways so quickly..."

"Great pep talk, Vi," I said sarcastically.

"You're better at them than I am," she shrugs.

I sighed. Yet another thing to remind me of her. I needed to find her soon, or else I'd end up going insane.

"This way," Violet says quietly a few moments later, pulling me in the direction. She could tell that I was more nervous than I let on, because she put her hand in mine and squeezed. I felt like we were in elementary school again for a moment, when we were about to get a lecture from the principal or if either of us were upset and trying to comfort the other. She was my little sister, and she still stuck by me all of these years. "Thanks Vi," I said quietly.

"Thank me when you get Andi back."

The gate came into view then, and we both quickened our step as we approached. The mass of passengers waiting to board the delayed flight were crowded around the waiting area. I automatically started to search for her red hair and her older brother.

"Hello?" Violet answers her phone. "..... Cara, don't joke, this is serious! ... Oh. Oh, God. I-- No, we'll see you in a second..."

I couldn't find her. I turned to Violet and saw her upset face and felt my stomach drop. "Cara says that Serena just texted her and said that they're at San Diego International. We're at the wrong airport."

"What?" I said in disbelief. "No."

She nodded, her eyes becoming glassy with tears. "I'm sorry. I messed up..."

"She always flies out of L.A.X. though."

"Not this time."

No. I was going to make things right. I was going to fix us.

For the first time in a long time, I felt the unfamiliar sensation of tears pricking my eyes. "Oh, God..." I murmured, then turned and walked out of the gate. I didn't get far, though, and sat against a wall with my face in my hands as I tried to process that I had lost her for good.

"Zacky!" Violet shouts from ten feet away, and then she's suddenly there, arms around my shoulders, comforting me, apologizing. It wasn't her fault, though. It was mine. I always had to fuck up every good thing in my life. Now I was paying the price, without her by my side.

"Come on. Let's go home," Violet finally suggests softly, offering me her hand. I took it gratefully and followed her around the airport until we got to the car.

No one said a word the entire drive back. Violet had makeup smudged on her face and I knew my eyes were bloodshot, but still,no one said anything. I was grateful for that, too. Looks of pity were one thing, but spoken words were an entirely different ballpark. Neither territories were approached, and no one stopped me when I went into my room alone.

I stared at my ceiling for hours, thinking about her. I'd done this a million times before, but this time was different. Her absence demanded to be felt, and I felt it all right. I didn't really know what to do anymore. I guess I just had to move on, since I knew she wouldn't be back any time soon.

My offer still stood, though. It would always stand for her.