You Could Be My Punk Rock Princess

Kat's POV

"Where are you now?
As I'm swimming through the stereo
I'm writing you a symphony of sound
Where are you now?
As I rearrange the songs again
This mix could burn a hole in anyone
But it was you I was thinking of"

I sat on the school bus, listening to the world around me, not wanting to move, or even go to school. I had about six reasons to go to school. Alex, Jack, Zack, Rian, Matt and Vinny. And even then. I felt the bus hit the curb with a harsh jolt, knocking everyone to the side. I couldn't wait for my car to come back from the mechanics to have its insurance updated. I barely ever rode the bus. I usually took everyone to school considering it's a seven seater and my baby. So you can imagine the texts I got when I told the guys my baby was getting repaired and insured for the year.

When I was finally off the bus, I got pulled back and pinned against the bus, and someone put their hand against my mouth. I fought back until I saw Zack standing in front of me. I pushed him back as he began chuckling.
"Zachary Steven Merrick! Don't fucking do that," I squealed, batting at his arm.
"Your face though," he said, laughing.
"Well, we're no longer on speaking terms," I told him, knowing it would make him feel bad, and going to walk away.
"Baby, noo! Don't go," he said, pulling me back. He wrapped his arms around my middle and tried to kiss me. Oh, I forgot to mention that Zack and I are together.
"Haha! No no no! You can have kisses when you deserve them," I said smugly, and pushed him away softly, and walking away. I blew him a kiss, and he smiled that heart melting smile.

I walked up behind Alex and jumped on his back. He let out an extremely high pitched scream and threw me off his back. I fell on the ground, onto my butt.
"Oww!" I cried out as Zack reached us. He lifted me back up onto my feet. "Gaskarth, if I have a broken tail bone, I'm gonna kick you so hard between the legs that your voice'll un-break!"
"You jumped on me," he said, cowering behind Jack
"You did not need to toss me off," I replied.
"Are you okay?" Zack asked me, hugging me tightly and kissing my cheek.
"My tailbone hurts. But you're still in the bad books," I told him, hugging in none the less.
"Haha clearly," Matt said.

I gave everyone hugs to say hi and we walked to our lockers. Zack had his arm around me and held me close to his side. We had all managed to get lockers together, although some of us did happen to have the bottom layer. Me, Alex and Matt. And my one happened to be below a Jock's. Zack had offered to swap with me after hearing a LOT of derogatory terms, but I could deal with him. And I was barely ever alone at my locker anyway. I could grin and bare it. The only real downside of that day was it was my one day where the only class I'd be in with the guys was music. Everything else? Just me.

I had history first and as I was pulling out my history book, Jace (the Jock who's locker was above mine) and his mate's came along.
"Hey geeks," one of them sniggered.
"Oh look. Just where I need you, Kat. While you're down there, could you deal with a little.. k'now, issue?" Jace taunted.
"Go to hell," I replied, standing up.
"You talking back to me, bitch?" Jace asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Don't fucking talk to her like that," Zack growled, pulling me over to him.
"Ha! Like you can stop me," he said, chortling.
"Damn right I-" Zack started, moving his foot.
"Stop it baby. He's not worth it. C'mon," I sighed, pulling Zack away from the scene.

"No!" Zack said, stopping in his tracks.
"What do you mean, no?" I asked.
"He can't just get away with treating you like that all the fucking time," he cried.
"Look, if you do something, it's just gonna get worse. I know Jace. He doesn't give up easily. Can we just not think about him for now?" I asked him softly.
"Fine. But if he says anything to you again, I can't be held accountable for my actions," he told me.
"Fine," I replied, knowing it would make him feel better.

I began to walk away, keeping a hold of his hand, but he pulled me back. I squealed slightly until his lips pressed against mine. I hugged him and played with the ends of his hair softly. Then the bell rang. Zack gave me another quick kiss before he headed to biology and I to History. History dragged on. I kept up with the work, even though Jace had started a rumor I had given him a blow job and loads of people kept tapping my shoulder to ask. I walked from History to art when the bell went and the process repeated. All the girls were giving me jealous glares, the guys were looking at me lustfully, and everyone kept asking me if it had happened. Then it was break.

I stormed down to my locker, where Jace was. Alex, Jack, Matt, Vinny, Rian and Zack were already at their lockers. I stormed over to Jace, spun him 'round and backhanded him. Zack walked cautiously to my side.
"Ahh! What the fuck you psycho?" he screamed, his hand moving to his now red cheek.
"You know what," I growled and turned on my heel, walking away from everyone.

"Baby?" Zack called out, running after me. "Kat!"
"Not now, Zack," I called out with as soft a voice as I could manage.
"Baby, talk to me. What happened?" he called back and grabbed my hand.
"Have you not heard the rumors?" I asked him.
"The one about you and Jace?" he asked me.
"Yep," I fumed.
"Part of me hoped you hadn't heard. Part of me hoped you had," he admitted.
"Now girls want to kill me and guys think I'm easy..." I told him.

"Wanna know what I think?" he asked me.
"Okay then, what do you think?" I asked him. He pulled my face up so my eyes met his.
"I think you are beautiful. And amazing. And you don't need to worry about what anyone thinks because if anyone even so much as looks at you wrong, me, Alex, Jack, Rian, Matt and Vinny will make sure they don't look at you wrong again. Because I care. And they care. And fuck this school. In two years, it's not gonna matter to you what the school thinks. In two years, all that's gonna matter is you, and me," he told me. I felt any previous annoyance just drain away.
"Zack. I love you," I told him.
"And I love you. C'mon, let's go get your books for next class, hmm?" he said.
"Mmhmm," I nodded, and reached up, kissed him lightly and grabbed his hand. He pulled his hand away and wrapped his arm around me softly. We walked back over to our lockers.

Jace was gone by the time we reached our lockers. I had six more lessons to go, and I had four of them with Jace and only one of them with Zack and that. This was gonna be a long day. I collected my Chemistry and drama stuff as the bell rang, kissed Zack and headed to Chemistry. That dragged out just as bad as History. What made it even worse was that Jace sat beside me (not out of choice, in fairness). We had been partnered for the chemistry project. Not that Miss Gieary would have put us together if she knew how Jace treated me. It was a class of snidey comments and remarks from Jace, and working on our projects. I stuck in an earphone and listened to Fall Out Boy. Jace sat and made remarks, doing none of the work until Miss Gieary came over to see how everything was going. Chemistry couldn't end fast enough and I ran to drama, all excited. That was until Mrs Donelly paired me with, you guessed it, Jace. To do Romeo and Juliet. We were focusing on Shakespeare and she thought I'd be amazing at Juliet. It was the second break of the day and I went back to my locker to get my stuff out for Spanish and Math.

This part of the day wasn't so bad, but that was probably because both teachers were off so it was subs and they let us do pretty much whatever we wanted. So, I read and listened to music. I didn't need to listen to Jace and his friends talking loudly in the corner. I didn't need to deal with anyone's bullshit. I got to do what I wanted.

Lunch came about and Alex, Jack, Zack, Rian, Matt and Vinny were still nowhere to be seen. I phoned Zack, but it went to his answer phone. I didn't worry too much though. I sat in my old spot in the cafeteria and ate before going back to my locker and getting my stuff for my final two classes, English and Music. I'd left my guitar in music overnight so it would be there for me. There was still no sign of any of the guys, so I decided to suck it up and make the long trek to the English department, where my next lesson was

That lesson drew out the longest. I sat beside one of Jace's friends, Caleb, who kept making degrading and derogatory remarks. I had to grin and bare it though. None of the teachers would move me away from anyone I didn't wanna sit with. My English teacher would tell me I was overreacting and being silly. He was the worst teacher for English. No emotion, monotone voice, never knew the answer. It made me want to smack him with a thesaurus. I can't explain the happiness that came through me when the bell finally rang.

I was the first from the room. I didn't even care if Alex and that weren't there. I was just glad it was music. And it was Friday. I got into music and found Zack standing by the Piano, a large Starbucks cup in his hand and an apologetic smile on his face.
"What's in the cup?" I asked cautiously.
"You'll have to try it to see," he replied, a cheeky grin on his face. I took the cup from him and took a sip to find it was a mint hot chocolate with everything on top.
"Zaaack! Thank you," I said, a grin on my face.
"It's to make up for making you go through most of the day by yourself," he replied, stepping closer and wrapping an arm around me.
"You're cute," I told him, grinning.

Miss Taylor came in as we all took our seats. She didn't care if you ate or drank in her class as long as you paid attention. She told us it was a show off your talent time. She said we needed to get used to playing in front of people for our exam. She listed the instruments we would be focusing on too. Alex was obviously guitar, as was Jack and Matt. Rian and Vinny had the drums, Zack his bass. She came to me last. She wanted me to show off three instruments. Guitar, piano and voice using two different songs, singing both times. Preferably ones I'd written, but it wasn't necessary. I was the last one she came to. I decided to start with piano. I loved playing it. I let my hands flit across the keys once, before beginning to play.

"Yeah, I know it's hard to remember
The people we used to be...
It's even harder to picture,
That you're not here next to me.

You say it's too late to make it,
But is it too late to try?
And in our time that you wasted
All of our bridges burned down

I've wasted my nights,
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed.
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise

I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?

If "Happy Ever After" did exist,
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of it.
One more silly love song, I'll be sick

You turned your back on tomorrow
'Cause you forgot yesterday.
I gave you my love to borrow,
But you just gave it away.

You can't expect me to be fine,
I don't expect you to care
I know I've said it before
But all of our bridges burned down.

I've wasted my nights,
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed.
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise.

I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?

If "Happy Ever After" did exist,
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of it.
One more silly love song, I'll be sick

Yeah, yeah, now baby don't hang up,
So I can tell you what you need to know,
Baby I'm begging you just please don't go,
So I can tell you what you need to know

I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?

If "Happy Ever After" did exist,
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of it.
One more stupid love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
I'm at a payphone
I'm at a payphone
Now I'm at a payphone"

I didn't even stop to look at how everyone was looking at me. I grabbed my guitar and jumped straight into song 2.