The Art of Subconscious Illusion

Chapter Six.

“Victoria, it’s so nice to see you!” I exclaimed, putting on a fake smile as she pulled me into a hug. A tall and handsome man was standing a little ways away, watching us interact and she pulled away from the hug and called him over.

“David, come over here and meet my sister!” She exclaimed and he came over with the cart. “Susan, this is David my fiance, David this is Susan and…” she looked over to Zacky.

“Oh my bad, Victoria and David this is a friend from high school I ran into the other day.” I explained, instantly regretting it because her eyes widened.

“How many days have you been in town?” she asked, hurt evident in her voice and I winced, she was always good at making people feel like shit.

“Just got into town today, but I ran into him at a thing...the other night.” I explained, biting my lip and her mood did a complete three sixty and she was smiling once more.

“How long are you going to be in town for? Where are you staying?” She asked curiously, taking up more of my time with her questions.

“It’s Spring Break, so until Sunday probably and my friends and I are staying with Zacky down in his basement apartment.” I explained, telling Zacky to go ahead and continue food shopping. He bit his lip, before saying goodbye and heading off in the direction of where he needed to go.

“We are having a dinner on Sunday at five, you and your friends should come over for it.” She said and I rubbed the back of my neck. “Oh come on, don’t be a debby downer, we miss seeing and hearing from you. Should invite your boyfriend as well!” She exclaimed and my mouth dropped open, shocked that she would say that.

“I...I guess we could...he’s just a friend from high school, not my boyfriend.” I reminded her and she rolled her eyes looking at David, who was bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet. “I should let you guys continue on your day, don’t want to hold you up even more than I have already.” I stated and hugged her awkwardly, wishing I hadn’t just agreed to this and yet I may have just made it easier for me to confront them about everything. It just depended on whether or not I didn’t chicken out, which was highly likely to happen since I would have my two best friends and Zacky with me.

I made my way through the aisles, hunting down Zacky and I couldn’t find him anywhere. I pulled out my phone and texted him. I wondered where he had gone off to. I searched all of the food aisles. Hmm, maybe he went to find something that wasn’t in the grocery section. I went back into walmart mode and started searching other departments. When I finally found him, I was shocked to see what he was looking at. Condoms...of fucking course!

“Need protection for something.” I said quietly, sneaking up behind him and leaning into him. He jumped and his arms flailed out like a chicken.

“Lucy!” he exclaimed, turning to look at me, his face turning red. Who was he buying condoms for? Was he seeing someone? He told me the other day that he was single...or maybe he was just looking to get laid at the party. “No, I just uh...you never know when you might need to be...prepared.” he stated nervously, biting his lip.

“I guess so...Sorry, its not any of my business anyway. Lets just get what’s left on the list and get out of here okay?” I asked him, my mood completely plummeting. He frowned at my attitude and nodded in agreement. Fuck. He could tell I was upset.

We finished getting the rest of the food list and checked out, bringing our groceries out to the car and put them in trunk. Mel and Rach hadn’t come out yet which was going to make sitting in a car alone with Zacky really awkward. We sat there for few silent minutes, neither of us saying a word to the other until Zacky finally spoke up.

“Is something wrong? Did I do something to offend you?” he asked me, turning to look at me and reaching out to take my hand in his. I turned my gaze on him and met his emerald eyes.

“N-No...I just didn’t expect it to be that kind of night is all.” I responded, not wanting to tell him that it had actually bugged me. I couldn’t explain why, but it just had.

“Well let me explain...I definitely don’t expect to be a wild night either. But I figured there’s going to be a lot of people there. My best friends will be there and there will be some others there as well. If they make that decision, I want to be able to offer them protection just in case.” he explained and I nodded, taking in what he was telling me.

“So what you’re saying is, they’re not for you?” I asked him and he shrugged.

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. They’re for anyone who needs them. I don’t need anyone making babies under my room.” he stated just as Mel and Rach finally made it out of the store began storing the liquor in the trunk and some in the back seat with them.

“So we ran into my step sister and she invited me over for dinner on Sunday before we leave...along with you guys...you don’t have to go, but the support would really be awesome.” I finally spoke up, fearing being left to walk this journey by myself.

“Of course we will go with, from what you were telling me, they are terrible and horrible people.” Rach spoke up and Mel nodded, Zacky looked as though he were thinking about it while biting his lip.

“You really don’t have to go, honestly you’ll probably get the third degree because they’ll think you’re my boyfriend.” I state and he looked over at me, raising an eyebrow and I shook my head. “My sister has this crazy thing where she will get thoughts in her head and not believe any other story.” I explain, running a hand through my hair.

“I will go with, I just don’t see why you agreed to go...you got so upset with just one of them, how will it go when there are nine of them and we are surrounded?” he asked, causing a smile to break out over my face.

“Divide and conquer, come on, I know that Matt makes all his friends play COD with him. Battle strategies.” I explain, remembering how nerdy Matt could actually get. Zacky raised his eyebrow at me smirking slightly.

“You really were all ears when it came to people around you, weren’t you?” he chuckled, causing me to blush heavily and I heard Mel and Rach start to giggle at us. The rest of the ride was spent joking about the stupidest things and Mell and Rach were telling Zacky all about themselves. It was fantastic to get the attention off of myself for once, letting people tell about themselves.

We pulled up to the house, seeing two cars already in the drive and Zacky sighed.

“Looks like the guys made it here, means they already got the party started and broke into my stash.” he states, parking his car into the garage and we got out, carrying as much as we could in. “Short shit, think you can help me carry the rest in without dropping anything?”

“That was one time man! One fucking time!” Johnny exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air, before adding, “but yes, I can help out.”

“Good, Jimmy and Brian, you can show these three how to set up the bar for party nights...Matt, just keep playing COD and ignoring everybody who isn’t a twelve year old boy.” Zacky stated, shaking his head sadly at him as Matt started cussing up a storm from getting killed.

“God damnit you little fuck, I’m going to find you and hunt you and kill you over and over again. Then when I’ve killed you enough times to my satisfaction, I’m going to skull fuck your corpse!” My mouth dropped open, shocked at what I was hearing from him.

Jimmy shouted a big WHOO! FUCK YEAH! as he stormed us and picked up Melanie bridal style before running downstairs to the basement and Mel’s eyes about popped out of her head and she clung to the man in fear of being dropped. Johnny handed me case of Smirnoff and led us downstairs as well, Rachel following close behind us after hearing Matt start yelling at his video game again.

I came into the basement seeing Melanie sitting on the bar blushing hardcore with Jimmy standing next to her as he started setting up the booze on the counter. I went to over help him and Johnny and Zacky started setting up the kitchen with food and Rach started cooking some of the stuff that needed to heated or prepared.

Everything was all set up for the party and more and more of their friends began to arrive and suddenly I was swarmed by a bunch of strange men I had never met before.

“Hey guys, back up! I know she’s fucking beautiful but give her some room to breathe. And before any of you try anything, no she doesn’t want to sleep with you.” Zacky’s voice boomed from behind the mass of men that was giving me the eye.

“What about me?” some guy who was slightly husky with longish curly black hair and massive muscles called out from the couch, raising his hand for be singled out.

“No Jason, she doesn’t want to sleep with your white ass either!” Zacky stated as the room erupted in laughter. I looked over to see Matt had joined the party and was chatting it up with Rachel as she made him a drink that she was boss at mixing. He was going to love her after he had that drink. “Come on, Lucy. Let me make you a drink.” Zacky suggested, turning me around towards the bar and led me there with a protective arm around my shoulders. Was he...was he mate guarding me?

I bit my lip and followed him, sitting across the bar from him and he kept eye contact with me as he was making the drink.

“Why are you worried about your friends talking to me?” I ask curiously, watching him closely as he stopped for a split second. “You know, psychologists would say that you were mate guarding if you aren’t careful.”

“Mate guarding?” he raised his eyebrow at me as he poured my drink and I took a sip, moaning from how sweet and delicious it was and causing him smile to turn into a smirk. “That good hmm?”

“Delicious.”I answer, blushing as I fidget with my snakebite. “Mate guarding is where you do whatever you can to show other guys that the women next to you is taken. Like you did by telling them I wasn’t interested and pulling an arm around me to bring me over here.” I state, feeling him take my hand into his, to stop me from fidgeting.

“You’re in my home, of course I’m going to worry about you.” he points out, before making a drink for himself while I get to drinking mine.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was about two a.m. when shit really started getting weird, everyone was smashed beyond belief besides Zacky and I. I was still recuperating from yesterday and Zacky was watching over everyone to make sure no one drove home not to mention steal or break anything. Mel was drunk off her ass, hanging off Jimmy like a leech and Rach and Matt were no where to be seen.

“Zacky, Lucy!” Johnny came up to us while we were talking at the bar, where we had been all night. “Did you let Zacky massage your boob yet?”

“What? What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, looking from Johnny to Zacky, seeing a look of anger cross his eyes before her looked over at me.

“You drunk dialed him last night and said tons of interesting things.” he states, causing my face to heat up. “Much like, you wouldn’t mind if Zacky massaged your boob or that he has a sexy butt.”

“Did I now? What else did I say, Zacky?” I glanced over at him, my eyes narrowing and he bit his lip.

“You are a very truthful drunk for sure an…” He stopped mid sentence as his eyes widened and he stood up. I followed his gaze, seeing a skinny woman with a blond bob haircut and a lip piercing wearing a skin tight and short black dress. One of those that would show too much if someone were to open their legs just right. She was staggering around and began knocking things down.

“Zacky, where are you?!” She exclaimed in a sing songy voice and he went over to her, where she instantly threw her arms around him and tried kissing him and he pushed her away.

“Gena, why the hell are you here?” He asked, venom laced in his voice and I cringed form how angry he sounded.

“To see you baby, I have missed you.” she said, pointing and he rolled his eyes at her, grabbing her arm and going to take her upstairs. “What are you doing?” she asked, yanking away.

“I’m taking you upstairs and making you leave.” he said like it was obvious as he grabbed for her again. She moved away in the nick of time and he groaned at her. “Stop being so fucking childish. I want nothing to do with you, you cheated on me remember?” he states, causing her to put a hand to her chest.

“It was an accident, I was smashed and angry. You have no one to blame but yourself for starting that argument.” she scoffed at him and I just wanted to smack her. Why was this woman igniting so much anger from me?

“Save it Gena, you are a wa…” Before he could finish what he was going to say, she lurched over and threw up on the ground. Everyone around starting laughing or ewwing at what she did before Zacky went over and shut off the music. “Anyone staying the night, knows where to sleep...anyone going home, walk and come back for your vehicle tomorrow.” He stated, turning to me and mouthing that he was sorry as he walked her upstairs.

After about an hour, the place cleared out quite a bit, everyone went to their own rooms and I couldn’t sleep so I was left cleaning up everything including the puke. Zacky had sent me a text telling me that he was taking Gena home and I felt something in my gut twinge slightly. Whatever that was about. I made my way upstairs with as many dishes I could carry, hearing Majesty and Ichabod barking from their room and I let them out, almost getting tackled once again.

I quickly did the dishes, sitting on the couch in the living room and picking up the book that was sitting on the coffee table. I curled up, pulling my feet under my body and the dogs jumped up beside me, getting as much into my lap as they both could. Soon enough, they were fast asleep and I soon joined them, allowing myself to fall into a deep and relaxing sleep.