Vengeance Is Mine

(Zephyr's POV)

I didn't look back as I crossed over the lines, officially leaving Huntington Beach once and for all. I shut off my phone, not wanting to deal with anyone anymore at this point. It was just going to be me, myself, and I. No one to stop me, no one to hurt me, no one to do anything. I was tired of being treated and thrown around like I was just a piece of garbage, it just wasn't worth it to me anymore. Especially how everything was going with Zack, that definitely wasn't worth it to me anymore either. He clearly will never be all mine and I clearly won't ever get to be his. No matter how much it broke my heart to do it, I knew that I just had to accept that awful fact or else I was never going to be okay.

I somehow ended up walking and hitchhiking all the way to L.A. Not exactly the safest of places or the best of areas, but it sure beat being surrounded by constant pain and let down. Now the only problem was, where in the hell was I going to sleep tonight? Definitely not outside, that is not the best nor the safest idea. I hunt around more, finally stumbling across a rundown building that's boarded and locked up tight but a broken window seems the perfect opportunity to crawl into. I somehow manage to get inside without causing too much noise or bring any unwanted attention to myself. It looks like an old apartment complex and from the looks of things, not many people ever left. Down the hallways, I can hear what sounds like hushed whispers of people talking and echos of feet walking across the floor.

Quietly, I stumble around the dark corridors before eventually finding an empty room. There's an old mattress sprawled out on the floor and without much hesitation I quickly throw myself onto it. Exhausted and clearly defeated by the long journey, I soon find myself starting to drift in and out of consciousness. I only wondered what it would be like come morning time, truth be told, because I was honestly scared of what I might see. No matter how hard I tried to fight it though, sleep eventually won and I was soon shutting my eyes tight, falling fast asleep to the sounds of screaming, wicked laughter, and horrible smells of smoke and burnt paper. What a great night this is.

(Zack's POV, 2 days later)

After what happened at dinner with Zephyr and her mom, I knew things were only going to get worse. I tried calling her repeatedly, leaving multiple voicemails, pleading for her to call me back as soon as she could because I needed to tell her how sorry I was. But in the end, nothing. I had no choice but to worry the others and let them all know that she was on the run, only Johnny was the one to see her last. According to him, it wasn't on the very best terms either. "I saw her but it was only for a few minutes. We were talking about Lacey and everything. Before I knew it, she was all over me, trying to kiss me. When I shoved her off and told her to go, she flipped. I don't know where she could have gone." Hearing that ultimately ended up in me beating the shit out of him, leaving him bruised and battered on the floor of his room. No one treated Zephyr that way, especially someone who was supposed to be her best friend. Me included, I had fucked up things the most with her.

Johnny ended up admitting that it was him who had came onto her and apologized millions of times for lying about it, but that still didn't make me feel any better. She wasn't answering anyone's calls, her phone was too full for anymore voicemails, we checked every place in town that she would have gone to, including the cemetery. She literally was nowhere to be found. Finally after everyone had returned back home, we each split up and decided where the hell to start. It wasn't like Zephyr to just wander off completely, so the odds that something could have happened to her were increasingly high. She was never one to do anything out of the ordinary, she only ever had attempted suicide once after her dad had passed away, but nothing ever indicated that she might try to do it again. That possibility was still lingering there in the air though and it couldn't be entirely ruled out. I felt my stomach twist into a thousand knots as I started to finally realize how bad this situation really was.

I tried again for what felt like the thousandth time to call her, finally getting the signal to go through. It rang about four times until finally someone had answered. "Zephyr? Hello? Zeph! Where the hell are you? Everyone's worried about you, we haven't heard from you in days, where are you?" It was quiet on the other end, only the sounds of what sounded like passing cars and the wind could be heard. "Where are you? Please, Zephyr, we're all so worried about you. Come home." Finally I could hear what sounded like muffled sniffling. She was crying, this wasn't good at all. "Fuck, Zephyr, please I am so sorry. Let me come find you, please." I was begging at this point, my hands shaking and trembling with fear. "No. I can't Zack, not anymore. This is what needs to happen, this is what needs to be done. We're not meant for each other, it's plain to see. This is goodbye Zack. Forever."

(Zephyr's POV)

I was standing on the edge of a windowsill, gripping tightly onto the frame with one hand and my phone in the other. Tears were pouring down my face as I listened to Zack talk. I couldn't do it anymore. My life and what it's come to, it wasn't worth living anymore. It wasn't worth dealing with all this bullshit and lies and misery. I was done being hurt by the people who supposedly loved me and would do anything for me. I was done being alive. I had never really thought that it would come down to this again, but it did. Now I knew for certain that it was meant to be this way, it just had to be. "What do you mean goodbye? What are you talking about? Zephyr, where the fuck are you? Please!" He was on the verge of screaming now as I closed my eyes tight, feeling my body sway in and out of the window. All I had to do was jump, and I'd be set free. I just had to let go.

"I can't tell you, it doesn't matter. It's all too late for me, Zee. I can't be saved, nothing can save me. Especially you, you're not able to do anything anymore. My heart's been broken for the last and final time, Zacky. This is the end for me, this is the end for it all. I can't stand being hurt anymore, this is just not worth it. I'm not gonna graduate, I don't have a mom, I don't have a family, I don't have you. It's all just pain and lies and I'm tired of it. Tell the girls that I love them all, tell Matt that him and Val are meant for each other, tell Brian and Michelle the same. Tell Jimmy that I am so sorry for never giving him the chance with me that he always wanted. I should have given him a chance instead of you so many goddamn times. Tell Johnny that I forgive him for what he did and that I hope he and Lacey can work things out. Tell Zoey and my mom that I tried, that I tried so hard to be good enough for them. Tell them that this wasn't all their fault, that I love them still in even after everything."

At that moment, I could hear the sounds of Zack practically bawling his eyes out. "No, don't, you can't do this to me Zephyr. You can't leave me like this, please. I need you. Please, don't." I sucked in a sharp deep breath, feeling my lips quiver as I stepped further towards the ledge. "I can't anymore, Zack. I love you, but goodbye."