Vengeance Is Mine

(Zephyr's POV, 6 months later, June 1999)

It was supposed to be one of the biggest days of my life today and the only thing that I could think about was how terrible I looked in this graduation garb and how much that I missed Zacky. Today was June 6th, 1999 and I along with my other best friends, were going to be graduating high school today. All of us except for the boys, they were already off on tour with the Vans Warped Tour. So that just left me, Val, and Michelle. Over the course of these last six months, my friendships had been repaired and things had changed. Michelle apologized for ever overstepping her boundaries and Val never stopped apologizing for all the things that had happened between now and then. It was all water under the bridge, I was done losing friends over things that didn't need to happen. Now onto me and Zack. Where we last left off, Zack wanted to take a break from our relationship after we had found out the results of the second pregnancy test I had to take. We got a call saying that it was positive, I was in fact pregnant. But I lied, I said that I wasn't. Now after all was said and done, we agreed on the break and I ultimately moved out of Zack's house and went to live with my Dad's sister on the other side of town. I had only met her once but she still accepted me into her home regardless of everything after we had coincidentally ran into each other at my father's gravestone.

The plan was though to meet up with the guys in San Diego. Today, to be exact and after graduation. We were going on a road trip directly after the ceremony so that way we could give the boys their diplomas and surprise them all in one sitting. Especially Zack, he was going to be the most surprised. I was six months pregnant, the size of a house now. How does Zack not know? Well after I moved out, I had informed the school of my situation and took the homeschooling route but still got to walk with my class at the end. He would call me every so often and ask what happened to me and even try to come and see me, but I would play it off as I just needed time to adjust, that I was trying to salvage what little bit of family that I had left. As for the others, they all knew my situation. Matt and Val were the first ones I told about it, the next day I had found out actually. They were shocked but supported my decision on having it. I guess I should be referring to it as a her, now. Yes you heard it right, I am having a baby girl. I had to practically beg and plead with everyone not to tell him at all which wasn't easy to do but it was possible. Even now we still texted here and there, but he really still had no clue about anything.

I still hadn't decided what exactly was going to happen once she was born either. I knew I had no real stable future, no real plan ahead. So when it come to keeping the baby or giving her up for adoption, I wasn't so sure. Her name is going to be Bradley Nicole, named after both my father and my grandmother on my dad's side. I felt it was the best way to honor them both and after I had told the gang about it, they were ecstatic and in tears at the same time. Now back to the reality that was ahead of me. I was sitting nervously in my seat as Val had finished the final touches on my hair and Michelle did my makeup. I still had kept it extremely short so all she really had to do was style it to look nice and all I asked Michelle for was some simple eyeliner and eye shadow. It was odd, I had to admit though. Watching my stomach grow bigger and bigger every day, feeling things change inside me. This was honestly the last thing that I could ever imagine happening to be honest with you, especially to me. I was the one who always said that I wasn't ever going to have kids or to settle down quickly but apparently life had other plans for me. I accepted them though and still took it all head on. "Are you ready to look Zeph?" I nod my head slowly before taking the mirror from Val's hands. I gasped somewhat, because I had really no idea who I was even looking at anymore.

But before the tears could run down my face and ruin my new look, Michelle quickly handed me a tissue to pat at my eyes. "Now come on, we have to hold it together long enough to make it to the school in-Shit!! We have ten minutes!!" Hurriedly now we rushed around the house as fast as we could to get our things together until my aunt had helped us get everything down to the car and take a few pictures of us. "Ok girls, have a good time and be safe on the road!! I'll see you on Monday. Zephyr!" We then say our goodbyes to her as we pull out of the driveway and head on to the school at almost sixty miles an hour, making it in record time just as the entire senior class was lining up outside the gym. Seeing as I was carrying an extra thirty pounds on me, I wasn't exactly in the best shape for running, so Val and Michelle helped me get out of the car and speed walk as fast as we could to catch up with them. "You three made it in the nick of time! Hurry, your seats are all assigned by last name!" I almost died when I had heard that, meaning that I was going to be situated beside Zoey. She had no idea I was pregnant either, I hadn't seen or spoken to her or my mom since Thanksgiving. Almost exactly 7 months to the day. "Go on Zeph, we'll meet up after!"

Reluctantly I do as I'm instructed to and follow along the rows until I see the one empty space beside my sister. She looked the same, only this time her hair was curled dramatically and her make up made her look like she was a hooker. I tried my best not to make any sort of entrance to make myself known, but when she turned her head to the side and her eyes grew wide like she had just seen a ghost, I knew it was a lost cause. I took my seat beside her nonchalantly, like if nothing was ever wrong while I waited for the names to start being read off. "You're pregnant? You're pregnant. I can't believe you're actually pregnant. I guess you finally found someone stupid enough to knock you up so they can take care of you now, huh?" I bit down on my tongue hard to keep myself from retorting back at her as the music soon began to play and the principal began to give his speech. "It doesn't matter anyways. I'm just glad Zack finally came to his senses and left you. You were just dead weight dragging him down. It's good to see that his career finally took off, I am so happy for him." Again I just stayed silent, trying my hardest to only focus on what was being said at the front.

But Zoey wasn't giving up at all, she kept egging on and insisting that she was so sure that Zack had broken up with me. "He's finally grown up and realized that you can't keep these little fantasy high school relationships alive. That's why he isn't here, he's finally out living his dream and thank God he doesn't have you around to ruin it all." Finally having enough, I snapped my head to the side before chewing her out for one final time. "To be honest and real with you here so you'll finally shut the fuck up, it's actually Zack's baby. We didn't break up, we took a break because we had to figure stuff out. He's still very much with me and we're still very much in love. This is the niece that you'll never meet and she'll never know about you or mom. Now leave me alone and go ruin someone else's life, Zoey. I have nothing left to say to you for the rest of my goddamn life." Her mouth dropped slightly open wide, she finally had run out of things to stay to me. I knew she was going to go off and try to immediately text Zack about it to confirm my story and everything but she wouldn't be able to thankfully because he had changed his number after we had officially gotten together back in November.

Finally once I returned my attention back on the principal, I realized that they had finally began calling out the names. I clapped and cheered loudly for Zack, Val and Michelle, Brian, Matt, and lastly Jimmy. I knew if they had been here, there would have been a serious scene going on. Jimmy would have most likely streaked across the stage in his purple kimono and the others would have filmed it. When they called my name, the superintendent and the principal walked over to me to hand me my diploma and take the picture so it would be easier on me instead of having to walk over there. Once everything was said and done, they instructed us to put our tassels to the side before we threw them up in the air, signaling that we were done, that we had finished and completed our high school years. I received plenty of hugs from both Val and Michelle on top of from their parents who had also attended the ceremony. "You girls be safe now on your trip and say hello to the boys for us." We agree before giving another long hug to Val's mom who was on the verge of tears while looking at us. I glanced out once into the crowd of faces in the off chance that I would see my own mom but I never did and I guess I was glad for that, I didn't really want to anyways.

We changed out of our cap and gowns once we had gotten to the car and I made sure that I used the bathroom almost three times before we had gotten on the road. It was only going to be an hour long trip, so it was pretty much only a matter of time before I was going to be face to face with Zack. I could feel the baby start to kick up a storm a few times as we started getting closer and closer, the signs soon reading on the freeway that we were only a few miles out until we hit downtown San Diego. "Are you nervous to see Zee again? Excited? Scared?" I'll take all three for eight hundred, Alex. Of course I was fucking scared, of course I was nervous! How the hell was I supposed to fucking feel? I'm six months pregnant with our baby girl, that he has no fucking idea about, that all his friends and family kept it a secret from him. I was an absolute wreck inside. What if he didn't want to be with me anymore after he finds out? What if he hates me? What if he doesn't forgive me for lying to him about it? What if he tells me to get rid of it? Well there was no way that could happen now anyways, I had to carry the baby all the way to term unless something happened God forbid. "Leave her alone Chelle, she's obviously on a roller coaster of emotions already." Thank you, Val. You couldn't have said it anymore better for me. That was the perfect way to describe it.

Once we had gotten off of the freeway, I practically made Val pull over about ten times so I could throw up or use the bathroom before we finally got to the venue because I was THAT fucking scared. I had to force myself to calm down every few seconds by taking tons of deep breaths once we had gotten our tickets and parked. It was now or never, this was the breaking point I thought to myself as we made our ways up to the entrance, having our bags searched and our tickets scanned now. We were going to hunt around for the guys, but it didn't take long for that to happen when we had ran smack into Jimmy and Matt out of the blue first when we started walking through the thick crowds. Val immediately threw herself into his arms in a tight hug as he then proceeded to spin her around and kiss her multiple times. "Oh my God, I've missed you so much babe!" She squealed happily which only made me start to swell up with tears. That also happened a lot, I got overly emotional at every single little thing that really didn't need to be cried about. When the attention was finally turned on me, both Matt and Jimmy eagerly rushed over to put their hands on my stomach to feel the baby moving. "Jesus, Zeph! She's kicking up a damn ruckus over here! I bet you she'll grow up to be a drummer just like me when she's older!" I beamed brightly at Jimmy who genuinely looked fascinated about everything and put a hand to my stomach. "Have you seen him yet?"

I shook my head no with a heavy sigh, I was dreading this now. "It's better to get it over with now then to just completely forget about it. Come on, he's at the merch tent with the others." Val, Jimmy, Michelle and I all follow alongside each other with Matt leading the way over to where the booth was set up a good few rows away. Before I could go any further, I stopped dead in my tracks once I saw those gorgeous green eyes come into my sights. There he was, after a whole six months of not seeing each other, still looking the same as ever. Besides the fact that he had gotten a couple more tattoos and wore a bit of eyeliner, he still hadn't changed. "Come on, Zeph. Don't worry about anything, I promise you, you'll still have us regardless of it all." I felt the tears sting my eyes as my hands began to shake violently. I couldn't do this, but I knew I had no choice. I unwillingly let Val and Michelle lead the way over there only when Brian had decided to yell "HOLY FUCK!" rather loudly, did Zack turn his head to see exactly what it was he was yelling about. I tried my hardest to duck out of his view but being the size that I was, it was absolutely useless, just my luck as usual.

When we approached closer, letting everyone else crowd around me now and bombard me with hugs, did the curiosity of Zack finally kick in as he soon followed suit with the rest and came to see who it was they were fussing over. It was like time seemed to freeze and stand still as he barged in through the middle, coming face to face with me. His eyes had practically bugged out of their skull and it honestly looked like he was going to drop dead on the floor once he pieced it all together. "Z-Ze-Zeph-Zephyr? Is that really you?" His voice was low and none the less utterly shocked as he came closer to me now, examining every feature. I shook my head slowly but kept my gaze averted. "But you're-you-I thought they said you weren't pregnant after all?" Tears were evident in both our eyes now as I gently took his hand and placed it on my stomach right as the baby began to kick. He yanked it back, completely horrified. "I guess it was wrong, wasn't it? But please, know that I'm so sorry Zack, that you had to find out this way. But I wanted to wait until the time was right to tell you. You're going to be a dad, Zee. You're having a baby girl, her name is going to be Bradley Nicole. I'm six months pregnant to the date, she's due in September." His face was completely drained of all its color and he remained completely speechless, not saying one word.

"I-I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner. I could have been there, I could have been more helpful or fucking something. Jesus Christ, Zephyr. You came all the way out here just to tell me this?" I shake my head said before attempting to put his hand to my face this time. He reluctantly lets me and soon begins to stroke my cheek gently. "No, that's not only the reason why. I also came out here to tell you that I love you, Zack Baker. And that I want you to be there when your daughter is born. I want you to sign her birth certificate, I want you to be a part of everything." Again there's nothing but silence as everyone standing around us is completely stunned. "You all knew, didn't you?" He finally asks as he looks to Val and Matt first. They all shake their heads hesitantly which only makes him sigh deeper in return but a small smile soon finds its way onto his lips after a while. "I-I love you too, Zephyr. You're my world, my everything. I should have known that something was going on when you asked to move out but I just figured you needed your space. This is a lot for me to take in right now, especially since it's all coming so sudden. But I will be there, for you and for her. I can't believe it, I'm going to be a fucking dad. I'm really going to have my own family."