What It Takes

Matt was in the kitchen with one arm wrapped around Val and the hand on his other arm wrapped around a beer. He looked so at peace and in love with her. I didn't know whether he would take the news of Lola moving back, good or bad.

"Hey Bro. I've got some news."

"Uh okay, what kind of news?" He unwrapped his arm slowly from around Val.

"Lola is well she's moving back and her plane will be here tomorrow." I squinted my eyes awaiting his expression and thoughts. He looked at me like I was speaking in tongues.

"Who's Lola?" Val asked as she wrapped her arms around Matt's waist and laid her head on his back.

"No one." Matt and I shouted at the same time.

"Well damn!" She mumbled as she walked into the living room.

"Va-" The wave of her hand, in the air, cut Matt off of his sentence.

"Save it!" Was her chant.

Matt sat on top of the counter and I stood in front of him. He had his face covered by his hands. He let out a deep tired huff and looked up at me, while rubbing his forehead.

"So why the fuck is she coming back here?" He half shouted but not in a mean way.

"I have no clue Matt. I guess it's because she's old enough to live by herself and loves California. It's not the end of the world Bro. I mean you and Val are great together and you know Lola wouldn't try to tear the up!"

He hopped off of the counter and stood in front of me with a confused expression playing on his green/hazel eyes.

"No, I know she wouldn't do that but I never got over her."

Now I was looking at him like he was speaking in tongues.

"Matt you're just going to have to avoid her! I don't want you breaking Val's heart for someone you haven't seen in almost more than a year!" I placed my hand on his shoulder. He shook his head and looked off at the doorway.

"So you still love her, Matt?" Val said in almost a whisper as she walked off in the other direction that the doorway was connecting. It sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"Look what you fucking did Mel!" Matt shouted as he went off to go talk to Val privately.

"What the fuck! 'Look what you fucking did Mel!' I didn't do shit. It's not my damn fault that Lola is moving back here, DAMN!"

I walked into the den, where everyone else was except Matt and Val. Zacky and Brian were playing 'Grand Theft Auto,' while Jimmy and Johnny were behind them yelling at the game. I walked over and sat on the carpet next to Zack.

"Ay Bay-Bay, what's crackin'? Oh fuck watch where you're driving that damn piece of shit, Brian!" Zacky said, talking to me, Brian, and the video game.

I nodded my head to mean 'nothing.'

"Well I hope dinner is almost ready because I've lost so much weight from being sick and I need to rock the chub again." He smiled

"Are you fucking blind, dude? You're still a lard ass." Brian shouted, while jiggling Zacky's belly. Zack punched Brian in the stomach and then continued to play the video like nothing had just happened.

"I love you, Babe." Zack whispered in my ear as he kissed my temple and turned off the game.

When he said 'I love you,' I still felt weird. He was good at noticing these things.

"I said I love you..."

"Oh uh I love you to Zack."

"What do you say that after dinner we go home and me, you, and our son settle down and watch a movie." He smiled when he referred to Ichabod as our son.

"I'd love that!"

We talked with Brian and the guys for what felt like forever. Matt and Val were either still talking or fucking. Finally, Val walked down with a tear stained face and was walking towards the kitchen.

"Everyone, eat!" She shouted. Her words sounded weighed down.

We all gave each other a 'what the hell?' look and walked in the kitchen. Everyone was almost done with their dinner, when Matt walked in the kitchen, quietly with his car keys.

"Where are you going?" All the guys asked. Matt didn't answer but continued to make his way outside. All the guys new something was wrong with Matt. They were all like brothers and when one was acting strange, they all did until it was solved. Zacky stood up, placed his fork on his plate, and kissed my temple again.

"Where are you going, babe?" I asked as I grabbed his arm.

"Aren't we going to go home and watch movies?" I questioned again.

"Sorry, uh I'll be back by 10:00 tonight, I promise!" He said as he walked away.

The girls had all left but I stayed behind to help Val clean up and find out what happened.

"What happened?"

She put the last dish in the dish washer and turned around and made a huff noise much like the one Matt had made earlier.

"I heard everything you two were talking about, and I wasn't eavesdropping either. When we got upstairs to talk, he told me he loved me and all this bullshit. I asked him if it was true, if he still loved her...And he didn't deny it." She sounded very hurt but more pissed than anything.

"He hasn't fucking seen the bitch in over a year and he still fucking loves her! That was a fucking epic of time wasted. I put my all in that relationship and he's still fucking in love with someone else?" She continued to rant for minutes.

"You helped me when me and Zacky weren't at our best and now it's my turn to help you. As much as I don't want to say, but you don't need to be with someone like my brother if he's confused like that."

"But I love him Mel!"

"Well I love Zack..."

"What's that suppose to mean?" She asked.

"I just don't know if I want to be with him anymore but I know I love him..."

"Don't you fucking break his heart Mel! Yeah, he's made mistakes but he's only human and he loves you alot and he's a hell of a good guy!" Val said sternly.

"It's not about me and him right now! It's about you and Matt."

"Well that's over! And you better figure out what you want, Mel. I'm saying this as your best friend. You better fucking figure it out girl."

"I'll try, but I'm going home. Call me if you hear anything from the guys." I said as I hugged her and said my goodbyes.

"NO TRY! YOU WILL!" She yelled at me from her front porch as I jumped in my car.

***Zacky's P.O.V.***
I can't believe Matt and Val are over! They were the power couple that me and the guys and our girlfriends looked up to. Well me, Brian, Jimmy, and Johnny got in Brian's car and followed Matt to make sure he wouldn't do anything dumb. We ended up pulling our cars up into a parking lot. A strip club. We all got out of the car and surrounded Matt, who was making his way inside the club. I knew this wasn't going to be a good idea for me to hang around here.

"Hey guys, I'm going home." I said backing up towards the car but Brian grabbed my arm.

"Don't be selfish man! He needs us right now!" Brian said lowly as he pulled me through the club door.

So many women. I was fine with that, I trusted myself because I loved Mel and knew I was going be with her and no other women could take that away from her or me.

I looked everywhere and saw it everywhere. My enemy was making itself present. Alcohol was wanting to have another round with me.