Booze, Boys, and Buses

The silence that filled the room frightened me. I wasn’t sure if Matt was going to be happy, sad, chagrinned, angry, or what. I stared at him for a long time just trying to read his facial expression. He didn’t move a muscle.

“Will you please say something so I know whether or not to be worried?” I asked, crossing my arms and turning my gaze to the burgundy carpet.

“Why didn’t you just tell me at the house two and a half fucking hours ago?” Matt asked, I assumed he was looking at me.

I found my assumption to be correct as I looked up at him. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you, but I was going to tell you in due time. I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

“Jesus I can’t fucking believe this. Me, Matt fucking Shadows, a dad.” He scoffed and looked up at the ceiling.

“It’s okay. I know that we can handle it. We can get through anything together.” I walked over to him.

“It’s not okay Cass! You’re pregnant! I’m not quite what you’d call dad material. I don’t even want a kid right now.”

“Well you’re getting one whether you want it or not!” I yelled, my defenses rising.

“Says you! I say, I’m not getting a kid!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I narrowed my eyes.

“That means, adoption, or we’re done.”

I didn’t hesitate to walk up to him and slap him in the face as hard as I could.

“I thought you’d changed. But you’re still the same egotistical, rude asshole I met four months ago!” He looked in awe and held on to his face. I didn’t feel sorry for hitting him one bit. Matt glared at me after this.
“Do you even know what a promise ring stands for you fucker? It stands for something more than just the girl you’re going to marry! It stands for unconditional love! You’re not showing that to me.”

I took my ring off and threw it at him. He just laughed at me. “You’re the one getting cheated out of a deal. I’m the best thing that ever happened to you. You’re just another black mark on my long record.”

It may sound a little strange that a pregnant woman would do what I was about to do. Of all the rude and conceited things he could say to me, he just said the biggest one. He pretty much told me I was worthless. So I tackled him to the ground.

“You’d think I’d be a lot more than just a black mark on a long record if you had plans to marry me!” I shouted, punching at his face.

He flipped me over and pinned me down. I struggled for him to let me go, but he wouldn’t. I spat at him. He picked me up, only to push me violently. I hit my back on the couch.

“You asshole!” I shouted, going after him again, this time a different force stopped me.

“Cass, you need to calm down.” Kacie warned, holding onto me tightly.

“I don’t need to calm down, I just need to beat the fuck out of him!” I shouted, trying to claw my way over to him.

My stomach lurched and I knew what was coming. I covered my mouth and Kacie let go of me. I bolted to the bathroom. The contents of dinner fell into the toilet in a yellow heap of nastiness. After catching my breath and pulling myself together, I walked back out into the living room. Matt was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Matt?” I asked, looking at the door to outside.

“Upstairs with Zack. I dunno, Zack had to talk to him about something which worries me a little bit.” Kacie bit her lip.

Not long after she said that, we heard some banging coming from upstairs. I was debating on whether or not to go save Matt. He was so mean, but had he really deserved this? I looked at Kacie longingly, but she was already on her way upstairs. I heard her open the door.

“Zack get away from him right now! You’ve done enough!” Kacie shouted, I heard the banging stop.

“Kace he…” Zack began to protest.

“I don’t give a shit! Matt! You leave now!” Kacie roared, following my ex down the stairs.

Matt slammed the door behind himself, causing me to flinch. After I heard his car pull out of the driveway, I tossed myself on the couch and began bawling. This had all happened so fast. First he got mad at me for being pregnant, and now I was dumping him for being an asshole. Asshole!

“It’s okay.” Kacie insisted, holding on to me.

I couldn’t even speak, so I didn’t bother. I just let Kacie walk me to the guest bedroom and I lay there on the plushy bed. I sighed and rolled over. Sleep came to me quickly, that’s what happens every time I cry.

* * *

“So you’re really not going to try to talk to him?” Kacie asked, staring at me wonderingly.

“I’m really not going to try to talk to him. I’m just another black mark on his record, remember?” I reminded her, getting off of the bed on which I had sat.

“I know, but remember he’s a guy. It’s almost their jobs to be assholes.” Kacie tried to explain to me as we walked down the stairs.

“Hey, I heard that!” I Zack called from the kitchen.

I plopped down on the couch in the living room and turned on the television. Kacie shut it off quickly before I could even comprehend what I was watching.

“You guys need to get back together.” She said, grabbing my arm.

“Kace, he pushed me! He fucking shoved me. His pregnant girlfriend. I’d call that abuse.”

“I know. But I don’t want to Avenged Sevenfold go up in flames over something like this.” Kacie made a very valid point.

Zack walked in. I assumed he wanted very much to be a part of this conversation. His green eyes shifted between Kacie and me. I raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t think we’re going to break up. But when he shoved you, my heart skipped a beat and I just wanted to kill him. So rather than killing him, I beat him around a bit.” Zack explained, giving me a shit eating grin.

“I’m surprised he didn’t fight back.” I honestly admitted.

Zack laughed a little and rolled his eyes. “He couldn’t take me.”

“Wow, conceited much?” Kacie and I both laughed at my all too true statement.

“I guess you have some good points.” Kacie agreed, putting a caring hand on my leg.

“Not to mention, he said I was a black mark on his fucking record. A black mark!”

“I know honey, but…”

“He also mentioned adoption. He’s a pussy!” I heaved in some more breaths, but then decided that I had to run to the bathroom. Regurgitation time!

Matt’s POV

It was weird waking up in the morning without Cass sitting next to me, but the nerve of her! Expecting me to just be a father. There’s no way in hell I could ever be a dad. She fucking slapped me when I suggested it! She didn’t even want to talk to me about it! She didn’t even look at it as an option. My phone rang so I peered at the clock. Nine thirty. I picked up my phone.

“Hello?” I asked, slapping myself mentally for not checking the caller ID.

“Hey, it’s Jimmy.” He said. I sucked in a deep breath.

I was so glad it wasn’t Cassandra that had called. “Hey, Jim. What’s going on?”

“Nothin’. Hey, do you and Cass wanna come over later? We’ve already talked about it to everyone else.” Jimmy explained.

“Uh, about me and Cass…” I began, rubbing the back of my head.

“You broke up?” Jimmy asked with a shocked tone etched into his voice. “How come?”

Jimmy sounded a little worried. “Because she got pregnant, and I said adoption or we’re done. She chose being done over adoption.”

He sighed on the other line. “Man, she is the best thing that ever happened to you.”

“She fucking attacked me.” I pointed out, chuckling at how silly that sounded.

“She attacked you?” Jimmy said, sounding astonished. “You know it’s bad when A they throw pots and pans at you, or B they attack you.”

Jimmy laughed, I was not amused. “I’m not even too worried about it. I’ll just find someone else. Maybe Val and I can hook back up.”

“No! You and Val are done. What other girls could you possibly want? What else do you want in a woman? It’s not like she really did anything wrong. It’s not her fault that she’s pregnant.”

You know you’re in the wrong when Jimmy starts making sense, but I really didn’t want to patch things up with Cass. I almost felt…relieved that we weren’t together anymore.

“Ah well. Ya wanna go to the bar with me later to chick search?” I asked, scratching my brow.

“Nah, I’ve got some stuff going on. Why don’t you call up Johnny or something. I gotta go now, I’ll talk to ya later.” Jimmy said, clicking the phone.

Well he sounded a little put out with me. Whatever.

Cassandra’s POV

A couple days after the breakup, I went to the doctor to get everything figured out with the baby. He explained that it was healthy, and he got me some folic acid to take. On my way home from the doctor’s office, Matt called my cell. It sat like a boulder in my hand. Kacie, who was driving, looked at the phone then back at me. She closed her eyes and nodded. After rolling my eyes, I opened the phone.

“Hello?” I asked with a monotone hint in my voice.

“Hey Cass. When are you officially moving out?” He asked.

I laughed. “Why does it matter?”

“Because, girls are starting to ask me why I have another girl’s underwear in my house.” He pointed out.

Some tears began to fall down my cheek. “You’re already having other girls over? Are you sleeping with them?”

“Well of course I am! What, do you think I’m just going to have them sit there naked on the side of my bed? Hell no!” He exclaimed.

I clicked my phone shut. He was being the egotistical asshole that I hated.

“Could we make a pit stop at Matt’s house?” I asked, tapping my foot anxiously on the floor of the car.

“You really want to do that?” Kacie asked, never averting her gaze from the road.

“Yeah, I really want to.”

* * *

As we pulled into Matt’s house, my heart began to race. I was really going to confront him again. I hope the police station wasn’t too far away because I may just come close to killing him. I buzzed the bell on the front door. As soon as Matt opened it I stormed past him and into the house.

“Yes, do come in.” He said sarcastically.

“Okay, I will.” I held my head up high as I could and continued on into the house.

“Who’s this?” I heard someone ask.

I looked at her. She seemed pretty average to me. Red hair, green eyes, freckles. She almost looked like a friend I had in sixth grade.

“I’m his pregnant ex-girlfriend that broke up with him because he didn’t want the kid.” Matt was giving me signals to shut up the whole time. “I bet he told you that you were special. Did he give you a promise ring too?” Matt grinned at her and then scratched the back of his head. “Well you didn’t honestly expect him to tell you that on his own did you? I bet he even said that he loves you.”

I left Matt and her to bicker with each other and just proceeded up the stairs. After I found a suitcase, I began to pack some things into it. I heard someone open the door from behind me.

“Are you happy? You just ruined my night.” He stated, sitting down on the bed.

I looked over at him, a shocked expression lingering on my face. “You ruined my life!”

“Bull…” He began to say.

“Don’t even start with me!” I began advancing on him with my finger pointed out. “You have no idea how hard it is to be your girlfriend. Every day I feel like I have to work my fucking ass off to impress you! I have to work my ass off to meet your standards. I gave myself up early for you. I gave you everything I have to give! And what do I get in return? Nothing, nothing but you telling me I’m a black mark on your fucking record. I hate you.”

“I’m sorry. I never thought about it like that. I…”

“No, you’re right you didn’t.” I said, stopping him mid-sentence.

I finished packing my suitcase and then walked out of the room. After making it to the door, I turned to face Matt.

“Cass, I’m…”

“No. I don’t wanna hear it. Just fuck off Matt Sanders. Find yourself a new girl to fuck over. I’m done.” I said, slamming the door behind myself.

I got into my car and waved to Kacie. She drove off and I followed her to she and Zack’s house. I pulled into the driveway and sat for a minute before everything took over me. Tears began to line my face in small trails. Kacie got into my car and sat down next to me. She held me tightly and let me sob onto her shoulder.

“I just don’t know why he has to be such an asshole! I mean, what did I do to him to make him act this way?” I asked, not letting go of her.

“You didn’t do anything, he’s just being an asshole! I’m telling you, he’ll come out of this.”

“If he doesn’t come out of this soon, I’m going back to Maine.” I said, taking in a deep sigh.

Kacie and I got out of the car and headed into the house. Kacie sent Zack out to get my bags. I thanked them both and sat down on the couch. Who knew what would be waiting for me tomorrow.

* * *

“Man I have to pee!” I shouted, running to the bathroom from the living room where every guy and their girlfriends, excluding Matt, had been sitting.

“Sounds like a personal problem!” Jimmy shouted after me.

After doing my business I went back out to the living room and sat down next to Kacie.

“Babe I wanna have a baby.” Leana whined on Jimmy’s shoulder.

“Haven’t we talked about this? Not yet.” Jimmy insisted, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend.

I missed Matt so much. All I wanted was for him to hold me and tell me about how much he loves me, but I know that’s never going to happen. We were done, and unless he could come up with some superman way to apologize, I wasn’t going to take it.

“So what’s the dealio on you and Matt?” Lacey asked, placing a hand on Johnny’s thigh.

“We haven’t talked to each other in a week. I don’t know what’s going on with him right now. Frankly I don’t care. All I know is that I’m moving in a week. There’s nothing for me here anymore.” I looked down and felt tears well into my eyes.

“I’m here! I don’t want you to leave!” Kacie embraced me.

“Kace, I have to go at some point. I can’t stay at you and Zack’s house. Eventually I’m going to have to go out on my own, and I can’t afford California. I have to go.” I repeated.

I really didn’t want to go. I’d wanted to stay there in California with my boyfriend and our baby, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen. I had to learn to accept that sooner or later.

“It’s fine, I know you have to, and I have to learn to let go I guess.” Kacie shrugged.

That was going to be the hardest part. Letting her go. It’d be like throwing away a six year friendship over something silly as Matt being an asshole. I jumped when there was a knock at the door. Zack went to answer it. Wow, speak of the devil…and devilette.