The Great Pretenders

Chapter 24

Really a filler before we get to the end. Yes it's getting close. Poor Matt, I just don't know if he can keep it together. We shall see.

Lucy's POV

I made to Zoey's on time for our study date. We had a major test in Chemistry that I had neglected to study for most of the week since all chaos with Sanders had started. I needed to buckle down and prepare.

And we honestly tried. We took our books out and made outlines and flash cards. We quizzed each other and desperately tried to memorize. But about an hour into our session, we both lay on the floor reading a Cosmo magazine listening to Depeche Mode's greatest hits.

I knew she wanted to ask me about leaving with Sanders the night before but so far hadn't said a word. I could feel it coming though. She'd flip a page and then look at me. Flip another and the same stare.

"Okay Zoey Elizabeth," I said pushing my magazine aside "If you want to say something, just say it already."

"I figured you'd tell me in your own sweet time," she reasoned, flipping another page. "Or maybe you wouldn't tell me at all."

"True," I said looking back down at my magazine.

"Well?" she said exasperated.

"Well what?" I looked up at her and gave her a smirk.

She picked up a pillow and threw it at me. I raised my hands in defense. "Okay, okay, I give."

"So spill," she demanded.

"Mark wanted to talk to me and Sanders didn't like that. I didn't like the idea of either of them dictating who I talked to. So I left." I began.

"And?" she said hanging on every word.

"And nothing. He followed me. Drove me home."

"Annnnd??" she pressed.

"And...we may or may have not spent the night together." I replied vaguely.

She frowned "Spent the night, spent the night? Or spent the night?"

"Does it matter?" I asked.

"Um yeah, still a virgin remember?" she pointed to herself. "I'm having a sex life vicariously through you."

"You're such a little weirdo," I said looking down and turning the page of my magazine.

She stuck her tongue out at me. I knew I had hit her sore spot."Not all of us can be giant sized."

"Fun sized is cuter," I pointed out.

"So how was it?" she returned to her previous line of questioning. "Is he as big as everyone says he is?"

"You have got to stop listening to the gossip between your brother and his friends." I scolded.

"So he's not?" she asked disappointed.

"I didn't say that," I was vague again.

"OH MY GOD, he is!" she screamed and I couldn't help but laugh. "Shh keep it down do you want everyone to hear."

"Matty is down the street playing and Z drove back to college already," she said confidently.

"And Zachary?" I asked, hoping to hear some news of what the guys were up to today.

"Oh Zacky will be gone till late. Brian Sr. invited them to the guys to their beach house in LA."

I instantly felt my heart drop to my stomach. I was supposed to call Matt to meet up but if he went to LA..."Really? All of them? Even Brian?" I tried to tease.

"Yeah all of them," she said frowning "Even Brian."

Wow, I guess I was going to get stood up. Chill out Lucy, maybe he'd make it back in time. Yeah right, I answered myself. Of course he wasn't. He was going to chill out with his friends and totally ignore the fact that he made plans with you. Typical.

Did you expect anything different? Well yeah, I mean after.

It wasn't real Luce, I told myself. Don't forget that.

"Luce, did you hear me?" Zoey asked.

"No, sorry, what did you say?" I shook my head to clear it.

"Do you want some ice cream?" she asked again.

"Ice cream sounds great," I said pulling myself off the floor and following her to the kitchen.

That would numb the pain. At least for a little while.

Matt's POV

It was a great day on the beach. We did some swimming and surfing and chased some babes around. Not that I was interested in them but Zacky and Brian were. Or at least they pretended they were. Zacky checked his phone a few times and Jimmy teased him about expecting Reilly's call.

About five o'clock when I realized that we weren't going to be back on time, I tried calling Lucy's phone at least 20 times. But she never answered.

"Dude, who the fuck are you calling?" Jimmy asked drunkenly.

"He's calling Luuuuuccccyyyy," Brian catcalled. "Man, she has got you whipped."

Still no answer. "She does not."

"As a matter of a fact," Brian popped up raising his arms and pointing at me with the bottle of beer he was holding. "I think you're more whipped by Lucy than you were with Val. What's she got on you?"

"Shut the fuck up Brian," I growled.

"C'mon, you can tell us." He pressed "She suck good dick or something?" Jimmy laughed but stopped quickly when I glared..

"I'm fixing to lay you out, man," I said, trying to keep calm. "You need to shut your mouth."

"Brian, stop it man," Johnny said shaking his head. "You're being an asshole."

"Oh I no wait...I got it...she's a virgin...and you want to be sure you get that while it's fresh," he kept going.

I stood and Johnny jumped between us, placing his small hands on my chest up to stop me "He's drunk, man. Just ignore him."

"That's right, I'm hammered," Brian sang loudly as he moved closer to me and threw his arm around my shoulder. "Just ignore me. Even though I speak the truth."

"You don't have any idea what you're talking about." I pushed him off of me roughly.

"Really?" he pushed me back "Then stop calling her and stay here and hang with us. We have another case to go through. Quit being such a pussy whipped asshole and be fucking here now."

I looked at Zacky for back up but he just shrugged as he tossed Jimmy a beer. "How come you don't give Jimmy shit about Leana?" I asked taking my seat again.

"Jimmy's a fucking lost cause," Brian said opening another beer bottle.

"It's true, I fucking love that girl," Jimmy declared "I'm gonna marry her someday."

"See? He's fucking gone," Brian declared "But not only that...Jimmy isn't calling her every five minutes."

"That's cause she actually answered the phone when I did call," Jimmy admitted and then tilted his bottle at me and took a sip.

"Even oh Reilly auto parts picked up the phone when Zacky called her," Brian slurred testing out the nickname. They both had a point.

"She called me," Zacky said grinning stupidly and then downed his beer. "I need to take a piss," he announced.

"So what is it Matt? You hanging out or are you gonna sit there and cry till Lucy calls you back?" Brian challenged.

I looked at my friends and I realized that even though Brian was being crude, he was right. I had been calling Lucy for almost an hour and she hadn't picked up. She hadn't returned a call or even sent a text. Maybe she didn't want to talk to me after all. Maybe last night had really meant nothing to her.

I resumed my seat back out on the deck and looked at Johnny "Give me another beer, Short shit."

Brian started laughing as he came over to pat me on the back, "That's my boy."