The Great Pretenders

Chapter 25

Matt's POV

I opened my eyes to a ceiling fan spinning above me and an arm draped over my chest. I tried to remember where I was. Lucy's? Val's? What the hell?

I turned to the side to the left to see Zacky facing me with his arms crossed. And then to the right to see that the arm belonged to Brian. Oh shit. I tried to move from underneath him but any small movement made my head ache like a freight train was running through my head.

We had too much to drink last night. How the hell had we gotten back to Huntington? I searched any memories I had...Johnny...short shit was the least drunk of us all and managed to get us...get us where?

I lifted my head to find we were in Johnny's bedroom. I tossed Brian's arm off of me and he groaned as he curled himself into a ball. I reached into the pocket of my shorts and pulled out my cell phone. It was dead. Damnit. I needed to get home for a shower. I sat up and the room began to spin.

"Fuck," I growled and Zacky's green eyes opened.

"What are you doing?" he asked hoarsely.

"I'm getting out of here," I said trying to steady myself.

He blinked his eyes obviously trying to focus "What time is it?"

I turned my head slowly to find Johnny's alarm. "It's a little after noon."

Zacky yawned "So much for going to school today."

"Ugh," I groaned resuming my place on the floor. "Why did I drink so god damned much? I'm so screwed. "

Zacky frowned "It's just a hangover. Not like you haven't had one or four hundred before."

"Yeah well I didn't get a hold of Lucy yesterday. I asked her to hang out with me last night and then I stayed with you fucks," I mumbled.

"She gonna be mad?" he asked sincerely. "I mean I don't know her that well but she doesn't seem like the type that would go ballistic on you Val-style."

"Maybe," I said covering my eyes with my hands.

"Is it serious between you two, like for real," Zacky asked.

"I don't know yet. I just know we're not off to a good start. I stood her up last night."

Zacky frowned "Maybe we're not meant to have meaningful relationships."

"What do you mean?" He was being entirely too existential for being hungover.

"I just mean that maybe the trade off for being a musician is not being able to be a damn good boyfriend. We've all fucked up every time we get a girlfriend," he explained.

"Jimmy hasn't," I pointed out.

"Leana is different, I guess." He shrugged. "She lets Jimmy be who Jimmy is. She's like his perfect match."

"Maybe we gotta find our own Leana." I said

"Maybe. Think Lucy is your Leana?" he asked.

I considered for a second. "She could be."

Yeah I guess she could be.

Lucy's POV

"Be cool, Lucy," I announced to myself as I walked into school with my head held high, even though I really wanted to crawl under a rock and hide from embarrassment that I'd made a huge mistake sleeping with Matt. I found myself creeping around corners looking for him wherever I normally could find him to no avail. I couldn't find any of the guys so I could only assume wherever they were, they were together. Matt had ditched me yesterday to stay at the beach with his buddies. He called me, presumably to let me know that he wasn't going to keep our date but I figured that it would be stupid for me to answer the phone and let him know I'd been sitting around waiting for him to call.

I mean I knew what I'd been getting into when I said yes to his plan. He wasn't known for his relationship skills. I mean that was the reason that Val had dumped him in the first place. Why would she even think that things would be different with her? I should have been surprised that he'd even gotten him to show any feelings at all, let alone smitten ones.

A sudden panic set in when I felt a hand settle on my shoulder after 6th period.

"Boo!" Lana cried as she jumped from behind to scare her.

I laughed nervously as I brushed my hair behind her ear "You scared the crap out of me. Can't you ever just say hi like a normal person?"

Lana laughed as she pushed her glasses up on her nose. "What fun would that be? Besides you're such an easy target."

I frowned my opened my locker "I guess you're right. Did you run out of contacts again?"

"Yeah, my last pair fell down the drain," Lana explained as she leaned against the locker wall pulling an apple from her bag "So have you seen him yet?" she asked in a hushed tone.

I looked around to try to figure out who she was talking about, Mark or Sanders. "Who?"

"Sanders," she said quietly.

For a second I glared, silently cursing Zoey for sharing info I'd already given her, "What? Why?"

"Cause you guys were fighting outside the party Saturday night," she said biting her apple. "And I haven't seen him around today. Was wondering if he skipped because you broke his heart."

I waited for to say more but she didn't. Okay good, Zoey hadn't told her anything. "Haha. No, it wasn't liked that. It was nothing. No big deal."

"If you say so," she said through a mouth full of apple.

"Did you hit your locker already?" I asked as I closed mine gently and we proceeded to walk down the hall.

"Yep," Lana frowned "I have Chem next. How was the test? Was it hard?"

"A little," I admitted as we walked by a small group of girls. As we got closer, I noticed it was Val in the center.

Michelle and Leana were listening to whatever she was saying intently. As we neared, Leana noticed me and threw me a slight wave. It caused Val to look over.

I didn't know what else to do so I waved back and smiled at Leana and then turned my head straight ahead. I could feel them looking at me but I tried my best to ignore it.

"Wow if looks could kill," Lana said biting the last of her apple.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"That girl looked like she wanted to chop your head off. I guess it's cause you tamed her beast," she giggled and saluted me as she walked into her class, leaving me to walk by myself.

If Val only knew.