Who Are You?

After The Fight

At first I didnt feel anything when he struck me, but then it my head started throbbing and it felt like i was the nail and the throbs were a hammer taping on me.

I fell backwards into Zacks arms. I felt the crowd go pin drop silent. I felt Zack lay me down on the ground placing my head on his lap. I opened my eyes. i hadn't even realized that they were closed. i saw Jake standing there with a look of horror on his face.

"Zack..." I said

"Shhh its ok your ok." he says trying to sooth me.

"I want to stand up." I say

"Ok let me help you." He says, "easy easy."

I stand up and feel dizzy. I must've looked like i was going to stumble and fall because Zack kept saying its ok and grabbed a hold of my shoulder. I got some of my senses back and i could stand up by myself. I walked over to Jake. I looked at him his face was still in horror. I felt tears coming into my eyes and one dropping. I whipped it away furiously and felt my bruised up cheek. I looked at him with all the hate i felt for him at the moment and all the anger. Then i turned and walked away. The crowd made way as I passed by and made my way to the Lake house.

I opened the door to the freezer and found a frozen T-bone steak. I got it and placed it on to my bruised cheek. I decided to sit on the counter of the kitchen and lean against the wall. I closed my eyes and was awoken by the sound of Zack's voice.

"How 'er you doin?" he asks and places his hand on my knee and rubs it with his thumb.

"Good... i guess," i say and put down my steak. "Is...is it that bad?" i ask

"Well aside from the bruise and blood you look pretty good." he says and shyly smiles

"Thanks..." i say and laugh a little.

"Maybe if i put some concealer you wont notice,"i say "Wait here im going to go to see if i can cover it up."

"Maybe i should go with you, you know the first time you left me by myself it didnt turn out so good." he suggests

"Ok let's go to a restroom, there is one that is empty for sure on the third floor." i say

We climb up the stairs and i make my way to the end of the hall of the third floor where the bathroom is. I open the door and turn on the light. I make my way over to the mirror and Zack goes and sits down on the edge of the bathtub.

I look at myself in the mirror. One glimpse and I know Jake's punch was really strong.

"Wow I look like I got ran over by a bus." I say and laugh. I open a cabinet to look for some ointment that I could put on it. I open the tube of ointment and dab some on my cheek.

"Here let me help." Zack says and stands up.

He rubs the ointment soothly on my skin. His rough hands are gentle on my skin. I close my eyes.

"You're beautiful did you know that?" he says and picks up my chin with his finger.

I giggle, "obviously you haven't seen my bruised up face."

"Here give me some you have a few cuts on your face." I say and put some ointment on my finger and place it on his bloody cuts. We are just standing there looking at each other and i can feel his breath as he breathes. I turn away and look at my reflection in the mirror. I see Zack's reflection behind me and i look at the two of us and then i imagine Jake standing next to me as well, and i smile.

"Whats wrong?." Zack asks.

"Huh... oh nothing i was just thinking..."

"About?" he asks

"Oh nothing... Hey why did you and Jake start to fight?" i ask and turn around to face him again.

"Well at the campfire they were talking about a bet and then i heard your name and how Jake was winning the bet, and I... I just assumed that it was a bet to see who could get you out of the jocks," he looks away upset, "And I just didn't like the idea of it so I said that it wasn't right and Jake got mad and well the circle formed and well then you came in the middle of it and well..." he turns to look at me but looks down avoiding eye contact.

"Really..." I say at the news, "Im glad you stood up for me Zack." I say and hold his face with my hand and stand on my toes to give him a kiss on the cheek, but instead he turns and i end up giving him a kiss on the lips. He smiles.

"You would've done the same thing for me." he says and takes my hand off his face and he turns towards the door. He opens the door.

"Hey where are you going?" i say before he walked out the bathroom.

"I have to get back to the dj stand. See you around Riley." he turns to face me and smiles then he was out of the bathroom and taking the stairs.

I put concealer so the bruise wouldn't look as bad and I decided to put on my usual EOS and bubble gum flavored pink lip gloss, then i headed done the stairs to get something cold for my face. Jake was at the kitchen pacing back and forth with a worried look on his face. I walked over towards the fridge and open the freezer hoping to find something cool, my head was throbbing still but less then a while ago.

He sees me, "Riley thank goodness you ok." My back is turned to him so he stands on the side to try to talk to me.

I ignore him and pull out an ice pack. I close the freezer door and turn to the kitchen counter and kneel down to open a cabinet, looking for a kitchen towel.

"Hey I thought you left with that Zack guy, but then i saw him at the DJ table again so i got worried and..." he stumbles out and i don't answer.

I jump on to the counter top so that i can sit and i wrap my ice pack with the kitchen towel and place it on my throbbing head. Jake is in front of me and im looking at the wall behind him.

"Hey I know you mad and I'm really sorry about hurting you," he looks at me and comes closer and places his hand on my knee.

"Hey..." he says softly and tries to get eye contact with me.

"Why?" I ask still not looking at him.

"Wh...why what?" he asks looking confused.

I turn to look at him," why would you try to hurt somebody that you don't even know? Why would you pick up a fight?" i ask tears starting to fill my eyes again.

He shakes his head in frustration, " i don't know..." he says very softly and places his head on my lap.

"I really don't know." he says again softly.

I want to put my hand on his hair and sooth him and tell him it's ok that it happens, but i don't because now i know about the bet and i do know why he did it, but he doesn't and he doesn't know what is coming. So instead i sit there on the counter holding the ice pack to my aching head and let him place his head on my lap and i just sit there stiff on the counter.