"Zac, can you give me a hand here please honey?" My mom asked me. She had two large bowls in her hands. One filled with potato salad and the other with some sort of pasta salad. She was walking out of the back door just as I was about to walk in. Jesika had just walked inside and I was following her, hoping to catch her alone so I could talk to her.
"Actually I really need-"
"Zac, take these and put them on that table over there" Mom said, holding out the bowls for me to take. I sighed and took them from her. I turned around and headed to the table. "Thankyou" Mom said and then I heard the back door close. My family was having a "going on tour again" BBQ. Family and friends and their families were over for the day as we were leaving to go on tour again in two day's time. I had been told that Jesika was basically forced to come as she didn't want to see me and I had been ignored by her all day. She had been out of the hospital for three days and you could still see her bruises on her face.
"How's it goin?" Aleen asked me. I glanced at her and shrugged.
"Fine... aprart from the fact that she wont even look at me let alone talk to me" I said. Aleen gave me a sympathetic smile.
"She'll come around Zac... really. She's just angry right now... she is gonna come to the air port on Monday so that's a plus"
"She's only going to say goodbye to Taylor and Isaac"
"She's gonna say goodbye to you to Zac. You're gonna be gone for nearly a year... she wont let you go with her still angry at you"
"How do you know?"
"She's right Zac. Listen to the girl" Chad, Aleen's boyfriend, said to me as he walked up to Aleen's side. Chad was fairly new to the tight group of friends I had and I was still getting used to him. He was my age and a pretty decent guy but after Justin, I was suspicious of any new person in a friends life.
"Yeah... I supose" I said, only to get them both off of the subject. I smiled at them and turned around to go inside after Jesika. My shoulders droped when she walked back outside and over to Taylor, Isaac, Angeline, Grace and Steven (Isaac's best friend). I knew that if I went over there, then she would either walk away or ignore me so I went and sat down in a lawn chair. I watched as my dad and Aleen's father tried to start the new BBQ my father had bought. It was quite amusing and watching them took my mind off of Jesika for about five minutes. My eye's started to wonder over the backyard. Aleen and Chad were sitting under the shade of a tree, holding hands and talking. Taylor and Angeline had disapeared, so had Isaac and Steven. Jesika and Grace were sitting over the other side of the yard, talking also but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Jesika's face was sad and then angry as she shook her head at something Grace had said. I couldn't watch anymore so I got up and walked inside. I wondered into the kitchen which turned out to be a mistake. Women were everywhere, including my younger sisters and their friends. "Where is everyone?" I asked. Mom looked up at me.
"Oh, Ike and Steve have gone to the store for your father and Tay and Angie are in the living room" She said.
"Ok... thanks" I said and then headed to my room. From there, I could see into the backyard from my window. I looked over to where Jesika and Grace had been and saw only Jesika by herself. She looked miserable, the same way I felt. I kept my eyes on her untill she got up and walked towards the back door. I couldn't see if she had gone inside or not so I went over to my desk and sat down. If Jesika had come inside to see me then she knew where to find me. My back was to the door so I didn't see her appear.
"Zac?". I couldn't help it, I jumped at the sound of her voice. I turned around and then got up.
"Hi" I said to her and smiled. Jesika didn't smile back, instead she stared at the floor.
"Your Mom wants you downstairs, you and your brothers are playing soon" She said before turning around and walking away down the hall. I slumped down in my seat. I thought she had come to talk to me, to sort things out. I sat there until Mom eventually called out to me.
"Zac! Will you come down now please? Your brothers are ready to play now"
"Ok" I called back. I got up and walked down the hall to the flight of stairs. I walked out the back door and found everyone sitting either on the grass or on chairs. Isaac and Taylor were already behind their instruments and looked impatient. Our equipment was set up under the back patio. I went over there and sat down behind my drum kit. "What song are we starting off with?" I asked.
"Can't Stop. You know that Zac, or weren't you at practise yesterday?" Isaac asked me. I ignored him and then counted us in. Once that was finished, Taylor started to play Weird. I kept my eye's off of Jesika thoughout the entire performance, except when we came to our last song. Before Taylor could start to sing, I got up from behind my drum kit and walked over to him.
"Tay, do you think I could sing this one?" I asked him. Taylor just stared at me, I had never asked to sing one of "his" songs before. Then he nodded.
"Sure, ok... but I don't know what good it will do for you to sing to her" He said, covering the microphone with his hand. I shrugged.
"Can't hurt to try"
"Ok then". I nodded my thanks and went to behind my drums again. I sat down while Taylor told people about the change."... so yeah, today, Zac will be singing Save Me instead of me. Jess, you'll wanna listen to the song" Taylor said. He then turned around and smiled at me. I couldn't believe that he had just said that. I got over my anger pretty quick because everyone was waiting for me to start.
"Loving you, like I never have before
I'm needing you, to open up the door
If begging you, might somehow turn the tides
Then tell me to, I gotta get this off my mind
I never thought I'd be speaking these words
Never thought I'd need to say
Another day alone is more than I can take
Won't you save me? Cause savings what I need
I just wanna be by your side
Won't you save me? I don't wanna be
Just drifting through the sea of life
Wont you, listen please
Baby don't walk out that door
I'm on my knees
You're all I'm living for
I never thought I'd be speaking these words
Heaven thought I'd find a way
Another day alone is more than I can take
Won't you save me? Cause savings what I need
I just wanna be by your side
Won't you save me? I don't wanna be
Just drifting through the sea of life
Suddenly the sky is falling
Could it be it's too late for me?
Well if I never said I'm sorry then I'm wrong yes I'm wrong
Then I hear my spirit calling
Wondering if she's longing for me
And then I know that I can't live without her
Won't you save me? Cause savings what I need
I just wanna be by your side
Won't you save me? I don't wanna be
Just drifting through the sea of life
Won't you save me?
Won't you save me?
Won't you save me?" I finished singing and finished playing. I looked at Jesika and saw that she was staring at me with tears streaming down her cheeks. She got up and walked quickly inside. No one noticed her leave because she was sitting behind everyone. I wanted to go to her but I had to stay in the backyard.
"You did good... just don't think you're gonna be doing that on tour" Taylor said to me. I half smiled and nodded.
"Thanks, and I know Tay, I just wanted to this once". Taylor nodded and then turned away from me to talk to Angeline. A few minutes later, Jesika appeared at the backdoor. She looked ok now. I couldn't help but stare at her. Almost, as if she knew, she glanced over at me and gave me a sad smile. I felt a flicker of hope swell up inside me. But it went as fast as it came. Jesika had turned away from me and was now talking to Grace. I went over and sat down by myself under a tree. The song had had no effect on her at all. The song didn't work.
Chapter Fourteen
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