Chapter 18
Zant
I can’t change
But I’m here in my mold
But I’m a million-different people
From one day to the next
{‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ -The Verve}
I shake myself out of my daydream. After three years, I still daydream about her. I need to focus on this paperwork that will close out buying my new house. I moved back to my hometown about six months ago. I’ve been gone long enough. What I was searching for out there - I’m not sure if I found it or not. Time will only tell.
I felt like I was stuck in a town full of my own nightmares. Nothing but bad things happened to me here. Or so I thought at the time and in a sense, some of that statement is true. However, not completely.
I’m back now and I am very close to being a homeowner. It feels good to be back. Melancholy set in when I drove down Main Street on my way in. I shook it off in my desperation to make some new, better memories here. This is my home. I belong here and I have the strength to erase everything bad that has happen to me -and Micah- and start over.
I am going out tonight with Levi and Chance. I got in contact with them a year after I left. They were so mad at me. It took me six months to get them to hear me out and I only did it with Mr. Davis’ help. It has been a long road for us but, it has been worth it. I’ve finally got my brothers back. Now… to work on my ‘sisters’ and Micah. That will not be easy either. It could actually be harder.
My apartment that I am living in now is a typical bachelor pad on the outskirts of town. I have an open living room and kitchen. One bedroom and bathroom. It is just me, that’s all I need. My living room has a couch, two recliners, a coffee table and a mounted television.
I open the fridge and grab a drink. Just as I’m moving to the couch, there is a knock at the door. I walk the short distance to the door and look through the peep hole. All I can see is teeth and I would know those teeth anywhere.
‘No one is home, douche” I say through the door.
“If no one is home, how am I hearing your voice douchbag” says Levi.
I open the door and look at my best friend. He stands there with a six-pack of Coke in one hand and a pizza in the other. He also has the cheesiest grin on his face. I’m scared to know what he is smiling at. With him, you never know.
“What up, man?” I ask him.
“What’s with you? I thought you would be happy to see me. I even brought your pansy ass some food.”
I’ve known and been best friends with Levi since I was 5 years old. We met on the playground one summer day when the biggest bully in our grade decided it was my day to be his punching bag. This big jerk was about double my size and thought he was going to get some lunch money out of me. The idiot must have never paid attention to me. If he had, he would have known that I never had lunch money. My dad never gave me any and mom was too sick to even notice. He must have assumed that the school would feed me since I was their problem during the day. If only I had noticed his evil then.
I was standing next to the wall of the school since I didn’t have friends. Micah was my only friend but we didn’t play outside at school together. Her friends, Macy and Kelly, think boys are gross so Micah has to go along with them. I don’t blame her. Boys are pretty gross.
But the bully starts my way. He is a fat kid. There is no other way to say it. And I’m a wienie. It’s obvious that he gets more food than I do and he has no problem doing what he needs to do to get more. Hence why he is headed my way and looking like he expects to get a major payday out of me.
Bully boy gets close. I stand still. I already know what is coming and from watching others, if I run, he will just find a way to make my life even more miserable than it already is. He gets closer and I stand up straight from my previous position. Even though I will lose in a fight, I don’t want to be caught off guard. He is about three steps away from me now and I can feel the sweat start to pop up on my neck and travel down my back. I’m a nervous little squirt. I don’t know how to fight. I’ve never been in a fight. There are positive things to staying to yourself and keeping your head down.
“Hey fat ass, what you doing?” I hear someone say behind Bully Boy. Slowly I see the rage build in the eyes of this big guy and he slowly turns around.
“What did you call me?”
“I called you fat ass.” This guy is a few inches taller than me but no bigger. He is intentionally poking at this bear and all I can do is stand there in shock.
“Let me ask you again, what did you call me you little shrimp?”
“I called you fat ass. You are a fat ass. That sounds like a good enough name for you.”
By this time, the big guy is red faced. It looks like his face is a huge tomato.
He lunges for Levi. I know that is who he is. I haven’t spoken to him but we are in the same class. Levi dodges him fairly easy. The good thing about being smaller is you can move faster.
Once the big guy has righted himself, Levi is in his face and the next thing I know Levi’s fist is connecting with the bully’s face. Immediately I see blood start pouring out of the bully’s nose. And just as quickly he starts to cry. I’m shocked and a major part of me wants to laugh. Here is this huge guy crying after he tried to approach me to possibly beat me up just like he has every other guy in our grade.
I step toward Levi and say “you better go. You’re going to get in trouble. I will say that I hit him. Thanks for helping me out.”
Levi gives me this look like I’ve lost my mind. “I’m not leaving and I’m taking credit for punching that fat ass in the nose.”
We have been thick as thieves ever since. I know that no matter what, Levi will have my back and I will always have his.
“You going to help me eat this pizza or not? You know I can eat the whole thing by myself” Levi says with his signature smirk on his face. “I’m going to eat some. I have to get something in my stomach before we hit Club 3 later on.”
“Yea, man. That place is what is happening in this small town. We should find us some women tonight if you know what I mean.” Levi is always looking for women. I don’t waste my breath saying that though. He already knows it.
“Is Chance meeting us here or at the club” I ask Levi while he stuffs a whole piece of pizza in his mouth.
“He is supposed to be here in a little bit. He wanted to eat before we all went also.” Levi answers me.
About five minutes later, Chance shows up. We eat and head out.