Five Out of Five - Why Don't We

Forty-Six: Relax

"You don't have to babysit me, Jonah," Zach mumbled as he leaned his head against the window of the car. He had his arms folded and his eyes were narrowed. He was getting sick of everyone constantly keeping an eye on him. The only time he ever got to be alone was when he was in the bathroom. Jonah, Daniel, and Corbyn had been taking turns being with him. They even hung out in his room with him and it was really getting on his nerves. 

"Zach, you took the news a lot harder than the rest of us," Jonah said sternly. He kept his eyes on the road and shook his head slowly. They were driving back from the studio. The two of them had finished recording their parts. They were going to get some groceries and now Jack, Corbyn, and Daniel were recording their parts. "I mean you literally attacked Jack."

"Yeah. And I did that with all four of you in the room. So I'm not sure what makes you think being with me 24/7 will prevent me from doing it again," Zach said with a roll of his eyes. He folded his arms a little tighter and continued to stare out the window. 

Jonah finally looked away from the road and glanced at Zach cautiously. He furrowed his brow. 

"Will you do it again?" Jonah asked quietly. Zach shrugged. "Zach."

"I don't know!" Zach said angrily as he finally looked away from the window and back at Jonah. "You haven't let me anywhere near Jack and Kira, so I have no idea how I'm going to act around them. But there's a good chance that seeing Jack's face again will make me want to hit it."

Jonah sighed. He glanced up at the sky as he drove and noticed the clouds were getting dark. It would probably rain soon. That reminded him of the first time he'd hooked up with Kira while they were running errands. It had actually been in the back of this car. For a moment, he allowed himself to remember it and fantasize. But then he thought of Jack and Kira's new relationship and he shook the thoughts from his mind. 

"You don't get it, Jo," Zach said quietly. He sounded less angry now. He'd relaxed the way he was sitting, but he still stared out the window. His eyes glanced up at the clouds as well. "He's my best friend. I trusted him with a lot of stuff over the last few months. I told him about the stuff I did with Kira. I talked to him when I was feeling insecure about my relationship with her. I thought he was being a supportive friend and I thought I could trust him. And it turns out he'd been with her the entire time. He kept that from me."

Zach leaned forward and rubbed his face. 

"And now I'm realizing that she definitely said his name and not mine the second time we had sex," he mumbled into his hands. 

Jonah had to fight back a smile. He knew Zach was upset, but it was still mildly funny that Kira could barely keep their names straight. Of course, that little slip-up was just further proof that Jack had always been her number one.

"Zach, I'm sorry that it hurt you. But that doesn't give you the right to get physical with people. That's not a mature way to handle things," Jonah said. He tried his best to sound understanding and even comforting, but it was hard to keep the edge out of his voice. He was disappointed in the way Zach had acted. "Jack couldn't open his left eye for almost an entire day. Plus, Jack and Kira spent a good part of their first day as a couple changing his bandages and icing his ankle. You really hurt him."

"Good," Zach muttered. Jonah reached his arm out and smacked Zach's chest. Zach laughed in disbelief. "I'm sorry? I thought it was immature to get physical when you're upset."

"You're just being such a little ass right now," Jonah said through his teeth. "You're acting like a child."

Zach laughed bitterly and shook his head. His arms were crossed again. Jonah let out another sigh and he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. His eyes caught a glimpse of one of the parking lots he'd usually pull into when he was with Kira. They'd had sex in that parking lot many times. As he kept driving, it was hard to keep out the thoughts of his time with Kira. He needed to keep himself distracted.