Author: Skytate17

Title: Pressure

Summary: They say high school changes everyone..

Chapter 7 - Rain

Sky's eyes shot open. They quickly traveled to the window. Rain hit the window like bullets, as the wind blew furiously outside. As he tried to get up from his bed, he found himself stuck. He squirmed his body around, not knowing what was wrong.

He soon felt something tighten their grip on his waist. Sky's eyes trailed down beside him. He softly gasped. There laying beside him was Sydney, who was fast asleep. Her head rested comfortably on his chest, her eyes closed tight. Her arms were tightly wrapped around his waist. It was as if she was holding on for dear life.

Sky bent his head downward, his lips nearly brushing her ear. "Sydney" he whispered, moving a few strays of hair away from her eyes. Her eyes slowly opened, as her grip on him loosened. She lifted her head up, and looked up at Sky, giving him a smile.

"Hi!," she said. She was as perky as she usually was this early in the morning, which amazed Sky. He removed himself from her grip, and sat on the edge of his bed. Running his hand through his messy hair, he turned around.

"Did you fall asleep here?"

Syd nodded. "I think so? I remember we were watching a movie. I think I fell asleep."

"Oh, good," Sky sighed.

"What did you think?"

Sky shrugged it off. "Nevermind."

He turned his attention to his clock. It read 8:30.

"FUCK," Sky exclaimed, jumping off of his bed. Without caring, he stripped right in front of Syd, into different clothes. He threw her a sweatshirt, and told her to throw it on. "We're late."

Syd slipped the sweatshirt over her neck with ease, and laughed. "Don't freak out over it. Your dad can just take us."

"No," Sky bluntly said.

"Why not?," Syd took a hairband off of her wrist, and threw her hair into a messed up ponytail. Sky sprinted over to her, and grabbed her arm. They rushed down the stairs, and out the door.

Sky had forgotten it was raining.

They stood on the sidewalk, already completely soaked. Neither of then had the intention of actually wanting to walk to school in the rain. Syd pulled her sweatshirt over her head, since the sweatshirt oddly had no hood, Sky looked over to his side to see a shivering Syd, with rain running down her forehead. He quickly wrapped his arm around her upper back, and pulled her closer to his chest. Syd softly and carefully wrapped both of her arms around his chest. She looked up at him, grinning ear to ear.

"I like this," she mumbled.

Sky opened his lips, but was soon interrupted by a voice yelling at him from a window nearby. He shot his head up toward the window of his neighbor's house.

His neighbor was Z.

"Sky, get in my house, now," she screamed through the pounding thunder filling the air. Sky nodded, and soon walked to Z's front door, with Syd still on him. They walked up the steps, side by side, arm in arm.

When Z opened the door, Syd almost fell backwards. She had expected to see a different Z, the Z she knew from school. The Z who wore bright clothes, with nicely combed hair, and hardly any make up.

That's not what she saw.

Z looked like she had just gotten thrown through a hurricane and a tornado. Twice. Her hair was not combed at all, it was greasy, and weirdly colored. It was chopped up, not clean cut like Z usually weared it. On her legs she wore grey sweatpants, with drawings all around them. This was not what she expected.

She lead them up her stairs, which were brightly lit. Sky looked like seeing Z like this didn't fase him; but that was because he hadn't known Z for as long as Sky had. Syd and Z used to be best friends .. up until Syd stole Jack Landors from her. She hadn't done it intentionally, but she did. Syd cringed at the thought of it as she walked into Z's room.

July 4th, 2006

"I'll be right back, Z," Jack whispered into Z's ear, setting his drink down. He quickly walked away, directly into the jacuzzi area, where Syd was. He threw off his shirt, which exposed his very large arm muscles. Girls whooped and hollered around him, as the guys just laughed.

"ARM PORN ALERT!," Wes Collins yelled from his beach chair. He was currently throwing around a very old beachball with his bset friend, Erick. They always acted like 5 year olds together. Erick always cried like one too.

Jack slipped into the jacuzzi, beside Syd. She giggled as he set his arm around her neck. She looked around at all of the girls surrounding her, with jealous glares in their eyes. Jack poked her in the side with his other arm, and she quickly poked him back.

"What do you want?," she asked, slyly smiling.

He blew air into her face, and brought her closer to him. "You."

"Oh, I hate you," Jen said from on the other side of the jacuzzi. Syd laughed, and turned her attention to Jack.

"What about..," Syd made a motion toward to Z, who was currently talking away to others. "Who cares," Jack replied, "you're better."

"Well.. if you want to," Syd said.

Jack nodded. He brought Syd 's face up to meet his, and pressed his lips against his. Soon, his tongue explored Syd 's mouth, as her's entered his. The kiss became more passionate and aggressive as the minutes went on. They didn't notice that everyone had left the jacuzzi, and were watching them, along with everyone else at the party.

Including Z.

Z watched from right beside the jacuzzi as Jack and Syd began to sink down into the water, their hands all on each other. She tried harder and harder to keep the anger in, as each minute went by. Her face became furiously red, as her fists clenched together. Z couldn't take it anymore.

"UGH!," she screamed. Jack quickly let go of Syd, as she jumped right out of the jacuzzi. She wrapped herself in a towel, as Jack stood directly in front of Z.

" Syd, get your ghetto ass over here," Z spat out. Syd walked over, and stood beside Jack, staring down at the ground.

Z fooled around with her hair, searching for the words to say. As they finally came to her, she spoke them like she never had before. It was only a sentence, but a sentence that would mean a lot.

"Choose. Me, or her."

"That's easy," Jack smiled. "Her."

Syd gasped, hiding her face in her hands. Z's eyes immediately filled with tears, as they rushed down her face. She ran into her house, as her friends chased after her.

Jack didn't join them.

Now..

Syd felt incredibly awkward sitting on Z's very own bed. She looked around the room, which had dramatically changed since the last time she saw it. It was completely dark, everything was. Band posters covered the walls, with lyrics left and right. Clothes were scattered across the floor in every direction. Her bed wasn't even made.

"You're skipping school again?," Sky asked Z.

"Yes."

"Why?," Syd spoke without even thinking.

Z rolled her eyes. "Why do you care?"

Sky laughed. "Wow. It just became insanely tense in here."

"Me and Syd do not have the greatest past. But that's in the past now. It doesn't matter."

"He messed with me too," Syd admitted, "like you said he would."

"WHO?," Sky questioned, very confused.

"Jack Landors" the girls replied in unison.

"You guys went out with him?"

They both nodded. "Biggest mistake I ever made."

"Same here," Z agreed.

"My dad works for his dad," Syd said, "so I always have to see him. Every party we have, he's always there. Completely akward."

"That has to suck," Z said. "It does."

"Wait. That means my dad works for your dad too," Sky said, "this is weird shit."

"I can't believe we're actually talking," Z laughed, "and I can't believe I just laughed."

Syd noticed in Z's garbage can that there were several paper towels soaked in blood. On her desk, was a piece of glass, a few sharp edges, and some scissors. Her eyes trailed off to X's arms, which were covered with a long sleeved shirt.

"Why are there bloody kleenex's in the garbage can?," Syd curiously asked.

She knew she would reply in a lie.

"You know.. girl stuff."

"NASTY!," Sky exclaimed.

Syd couldn't help but laugh at him. She looked at him, and slapped his arm. "Aw, flirting," Z mumbled as she walked toward the bathroom. Sky snickered.

"We're not flirting," Syd replied fastly, her face flushed. Z nodded, and proceeded to walk into the bathroom. She walked out 15 minutes later, with sweat rolling down her face.

"What were you doing in there?," Sky asked.

"Nothing."

Syd stood up, and walked up to Z. She tugged at Z's arm, and pulled her sleeve up, to reveal a fresh cut on her arm. Syd didn't say a word.

"LET GO OF ME!," Z yelled, as Syd kept a tight grip on Z's arm. "It's not what you think!"

"OH REALLY?," Syd screamed back, "then why is their glass on your desk?"

"It's my mom's."

"Throw it out."

"NO!"

Syd pulled Z along as she walked over to her desk, with the objects on it. She carefully picked up the glass, as Z tried to stop her.

"That's disgusting," Syd made a face, "there's blood on it too."

"She used it to kill herself, you BITCH. Why don't you keep your mouth shut for once and think before you speak again," Z ripped herself away from Syd 's grip on her. Syd said not a word, but quickly threw open the door, and ran down the stairs, out of Z's house. Sky followed her, slamming Z's door shut as she did.

Syd ran out into the street, rain falling onto her. She didn't care. Z always made her feel like this. Everytime she attempted to talk to her, to try to get through to her. Everytime. She let out a loud yell, as she felt someone put their arms on her shoulders. She turned around, coming face to face with Sky.

"Let go of me, I don't want to talk to anyone right now."

"I really could care less," Sky replied, his vision becoming blurry as rain entered his eyes. He tried to look directly into Syd, and immediately noticed she was crying. Her sobs were overpowered by the slamming lightning and loud thunder.

As the rain poured down, every thought, every problem, every worry left Syd 's mind as Sky's hand cupped her chin, and pressed their lips together.

Z watched from her bathroom window, as she once again, pressed the same piece of glass that her mother had used against her wrist. The glass fell from her hand onto the ground as her phone rang. She ran out into her room, and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Who is this?"

"It's Jack. Jack Landors."