((I don't believe this story was ever truly compelling. I am my own worst critic afterall. However, I appreciate the people who have taken the time to read it.))
This was very unexpected. Here he was, sitting on his couch, bottle on one side, controller in his hands. Blissfully drowned from the annoyances of the world and people just decide to show up. Each of the four women either had a look of disgust, or concern; just what was their problem anyway? Was there some secret pact, some pagan ritual conducted to ward him out of town?
"The hands of the Fell Omen shall brook thee no quarter." The game's rather ominous words oddly felt appropriate for his predicament. Zachary places the controller before taking another swig of his beer. "So," he begins and finishes the bottle, "what brings you four to my humble abode?"
Suddenly Sayori was regretting her big mouth. She was always told how it use to get her into trouble.
"Look Zack." Monika speaks, her demeanor tense but her voice composed. "I know it's been sometime since we last saw each other. And I was mad for a while. I think we all were. But, after the wonderful evening we all had, I understand that it's not fair to hold your life decisions against you."
Zachary raises a brow. Was he beholden to them? Obligated to report his every movement to them? Best not escalate this. He nods politely. "You're your own man, and I think we took it a little too hard. But can you blame us? You're our best friend." He nods again. That's fair.
"Could you at least call, text, or…I don't know make your random intention to swing by clear?"
"No."
"Ah. I see. Thought I'd ask y'know? It's not like this is still private property or anything." Zachary shrugs awkwardly. Tension dispersed the quartet of women all settled in the living room and included him in their random conversations, but not before Monia had snagged a couple of beers from the fridge.
"So, Zachary." She says as she twists the cap off and passes the second bottle to him. "I hear you joined the Army."
"Yep. Sure did." He downs half his beer. "You just idled? The girls didn't say much about it."
"No, I did stuff." Zachary pauses before taking another sip. "Jumped out of planes, rolled around in the mud, slept under the stars, caused a few wildfires." As he casually rolls through the general happenings of his military life, the women stare in horror. His eyes dart from each one. Dude, you're not with your boys anymore. "Right." He says aloud.
"It was the most fun I wish I hadn't had, but I'm glad I did. If that makes any sense." He finishes the beer, belches into his shoulder, and settles back in into his seat. "Will you miss it?" Yuri finally asks.
"I'll miss my boys. The guys who I shared much of those experiences with. The camaraderie, they were practically my brothers." His face takes a more somber almost pained expression.
"I know I haven't been the best friend to you guys. After I left, I pretty much detached myself from the world. I can't take back the time we didn't share, but I'm hoping we could at least maintain some relation to each other now." He looks down at the floor, refusing to look up at any of them. He doesn't grin, smirk, nor chuckle. It's obvious to anyone looking something deeper is going on.
"Well, I still think you're a moron." Natsuki breaks the silence. "But it's no use being mad at you." Yuri and Monika nod in agreement. Sayori is the only one who doesn't respond, frowning at the stale face Zachary's making.
"Zachary, are you okay?" She asks, now the others seem to take notice of his posture.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He looks around again. "Ya'll are starting to make me uncomfortable with your staring. Let's talk about something else." He looks over at Yuri. "Yuri! What's new with you?" Her eyes widen from being put on the spot. "I u-uh. I'm w-writing another book." She stammers as she plays with her hair.
"I don't think I've seen your work." Monika interjects. "I heard you were published, but no physical copies from what I could tell." Yuri takes a deep breath, her face reddening in embarrassment. "It's not available in all bookstores you see. Mainly the larger chains carry it, a-and you can download it electronically too." Monika nods. "I will have to check it out myself. I'd rather a physical paper or hard back than just mindlessly scrolling on my tablet." She chuckles.
"I suppose. Maximum exposure is what my publisher aims for. I'll see if I can procure you all a copy."
"So, Zachary." Natsuki gives a devilish grin. "You meet anyone when you were doing Army stuff?" The women pauses and blush as they turn their attention, once again, to him. He closes his eyes in frustration. God damn this little pink haired troll!
"You know Natsuki. It's not polite to pry in the personal lives of others." Yuri says defensively.
"C'mon! You were all thinking it."
"That's not the point and you know it." The violet haired woman responds, this time with a more commanding tone. Natuski recoils in submission. "Fine. S-sorry. I was just curious. He doesn't say much."
"Ya know what? I think I'll retire for the night." Zachary gets up, shuts off the television and makes his way towards his bedroom. "Let me know when you guys are available, I'll prepare for the grill out." The door stays open as he enters. The girls exchange looks before deciding it was time for them to leave. Sayori hangs behind, keeping the empty doorway in her sights just a tad longer before trailing behind the group.
"Does anyone notice how recluse he seems?"
"Whaddya mean?"
"Well, he puts up a confident front to be sure. But I can tell he's not willing to talk, he seems more interested in cracking jokes than talking about himself."
"He's a guy. He hung out with other guys, you know how they don't express their feewings."
"Sayori's right. He's holding himself back, playing it off with cheap back talk or avoiding subjects altogether. Sure, we didn't spend much time with him tonight, but Zachary's got something on his mind."
God, could they talk any louder? Zachary gives a muffled grunt. Times like these he wished he were back in his barracks. Right now, Kelly would have kicked the door open and dragged him out to a bar, the gym, or someplace. One time they went on a midnight hike and didn't get back until it was time for PT(Physical Training). He laughs at the memory. "I have no idea what we were thinking." He keeps laughing, the lingering memory progressively getting funnier with each lingering second. "Man that day did suck though." Stretching out he feels himself sink deeper into the bed.
A breeze sweeps into the room, Zachary shivers briefly before wrapping himself up. Footsteps creep down the hall and draw close to his room. His eyes snap open, focusing directly on the opening. He keeps quiet, the tension building until he hears a woman's voice, "Zack?"
"Jesus Christ." He sighs in relief when Sayori crosses his field of vision. "You scared the shit outta me!"
"I-I'm sorry." She brings herself up to his bed. "You mind if I sleep here tonight for old time's sake?" She smiles weakly.
"F-fine. Go ahead." He scoots over to face the wall, creating enough space for her to fill in. Sayori throws on some of his clothes as a pseudo pajama outfit and nestles herself under the covers. "Zack?" She whispers just loud enough for him to hear. He grunts a response as she curls up behind him, resting her head against his back. "Good night." She frowns as he begins to lightly snore
The rest of the week rolled on with nothing eventful happening. Zachary would bide his time with routine workouts, hiking, and occasional side hustles to pass the time while everyone else went on with their jobs/careers. Was he stagnant? He scoffs at the idea; no, he was enjoying some R&R while the military transitioned him back to Civilian Life. So much leave stored up he had a good 75 days just begging to be wasted. So, he'd felt he has earned an elongated vacation, plus he was still getting paid during this time, so it all evened out.
It was touch and go with his friends; Natsuki was working the Bakery she'd been bragging about opening since High School, Sayori working at the Vet Clinic for 10+ hours on a daily, Yuri commencing virtual book tours because her agent said it was the "modern" thing to do now, and Monika had taken a role as Student-Teacher while she went to school herself. The times in between their busy week day schedules saw everyone in awkward silence unsure of how to carry a conversation.
The following Saturday rolled around, much faster than one cold have anticipated. Zachary had everything going for the coming feast. Burgers? Check. Hotdogs? Check. Beer? Double check. Where would he be in life without beer? Not the best tasting beverage, but did it ever help smooth over a terrible week or day. He starts on the burgers, places drinks in the cooler, and begins to thaw the hotdogs. The scent of the searing beef fills the house. The front door opens, Natsuki struts in with two boxes of pastries from her bakery, the triumphant smirk plastered on her face as she sets them on the table.
"The greatest Baker who ever graced this planet has arrived!"
"Buddy Valastro?"
Natsuki frowns. "No. Me."
"Do you know Buddy?" Zachary asks. Natsuki shakes her head. "Why do you always disappoint me?" He laughs, poking and prodding the patties and hotdogs. She pouts and playfully punches his arm. "Shaddup and enjoy the privilege that is my presence." Moments later Sayori, Yuri, and Monika all show up with various drinks, sides, salads, and begin congregating their contributions on the table. Words are exchanged, laughter abounds, music starts to play. A general happy atmosphere permeates throughout the house.
"What do you say we try to catch a movie tonight Zack?" Monika sips her beer, nudging the man as he stares at the sizzling pan. "Hello? Zack? Earth to Zachary?" She snaps her fingers, the others don't seem to notice.
Are there any survivors? Well go check!
The smoke alarm begins blaring. Zachary snaps out of his trance, the noise is too much he seizes up. He gives a pained expression before regaining his motor skills and heads out the back door. "Where are you going?!" Monika calls out as Natsuki begins waving a towel frantically to clear the smoke.
He stands in a daze, clutches each side of his head, his breath is heavy. Please stop. The smell of sizzling meat is overpowering. "Stop." Their cries, pleading for rescue. That smell still lingers, as if it's purposefully trying to suffocate him. The alarm echoes, clouding his other senses.
"Stop!" Zachary turns around, Monika, and Sayori are watching him. Monika looks shocked, Sayori about to cry. Yuri stumbles outside with a mild cough as the smoke detector finally dies down. "You could have started a fire!" She says in anger. "What happened in there?"
"I-I…" He hesitates, the struggle for an explanation gets the better of him. "…don't know. I was fine. Really." Breathing slowed, he's still shaking. "Zachary." Monika approaches, he pulls away. "But I'm fine now."
"Are you sure? Do you want to talk-"
"I said I'm fine!" He snaps, all of them flinch. He huffs and heads back inside. Sayori remains frozen, unable to properly address her childhood friend on what just occurred. She turns around and watches Zachary pop open a beer and eagerly chugs it down. Natsuki, still inside, winces at the sight.
"Give me a moment please." He says in a monotone. The pink haired woman, having witnessed only the tail end of the exchange, nods dejectedly and turns away. The day soured fast, the women were already talking amongst themselves if they should just leave.
"I'm not sure what that was about. But I for one do not feel comfortable here anymore."
"That was scary."
"I don't like that he drinks as much as he does. I'm out of here."
"Guys, he's clearly struggling with something."
"He's a loose cannon! What would happen if he were holding a weapon?"
"Yuri." Monika sighs and turns to Sayori who was still recovering from his earlier outburst. "What do you think?" The former club Vice President looks back at the others, unsure of herself on what to do. What were they to do? "I don't know what's wrong with him. But he's not the same anymore. It was obvious when he first got here. The way he just spaces out, avoids questions." Sayori's voice begins to break, tears streaming down her face. "Sure, Zachary is physically here. But he's a completely different person. I want to know what happened to him."
Yuri sighs and takes a quick glace at the house. "If what he says is true, and he really was in the Army. Then it could mean PTSD." She spoke. "P-T-whaaat?" Natsuki asks in confusion. "Stop making stuff up!" Yuri waves the smaller woman away. "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's common among Veterans who come home from War. They have a hard time re-adjusting to their former lives, constantly reliving their experiences in subtle and not so subtle ways."
"Zachary appears to be one such case. I'm not a Psychologist, so I can't say for certain how severe it is. B-but I've h-h-heard statistics that-"
"Please stop!" Sayori interrupts. "Yeah Yuri, you're really scaring the rest of us here." Natsuki adds.
Zachary signs stares at them from the inside. They're talking about you. They're scared of you now. He shakes his head. How long do you think before they find out what you've done? What've you've become? He hurls the bottle against the wall. "For the love of God, just stop!" He shouts, that catches the attention of his friends. See? He turns away and heads into the bathroom. Facing the mirror, he rips off his shirt and there, exposed to God and himself the scars of battle were loud. He hunches over the sink as he examines the various mars to his body. Pulling out his phone he begins punching away at the screen.
"Hey man. Can you come over? Could really use someone to talk to."
"I'll be there. There was something I wanted to bounce off of you anyway."
The bathroom door creaks open. "Zachary?" Yuri peers in. She bites her lower lip, the pain of seeing her dear friend so blemished, broken even. "So, I was right." She moves in next to him, he looks away. "Have you considered talking to someone?"
"Why? The VA just sees me as a number. Older Vets tell us young'uns to 'suck it up'. My peers just say I'll get over it." Yuri sighs as she takes him into an embrace. "Then talk to us."
"No."
"Please. We are-"
"I said 'no'. I don't need to bog you all down with my bullshit."
Zachary pushes away and saunters out of the bathroom. He takes no notice of the women standing in the doorway. They do, however, notice his scars. And almost immediately, they notice a piece of his ear is missing. He enters his bedroom, his "fortress of solitude". More like a blackhole of despair.
"Talk to us! Talk to me!" Sayori shouts from the doorway.
"Listen, I don't want to tal-"
"No! You listen!" She takes a deep breath, processing each thought, making each word deliberate before saying them. "It's been 3 years! You completely disappear from our lives. Out of my life!" She steps towards him before collapsing to her knees. "No calls, no letters, nothing! I didn't know if my best friend was dead, sick, maybe got married? It was hell!" She sobs loudly into her hands. "And now? I find out that you've been suffering because of some awful things that happened to you. W-why wouldn't you ever bring it up?"
"You wouldn't understand."
Natsuki barely passes the doorway, bitter fists of rage clenched tightly. "Ya know! No body wanted to hang out with you when first returned. We were all upset over how you've gone away and just plopped right back into our lives. But we pushed back on those justifiably negative feelings because we all missed you, Zachary."
Sayori stands up and regains her composure. She wipes the tears from her face. "You'll probably hate me for this but…" She takes a deep breath. "I glanced at your nightstand, and I opened the top drawer because I usually make sure everything is as you leave it. Force of habit." Zachary's eyes begin to widen, his expression taking on a more serious tone as his childhood friend keeps talking. "A-and, I-I f-f-found a r-ring."
"You touched my stuff." Zachary says, holding back urge to lash out. "It's true then. You are in love with someone else. Can you just tell me who she was?" Sayori fumbles with her fingers.
"You…touched…my…stuff." She backs up, feeling the weight of the tension overtaking the previously somber atmosphere. "The hell is wrong with you Sayori?" She flinches and backs up more. Natsuki backs up against the wall, the fury she feels was just all too familiar to her. Monika and Yuri tread down the hall.
((Not gonna lie. I didn't anticipate the story going down this road. I had a mental road map for the natural progression. These Chapters are getting longer too.))