The Bad Couple

10 Bad Couples

She's on her period.

I don't I've ever seen a woman so pissed at the air before. She claims the air is becoming too thick to breathe so it makes her cry.

Grohl approaches us hesitantly after school with a box of chocolates. "Hey, Zo." She looks up at him, her cigarette dangling between her lips. She nods her head. "Look, I got you something."

Her eyes widen in happiness. She thanks our friend and opens the box. Tears gather in her eyes are the little heart shaped candies.

"Thank you," she sniffles as she slowly eats one. She tucks the box in her backpack. The park is quickly filling with people as the elementary school ends for the day. She drops her bud and sighs. "I'm going to head home."

"Are you sure you should be alone like. . . This?" I ask her. Her eyes go from soft to slits in milliseconds.

"I've been doing 'this' alone since I was eleven. I don't need the help of a man because I'm hurting a little."

"Baby girl--."

"Don't 'baby girl' me, Nico Reed!"

She stomps off with tears flowing down her face. I have whiplash.

Grohl elbows my ribs. I flinch at the hit but glare at him anyway. "You shouldn't let her walk away crying. Go kiss her and make it better."

"She isn't my girlfriend."

His eyes roll. "That's such bullshit, Reed. You like her, stop pretending you're okay with her flirting with other guys and especially stop with the whining when she's with Viper. It's obvious he loves the girl, so if you don't act quick she'll never really be yours."

"She's mine."

"Whatever you say, buddy."

➖✖➖

A fucked up looking Zosia stands at my front door. Everyone is out shopping and I decided to make mac and cheese and binge watch Criminal Minds.

"Zo?" I breathe. "What the hell happened to you." I pull her inside. The sun is setting so why isn't she home? Her eyes are glazed over with unshed tears.

"They took him," she mutters, her hands tugging at her hair, "he's gone. Someone told. They took him away from me."

She doesn't look in her right mind. Her eyes are cloudy and unfocused. What kind of drugs is this bitch on?

"Zo--?"

"He always called me that. He always used to call me Zo."

"Who, baby?" I ask. And suddenly she's back. She zones in on my worried face and gives mr a crooked smile. I shake my head. "What just happened."

"Viper is gone. The police took him. They say he's a pedophile."

I'm not sure if I should be sad or if I should jump for joy.

She rushes into my arms. Tears wet my shirt but I let her cry. We make our way up to my room and she freezes. It's like she's a robot as she wipes the tears from her face and gives me a stoney expression.

"If you think taking a crying girl to your bedroom--."

"No, Monkey," I chuckle. Her eyebrows furrow and her lips dip down into a frown, "I don't mess around with emotional girls. I like my girls resisting a little."

She pokes her tongue out at me. "That sound rapey."

She always has to ruin the moment. I pick her up over my shoulder and drop her on my bed. She laughs the entire time, even as I slip next to her and pull her small body towards mine.

We settle into a comfortable silence, her head on my chest and our legs entangled. We watch two episodes before the front door opens and closes. Zosia freaks the fuck out for a moment before I assure her nothing bad will happy.

"Awe, my little brother has his first wifey."

Zo giggles into my chest. "If you don't leave my room in ten seconds I will strip."

Zen's face twists in disgust at my statement. She points to the girl who's clinging onto me for dear life. "I'm sure she doesn't want to see that."

All I do is wink at my sister and she gags. Zosia turns her attention back to the TV but I can't help but strain my ears trying to hear what Zen is telling Mom and Dad.

Not even a full minute later Mom barrels her way into my bedroom. Zosia sits up, startled by the loud noise. We both agree to shut the show off since we aren't going to pay attention. Her fingers lace into mine as we make our way downstairs. Dad and uncle Joseph speaks in hushed tones.

When we're spotted Joseph takes a double take. "Zo?" Dad and I both raise an eyebrow. She nods at my uncle. "So, Vipe is-- was working at your school." She nods again.

"How are you Viper's uncle?" I blurt. Joseph smiles at me.

"I adopted him when he was fifteen when his father, my best friend, died. I gave him my name and everything."

My guest shrinks as much as she can into me. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and announce we're leaving. Mom bursts a vein yelling at Zosia to come back again.

She actually scared the girl I like away.

Wait, what?