I woke up in a familiar background, I could hear raised voices but I wasn't able to tell what they were saying.

The door opened behind me and I placed the voices that belonged to Aaron and Zak.

"Bro I'm telling you. I know she has it. I went to the damn appointment with her and what the hell?! You two?!" Aaron asked bewildered.

I closed my eyes I didn't want to be awake. Zak 'Big mouth' Bagans had squealed like a friggin pig to Aaron. So my next thing that
I was going to lose was Aaron as friend. Something which would send me straight home.

I wouldn't give it a second thought. I'd be gone because at times he was the only reason I stayed.

I felt a hand brush my hair back, the way their fingers gently raked my hair back I knew it was Aaron.

"Ri, sweetie." He whispered.

Just play dead. That's all you have to do.

Play. Dead.

"I know you're awake. You're breathing has changed and your fist is clenched so hard you'll probably pop a knuckle." He spoke.

Game was up.

I buried my face in the sofa, I didn't want to look at him and see the disappointment.

"Ri I heard about your home.. I'm sorry. You know you can stay here right?"

I didn't respond.

"Maria." Zak spoke making me growl hard.

"Bro leave her." Aaron replied.

"Oh this is pathetic!" I was yanked up to the sitting position.

"Bro!" Aaron shouted at him as Zak let go of my arm.

"You lied to me! I spent all night worried sick! I couldn't sleep because of you!" Zak shouted.

So I may have withheld a little information on my implant.. It was on the inside of my arm. Not the outside like he checked.

"Deserves you right." I muttered.

"Oh, you are a complete little bi-"

"Enough!" Aaron snapped causing us both to stop.

"Ri. Are you okay?" Aaron asked.

"N-no.. Not anymore."

"Is this because of your mom?" He asked.

My mind switched.

The next thing I knew Aaron is holding me back and I've tore Zak's top whilst screaming at him.

"IT'S MY BUSINESS! IT'S MINE! YOU HAD NO RIGHT!" I shouted at him.

"WE'RE TRYING TO HELP YOU! YOU STUBBORN BITCH!" Zak yelled back fixing his top.

"It's my business! Mine. You don't need to know because it's mine!"

"What is yours?" Aaron asked.

"My mums sick.." I cried.

"Okay.. It's okay."

"No it's not! She's got cancer! And I-" I paused looking between them.

"Ri?"

"It doesn't matter." I clamped my mouth shut.

"No, no. It does matter. Talk to me. Are you sick? Do you need to see someone? What Ria talk to me because you're scaring me?!" Aaron urged.

"Just leave me alone!" I cried moving away and out the room. I walked around trying to find my shoes when I gave up and ran out the front door in bare feet.

"Ria! Ria!" Aaron shouted behind me.

I stopped when I was far enough away hitting the floor to hold my foot which had become victim of a sharp stone.

I squeezed my foot until the pain eased, then I got back up and walked with a limp.

I lived around 3 miles away from Aaron, I took a route which had grass rather than constant concrete. I looked down at my painted toes, they were red and sore but still working for me.

God bless those little fighters!

I laughed at my own stupidity before I started snivelling again.

I paused seeing a new adjustment to my walk... Gravel.

"F*ck. Can't you just gimme a break here?" I asked looking up at the sky.

It was late afternoon from the positioning of the sun. I had enough time to walk to Joey's. Take a shower and help myself to the clothes we had out the back.

A black 4x4 pulled up and I was more or less thrown in the back. Pulling myself up I went for the doors.

"Child lock. You want to act like one." Zak's growled and pulled away.

"This is abduction!" I shot back.

"Put your belt on."

"Screw you! You loud mouth motherfu-!"

The brakes slammed on and my head hit the back of the seat. It was enough to make my nose bleed..

"Shit. Okay I didn't quiet mean for that to happen." He spoke looking at me.

"Why?! Haven't you done enough to me?!" I cried holding my nose.

"Here!" He pulled off his top and shoved it under my nose.

"You're so horrible to me!" I cried pulling my belt on and clicking it in.

Hell no was that happening again!

********

Either this man was boring or i was tired. Because I'd fallen asleep on him again. I woke to find myself sat on his couch with my feet in a bowl of warm soap water.

Zak hadn't seen me awake as he picked up my foot gently and began cleaning it with a flannel.

I giggled pulling my foot away slightly making him look up.

"Sorry.. It tickles."

He gave a little smile before carrying on.

I sat there watching him carefully taking in the smaller details of him. The small grey wisps of hair in his goatee, the styled hair, particularly the way he stuck up some to create the Zak fin and how the rest was styled brought towards his face then slicked back creating texture in his hair with the defined spikes.

I smiled seeing the small wrinkles by his eyes giving away his age. He looked no more than 30 but this man was hitting 40 next year.

Then came the indistinguishable colour eyes that changed within his mood and clothes.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, he looked up at me slowly making me sit back.

"S-sorry." I looked away feeling his eyes still looking at my face.

I felt him move and become the same height as me whilst sitting, my only guess is that he's sat on the coffee table.

His thumb grazed across my cheek tracing the cut, my head leant into his hand allowing my eyes to close.

"I pray every day that doesn't scar." He spoke quietly.

"You can't help if it does." I shrugged.

"You've already accepted that it will?"

"I'm just being realistic Zak.. It's going to scar. It will take a while but maybe it will eventually fade but the scar will be there. It was accident."

"An accident caused by my anger."

"An accident cause by my antagonising. I baited for an argument. I brought up a subject raw with you and I guess I knew I would get a reaction."

He sighed and brought his hand away frowning.

"Why did you tell Aaron?" I asked.

"What part?"

"All of it Zak. I told you to keep quiet."

This time he shrugged "I guess after hating on you for so long that you have worked your way in.. I care about you, like I do for the crew. I owe you more thanks than what I could ever write. Especially after some of the lockdowns I put Aaron in. He says if it wasn't for you.. He wouldn't have continued sometimes."

I blinked, this was news to me.

"You've had or backs more times then I guess I'd like to admit so when all this kicked off. I admit I was so angry and I wanted to throttle you. But after this morning? Finding you crying... I panicked and took you to Aaron's in a hope he'd have a clue at what to do. I just spilled and couldn't stop." He admitted.

I rubbed my forehead "He probably hates me now."

"No, no he doesn't."

"Zak. I'm telling you this right now. He's probably angry and confused with my behaviour. But what hurts the most? Is that he's going to be disappointed in me. For some reason that hurts so much more." I replied looking into his garden.

"The last three days have been the worst three days in my life." I muttered.

"Ouch. Thanks."

I sighed looking at my lap "You know what I mean. If I just spoke to Aaron.. All this wouldn't have happened."

"Why didn't you?" Zak questioned.

"It was nobody's business. If I lose Aaron...." I shook my head, it wasn't worth thinking about.

"Do you like him then?" Zak asked.

"He's like family to me.. It's hard enough being away from my parents. But Aaron as well. I'd be alone."

"You'd have me?" He said pulling a little smile.

"You want to drown me in your aquarium." I replied looking at the puffer fish.

He laughed softly at my reply making me smile.

"There see. We got each other's backs." He answered.

"Sure we have.. For putting our knives in."

"Well I'm all outta knives, so behave and no more photos of my body. Please."

"Sorry.. About that. I shouldn't have. But I needed you to keep quiet. It was one of this things where your mind does it and you're leaving wondering how the hell its got this far. I guess blackmail was what I would resort to in desperate times."

Zak nodded "We've all done things we regret. Hell I've done people I regret."

I looked at him unimpressed folding my arms.

"Wait.. I didn't mean you in that category." He added

I raised my eyebrow slightly.

"I didn't."

"Hmm." I replied looking down at the soapy water.

"You're lucky you have nice feet."

I laughed "Did you seriously just compliment my feet?"

"I think I did." He laughed softly.

"Thank you for abducting me."

"Well that's certainly a new one. Right, you hungry? Have you eaten today?" Zak asked.

"I'm not hungry.. I need to go to work." I sighed looking for a towel.

"You've just lost everything and you want to go to work?" He asked handing me a towel from behind him.

"I've got to earn money, I need to look for a new place to stay." I replied drying my feet off.

"At least give yourself time Maria." He sighed rubbing his hands on his jeans.

I shook my head "No, no. I need to get things in motion, I need to start earning money, I need to find a place to live." I replied picking up the bowl and heading to the kitchen with it.

"MARIA THE FLO-"

I slipped on a wet patch on the floor and the bowl I had full of water was now over me.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" I yelled tossing the empty bowl across the kitchen.

"I- it- I-"

I slowly cranes my head behind me to see Zak red faced with his mouth covered.

"You better not be laughing at me!" I shouted.

"I'm not!" He squeaked before disappearing and a loud roar left him.

I took a long sigh and shook my hands off. "You're an idiot!" I shouted at him.

His hands went under my arms and I was picked up off the floor. Steering me into his bedroom I shot him a glare.

"Mind from the gutter. Get in the shower, I'll leave you a set of clothes on the bed and make some food. Okay?" He asked.

"I guess."

"I'll also get hold of Aaron. Let him know where you at. Take your time..." He finished before walking away.  I watched him leave the bedroom.

I guess he wasn't all that bad.