My New Best Friend CH 15

~July 13th~

Nikolas waited downstairs for Gia for what seamed like forever, nether she or Seth had come downstairs all morning and he was starting to get concerned. He looked up when he heard the sound of Gia coming down the stairs. She was half naked, as always in the same tank top she had on the night before and a pair of panties. “Hi.” He said walking up to her and kissing her lips. Gia did not pull away but she did not participate much. “Hi Nikolas, hey I’m going to grab some food for Seth and I and we’re going to eat it up stairs.” Gia said moving past him. “I thought we could eat together.” Nik said. Gia turned around and looked at him. “No, I’m eating with my best friend this morning.” Gia said and then turned around again. She disappeared into the kitchen and came back a short while later carrying a couple of banana’s and tall glass of orange juice. “Gia, come on. What’s going on here?” Nik asked as she was about to walk past him, he put his legs up on the coffee table to stop her. “Move Nikolas!” Gia yelled and then kicked his legs. “Ouch! Gia what they hell?” Nik yelled grabbing his leg. “Please just leave me alone today.” Gia said walking past him and up the stairs. Nikolas felt hurt by her actions; he had no idea why she was acting like this.

Gia crawled up on the bed and handed Seth his banana and then unpeeled and ate her own. They passed the juice back and forth between them until they were done with it. “So how is Nikolas this morning?” Seth asked. Gia laughed slightly. “I kicked him.” Gia mumbled. “What?!” Seth exclaimed. “He wouldn’t move his feet.” Gia said softly. “Gia, you’re such a bitch on this day.” Seth said. “I know. I just always feel so guilty.” Gia said sadly. “Gia how many times do I have to tell you that it wasn’t your fault!” Seth said pulling her in for a hug. “I can’t help but feel that I was responsible for everything.” Gia said as she clung to her friend.

~Flashback~

The tunes of The Four Tops flowed through the air, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, were the lyric’s that were being sung by the three friends. “Here Gia, you take the microphone!” Mark yelled as he passed the brush to her. Gia smiled and took the brush and sang into it as her friend danced around her. Seth was on the bed jumping up and down as Mark and Gia sang together. “Hey I want a turn!” Seth said. “No!” They both yelled back. Seth looked over at the two most important people in his life. His best friend Gia, and his boyfriend Mark. Even at 16 he knew that Mark and he had something special. Mark, a mix of Gia and Seth, was the perfect completion to his little family. He laughed as he watched Mark swing Gia around and they both laughed hysterically. “Put me down!” Gia yelled as she wiggled away from him and laughed. “Mark you’re so scrawny you’ll break something.” Gia teased. Mark got his vengeance when he picked up a pillow and swung it at her head. Gia screamed as she ran up on the bed and wrapped her arms around Seth’s neck. Mark joined them on the bed and they all tumbled down to the bed, they lay in one big heap as they looked up at the ceiling. “I love you two.” Seth said hugging each of them as he lay in between them. All went silent as they heard Gia’s front door slam shut. “Gia!” They heard Jeff yell. The boys looked down at Gia who had fear etched on her face. “I have to go.” Gia said sitting up. Seth had known about the abuse Gia endured growing up, and he knew that she was old enough to defend herself now, yet even thought Gia was the strongest person he knew, when it came to Jeff, she was weak. “Gia, don’t go out there, just let him pass out or something.” Mark said. “I can’t, he’ll get mad.” Gia said. “Gia tell your mom.” Seth said. “No! She loves him, she was an emotional wreck after my father left and I can’t have that happen again.” Gia said. Gia got up when she heard Jeff’s yells getting fiercer and walked out of the room to go to him.

“We have to do something.” Mark said pacing the room. “We can’t, you heard her.” Seth said. “@#%$ what she says, Seth! I can’t stand by and let that happen to her, I have to do something.” Mark said. He got up and slowly peaked his head in. He almost threw up as he saw Gia with tears streaming down her face, lying underneath her stepfather. He saw that Jeff was just about stick his hand down her pants and that’s when he decided to stand up to him. “Get off of her!” He yelled. Jeff and Gia both looked up when they heard his voice, fear grew even more apparent on Gia’s face as she looked at him. “What did you say?” Jeff asked. “I said set the hell off of her you sick @#%$!” Mark yells. Jeff stands up and slowly makes his way over to Mark. “What are you going to do about it you little fagot?” Jeff yelled pushing him back slightly. “No!” Gia yells running off of the couch and towards them, as Jeff was about to swing at Mark. “Don’t touch him.” She said trying to edge in between them. “Stay out of this Gia.” Jeff said slamming his fist across her face. Mark lunges at him and quickly starts to punch Jeff anywhere he could, feeling blows to his own face but pushing past the pain. Seth comes walking out with a gun in his shaky hands, pointing it at Jeff. “Back away Jeff.” Seth said as he released the safety. Jeff slowly moved back from Mark with his hands up and a cocky smile on his face. Gia got up and walked behind Seth. “Don’t Seth, please just put the gun down.” Gia said in his ear. Seth slowly started to put the gun down but mark ran over to him and pulled it out of his hand. “No! This has gone on way too long. You’re sick and what you are doing to my friend is ruining her life. I hate you and you’re going to die!” Mark said through clenched teeth. Jeff suddenly opens a drawer that he’s standing by and pulls out a gun as well. He quickly points it at Mark and the sound of bullets flying rings through the air. The only other sound is Gia’s shrill scream as she watches both men fall to the ground. Seth and Gia instantly run to Mark. Seth quickly pulls him into his arms and holds him. “No don’t leave me, I love you, please don’t leave me.” Seth begged. Gia reached over and ran her hand up Marks cheek as he looked at her. She watched his face as his soul slowly left him, leaving his eyes open and lifeless. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she placed her hands over his eyes and shut them. Seth continued to chant, “don’t go” to Mark as he rocked his limp body until the ambulance came. Seth clung to Marks body as the paramedics tried to take him away and Gia pulled Seth off of him to let them take Marks body away. Gia wrapped her arms around Seth’s neck, ignoring his blood-drenched clothes and they sobbed into each other’s arms as they gently swayed together.

~End Of Flash Back~

Gia and Seth sobbed in each other’s arms as they gently swayed together, slowly shaking the memories that still hurt them so much out of their heads. “He shouldn’t have even had to do that. I should have just stopped being so damn weak and tried to take care of Jeff myself.” Gia cried. “No! Gia you don’t know what it was like for me and Mark to sit there, knowing what was going on and not do anything. Mark use to get so upset. We loved you Gia and we knew that Jeff was threatening you, saying that he would kill your mom and hunt down your brother and kill him. We couldn’t let that happen to you, that’s why we bought that stupid gun in the first place, incase he went too far. Mark just got sick of it, please Gia don’t keep telling yourself that you were the cause of this, Mark died trying to protect you and I’m proud of that.” Seth said as he stroked Gia’s soft cheek. Gia nodded her tear-stained head. “I know. I just miss him so much.” Gia cried. Seth cried as well and leaned in to kiss Gia’s lips. “I love you Gia.” Seth said. Gia sobbed. “I love you too Seth.” Gia cried as wrapped her arms around his neck. “Gia you need to go talk to Nikolas. Trust me when I say, you have no idea what can happen in life. You can be in love one minute and then the next, that person can be ripped away from your life forever. You’re in love with Nikolas, you need to cherish every moment you have with him while you can.” Seth pleaded. Gia smiled at him. “I don’t want to leave you today.” She said playing with his hair. “Gia, I’m going to go sit on a hill top and I’m going to talk to the love of my life, tell him how much I miss him and that I loved him, and then I’m going to go to work and get on with my life, like he would want me to.” Seth said smiling at Gia.

This time when Nikolas looked up at the stairs when he heard someone stepping on them, both Seth and Gia came downstairs. Seth nodded politely in his direction and then leaned in and kissed Gia, Nik shouldn’t have been jealous but he envied Seth’s lips. Seth walked out and Gia turned around, she was wearing a pair of hip hugger jeans and a tight black shoulder top now, and black clunky flip-flops that thudded their way to him on the hardwood floors. Gia made her way to the couch he was sitting on and sat down next to him. Nik was welcomed with a sweet spell coming off of her as she sat down. “I’m sorry.” Gia said softly. Nik smiled slightly, he figured it was a rare thing for her to say. “Will you talk to me?” Nik said. Gia looked down as she nervously played with her fingers. “It’s hard to talk about.” She said softly. “You can tell me anything Gia, I just want to know why you’re so upset.” Nik said. Gia looked up at him. “Four years ago today, one of my best friends was killed.” Gia said fighting back tears. “Oh Gia, I’m so sorry.” Nik said wrapping his arm around her. “He was Seth’s boyfriend and he died trying to save me from Jeff. They ended up both dead.” Gia said. “So that’s why it’s hard for Seth to talk about how Jeff died.” Nik said. Gia looked up at him. “You asked him about it?” She asked. “Yeah, I wanted to make sure that he was dead, Seth said that he was but it was hard for him to talk about.” Nik explained. “What would you have done if he weren’t?” Gia asked. “I would kill him.” Nik said flatly. Gia looked at him, tears started to fall down her cheeks. “Gia, don’t cry. Please don’t cry.” Nik said wiping away her tears. “I can’t believe you would do that for me.” Gia said smiling as tears rimmed her eyes. She leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Nik kissed her back and soon, they found themselves in a heated kiss. Pulling back slightly, Gia asked. “Will you help me make a new memory for this day? Mark doesn’t deserve for me to be angry on the day of his death, he was happy and loving, I think I need to be like him today.” “Gia, I’ll do anything to make you happy.” Nik said toughing her arm. Gia wrapped her arms around him and held on. “Thank you Nikolas.” She said softly, leaning in and kissing his neck lightly.