About Just Lucky That Way
by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde
144 pages / 37500 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-588-4
Ebook zipped file contains -
html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub
Just because Zed Roxbury is hearing voices doesn’t mean he’s insane.
And if he is, all of his friends are joining him. Surely doing a favor for a
friend should bring good karma, but a fun 4th July holiday turns into much
more than anyone could have anticipated when bad luck dogs Zed. And the
voices are just a small part of it. Could the opal brooch he finds have
anything to do with it? Or perhaps it’s just Zed’s irresistible allure…
Maybe the past should stay buried.
Sample
“Love you, too.”
Zed leaned his forehead on Alex’s knees. “How are you still standing? That
was intense.”
“I have a tree supporting me.” Alex knelt and rested his arms on Zed’s
shoulders. “You ready to go back, or do you want to hang here longer?”
“They had to’ve heard us.” Zed laughed. “I’m surprised the girls aren’t
there scoring us.” A light-hearted giggle came from behind him. “Or maybe
they are.”
“They heard us last night too.” Alex leaned in and nuzzled Zed’s ear.
“You’re wondering how they scored you.”
“Oh, I know my score. I’m just hoping they scored you as high.” He heard the
giggle again, sharper than before, and turned around. Nothing there, not
even a shrub to hide behind. “Who’s there?”
Silence.
“It’s probably just the girls by the fire.” Alex stood and zipped his pants.
“Sound does carry more at night.”
“You heard it?” For some reason, Zed felt as if it had been meant for him
alone. “Nah, it definitely came from behind me.” He pulled his shorts up and
stood, feeling for Alex’s hand. “And there’s no one there.”
“Probably just someone else out enjoying the night, and it just sounds
closer than it is.” Alex threaded his fingers through Zed’s, holding tight.
“Just ignore Jon, don’t let him get a rise out of you.”
Zed snorted. “Fuckwit.”
“Exactly.”
A sudden chill, icy feathers, brushed across the back of Zed’s neck. He
didn’t look behind him; there would be nothing there. He clenched Alex’s
hand tighter. “Let’s go back, I need a drink.”
“Me too.”
Alex led the way back to the others. Stopping at the cooler Alex grabbed two
beers, handing one to Zed.
“Where’s Jon?” Alex asked as he sat down.
“Went to bed,” Travis said. “Said something about being punched being a buzz
kill.”
“He shouldn’t have been such a dickhead, then.”
“I don’t think he understands.” Mel shrugged and looked at Zed. “You weren’t
there when we heard. We had no idea anything was even... wrong, then
suddenly you’re in therapy, and we didn’t see you ‘til the prom.”
“It was years ago.”
“Doesn’t matter. I still don’t think he actually comprehends why it was so
bad for you that you felt you had to kill yourself -- try to.” Mel finished
in a rush.
“The only one that saw you during that time was Alex,” Rhys added. “And he
wasn’t telling us anything.”
Zed smiled. That was typical of Alex; guarding him fiercely. “To be honest,
I don't remember a lot.” It’d been a haze of prescription drugs and alcohol.
Alex had been there almost constantly, as had Scott -- first boyfriend;
older and hot. Zed did remember he’d been a brat for most of the time, the
drugs affecting his sleeping and eating habits, and had been on somewhat of
a downward spiral.
“I remember enough for the both of us,” Alex whispered before taking a long
pull of his beer.
“Well, don’t. That part of my life is over.” But even as he said it, Zed
wondered if it was. What had made him try the suicide option when things got
bad, while other people would react to the same situation differently?
Alcohol had always been freely available to him, and drinking to make
himself feel better had become a bit of a weekend ritual when he was in his
teens, home alone on Friday and Saturday nights, knowing that Alex was out
with nameless, faceless bimbos. Even now, when things got bad, he drank more
than if he was just on a night out with friends.