I'm not a popular girl | ✔️

Twenty-One - Meeting Again

Zoë

Sara Kays softly played from the speakers in Old Navy as Zoë browsed around in the clearance section with Carden wandering behind her on his phone, oblivious to what was going on around him.

She couldn't help but smile every time she looked over at him. He was officially her real boyfriend now. No more acting. It was all reality now. They were together for real and no matter how hard she tried to wrap her mind around it, she just couldn't.

It was just unbelievable.

Her hand ran over hangers aimlessly. She honestly had no clue what she was shopping for but she came so that Carden would stay for a little bit longer. Once she was done "shopping," he would head back to Clarkston for the rest of his weekend, to hangout with Cam and Andrew who had left the night before, and she would join him Monday.

"Not trying to rush you darling, but are you done yet?" He bounced on the balls of his feet. "Cam wants to know when I'll be back. It's a couple hour drive."

"Yeah, I know." She grabbed a white skirt with a light blue crop top quickly. She so desperately wanted to go try it on and see Carden with stars in his eyes but she needed to hurry.

She searched for a price tag, her fingers fumbling with the fabric. But there wasn't one.

"Shoot."

"What?"

She waved it in his face. "No price tag. We'll need to find somebody."

Carden ran a hand through his hair, glancing at his watch for what seemed the twentieth time. "Alright."

She hurried off toward where a young woman about Zoë's age with long black hair was folding a sweatshirt to put onto a stand. "Excuse me. Can you help me for a quick second?"

"Of course!" Her voice was light and cheerful as she turned towards Zoë. "Whatever can I do for you?"

When her gaze met Zoë's, it was like a laser beam. It made her freeze in her spot and nearly made her stop breathing.

"Z?" Carden put a hand on her shoulder. "You good?"

"Cora?"

The woman stared at her before whispering, "Zoë?"

"Oh my gosh!" Zoë handed the outfit in her hands to Carden before wrapping her arms tightly around Cora. "It's been so long! What are you doing here? How are you? I can't believe it's really you!"

Cora laughed as she pulled away from Zoë. "I forgot how energetic you are."

"I am not energetic!"

The girls stared at each other before bursting out laughing. Forgotten inside jokes and memories swelled inside Zoë's brain as she laughed along with her childhood best friend.

It felt like just yesterday they were making mud pies in the soggy mud and playing family in the basement of Cora's house. But then Zoë's parents had forced her to move away and leave Cora. She never thought she'd see her ever again.

"You look beautiful! I barely recognized you!" Cora exclaimed as she ran her fingers through Zoë's long hair. "Last time I saw you, you had a brown bob!"

She rolled her eyes. "To be fair, I was five years old."

"An adorable one!"

"You were cuter! And with the hairstyle, that was my mother's doing. I had no say in it!"

They embraced each other again as Carden, who Zoë forgot was standing there awkwardly witnessing a reunion, cleared his throat. "Am I missing something?"