Zariah and Sage lay sprawled across the bed, their phones in hand, with the warm afternoon light filtering in through the large windows. It felt like the perfect moment of peace after such a long trip. But that peaceful silence didn’t last long.
A knock came at the door, soft at first, then followed by the creak of the door slowly opening. Zariah looked up from her phone just in time to see Dess and Jessika step into the room.
“Hey,” Jessika greeted casually, leaning against the doorframe. “Nice room you got here.”
Dess didn’t say anything at first. Her eyes flicked around the room before settling on Zariah. A small, knowing smile played at the corners of her lips, and Zariah immediately felt a weird chill run down her spine. There was something about Dess, something that had been off since the moment they met.
“Yeah, we picked the best one,” Zariah said, trying to sound lighthearted. “You guys get settled in?”
Jessika nodded. “Yep, our room’s down the hall.” She crossed her arms, her gaze shifting between Zariah and Sage. “So... you two are just gonna hang out up here all summer?”
Sage smirked, sitting up on the bed. “What else is there to do?”
Dess chuckled softly, stepping further into the room. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll find things to do.”
That same strange feeling crept over Zariah again, the same one she had felt in the car when Dess had muttered to herself. Zariah’s eyes shifted to Dess, who was now standing close to the bed, her gaze fixed directly on her. Dess seemed more confident now, more comfortable, like she knew something Zariah didn’t.
“You know,” Dess began, her voice dropping slightly, “this is gonna be an interesting summer. I can already feel it.”
Zariah forced a smile, trying to shake off the unease. “Yeah, definitely.”
Jessika, oblivious to the tension in the air, threw herself onto the bed beside Sage. “You guys got any plans for tonight? Maybe we could all hang out.”
Sage glanced at Zariah, and Zariah shrugged. “We hadn’t really thought about it.”
“Well, now you are,” Jessika grinned, nudging Sage with her elbow.
Dess, still standing close to Zariah, leaned in just a little, her voice barely above a whisper. “I meant what I said in the car.”
Zariah’s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she had imagined it or if Dess had actually said that. She turned her head slightly to look at Dess, who was already walking toward the door with a sly smile.
“Well, we’ll leave you two to... whatever this is,” Dess said, heading out of the room with Jessika following close behind.
As the door clicked shut, Zariah released a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. She looked at Sage, who raised an eyebrow.
“What was that?” Sage asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
Zariah shook her head. “I have no idea. But something’s up with Dess.”
Sage tilted her head in thought but didn’t push it further. Zariah could feel the strangeness of the situation settling in around her like a heavy weight. Something was definitely off, and it wasn’t just the house or the new family dynamic. It was Dess—there was something about her that Zariah couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard she tried.
560 words
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Fame, Love, & Zariah
FanficThis all started because of your mom and dad decided to adopt after saying they wasn't...really? Stay Tuned For This.
