Before Beckett

Chapter 7

The remainder of the trip to New York passed quickly. And before Zoe knew it, they were on a plane flying back to LA.

The day after they landed, Zoe met up with Becca. They decided to go to the beach, since Zoe had practically spent the past three weeks exploring and shopping. She needed a break.

"I'm glad you're back," said Becca. "A whole bunch of us from school are going to the movies on Tuesday."

"Which is tomorrow," Zoe pointed out.

"Yes," said Becca. "There's a good movie that came out and some people from school wanted to invite you. So we decided tomorrow because I knew you would be back."

"Yeah sure," said Zoe, laying down on her beach towel and feeling the sun on her skin. "I don't want to do shopping for a while."

"Did you get me something?" asked Becca.

"Of course!" Zoe exclaimed. "My suitcases are still packed. I'll give it to you tomorrow."

"Yay!" said Becca. "I still can't believe you met Richard Castle and everyone else at your mother's work."

"I know," said Zoe. "It was amazing to see it. But I wish I could have met her."

"Are you going back to New York in another break?" asked Becca.

Zoe nodded and sat up to face Becca. "Hopefully over Christmas break."

"That's like six months away!" Becca exclaimed.

"I know," Zoe groaned. "It does seem like forever. But hopefully it will go quickly."

"I still can't believe we're going freshman year in a few weeks," said Becca. "We're getting old."

"Don't remind me," said Zoe, laying back down on her towel. "I just want to relax forever. Or even close my eyes and wake up at Christmas break."
"And it will be winter," added Becca.

Zoe groaned and rolled onto her stomach. "Don't remind me. Let me enjoy this heat."

The next day, Mrs Myers dropped Zoe off at one of the cinemas where Becca and a few classmates from school were standing outside, waiting.

"Hey, Zoe," said Emma. "Heard you went to New York?"

"Yeah, I did," replied Zoe. "Not for the purpose I wanted to go for, but it was still a good trip."

"You were going over there to meet your mother, right?" asked another girl named Jade.

"Yes, I was," said Zoe. "But she's on disability leave from the precinct because she was shot a few weeks ago. It was in the paper and all over the news."

"I think my dad told me about that," said Emma. "He has a cousin that works for the NYPD, not in homicide though."

"Wait, wait," said Jade. "So your real mother is Kate Beckett?"

"Yes," said Zoe. "After all, my name is Zoe Beckett. I have to keep my last name as I am a foster child, not adopted."

"You never said who your mother was," said a boy in Zoe's class named Mark. "You just said you were going to meet her."

"Yes, I barely told anyone because I wasn't one hundred percent sure," said Zoe. "But we are not here to talk about my trip, we are here to watch a movie."

The group walked into the theatre and up to the counter where they bought their tickets, drinks and snacks. Zoe ordered a frozen Coke and popcorn deal, as did Becca.

"Hey," Zoe said to Becca. "I'm going to sit with you."

"Okay," said Becca. "I think we're going to take up almost a whole row."

"By the way," Zoe said quietly. "I bought your present with me, it's in my bag. But I want to give it to you privately."

"Okay," Becca said. "That makes sense. I heard they were asking about your mother out there."

"Yes," answered Zoe. "But I don't really want to talk about my mother to anyone else but you. Especially since I didn't meet her and were co-workers didn't know about me."

"Don't give up hope," said Becca, as they walked into the dark theatre. "Let's focus on the movie now and you can come back to my place after, okay?"

"Okay," said Zoe. "Sounds good."

After the movie, which Zoe loved, Mrs Sanders picked the girls up from the cinema and they drove out to Becca's house. Mrs Myers was fine for Zoe to go there after the movie.

In Becca's room, Zoe gave her the present she'd bought for Becca in New York. A white T-shirt with a silhouette of New York's skyline with the words 'Welcome To New York' in black letters. And a couple of other little things.

"Oh my goodness!" Becca exclaimed. "I love these!" She pulled Zoe into a massive bear hug. "Thank you Zoe!"

The girls spent the rest of the day talking. About Zoe's mother. About school. About anything in general.

The girls could spend days together and never run out of things to talk about.

Later that night, Zoe was sitting in her room, looking at the photos that her mother gave her. She desperately hoped that in Christmas break, she would meet her mother. The extra six month wait was going to drive her crazy.

But what would happen when she finally met Kate Beckett?