Bright: DEH/BMC Fanfic

Chapter 1

Zoe Murphy stared bitterly at the picture of her and Evan on her desk. It was taken on their first official date that wasn't Connor related. It reminded her of simpler times, times she didn't think she'd ever see again.

Annoyed, she swiveled around in her chair, looking at the blank room in front of her. Boxes that needed unpacking were all around, and her walls were white and bare, reminding her of an insane asylum.

After Evan had revealed his long-kept lie to her family, Zoe's parents began fighting again, leading to a messy divorce. While her father stayed back at their luxurious home, Zoe and her mom moved all the way to a small apartment in New Jersey.

"At least we're near New York," her mom tried to justify. Other than that, she gave no real reason as to why they moved to this particular state, though Zoe thought it was because her mom wanted to be as far away from her dad as possible.

So now they were here. Zoe would be starting her senior year at some high school called Middle Borough in less than a week and she'd have to make new friends.  Her stomach filled with dread at the thought.

"Zoe," her mom yelled, "The Chinese is here!" Six months ago, Zoe would have been excited for Chinese food, but now she didn't feel excited at all. Nowadays, nothing made her happy.

Tiredly, Zoe walked out of her cell and entered the kitchen. The smell of rice and broccoli beef filled the small room, and her mom sat smiling at the kitchen table.

"I already made you a plate," her mom motioned with a fork.

Zoe smiled slightly and sat down on the small wooden stool near her food. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she saw the meal before her eyes. "Crap," she thought, "I forgot to eat lunch again."

Her mom was watching her while she ate with a look that Zoe had seen before. It was her "I'm-about-to-be-motherly" face. Zoe stopped eating and stared blankly at her mom, "What is it?"

Her mom straightened up and rested her hands on the small, circular table at which they ate. Zoe braced herself for what was about to come.

"So," her mother began, "I know this move has been tough on you. Everything has been tough on all of us." She looked down for a moment and then back at her daughter. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you. If you need to talk about anything that's on your mind, I'm always here or a phone call away."

Zoe had heard this similar talk before. She sighed, "I'm fine mom. If there was something bothering me, I would tell you." The truth was, Zoe didn't even know where to begin. She had so many thoughts and emotions swirling around in her head that she kinda grew numb.

"You're not worried about school? I know that going to a new school and making friends is hard. Do you want to talk about it?"

"She says 'I know' a lot," Zoe thought bitterly.

"What about... you know, you're ex-boyfriend? Wanna talk about him?"

"You mean Evan mom? The guy who shattered the last piece of happiness I had?" Zoe looked away, " No, I have nothing to say about him. He's out of my life now and I want to keep it that way."

Zoe's mom stared at her, shocked. Her fork of broccoli made a clang as it fell on the floor.

"I want to eat in my room." Without waiting for a response, Zoe got up and took her dinner to her room, relieved to have had the last word.