Love

Ch 21: Siempre Te Amare (I Will Always Love You)

Quin rushed out of Lane's office, since they were discussing the classes he would be taking next semester of high school, and went immediately to his wife's locker.

She was there, getting books she needed out and putting books she didn't need in before shutting it.

"Zoe!" He called out as he reached her side. She looked at him with an emotionless expression.

She was not Zoe-like today. Only wearing a white knitted sweater, with black leggings, and black TOMs, with her hair down and limp...no one really recognized her.

"Lane told me you dropped out of the talent show this morning!"

Zoe nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Without talking it over with me?" Quin asked in concern.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know I needed your permission."

Ouch...

Quin rubbed his lips together before responding.

"No. What I meant was that you usually talk to me about these things before you make a big decision like that..."

"It's just a talent show." Zoe said bluntly before walking away from him, but he walked with her. "I'm not going to it anyways."

Quin stopped in his tracks and grabbed Zoe's hand gently. "No, wait, you have to go!"

Zoe narrowed her eyes. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly in the right state of mind to go to a social event. Mom and dad will record your performance for me." She jerked her hand out of his grasp before walking away again.

This time he didn't rush after her as he leaned against the nearest wall in frustration.

Blayke came up and saw Quin looking frustrated. "What's up, man? You okay?"

"Zoe." Quin simply said.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She dropped out of the talent show." Quin said dully. "And what's worse: she's not going to the talent show at all."

Now Blayke's eyes practically bugged out of his head.

"WHAT? We've been working hard on that damn song!" Everyone in the hallway was staring at the two boys and Blayke glared at them.

"None of your business! Move on!" He snapped, which they did. He turned his attention back to Quin.

"I can't believe this! Quitting the talent show, okay, I get that one, but NOT going at ALL? I mean, seriously?"

"Her dog, that mean a lot to her, died last night, Blayke." Quin said in a deep, exhausted voice. "She's not going very good right now."

"Yes, I understand that, but...we've been working so hard on that song." Blayke told Quin .

"I've put my heart and soul into those lyrics."

"Me too, I know, but there's nothing we can really do." Quin sighed as he straightened out his backpack on his back and then walked away from Blayke.

He checked over his shoulder and saw Blayke walk the other direction, shaking his head in...he didn't know.

He couldn't really tell what anybody was feeling right now, since little 1 pound Anastasia died the night before after Zoe refused to let her baby puppy suffer from a incurable tumor.

Quin admired Zoe's bravery and kindness to not let Anastasia suffer, but it still took a little bit of Zoe away.

As he walked up to a class he shared with Zoe, he felt something jerk...another jerk...and suddenly everything was shaking.

"EARTHQUAKE!" He heard a fellow classmate yelled out in the hallway.

He heard screaming...

He heard glass breaking...

But he raced to the classroom where Zoe was. "ZOE!" He reached the doorway of the classroom and he saw Zoe on a chair, covering her head with a book.

He rushed to her side and grabbed her, pulling her to the doorway. He covered her with his own body.

"I have you, baby girl." He whispered in her ear.

She whimpered into his shirt. "Does anything go right anymore?"

Quin scoffed as he felt the shaking ease up slowly. "Doesn't seem like it, does it?"

She said nothing else as she buried herself deeper in his shirt. He rubbed her back as everything finally went still.

"Sshh...you're safe." He nuzzled his head in her hair. "I have you. You're safe with me. Let's go find your brother."

"ZOE!"

"Or he'll find us." Quin chuckled as he looked out into the hallway with Zoe still in his arms and he saw Blayke jumping over debris. "Over here!"

"Quin! Zoe!" He was out of breath, his heart racing as he reached the couple.

"Oh, my sis." He grabbed Zoe itno his arms, hugging her tightly. "Man, I was freaking out!"

"Couldn't tell." Quin chuckled, but shut up when Blayke glared at him.

"ATTENTION HOLLYWOOD ART STUDENTS!"

"Who else would be listening?" Blayke asked in annoyance as Zoe grabbed her backpack from the chair she was sitting in.

"SCHOOL IS DISMISSED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY! WE WILL CALL ALL PARENTS AND INFORM THEM! PLEASE WAIT IN YOUR CLASSROOMS FOR YOUR PARENTS! IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A VEHICLE, YOU ARE FREE TO GO BUT LET YOUR CURRENT TEACHER YOU ARE WITH KNOW!"

"Let's hit the road." Blayke said, grabbing his mother's car keys from his pocket and Quin waved to the teacher within the classroom.

...

After picking Cristina up from school, Blayke drove onto the freeway instead of heading home. Zoe looked over to him.

"Where are we going?" She asked in a whisper.

Blayke just grinned and kept driving. "You'll see."

"You know we still have homework, right?" Cristina asked in a snotty way.

"Do it on the way there." Blayke answered the boy.

Cristina shrugged it off and took her homework out.

About 20 minutes later, Blayke pulled up to the beach, where not many people were.

"I figured if we get to have a day off, why not put the day to good use and hit the waters?"

Zoe smiled and pecked Blayke's cheek. "Thanks, bro. This is what I needed."

Cristina was the first one out and ran to the sand. "WHOOO! BEACH! WHOOO!"

Zoe giggled and jumped out, not waiting for anyone to open her car door for her and ran after the boy. Quin stood stepped out with Blayke and they laughed at Zoe and Cristina.

They had taken their sweaters off and pulled up their pant legs, stepping into the icy waters, not caring if it was cold. They were running around and laughing with each other.

Quin crossed his arms. "I have to hand it to you, Blayke...this was a good idea."

Blayke shrugged. "A healing process for all of us..."