Zero

Chapter 11: Elizabeth

~Liz's Point of View~

"Ms. Pluex, I'm really sorry, but Elizabeth has to leave right now!" Thalia says quickly to the poor secretary before grabbing my arm and yanking me to the door. "Wait just a second missy." Ms. Pluex says, standing up from her chair, "she can't leave unless a parent or legal guardian is here to pick her up." She finishes, crossing her arms.

Thalia gasps. "Well it would be kind of hard for her parents or her sister to pick her up if they're dead!" Thalia shouts.

I feel as though my whole world has just crashed down. I'm surprised I'm not passed out on the ground yet. "What?" I manage to croak out. "Oh my gosh! Take her. Take the poor girl." Ms. Pluex says, sitting back down and resting her head in her hands.

I look at Ashton and he looks at me with sorrow and pity. I hate pity. "Thank you Ms. Pluex." Thalia says dragging me out of the office. Before I know it, I'm in the front seat of her silver Ferrari. I sit in silence for what feels like forever before choking out, "H-How did they d-die?"

Thalia just looks at me with confusion in her eyes. "They who?" She asks, pulling into the mall parking lot. "My parents and Vanessa!" I shout. Instead of answering, she just bursts out laughing. "What's so funny?" I ask through my teeth. "That you actually thought they were dead!" She says in between laughs. "I just said that so she would let you go. I need an outfit for graduation and I need your help." I look at her in utter confusion.

"You told Ms. Pluex and I that my parents and Vanessa died, just so you could take me to the mall with you!" I ask, feeling as though there is steam coming out of my ears. "Do you have any idea how much I want to kill you right now? And what am I supposed to tell her when I go back to school tomorrow?"

"Don't worry Eli." She says using the stupid nickname I told her to not call me. "I'll think of something. And I don't think you'll want to kill me after what I have set up for you." She mysteriously says, getting out of the car. "What did you do?" I ask, slamming her car door shut.

"All will be revealed later on young grasshopper." Thalia says, bowing to me like a sensai. "But for now, we are going to buy me a new outfit and you a new outfit." "I don't need a new outfit." I say, trailing behind her as we walk into the mall. "Yes. Yes you do. Because your current wardrobe isn't really going to help you land this job." My ears perk up with interest. "What job?"

"Just some job. Now, are you hungry?" Thalia asks, trying to contain her chuckle. "Speaking of that; have your parents noticed yet?" I ask, looking through the windows of JCPenny. "Not yet. But Mom keeps making me snacks every day when I get home from school. And then watches me like a hawk when I'm eating dinner. So it's only a matter of time before she notices." She says looking longingly at a purse in the Dillard's window. "Let's go in here." She says dragging me into Dilliard's.

*********

"Thalia! We've been shopping for hours! Let's go home." I say. We've been at the mall for 3 hours, and that is the longest time I've ever been shopping. "But we still haven't gotten you a new outfit." Thalia says, flipping through a rack of dresses that costs more than my college fund. "Just tell me why I need a new outfit and then I might agree." I groan. She stares at me for 3 minutes before she finally answers.

"Okay. I'll tell you." She begins, taking a deep breath. "So you know how my dad is the pastor of the community church right?" "Of course." I say. "Well so he travels to a bunch of other churches and he meets a lot of people. Well last week he went to some church in New York." She pauses taking another deep breath. "He met this dude there who was asking him about his family and he asked my dad if he had a daughter. And he said yes, then the man asked him if I was interested in becoming a model. And you know how against that my dad is, so he told the man no." "What does this have to do with me?" I ask, not understanding. "Well then my dad told him that you were interested and so he showed him the selfies we took on his phone." "What! Those were terrible pictures. We looked like crap in all of them." "I know, I know. But anyway the guy said you were very pretty and so he gave my dad his card and told him to have you call him and send in some head shots!" She finishes.

I drop the mountain of clothes that were in my hands and jump on Thalia. "Are you serious? This is amazing." I say, kissing her cheeks. "I am pretty amazing." She says hugging me. I jump off of her and pick up the clothes I dropped. "But why do I need a new outfit?" I ask. "So you could wear it in your head shots." She says as though I'm stupid. "But I already have head shots at the house." I tell her. "Are you serious? Then why are we still here? Lets go home!" She says dragging me to the cash register.