The Wallflower Effect

Chapter 16: Calm Before The Storm.

After we had joked around for a few more minutes, we broke up and all went our separate ways. Jenny, who apparently owned a motorcycle, went home to, and I quote, 'polish her weapons for battle.' Gage got a ride with one of the players on his team, Ryan or something like that I think. Eathan, on the other hand, had asked to hang out. Needing a distraction, I'd agreed. So that's how I came to be sitting on my couch watching Green Arrow in Eathan freaking Harker's arms. As I pulled my long blonde hair back into a ponytail, for the first time I could recall, I was grateful that my parents were perpetually absent from my life.

"I just can't believe you haven't heard of this show before." I told him doubtfully, snuggling up to him comfortably.

"I haven't!" He defended, looking like a wounded puppy.

"Well I guess we'll just half to marathon our way through the first season, then." I said. I grabbed the remote and clicked on the picture of the ripped shirtless dude at the top of my queue, and we began watching Oliver Queen being a total babe while shooting things heroically. Or at least that's how I saw it. Before I knew it, the episode was over, and I turned my head to look at Eathan.

"How did you like it?" I asked curiously, adjusting the throw blanket over us both. He sat up, his eyes wide. He turned over to make eye contact with me, and I tore my eyes away from his exquisite form to look at his face, which was alight with boyish excitement.

"Play the next one!" He demanded, hitting the sofa like a excited ten year old girl.

I chuckled. "Did I get you addicted to Arrow?"

"Maybe." He sung, folding his arms defensively.

I found another thing about him I absolutely adored. The excitement he got over small little things. He was just one of those bright, happy people you just smiled when you were around. He didn't hold back or censor himself, he was just 100% authentic, and seeing him bounce up and down because he was fangirling over a tv show was the most adorable thing I could imagine. His excitement almost made me forget that bad things could happen, much less that they were happening to me.

"I so did." I raised my chin smugly. There was just something satisfying about being able to obsess over a show with.

"Okay, yes, you got me hooked on Arrow. I mean come on, the guy is a billionaire, but he uses a bow. A bow!  He's like a green, minimalistic Batman!" He claimed, his eyes lighting up.

I thought about it.

"Wait a minute that actually makes so much sense." I realized.

"Okay just play the next episode Zoey!" Eathan said playfully.

"Alright." I smiled, and we watched another epidose, and all my issues almost seemed melt away. I thought for a minute about how fast Eathan and I's relationship had progressed, worrying over it briefly. But then again, I needed someone like him in my life, and when you find an Eathan, you don't let go of him without a fight. Maybe this was fate's way of making up for everything. A really bad childhood, being an outsider in school, and a psycho stalker in exchange for a perfect boyfriend. In that moment, I was nearly certain he was worth it.

"So how long are we going to dance around the real question? You know, avoid this whole people dying because of me situation." I brought up, tensing up in Eathan's embrace. He quietly paused the show and turned me around in his lap so that I was looking into his deep gold eyes.

"There is nothing to avoid. And it's not your fault, beautiful, it's the person who's doing to hurting who's to blame. Zoey, I know this is hard on you. Harder than you'd admit to yourself, much less me. Seeing two people killed in less than what, a month, and having your name attached to it, is not going to be easy for anyone. You wanting to stop it from happening again, especially since you have information about where this sicko is going to be in two days, is more than understandable. Not to mention admirable." He sighed.

"But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I care about you a lot, more than I've probably let on. I have for years, just noticing the little things you do has driven me mad. You  putting yourself in harms way makes me absolutely nuts." He grimaced.

I put my hands to his cheek, and he leaned into them. Despite what we were talking about, Eathan kept his voice down and even, not allowing this to turn into an argument. Another good trait. He didn't look for confrontation. Good quality for a boyfriend to have.

"I know you're worried about me. Eathan, I'm worried about me." I paused, taking my hands from his cheek in favor of ringing them in my lap as I avoided his stare. "I believe you when you've said you've noticed me for years, even if I was too stupid to see it. But let me tell you something. I've always felt weak. Yes, I've always stood up for people who couldn't stand up for themselves, and I've always been good with comebacks, but I've never felt like I was tough. Things my parents told me growing up, that I was a useless child they wish they didn't have to deal with. The things girls at school said, that I was a freak, that I didn't belong." I swallowed back a wave of emotion.

"They went deeper than I wanted them too. I may look tough, but years of being told that stuff... well, eventually it sank in. I've always been easily bruised on the inside. But despite being hurt myself, I've never used that as an excuse to be hurtful, well unless you consider the stray insult here and there when needed as hurtful. I've always been very compassionate. I care about people, even if I don't like them very much. I really believe in personal freedom. So Adira? That kind of enraged me. It brought out my heroic streak. My need to stand up for the little guy. I decided that I felt powerless for long enough. I decided to fight back. It seems hair-brained and dangerous, I know. But that was a really big thing for me Eathan, and I wouldn't do it if I knew you couldn't deal with it. So, yeah." I finished my speech lamely, biting my lip nervously.

Eathan looked shocked to say the least. And either I was crazy or he had tears in his eyes. He crushed my to him, and I didn't protest. "You're amazing, Zoey Castro. more than you know." He exhaled slowly . "I get it. I really do. I can't promise you I'm going to like this, because we all know this isn't going to turn out well, whatever happens. But I'm going to be there, right next to you, through this creep and whatever comes after him, till the day you tell me otherwise. I'm not going anywhere. You don't scare me, babe." He tilted his head, so that the sun streaming in through the window caught his eyes and reflected it.

"Actually, that's a lie. You scare the hell out of me. But I like you," he brushed a wavy strand of hair behind my ears, "so I'm not going anywhere."

I opened my mouth to say something, but he stopped me.

"Oh, and before you bring it up, we can meet up with Jess and Gage tomorrow and see if we can talk to Morgan. Tomorrow. Today, I'm going to watch Green Arrow with my girlfriend. " He finished warmly, and my heart leapt at his total attentiveness to my thoughts and needs. He was perfect, and I didn't deserve him.

"I love you." I blurted out, being totally honest with him. He preened arrogantlym, tossing imaginary hair over his shoulder.

"I know."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You just Han Solo'd me."

"I did, sweetheart. Now let's watch the show already!" He complained playfully. I settled back onto his lap, cuddling with him as he pulled a throw blanket onto us and Oliver Queen resumed his heroics. But I couldn't fully relax. Somehow, this felt like the calm before the storm.

And I had a feeling the forecast called for some serious thunder.

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Sorry for not writing in forever. I've been having technical difficulties. Also high school and the fact that I'm a piece of crap. Hope you liked this, Eathan/Zoey shippers! Don't worry, Gage isn't out of the picture totally, and there will be some action coming up soon. As usual, comment, vote, and follow me because I'm working on writing a little more and I put updates in my statuses. Have a lovely day, my readers!

~Mage