Adopted by Zalfie Sequel

37

I was gobsmacked.

Zoe's hair, was now, back brown and short.

It was like a time traveller had been and said hun, I want your 2011 self back but let's make it a bit more 2018.

She actually looks beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Zoe smiled.

"I love it! You look amazing."

"Doesn't she just?" Alfie agreed, giving Zoe a peck on the cheek.

She shrank back into his embrace. "Everyone's saying I look older."

"You do. More grown up." I said. I walked over to the fridge to get a bottle of water. I took one out and opened it up.

"Have you washed your hair yet and all that jazz for school tomorrow?" Zoe asked.

I swallowed the water inside my mouth. "Yeah, I did it earlier."

"Good. What're your plans for Halloween then? I've heard from your dad that you want a party."

"Not a party party. It'll just be like my friends." I reassured her. I could visibly see her get worried. Zoe is fine with parties, just not when it's about fifty teenagers doing god knows what. "We'd just ordered loads of pizzas and watch horror films and stuff all night."

"I wish I could join. Horror films? Yes please." Zoe's nerves turned into excitement.

Alf cackled, "You can't crash a seventeen year olds party."

"Nearly eighteen." I chimed.

"Yeah, we have to sort out Tia's birthday too. I'm thinking we don't get her anything." Zoe pretended I wasn't there.

"I'd be fine without anything." I said honestly. I was brought up without anything. I was brought up to believe I deserved nothing.

"You might say you're fine, but you know me and Alf won't be fine if we get you nothing."

"Anyway," I said, wanting to change the subject. Recently, the topics been getting too much for me and I hate talking about it. "Can Taylyn stay for a couple of days around Halloween?"

"Of course. I don't want her getting the train up or you and Logan driving down around that time of year. It might seem far fetched but the worst things do happen at the best times." Zoe smiled sweetly.

"We could go get her maybe on the 28th? It's my day off and I was planning on going into London to get something anyway." Alf offered.

I smiled brightly. "That would be great."

"She can stay for as long as she likes too. I don't like the idea of her being alone all the time." Zoe frowned.

"Me neither."

"I'm going to FaceTime Sean. He had an idea to do an overnight challenge somewhere different this time. Instead of a trampoline park." Alf rolled his eyes with a slight smile.

"I'm going to go and get in bed. I fancy an early night and a couple of episodes of Friends." I decided.

"Night sweet." Mum came over to me and gave me a hug. "I love you always."

"I love you too."

———

6am soon came and I couldn't have been more disappointed. Seen as it was mid October, it was bloody freezing. Three layers of blankets, a dressing gown and two pairs of socks didn't seem to cut it. So when it came to the time to get my poor, little body out of the cosy yet cold den I'd built around me, I was devastated.