Because of that Night (Book1)

chapter 6: Zooey

Though she didn't like to admit it, Zooey was very nosy. She liked knowing things, and she liked being able to tell things to other people who didn't know the things she did. So, when she found out from Dani Dennis that Hunter had been chatting with the new girl in their art class, she wanted to know about what.

"Was she nice?" Hunter had just placed his lunch tray down on the table when Zooey began her questions.

"Hello," Hunter sighed, taking a bite of his measly bowl of pasta. "It's nice to see you too."

"Dani Dennis told me you guys were chatting in art class this morning. Does she seem cool?"

"She seemed like she was trying to get her bearings, like I am now with trying to eat my lunch in this entirely too short lunch period," Hunter stated. Michael snickered from across the table. Zooey slumped back in her seat as Hunter took another big bite of his pasta. It was nearly gone by this point.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about your duties as Madame President for this year, Zo?" Michael asked. "Really get off and running, not worried about what everyone else is doing?"

Zooey rolled her eyes but worked off of this point. "But if you actually think about it, this is precisely the type of concerns I should be focused on as president of the class. I mean this girl is coming all the way from... where did you say?" Zooey turned back to Hunter who was now pulling off a piece of his garlic bread. He looked unenthused by its taste.

"I didn't," he said, taking another bite before putting the piece of bread back down again. He chewed for a moment as he and Zooey had a stare down.

She groaned. "Why are you always like this?"

"Because this school has a privacy problem, meaning there is none, for anyone, zero. You know that better than anyone."

Zooey felt a jolt in her stomach as Hunter said this last sentence, and she could tell by the way his eyes widened he knew what he said was a step too far. But Zooey wasn't in the mood to look into the past. High school could be a new start for her if she made it one, and Zooey was done worrying about what others thought of her. She also knew that Hunter didn't mean anything by the comment. He and Michael had been the only two friends loyal enough to stick by her side after what had happened that past summer. She smirked, signaling to Hunter that all was fine and that there was nothing to feel awkward about.

"Maybe you just want to keep her for yourself," she teased. She began dancing her fingers up Hunter's forearm. "Has someone developed a little crush?"

Hunter turned to her then, grabbing her fingers as they reached closer up to his shoulder. In that moment, Zooey felt a little zing from deep within her gut. She had known Mike and Hunter for basically their entire lives. They had lived close by her family's apartment complex ever since they were all born. She remembered riding her bike up the hill to their house, rapping on the door where Mrs. Cooper would answer, a wide grin on her face as she'd tell her to go around back where the boys were already outside.

They'd play in their fort Mr. Cooper had made, pretending they were spies on a secret mission to capture a wild species that lived in their backyard. They played together no matter the weather; deep snow, blistering hot summer days, rainy days when everything was wet and soggy, and everything in between. As they all got older, these play dates began to change, and so did Zooey's feelings. No longer were they children anymore playing in the backyard. Their tiny bodies had grown and changed, and Zooey had certainly noticed, especially in Hunter. Hunter was two years older than Zooey and Michael, but to Zooey it felt like an eternity older. He seemed mature, and Zooey couldn't fight her own romanticisms about what it would be like for her and Hunter to be together. She often found herself wondering what their life would be like, picturing scenarios of them walking through the hallways holding hands, kissing him after his baseball games, cheering for him as he graduated, and helping him move into his new life at college. She pictured them working through long distance and even pictured them getting engaged. Michael speaking at their wedding and talking about the good old days when they played spies in the backyard fort, and how Zooey and Hunter were the epitome of high school sweethearts who had fallen deeply and totally in love.

She could see it all. It all felt so clear, so easy. Now that they were all in high school now, Zooey no longer felt so young and childish, and she hoped that Hunter felt that same way about her too. So, though she was just teasing, she prayed that Hunter's answer to her question about having a crush on the new girl would lead to a quick and disgusted answer of no. Oh god no, she's nothing compared to you. No way, she's ugly. Zooey wanted to kick herself for making comparisons of herself to a girl that she hadn't even met, but she couldn't help but feel worry any time a new girl came along that could strike Hunter's interest. Even if she couldn't have him now, she certainly didn't want anyone else to have him either.

Hunter now dropped Zooey's fingers down onto the table once again and picked up his fork. "Don't be ridiculous, but if you're so curious, you can ask her. I offered for her to sit with us today."

"Oooh," Zooey cooed. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, with her own emotions in serious danger of getting hurt, but she couldn't seem to help herself. It was as though she craved self-sabotage, that she knew nothing different than that.

At that moment, Michael seemed to perk up. His eyes were laser focused to the entrance of the lunchroom, and Zooey followed his gaze. A girl Zooey didn't recognize stood scanning the lunchroom intently, looking for someone. She was tall and athletic looking, a soccer player's body for sure. Her hair was shoulder length and brown, and she pushed it back behind her ear, twirling it between her fingertips. Mike was tantalized, watching her every move as she walked timidly to one side, still scanning the area.

"Is that her?" Zooey asked gesturing over to the girl, and Hunter put his fork down to turn and look. Zooey watched Hunter's reaction intently, but he merely waved over to the girl who noticed him, lifted her hand up weakly, and scurried over to the table.

She walked up timidly onto Michael's side of the table and gave a weak smile.

"Glad Mike spotted you," Hunter said to her and gestured to a seat next to Mike. "Take a seat." She sat down, placing her bagged lunch on the table as Hunter pointed to Mike, introducing him.

Zooey saw something different in Michael that she had never seen before in that moment of him first meeting Lila's eyes. He stumbled over his words, giving Lila an awkward handshake as they both laughed nervously. It was the look that Zooey was hoping she wouldn't find on Hunter's face, and she was delighted to see that between the two of them, it was Mike that seemed to be the one swooning.

"And this is Zooey," Hunter then said, gesturing to Zooey. "She's been our friend since forever."

Their eyes met for the first time, and Zooey felt an instant guilt. Here she was, demonizing this girl before she even knew her at all simply because of some crush she had that had amounted to absolutely nothing over the course of the past year or two. Zooey had never known what it was like to be the new girl, but she did know what it was like to be outcasted. The start of high school hadn't gone as planned for Zooey, and aside from Hunter and Michael, she was close to friendless. This was an opportunity for friendship, not foe-ship.

Zooey could be very guarded when it came to friendships. Too often it seemed that she ran into friendships that had little to give, but plenty to take. Although it had been difficult to move forward with very little friends coming into high school, the friendships she had in the past were not difficult to let go of. Many of the girls she had been friends with were more so interested in befriending Zooey for the possibilities of what her friendship could lead to. Michael Cooper was the most popular and desired boy in their class, and as puberty hit for many in eighth grade, almost every girl in the middle school class was looking for the ins that could get them closer. The best way in had so happened to be Zooey. She had been invited to the best birthday parties, to the high school football games, and the summer carnival with the eighth grade's most desired girls. It had been masked as true friendship, but the moment Zooey slipped up and tarnished her worth to them, she was out, and there was no path to being inducted back in.

She sat there now, vowing to herself that through this new girl that sat before her, she was going to make her intentions clear. She didn't want a friendship because of the possibility of something to gain, she wanted friendship for the real reasons. She wanted someone to invite over for sleepovers on Friday nights, she wanted someone she could call during the season finales of Grey's Anatomy, and she wanted someone who's friendship wouldn't feel like an emptying of all she had to give.

"So, Lila," she said now. Lila looked up from her lunch, her light brown eyes staring back at Zooey like big, soft orbs. "Do you play soccer?"