Hello

Eight

Tori was positive that Zoe was depressed.

It had been a week and no one had managed to make Zoe get out of her room. She barely even came downstairs for food, uncertain whether she wanted to see her father after her massive explosion. The only person Zoe enjoyed talking to was Xavier. He would regularly come after school every Wednesday and sit in Zoe's room and just talk. They didn't have much else to do anyway. Xavier wasn't very good at comforting people though, he wasn't rude it was just he didn't know what to say. After not saying a word for the past couple of years to anyone, his social skills kind of disappeared. Zoe was really the only person he talked to. 

"Are you coming back to school?". Xavier was casually sitting on the floor, looking up at Zoe who was perched on her small bed twiddling her thumbs and occasionally brushing loose strands of brown hair off of her face. 

"I don't think so". 

Zoe hadn't gone to school either for the past week. Tori had to call up several times to tell all her teachers that Zoe had come down with a contagious illness called Baconacious. Reagan came up with the name after eating breakfast. 

"It's not the same without you".

"That's cheesy". Zoe rolled over on her stomach and rested her head on her folded arms, giggling softly at Xavier who awkwardly traced his hand through his dark hair.

"I didn- It's just...boring? Yeah, it's boring". Xavier copied Zoe and laid down except he was on his back. A couple of odd seconds past with just the two of them silent. To Zoe's surprise, her thoughts strangely turned to Aaron. His dark brown eyes....His sandy hair, and that smile. 

No.

I will not and should not like Aaron!  She strictly scolded herself in her mind. But right now she was so confused, like in all those cliché sappy love stories, Zoe suddenly- and unfortuantely- found herself liking both Aaron and Xavier. 

It's just a harmless crush, and anyway I don't know him. He could be an axe-murderer for all I know.

Too busy wrapped up in her own thoughts, Zoe didn't notice that someone was tapping her shoulder lightly. 

"I'm so sorry, but I kinda need to go" Xavier was looking down on Zoe as he awkwardly fixed with Rolling Stones shirt and hair. She just realised that Xavier had started wearing skinny jeans. She liked it.

"Okay" Zoe sat up at crossed her legs, in a more appropriate lady-like way. Smiling at him she felt the urge to hug him. But thought better of it. Xavier was turning to leave when he stuck out his head from outside the door. 

"Please, just come to school tomorrow".

"What do I get out of it?". Zoe cheekily replied. 

"If you don't, I will kindly come to your house and drag your lazy arse to school".

"You're so sweet, now shoo before my dad sees you". 

As soon as Zoe felt the door close to the house, a huge weight was lifted off of her chest. What was the point sulking in her room? There wasn't.

Braving all odds, she made her way downstairs. Sitting in the kitchen was Tori, her normally styles pixie cut hair had gone crazy like she slept on the wrong side of her head. She was drinking was looked like Irish Tea. Zoe scanned the room with her eyes as she sat down on the sixth step on the staircase. She couldn't see Reagan, but her Dad was definitely there across from Tori, laughing. 

Breathing in and out, she walked in half-confidently. Actually no confidence anymore as her shoulders drooped and her hair covered her green eyes.

"Um..hi?" She didn't move into the kitchen, instead Zoe situated herself outside near the door. Tori looked up from her coffee mug and made eye contact with her sister. She didn't say anything though.