A Princess and A Zombie (A Z-O-M-B-I-E-S and Descendants AU)

Ch. 36

It had been a week since she returned to Seabrook.

"You can't ignore him forever," Eliza told her.

"I know that!" The emotional turmoil in her voice was clear, "I just…"

"Ari-"

"Please don't call me Ari when we're alone. It's just another reminder of the lie I'm living."

Eliza sighed, understanding flashing in her eyes. “You said you wanted to fix things between you and Zed."

"And I do, but then you told me he knew. He figured it out." She turned to her friend, tears welling up in her eyes, "I didn't want it to go this way Eliza, I wanted to be the one to tell him. I didn't want a stupid live stream to ruin everything!"

Eliza reached out and took her hand, offering a comforting squeeze. “I know this isn’t how you wanted things to happen, and I’m really sorry it worked out this way. But maybe this is a wake-up call. You can’t control everything, and sometimes, things just... happen.”

She wiped away her tears, trying to compose herself. “But what if he hates me now? What if he can’t get past the fact that I didn’t tell him the truth?”

“Hey, look at me,” Eliza said, gently lifting her chin so their eyes met. “He doesn't hate you. Zed couldn't never hate you."

She looked into Eliza’s eyes, searching for certainty. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know Zed. Now, finish getting ready, we have a carnival waiting for us."

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. “How can I face him there? In front of everyone?”

Eliza gave her a reassuring smile. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. We’ll go to the carnival, have some fun, and if you feel up to it, you can talk to Zed. If not, that’s okay too. We can take this one step at a time.”

She nodded, appreciating Eliza’s understanding and support. “Okay, let’s do this. But promise me you’ll stay by my side?”

“Of course, I’m not going anywhere. We’ll face this together,” Eliza promised, squeezing her hand once more before helping her finish getting ready.

As they left for the carnival, she felt a mix of emotions swirling inside her.

"Hey," Eliza squeezed her hand, "it's going to be okay."
She took a deep breath, attempting to draw strength from Eliza's reassurance. “Thanks, Eliza. I really hope so.”

The carnival was in full swing when they arrived, the air filled with laughter, music, and the sounds of rides. She tried to get lost in the festivities, to enjoy the moment and the company of her friend. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't stop thinking about Zed. Was he here? What would she say to him if they crossed paths?

Eliza seemed to sense her inner turmoil and gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. “Just breathe, okay? Let’s focus on having fun right now. We’ll deal with the rest when and if we need to.”

She nodded, trying to push her worries to the back of her mind and focus on enjoying the carnival. As they walked around, trying different games and indulging in carnival treats, she found herself starting to relax. The sound of Eliza’s laughter was infectious, and for a brief moment, she felt a sense of normalcy.

But then, as they were walking past one of the game booths, she saw him. Zed was standing just a few feet away, talking with a group of friends. Her heart started to race, and all the fear and anxiety she had been trying to suppress came rushing back.