Try For Me | Zelink AU

Nothing a Band Aid Can't Fix

Tomorrow Never Came—Lana Del Rey, Sean Ono Lennon

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Zelda's Perspective

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm alright," I say, my eyes glazing over the same sentence I've been stuck on for what feels like an eternity. It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.

"You're acting strange."

As if he's home enough to know the difference between me acting strange or normal.

But maybe he knows more than I give him credit for. After all, Link said he'd see me yesterday and he didn't. I haven't so much as heard his car since Tuesday and I'm starting to think he's been messing with me this whole time. Only boys who don't really like a girl blow off dates without a call.

"I'm just tired I guess." Father offers a quiet "Hm" in response, the noise mostly covered by the sound of his newspaper rustling as he turns the page. I couldn't tell him what was wrong even if he asked but sometimes it would be nice if he bothered to try.

He came home this afternoon to my surprise and promptly sat in his armchair to catch up on the news. I'd been on the couch moping and wishing the phone would ring with either Impa or Link on the other end. I would have even taken Groose if it meant doing something other than pretending to read.

But Impa's sister is probably on the phone with her boyfriend and wouldn't interrupt that call with mine. I'm still mad at Groose and I don't know Link's number. So it's moping and wondering why Link said he'd see me and now it's Friday evening and he didn't call or come to the library like he said he would. It was nothing short of embarrassing hurrying to put away the books and waiting with the heart I'd cut out for him only to head home with the sinking feeling he's just been having fun.

I close my book after realizing Father isn't going to make more conversation and I stand, smoothing out my skirt. "I should start dinner," I say though he's not listening and trudge to the kitchen, thinking about the test I haven't gotten to tell him about yet. I thought maybe he'd remember to ask.

I try to ignore the phone looming on the wall as I get the ingredients for a shepherd's pie. I couldn't keep my secret if it rang with Link on the other end while Father is in the room over.

I ignore it while I cook the ground beef and drape defrosted pie dough in Mother's favorite pie dish. I ignore it up until I dump in the filling and begin crimping the edges.

How hard would it have been to call and say he had to cancel? I've done it plenty of times when Father would change his mind about letting me hang out with Impa.

I stab a small knife through the top to vent the pie and turn it, adding three more small cuts as evenly as I can with the lumpy filling beneath the dough. The doorbell rings on the last jab followed by a knock and I pause for a moment. Link wouldn't show up, would he?

I rush to put the pie in the oven to answer the door before Father does. I'm not sure how I would shoo him away without Father knowing. I forget about the flour on my hands in my hurry to the door, my mind flipping through the possibilities of who it could be. Impa maybe to check on me. Or the neighbor bringing over some sort of dessert. I'd take either over the boy whose face is too handsome for me to shake even after the past couple days.

Father is already opening it by the time I get there and my stomach dips at the boy standing on the other side.

"Who are you?" Father looks back at where I froze, debating if I should run away. "Who is this?"