what came before won't count anymore · deh

xxviii

zoe looks down at the table. dinner is never silent like this. there's nonverbal conversations going on that she can't pick out and it's making her hurt.

the glass on the table near where she sits is chipped. her dad had been there a few nights before, screaming at her mother, saying things she never hoped to hear come from anyone's mouth, especially his.

she picks at the chip until it pricks her finger, and she moves her finger to her mouth until the blood stops flowing from it.

"how was your day at school?" her mother asks.

zoe makes a noncommittal humming noise, shrugging as she picks at her salad.

"connor?"

connor doesn't react, just stares down at his plate, searching it like if something will pop out of it and prompt him to speak.

"connor, you need to eat something," her father says, waving a fork in connor's direction. connor blinks in reply.

connor's phone lights up with a ping noise, and he looks at it suddenly, pulling his arms out from under the table to pick it up.

and then he stands.

"connor, have you been excused?"

"excuse me," he says quietly, his voice wavering and his hands shaky. he sounds... weird. vulnerable. zoe doesn't recognize it very well.

zoe looks up at him with her eyebrows furrowed, and connor just taps his phone. zoe gets the hint.

connor takes zoe's car keys and walks out the front door.

for a moment, larry looks on the borderline of getting up and walking after him. but zoe knows that he lacks the amount of caring to do it.

and she's right.

"what was that?" he says, looking at zoe with this accusatory glance, like, if connor's ass isn't here for me to beat, yours is, so cooperate.

"i - i don't know."

they finish their dinner in silence, and then zoe gets a text.

brother dear: evan

brother dear: i don't know what happennd but evan .

brother dear: happenef*

brother dear: happened* FUCK

brother dear: call alana. come with her to ellison