0.8 honoring & friendships
"Are you really pouting right now?" Alexandra questioned Zoey—who had her head resting on Max's shoulder as they trio of friends sat in the lobby waiting for Jason to show up. With Zoey rolling her eyes and mumbling no in her direction, Alexandra couldn't help but to shake her head at her best friend, who was still pouting. "Girl, you should want to go to this, they're honoring your mom."
"I understand that, but I don't think I'm ready to be in that type of environment yet." The seventeen year old told her best friend as she felt Max shift slightly. Lifting her head up off of his shoulder, Zoey released air through her nose as she leaned her back against the wall and crossed her right leg over her left—with her hands folded in her lap. "Do you know what's it like to be surrounded by a bunch of people who knew someone you lost?"
"Zoey," Max mumbled, with a frown ok his face as is he looked over at his friend.
"When we had my parents and Zahair's funeral, everyone was staring at Noah and I with nothing but pity-filled eyes that entire day. Every time I looked around, I was met with someone staring at me with a frown on their face. And when people got up to speak about them, I couldn't even listen to them because I was numb—I couldn't feel anything." Zoey told them as she stared down at her hands with her eyebrow furrowed together. "And when we made it back to my grandparents house and people started to show up, they made sure to hug us and tell us how sorry they were for our lost, but when hearing that over and over again your heart starts to ache to the point where you feel like you can't breath. Now, imagine feeling that three times within the same year."
"Zo, if going to this launch is going to push up back to that state, then maybe you shouldn't go." Alexandra told her friend, remembering how bad it was. Zoey was numb and was on autopilot, she didn't sleep, she rarely ate, she would just lay there staring off into space. That was before Parker came around. "Your mental health is far more important than this. I think the people that's honor your mom will understand that."
"Yeah, I agree with Andra, I don't think you should go." Max told the person who he considers one his best friends. He couldn't understand what his friend was going through, but his chest ache when hearing her talk about what she experienced. "We'll just tell Jason, or Louis that you are not ready for all of that just yet."
"Tried that already, Jason is still making me go." The seventeen year old her friends as she released a deep breath from her parted lips. Titling her head slightly towards the side, Zoey sat there for a second before opening her mouth. "Hey, look on the bright side, if I pass out from emotional stress while I'm there—"
"Zoey."
"I'm kidding." Zoey told them, not really joking about her passing out from emotional stress because that has actually happened to her before. Once they finally had the funeral for her father, Zoey had passed out in the living room of her mother's home when she was surrounded by a bunch of random people, telling her that they were sorry for her lost.
"Look, if I feel overwhelmed, I will leave the party and call a cab." Zoey told the two as Jason finally appeared. With him asking if everyone was ready—and everyone including herself, Leo and Hayley, Zoey stood up from the bench and lazily motioned towards Jason. "When this is over, remind me to send you my medical bill."
