Queen of the Headphone Zombies

Score

"Zoe?" I hear Dragon lady call my name as she simultaneously knocks on the door. I must not have the music up loud enough to drown out her nagging. The crazy lady doesn't even wait ten seconds for me to answer before she's got the door wide open and barges into my room. Myroom. Dragon lady doesn't believe in privacy. Something we have fought about often.

My wonderfully understanding father changed the knobs before he left so that I couldn't lock myself in my room and wallow. The insults just keep rolling in.

"What in the world happened in here?" Dragon lady's voice raises about three octaves as she scans my room.

"What do you mean?" I scan the apparently offensive room and notice the gleam bursting from every surface. "It's clean!" Is she seriously complaining that I cleaned my room?

"Are you feeling alright? You have to stop hiding yourself away in here with those headphones. It's not healthy."

I stare at her with my mouth open. Is she for real? What does she expect me to do? Come down stairs and socialize with her? 

"I cleaned my room. Deal with it." I get up from the floor and start tossing my books into my bag, hoping that Chels is almost at the house. As much as I'm not looking forward to driving to school with Chelsea, it's better than standing here arguing with Dragon Lady. I'm acting like Dragon lady is crazy for being upset about a clean room, but the truth is that she's kind of right. I'm not feeling okay. I'm not feeling like myself. Hell, I'm not feeling anything at all. Even I'm a little worried about this nothingness that's taken over.

Without another word I squeeze past my dad's wife, standing in my doorway with her hands on her hips. I expect her to say something or try and physically stop me, but surprisingly, she stays silent as she lets me pass by. I quickly move down the hallway and then through the kitchen. There's a glaring absence of pancakes and bacon today. My stomach growls loudly. I'm hungry today, but of course the second I get my appetite back, there's nothing to eat. Sometimes I really think the universe hates me.

Dragon lady follows me to the door.

"Where are you going?" she asks.

I'm surprised she is asking and not demanding.

"Um, school? You know that place that teenagers are sentenced to for the duration of their adolescence," I snap back.

I stand waiting for her temper to kick in. But instead of shouting at me as usual she says quite calmly, "Your father and brother are due back this Friday. I've taken a few hours off so we can all go out to dinner to celebrate their return and I expect you to attend. Don't go making any plans with those friends of yours."

She might not have shouted the words, but there is a firmness in her voice. We both know she has just issued an order.

And before she issues more, I spot Chelsea pulling up to the house. But I know if I don't answer Dragon lady there will be hell to pay later. I turn and say, "Fine. I don't have band practice on Friday, anyway." Too bad because if there's anything I can't stand it's eating in a restaurant with my brother.He's a freaking eight-year-old pig.

"Chelsea's here I gotta go." I plaster a smile on my face and head through the door. And the minute I'm through the door the smile is replaced with a glare. Glaring and silence is what Chelsea's going to get from now on, but Dragon Lady doesn't need to know that my so-called friends are all traitors.

I'm relieved to see that Chelsea doesn't have any other passengers. It better stay that way because I'm not in the mood to deal with new guy's annoying personality. Or his need to put his arm around my shoulders.