Because of that Night (Book 2)

Chapter 40: Zooey

"It's a different and quirkier way to fundraise; it wasn't my idea, it was Mr. Stewart's idea," Macy Landers was explaining to the group of them.

            The group was passing around a vodka bottle, each of them taking turns drinking from it. Stephanie Cummings tilted her head back and took a large gulp, her body reacting in a fit of shivers as she grimaced and passed the bottle to Seth. Zooey knew it wasn't her place, but Stephanie had clearly had enough booze already and really didn't need to be joining in their circle of vodka swigs. But it wasn't her girlfriend, and it wasn't her relationship, so she remained silent. Seth passed over having any, handing the bottle to Zooey as Macy continued on. Zooey stared down at the bottle for a moment, but then made a move to continue passing it to Dani who sat to her right in the circle of them.

            "Come on," Seth said to her quietly as Macy continued to shoot answers back to Dani's questions as they spoke. "I'm driving tonight. You should have some fun," he paused for a moment before nudging her shoulder slightly. "You deserve to have some fun."

            They were halfway through the year by that point, in mid-February and off for a week for school vacation. A school dance had been that night to kick off the break, but a decent group of them had left early to go drink at Jeremy's house instead. Zooey used to semi-enjoy school dances. They could be fun when all the girls from soccer would go together, taking pictures and dancing the night away. But Zooey had realized now that she was an upperclassman that most of the time, the older girls on the team would ditch out early from these school dances. Now sitting in Jeremy's house, she realized it was probably to do things like this instead.

            "I have to be straight going back home so I can make sure Callie's okay," Zooey responded to Seth.

Shaking her head, she moved to guide the bottle past her once more, but Seth put a hand over her grip on the bottle. His hand lay warm on top of hers, and she felt an instant comfort come over her as she looked back into his deep, brown eyes. He seemed to register what he was doing and pulled his hand away from hers, glancing ever so slightly in Stephanie's direction to make sure she wasn't paying attention. She was entirely oblivious, turned to Jeremy Biller's younger sister who was also on the basketball team with her and nodding along to whatever she was saying.

"This is the first time you've been out doing something for yourself since the start of the summer," Seth stated. "Probably even farther back than that. Please at least try to have a little fun, if not for yourself, then for me."

"I am having fun," Zooey attested. She even brought the bottle of vodka to her lips, taking a large sip and swallowing, ignoring the burn travelling down her throat as she gave a smug smile.

Seth returned a similar grin just as Stephanie seemed to register the two of them hadn't been physical for the last thirty seconds. She slid a finger under Seth's chin to turn his head back to facing her as she laid her lips on his. Zooey pulled her eyes away from the sight and instead tapped Dani with the bottom of the vodka bottle to hand it to her.

Dani barely turned to grab the bottle as Macy continued blabbering on about raising funds for their class in order to pay for the junior/senior prom. Dani had never been a member of the class council before, but everyone knew that junior class president was in charge of planning the prom. Though Dani liked the idea of being in charge of it, Zooey could tell that she was quickly learning it was far more complicated than just picking a venue. Not only that, but Macy seemed to have a problem with delegation. She liked control, and for Dani to have full reign over the prom was just too much for poor Macy to handle. They had mainly been tag teaming the entire event, and though Macy was great at being president, Dani had told Zooey on more than one occasion that she was more than a little scared of Macy's "passion" for their class.