He leaned forward on his forearms and clasped his hands then he spoke really low, "I didn't think it was my place."
That was all he said, after doing all that emotion with his face and squirming so much in his chair. That's all he told me? How could he? I knew he wasn't telling me everything so I decided to press him just a little bit.
"Even after he brutalized her and left her for dead? Huh?! Even then you didn't think it was your place!"
Those words had triggered him, I could tell but he seemed to control his anger really well. Too well. Like he had been trained. It's going to take a lot to get the truth out of him.
"Yes even after that. It was Zoey's responsibility to tell ya'll not mine."
Furiously I shook my head in disagreement. Then I slammed my fist on the table earning stares from the people around me.
"No! She didn't tell us! Even after she for better and we had gotten our revenge. Why could you tell m-"
"Because she begged me not to!" he shouted.
I was shaking an tears we're falling from my eyes. Quickly I wipped them away and smiled just a little bit. I got the truth out of him. I thought I'd feel good but I was wrong. I felt worse. Now knowing how much wrong Zoey did behind my back. I wonder if she had anything to do to what happened to me?
All these questions and more I have to ask her. When I find her.
The food arrived and we are in silence. Not more than two words or glances were extended to each other. After we ate I was the first to get up and head back upstairs.
As I arrived on the floor I saw an anxious Zada pacing up down the entrance of my door. She was biting her nails much more that usual and her palms were sweating. What was up with her?
"Zada? What the hell is wrong with you?" I ask well more like demand.
Zada kept pacing like she didn't here me. So I grabbed her shoulders looked her in the eye then I slapped her. Then slapped her again.
"Zada! Hold it together! What the hell is wrong?"
Zada's eyes were filled with worry and fear and she could barely talk. "It's Zoey's father! He asked me where she was!"
I breathed out calmly. Wondering why she was so hysterical about Zoey's father asking her such a simple question.
"Zada? Why are so flustered about this?" I ask trying not to seem condescending.
A tear fell from her eye that moment one that she quickly wiped away. "He said there was a boy a little older than us at the house asking about her and us. He said he looked dangerous and also he had an accent."
Who the hell could that be? Clay was the only boy I knew with an accent.
"That's very strange," I mumble as I finally let go of Zada's shoulders .
At that moment Joel came out of his room and approached me. "What's strange?" he asks.
"Nothing," I say quickly trying to change the subject.
Joel sighed and placed both his hands in his pocket as he looked from me to Zada. He must know something is up but he decided not pry any further.
"So? Where are we heading to?" he asks giving me a concerned look.
I nodded in realization. "You and Zada head to the house near the ocean and Clay and I will head to the other Cabin on the hill."
Joel nodded and motion for Zoey to follow him down towards the elevator without saying another. As Zada passed by me she turned to give me a look. The look broke my heart because she looked genuinely afraid and worried.
I watched them disappear onto the elevator then I headed back downstairs myself taking the other elevator. As soon as it's doors opened on the first thing I saw was a person standing right in front of me.
It was Clay, I didn't even have to see his face to know it was him, I smelt him, and I knew his body like it was my own. My memory has always been impeccable and it has come in handy over the years.
"Shall we go?" he asks his voice echoing through the elevator.
Reluctantly I nodded and stepped off the elevator and followed him outside.
"You know Zana, I don't understand why you're mad."
I wanted to throw back my head and laugh because I thought it was absolutely ludicrous what he just said.
"I have every right to be asshole. You could have told me about them. And saved the trouble-"
"-What trouble Zana! All of this probably wouldn't happen if Zoey didn't have a secret relationship with a psycho."
I stopped walking as he words struck a chord in my heart causing it to beat funny. He was right. He has been right.
"You know what Clay. You're right. Let's just find our girl before she does something stupid."
* * *
We cruised down the seven mile bridge that connected the keys together. After quite a while we finally left the bridge and entered Key West.
I gave Clay the directions for the Cabin. I had a friend that I did a favor for and she gave me this cabin that belonged to her grandfather. Yeah. I know that's kind of much but people show their gratitude in different ways.
I watched the enamoring scenery before me. I lowered the windows so that the air could flow through my hair. It would mess it up but I couldn't care less.
Eventually we arrived at the cabin, it about 11 in the morning the sun was almost have way up in the bright blue sky. It looked beautiful and my mind wondered away from my body. A small squeeze of my shoulder brought me back down to earth.
I turned my head slightly and I watched Clay from the side. He was so close to me I could feel his head warming my skin. How was still so close to me! After I forced him to confess all the things his been hiding from me and from my other friends. He still wanted to touch and be near me. why?
"Shall we?" he asks as he looked toward the cabin's front porch.
I nodded sadly, "Sure."
He let me walk ahead of him, As I walked up the wooden stairs it creaked under my feet. It made me nervous and I hated feeling nervous. I pushed my hand through my pocket to take out the spare keys.
As I reached for the door knob and touched it the door slightly swung back. It was open! Is is here! I turned to Clay and gave him a look, and immediately he understood what I was saying. Zoey was in there.
Slowly I opened the door, the first thing I saw was the kitchen toward the side. It looked as good as when i last left it the previous summer. Considering the things that happened here. I really didn't want to remember that now, right now my focus was on the small body sitting on the living room carpet staring out of the huge window where the view was remarkable.
Zoey silently sat their looking like she was deep in thought. I turned to Clay and signaled him to come closer. he was standing right next to me. I lifted my foot and took two quiet steps inward.
"We first kissed here," Zoey says suddenly and out of the blue stopping me and Clay in our tracks.
I wasn't sure how to answer, quickly I was trying to find the words to say but then Zoey continued talking.
"The p-party," she says laughter in her words, "That wild summer party you invited the whole school too."
She paused, i could tell she was grinning just a little bit my sadness soaked in her voice and the occasional sniff gave away her tears.
"We kissed right there on the balcony overlooking the ocean. And from that moment, I didn't feel alone anymore."
I had to but in at that sentence, 'You were never alone Zo! You had us," I say fervently.
I watched her shake her head, her long dark hair moved wildly with the motion she was making. Her hands went up to her face to wipe tears away. She did it roughly because she hated crying. She'd never cry. . .
"No, Zana, try as I might. I could never fully feel like you understood me."
Zoey slowly got up from her onto her hands and knees then she stood straight up. Then she turned around to face me.
"You are my best friend Zana. you will never stop being my best friend. But I am the one to blame for Jackson's flip."
Tears we beginning to well up in my eyes, I've never seen Zoey so sad and defeated. What could she have done to Jackson that caused him to behave the way he did? What?
Tears were flowing from Zoey eyes faster than she could wipe them away.
"Zana! I cheated on Jackson with Joel," she says crying really hard now. I tried approaching her but she backed away.
My eyes widened as I was in shock but I didn't want to be judgmental so instead all i said was:
"Why-?" I ask wanting no.
Zoey sniffed terribly, "Because he cheated first!"
I was quit taken a back by Zoey's stream of confessions, they were quite a lot and maybe too much for me to handle. I was beginning to get a little lightheaded.
"W-with Diana?" Clay asked softly.
Zoey nodded furiously, "And when I found out! I was angry, so instead of breaking up with him, I slept with Joel and allowed him to find out."
Zoey continues, "He was dared by one of his friends to go out with you and ditch you after. And he decided to do it. Besides I was hot and he was planning to sleep with you. But when you f-flipped out on him he couldn't handle the rejection so he tried again at Diana's party."
It all made sense know, I was his rebound, but when I rejected him, and then humiliated him, then blew up is car. He couldn't handle it all, he took it all out on the source of all his trouble's Zoey.
"That's why he stabbed you," I say in realization, my mouth now hung open because I was in shock.
Zoey nodded then buried her face in her hands and began sobbing uncontrollable. I took the opportunity to run over to her and hold her before she fell onto the floor, weak with tears. Clay ran over also to help out. Then the three of us just sat there, Clay and I listening sadly to the sound of Zoey's tears. . . . .