“Be careful,” Zoe said, wrapping her arms around my neck.
I gave her a quick kiss. “I’m going to be late.”
“Call me when you’re done. Promise?”
“Promise.”
She gave me one last kiss before separating herself from me and going to stand in the doorway. She blew me a kiss and waved as I sped down the street towards her place.
I called my dad as I neared her house, my adrenaline pumping.
“Keep a clear head,” dad ordered, as he picked up the phone. “Don’t yell, don’t accuse, and don’t lose your cool. Understood?”
“Yes sir.”
“I’ve already spoken to Carson and Ethan. I’ve given them the same instructions. Mason, I need you to tell me, with full confidence and honesty, that you’re not high right now.”
I cradled my phone between my shoulder and ear and grabbed Sheila. I waited a few moments, before she flashed a 102.
“I’m good,” I said, placing it back in the cup holder.
“If you feel at any moments that you’re losing control, walk out. Carson and Ethan will understand, and I’ve given them both the same orders. But it’s different with you.”
“I understand.”
“Do whatever you need to do, but keep your anger and sugar in check.”
“Yes sir.”
“And good luck.”
“Thank you.”
“Call me when you’re done.” The line clicked dead.
I pulled into Zoe’s driveway. Ethan’s car was here, but not Carson’s.
I stepped out of my car, and Ethan and Carson stepped out of Ethan’s car.
“Nice carpooling,” I said, chuckling.
“Way to be late,” Carson shot back.
We headed up to Charles’s door, my heart pounding in my chest.
“You’re good, right?” Carson asked, as I rang the doorbell.
I nodded.
“I swear, I just want to punch this piece of shit,” Ethan growled.
“Yeah, it’s not Mason we’re going to have worry about,” Carson said, chuckling.
The door clicked open, and Mr. Baker smiled at the three of us. “Hey boys, what can I do for you?”
“We need to speak with you,” I said.
“Where’s Zoe?”
“We’ll explain everything in a moment,” Carson said, evenly.
“Is she alright?”
“Zoe’s just fine sir,” I said.
“Yeah, other than the fact-” Carson shoved Ethan, and he clamped his mouth shut.
Mr. Baker gave us an odd stare. “Well come on in boys.” He opened the door wider, and we all stepped inside and followed him the living room.
“Can I get you boys anything to eat or drink?” Mr. Baker asked.
I shook my head, along with Ethan and Carson.
“If you don’t mind, we’d like to just hop right to it,” Carson said, evenly.
“Well sure.” He took a seat in the loveseat, and Ethan, Carson, and I took the three-person couch.
Ethan and Carson looked at my expectantly, and I took a deep breath. “I noticed that Zoe got a new dog.”
“Yeah, he’s just the cutest thing,” Mr. Baker said, chuckling.
“Why’d you decide to get a dog?” Ethan asked.
Mr. Baker’s face turned to shock as he realized the deeper meaning to the question. “Because Zoe’s always wanted one.”
“Why now?” Ethan asked.
“She’s a senior, how much longer do I have with her? I’m sorry boys, but is this going somewhere?”
“You know where it’s going,” Carson said.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“When I asked Zoe about Ralph, she wouldn’t talk to me about it,” I said, slowly. “Any clue why?”
Mr. Baker narrowed his eyes at me. “Not a clue.”
Ethan jumped up out of his seat, and Carson grabbed his arm. “Sit boy, sit.”
“You’re a fucking piece of shit,” Ethan growled.
Carson and I exchanged a glance, and I shrugged. “You might as well let him go.”
“Hell no, he’ll pounce.”
“What is going on here?” Mr. Baker demanded, his eyes burning with anger. “I will not have this kind of language thrown at me.”
“Oh really?” Ethan snarled. “So it’s not okay to curse in your house, but it’s okay to lay a hand on Zoe?”
Mr. Baker’s face drained of color. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“She told me everything,” I said.
“This is ridiculous. You’re a bunch of kids,” Mr. Baker snarled.
“I’m going to go and get Zoe’s stuff now,” I said, standing up. “She’ll be staying at my place until she graduates. Then she can decide where she wants to go from there.”
“You don’t have any right to do this. Now get off of my property,” Mr. Baker growled.
“She’s already at my place. So unless you want her to go without, I’m going to go get her belongings,” I said, standing up.
Mr. Baker reared back, but before he could swing, Ethan slammed him in the nose.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Mr. Baker screamed, clutching his face.
“I’ve had enough of this. You’re a worthless piece of shit.” Ethan turned to face me. “Go get Zoe’s shit. He won’t be going anywhere as long as I’m standing here.”
I nodded and went back into Zoe’s room. I packed up all her belongings, chuckling as I reached our shelf. It was lined with pictures of us in photo frames, little things I’ve given her throughout our relationship, and the notes I’ve written her, filled with inside jokes and drawings of monsters.
After I packed up pretty much everything, I headed back out to the living room.
Carson was handing Mr. Baker an ice pack, while Ethan sat perched on the edge of the couch, glaring at the two of them.
“Ready guys?” I asked, holding up the multiple bags of Zoe’s stuff.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Ethan growled, storming out of the front door.
“Ice it for twenty minutes, break for twenty minutes. Do this until the swelling goes away,” Carson said.
Mr. Baker grudgingly accepted the ice pack, pressing it to his nose.
Carson took a couple of bags and helped me carry them out to Ethan’s car.
“You guys tell her to give me a call, alright?” I asked, unlocking my car.
“No problem,” Carson said, sliding into the passenger seat of Ethan’s car.
“I thought I told you to have her call me,” I growled over the phone.
“She said that she did last night, but you didn’t answer.”
“Yeah, I was busy. I thought she was going to call me this morning.”
“She had a shoot today; she said she’ll call you when she’s done. Chill,” Carson said, popping his gum.
“She had a shoot? She didn’t even tell me.”
“They called her last night.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “It seems like she doesn’t tell me shit anymore.”
“Hey, dude, calm down. She’ll call you, bitch to her, k?”
I hung up and stretched out across the couch.
“Going out,” Trevor called.
“Don’t forget your dorm key,” I called back, knowing good and well he would anyways.
“Yeah dude, got it!”
I heard the door close, and I pushed myself off the couch to start dinner.
As soon as my tacos finished, my Skype rang.
I grabbed a couple of tacos and hurried into my room. Zoe was video calling me.
“Hey babe,” I said, with a smile.
“Hey!” she chirped, with a bright smile. Her hair was curled at the ends, and her make-up was all done up.
“How was the shoot?” I asked, checking my phone.
“It was great. So I need to talk to you.”
“What’s up?” I asked, clicking on my Facebook app.
“Did you break my dad’s nose?”
“That was all Ethan,” I said, chuckling.
“It’s not funny Mason. I gave you permission to talk to him, not to break him.”
“Yeah, well, we did what needed to be done.”
“I’m just saying that I don’t approve.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t ask for your approval.” I clicked through my email. “So the shoot, how was it?”
I heard her sigh.
“What?” I asked, looking up from my phone.
“I’m just having a rough day is all.”
“Talk to me about it.” I looked up from my phone, raising my eyebrows at her.
“Do you think I’m pretty?”
I rolled my eyes. “What kind of question is that?” I looked back down at my phone, losing interest in the conversation.
“Every time you call me, it’s the same damn thing.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You call me, ask me a question, and then check your phone. You don’t look at me for the rest of the chat.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “Did you eat a bowl of crazy for breakfast? What’s your problem?”
“My problem is that you never talk to me face-to-face anymore.”
I put my phone down next to me. “Is that better for you?”
“It’s whatever,” she said, heading to her closet. She was in a pair of green sweats and a tight white t-shirt.
“I don’t understand why you’re mad at me!” I called after her. “And now you’re walking away.”
“Why the hell shouldn’t I?” she demanded, checking herself in the mirror. “If you don’t give a fuck, why should I?”
“This goes deeper than that. You’re upset about something.”
“Yeah Mason, I’m upset,” she said, whipping around to face me. “What was your first fucking clue? Was it me telling you? Or what?”
I threw my hands up in exasperation. “Do you want to clue me in as to what the hell is going on with you?”
“With me?” she demanded. She sarcastically laughed. “Because you’re just so damn perfect?”
“You’re not making any sense.”
She stormed over to her webcam. “Let me make it real simple for you. I’m sick and fucking tired of taking a backseat to everything else you have going on. I tried calling you last night, but you were busy? So when I didn’t call you this morning, you flipped shit. I agree with you that my dad is a bit screwed up, and that I should move out, and you take that too far by breaking his nose!”
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, is that so? Well let me make it real simple for you. Get used to it.”
Her jaw dropped in shock. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah, you heard me. Get used to it. You’re not in charge of me, I have my own damn life up. And if I have more important things on my schedule than talking to you, so be it. Be flexible.”
She let out a scream. “You’re so frustrating! Do you not realize how upset I am?”
“When aren’t you?” I snapped. “You’re always overreacting over everything, and quite frankly, I’m sick and fucking tired of it.” I threw her words back in her face, and the look on her face told me she realized it.
“I’m overreacting because I want my boyfriend to actually pay attention to me when we talk?” she demanded.
“The world doesn’t revolve around Zoe Baker, sorry.”
Tears built up in her eyes. “What happened to you?”
“I grew up. Looks like you need to catch up.”
She shook her head, her eyes flickering away from the camera. She wiped a few tears off her face. “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
“Yeah, well I’m trying to figure that out too. And as I look into the future, trying to figure out who the hell I am and what the hell I’m going to do with my life, I don’t see you there.”
“Good. Because I don’t like where you’re headed. You’re not the Mason I started dating.”
“Yeah, I matured. Why don’t you try it?”
She shook her head, choking back a sob. “What’s gotten into you?”
“I’ve changed,” I deadpanned. “But unfortunately you haven’t. You’re still just as annoying and still just as much as a drama queen.”
“You know what? Maybe we should just break-up,” she snapped.
“Sounds like a fucking plan.” I pressed the end button on the video chat, anger pulsing through my body.
I tore down her posters around my room, ripping them to pieces. I smashed the picture frames of the two of us, and tore down the pictures of us. I sent my fist through the wall and collapsed onto the ground, holding back tears. I buried my face in my hands, unsure of how to feel, of what to do. I’d never cared for someone as much as I’d cared for Zoe. And now I’d lost her.
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Dun, dun, dunnnn. Huge fight between the happy couple didn't end well...
Picture off to the right was made by jellyjesss. Be sure to check it out! -->
Took my AP test this morning! I think I passed :D So of course I came home and decided to be nice to you all and update :D
Teaser: Would you like the break-up in Zoe's POV? If so, 500 votes. I don't care how many comments, but if you want to blow up my comments, I wouldn't mind (;
Update: Within the next week. Just vote as quickly as you can if you want the Zoe's POV thing.
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