High Hopes // Panic! At The Disco
Zoe
I don't know when "New Guy" switched to "Emerson" in my head, but it has happened and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I'm also not sure how I feel about the fact that we have been texting each other non-stop over the last two weekends. And during the weekdays we see a lot of each other. Chelsea, Emerson, and I have gotten into a habit of meeting up before school and then later in the day we eat lunch together. And after school we head to practice most days as a threesome. But once practice is over the three musketeers go their separate ways and then my texting with Emerson becomes more frequent. And sometimes lasts into the wee hours of the night. And it may be the reason I've been going to school most days with dark circles under my eyes.
When Emerson and I text it's mostly about music, and life, but sometimes it's about silly things that don't really matter. It is disconcerting to realize that in such a short time he has suddenly taken up such a big space in my life. When I'm not around him, I find myself wondering what he's doing and thinking. And when he texts me sometimes, I can't help but smile over something he says. And the smiling has gotten frequent enough that Dragon Lady has even started to comment on it. That may have been my first hint that I was in trouble. Shit.
Chelsea knows we are texting. But except for showing her initial, over the top and completely crazed happiness that Emerson and I stopped being mortal enemies, she has surprisingly kept her trap shut and not asked questions. No harassing about what we are talking about. No pestering about how often he texts me. No questions at all. Which is not like Chelsea at all.
And I'm not sure how I feel about that.
My phone beeps. I grab it off the table.
It's Saturday night and somehow I've talked Dragon Lady into letting me go into the city with Emerson.
Dragon lady eyes swing to my phone and she asks, "Is that him?"
I dread the sudden interest in her eyes, but if I want to go I know the last thing I need to do is start a fight. I force a smile on my face. "He says he will swing by at 8 to pick me up."
DL turns to my dad and says, "I honestly never thought I would see the day. I thought I would be dead and buried before she actually started dating again."
"I'm not dating!" I shout.
My dad's eyes narrow in my direction. "Watch your tone young lady."
Why does she have to always bring out the worst in me? "Sorry," I say while attempting to actually look sorry. "We're just friends." I add desperately trying not to glare at her as I say the words.
DL doesn't try to hide her smirk at my answer.
"Where are you going again?" My dad asks as he spoons himself another generous helping of Orange chicken.
"Emerson has a friend in a band who is playing a gig tonight." It's a lie, the friend part. Emerson just moved here, he knows literally no one. But if I told my dad that we were traipsing into the city to research the local punk band scene, he'd lose his mind.
"In the city?" dad demands.
"Yes." I realize I'm holding my breath when I answer. Dad has the power to overrule DL's decision. If this dinner conversation doesn't go well, I can forget about my plans for the night.
"Have we meet the boy?" Dad's question is not directed at me, but at DL.
"Not yet," she says, watching me closely. "This is the first time he is stopping by, but I asked around about his family..."
My head whips around at her words. She asked around about Emerson's family? WTF?
"And..." my Dad prompts.
I look over at DL and realize she had paused mid statement just to be dramatic.
"And.." she says a smile on her face. "I've heard nothing but good things about the family. They live over on Wilshard Avenue."
Dad's eyes widen in surprise as he mutters, "Do they now."
Everyone know that Wilshard Avenue is a very exclusive part of town and anyone living on it has a boat load of money.
And the fact my dad is so pleased with the news is the last straw. I can't help myself the words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, "So it's okay if I go out with Emerson because his family is rich?" My head whips around towards DL. "Cause rich people can't be crazed serial killers?"
I expect her to be angry with my tone and my words, but instead she just looks amused.
My dad on the other hand does not look happy. "Zoe!"
But DL raises her hand and interrupts him. "Zoe you have a good head on your shoulders. I trust...we trust that you wouldn't be going out with someone unless you liked them and felt comfortable with them." DL turns to my dad. "Oscar, Don't you agree?"
I sit stunned at her words. Is she actually defending me to my dad? Has the world turned upside down?
"Well, yes..." the old man starts to say.
DL interrupts him again. "Just make sure you are home by midnight." Her gaze is on me, and suddenly I see something in her eyes. Something new. I'm not sure if it's due to Emerson's family's status, or DL's actual concern for me, but her eyes are telling me she's got me covered.
Far be it from me to turn down a free pass, so I'm outta here.
"Sure thing. I better get ready." I school my features into a neutral calm, although suddenly my pulse is racing and I feel the intense need to put everything on fastforward. I remind myself to clear my half-empty plate and carry my things to the kitchen sink. What can I say...one good deed deserves another. If Dragon Lady was going to bat for me, I was going to make sure I did my part.
"Have fun! But make good choices!" She calls after me as I race to my room. She just had to get one comment in. The old man just grunts.
Whatever.
As I close the door to my room, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Why am I so hyped up? A night in the city isn't that out of the norm, although I've never gone alone with a guy. Dylan never really took me anywhere other than his favorite art galleries and the local coffee place for poetry slam night.
But this isn't a date. It's a couple of band mates trying to find out more about the local music scene, hanging out in the city together. Casual. No big deal.
EMERSON
This is a huge deal. Monumental. A game changer.
Okay, that may be a little dramatic but how else should I react about the course of events I have found myself in? Zoe hasn't talked to me much in person other than the occasional comment, but her texts are off the hook. We spend hours every single day going back and forth. It's gotten so bad I've had to keep the thing under the table during dinner because if my dad ever found out I was texting someone about music, let alone a girl who's been driving me crazy, then this game would be over. Done.
I take one last look around my room as I grab my keys and wallet. Everything is in place. I have the tickets and the directions, although I hope Zoe has an idea about how to get downtown because this will be my first trip to the city. I may have a good sense of my surroundings, but I've never been in these surroundings so I'm flying blind here. Google maps should get the job done but the potential for directional disaster is looming. I don't want to get us lost.
Holy hell if those become famous last words I'm done.
Lucky me that my parents are at a charity event tonight so there's no one to harass me about where I'm headed.
"Mr. Emerson, are you leaving for the night?"
Shit. Just as my hand grabs the door to the garage, Helga appears out of thin air.
"Uh, just hanging out with some friends tonight. Study group friends. From French class." Shit, I'm not taking French! What the hell is wrong with me? "So I'll be back late, because we're...watching...Les Miserables." Ah damn. I've never seen the freaking movie, or read the book. The hole is getting deeper with every syllable.
Helga just eyes me strangely. "Okay, Mr. Emerson. I will tell Mr. and Mrs. Russe when they return."
"No! I mean, they already know, so you can just leave it. I'll be back by midnight." Probably.
She's still looking at me funny, but nods her head and turns to leave the kitchen.
I release a deep breath and continue on my path to the car. Zoe has never ridden in my car. That thought alone freaks me out. I don't want to come off like a huge rich douche, but my consolation for not getting into the rich douche academy is a big flashing sign if there ever was one. I hope Zoe has seen that's not me, at all. Money is the last thing I think about. Music is the first.
Well, lately Zoe is the first. But She's kind of all wrapped up with the music so we'll call it a tie.
I let my playlist relax me, and the music doesn't fail me now. The first song to fill the silence is more like a fortune teller, High Hopes. It's faster and more upbeat then I'm used to, but whatever. Hearing that I'm ...reaching for the stars... isn't news to me. Zoe is the ultimate goal. I'm not sure when she trumped music, but there it is. It happened.
A few minutes after leaving my house, I pull up to Zoe's. Just as I get out and close my door, preparing myself for a meet-the-parents moment with Dragon Lady and her old man-Zoe's funnier than hell nicknames for her step-mom and dad-Zoe is already halfway down the walk from her house.
"Hey," I say. I'm happy to see her, but confused that she didn't wait for me to come to the door.
"Go, go, go." Her voice is a controlled whisper-shout, clearly serious about getting the hell out of here.
Fine by me. I'm all in when it comes to Zoe, but I'm not sure I'm ready to meet the woman Zoe refers to as Dragon Lady. That's just scary, right there.
We hop in the car and I pull away from her house with a shit-eating grin on my face, not gonna lie. Because I'm taking Zoe on our first date and this is going to be a night to remember.
"Thanks. I thought for a second that brat supremo was going to run out and try to tag along. He's like a bad sunburn that stings forever then starts to peel."
What?
"Um, okay." I have no idea how to respond to that.
"Yeah, you don't want to have anything to do with him, trust me. You'll never look at your own fingers the same way again."
Speechless. Not a good way to start a date. That much I'm clear about. The rest, not so much.
"So," I decide to change the subject, "ready to have your eardrums blown out by the best punk cover band in the city?" I smirk as I ask. I don't think I've looked forward to anything this much in my life.
"Sure thing. I've got a pen and notebook so I can write down anything valuable. You know, any take aways we can adopt for ourselves down the road."
I can see out of the corner of my eye as Zoe fishes an actual spiral notebook out of her bag. WTF? Does she think we're headed to a seminar on rock bands?
Suddenly the urge to facepalm washes over me. Oh my crap, Zoe isn't on a date with me. She's hanging out in the city.
Damn. I've got my work cut out for me, that's for sure. I'm not conceding yet. This night may not be starting off as a first date but it sure as shit will be ending as one.
I hope.
Whoa. This is big, as Emerson said. Zoe is about to get smacked in the face with date night. Now, Em is a good guy, he's not going to push anything, but I think the evening will not be what Zoe is expecting. Consciously anyway. Whooo boy!
I'm putting this out there now. Next week might be a later update than this was. The school year is winding down, but that means the work load is amping up for teachers. AKA me. So, Cat and I will do our best, but no promises. Thank you so much for your love for this story! We are having such a great time writing it!