Chapter Text
Zoey was sitting on a couch, it wasn't her couch.
Come to think of it, Zoey had no idea where she was. It appeared to be an interview of sorts, some guy was talking but it was all muffled.
The stage was bathed in a familiar green yellow light and there were two girls next to her that she couldn't quite place.
"Ha– —-- —--- music — —--- performance next week!"
Zoey can't quite decipher the words from the girl next to her, her voice muffled and static like as it escaped her mouth. The host(?) laughs and responds casually before waving off to the side.
She follows his line of sight, expecting the production team she'd grown used to in this environment. Instead she is met with an endless void, black nothingness just past the edge of the stag.
Whipping her head around Zoey quickly realizes she is surrounded by the void, the only things not consumed are her and the other girls. She tries to ask them what's going on by her words are never realized, instead a voice not unlike her own speaks for her.
“That was a good one right girls? Come on, let's head home!"
The others nod and move to stand up, muffled voices muttering in response. Zoey tries to get up to follow them but her body refuses to move. She's frozen to her seat as she watches the other two walk straight into the void.
She tries to call out to them but her voice refuses to listen, her efforts barely resulting in a cough. Instead she is forced to watch as the darkness encroaches upon her until eventually it swallows her whole.
And she falls, down down down into the deep blackness for what feels like an eternity.
Zoey doesn't know if she'll ever stop falling.
.
.
.
Zoey jolts upright in her bed, Mira's arms are wrapped around her midsection and Rumi's legs are thrown across both her girlfriends.
Her sudden movement shakes Rumi, ever the light sleeper, awake. The leader grumbles as she opens her eyes and Zoey waves sheepishly as both a good morning and sorry for waking you up.
Rumi watches her with bleary eyes before nodding her head and promptly falling back asleep. Zoey sighs and carefully untangles herself from both the girls.
Today she has an early morning dental appointment followed by a photoshoot, after which she plans to jot down as many lyrics as she can so they can be ready for when their break ends.
It was a Thursday which meant that she would go grab some boba for the girls before she got back, maybe even a little extra snack if she was feeling it. Thursdays were never Zoey's favorite so the little tradition helps to brighten them up.
It was a little weird that her alarm didn't go off this morning but that probably meant she was going to be early!
She tiptoes back to her room before carefully pulling out her clothes for the day. Despite their money Celine apparently can't manage to fix the creaking of their floors, it's not like Zoey's complaining but it does make things like this difficult from time to time.
She takes longer than usual because her outfits are out of order, some were even missing from the closet, it was probably Rumi stealing her clothes again.
Zoey chuckled at the thought before pulling out a yellow dress shirt, and a blue-green sweater vest (hung on the rack with same color pants). Zoey pulls them on quickly and checks the time.
Swearing to herself Zoey realizes that she barely has fifteen minutes to get out of the house if she was going to make it there on time.
Forgoing her previous sneakiness Zoey hastily applies her makeup. Rushing out into the living room Zoey makes a beeline to her wallet and keys. As soon as she retrieves them she turns around ready to head out but is instead met with a very sleepy Mira.
Rumi, who is also very sleepy, pops out from behind her and wraps Zoey in a hug preventing her from leaving. Mira walks around from the side to hug her as well and rest her head on the youngest's shoulder.
“What are you guys doing? I've got to leave now or I'm going to be late!”
Zoey says slightly distressed, she had always found it incredibly disrespectful and inconsiderate to be late. She always made an effort not to waste peoples time so her being held up was really really bad.
“Where are you going Zo, it's our off day."
Mira grumbles into Zoey's shoulder, hugging her tighter. Zoey tries to pull away which only causes Rumi to follow suit and hug her tighter.
"Ive got that appointment today, and the photoshoot! I'm going to be late if you don't let me go! I'll buy you guys the boba on my way home, promise!”
Zoey says, exasperated, she was going to be really late at this rate. Maybe she would have to run some red lights but she might still be able to make it if she left right now.
She's too lost in her thoughts to notice as both girls loosen their grips on her and look up concerned.
Mira reaches out to tilt Zoey's head up, as their eyes meet Mira's Zoey notices the slight frown on her face. Her eyes flick to the side and see the furrow of Rumi's brows.
“Zo, it's Saturday, we don't have any plans today."
"What? No?”
Zoey frowns deeply, are they trying to prank her? She definitely hasn't done that appointment and she'd been kinda looking forward to the photoshoot. Now really isn't the best time for them to be messing with her, she really has to go…
Rumi quickly searches for her phone, switching to the calendar app and showing it to Zoey.
“See look, Saturday."
She says, shoving the phone in Zoey's face. The phone clearly says Saturday and when Zoey pulls out her own phone it tells her the same date as well.
"Heh very funny guys, changing the dates on my phone and all that, but I've really got places to be!”
Mira spun her around with both hands on Zoey's shoulders, pinning her to the spot.
"Seriously Zo, we know how important being on time is for you and we wouldn't mess around with you like this. I promise you it's Saturday."
“Oh…”
Zoey looks down, Mira's right, they're usually really good about being on time and running on schedule they wouldn't do this. She looks down and starts wringing her hands together nervously,
"You've been really off the past few days, are you ok?”
Rumi asks, reaching up and brushing a lock of Zoey's hair out of her face. Zoey smiles crookedly in return and backs away from the touch, she probably looks stupid, not knowing what day it is. Now she's gone and made her girlfriends worry, it's probably nothing too, they don't need anything else on their plates.
It's not like they'd care anyways
They'd probably just call you crazy and leave you
You're better off without them anyways.
"Oh! Haha, silly me, I've been really tired the past few days. It must be the brain fog!”
Zoey sets down her wallet and car keys with a large smile plastered on her face.
“Come on! I'll make breakfast as an apology!"
Zoey runs off to the kitchen before the other two can question what she was sorry for.
Today she would make chocolate chip pancakes. It was what she made most times considering her skills were limited to pancakes and American grilled cheeses.
Mira and Rumi sat down behind the counter as she continued to cook, they didn't press her for details and instead started up some light banter.
She was partially done with the batter when her ears started ringing. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, the ringing, what was uncommon was the faint sound of laughter that accompanied it.
Glancing back Zoey acknowledged that although her bandmates were giggling slightly the voices were by no means theirs. She turns back to the pancakes and starts to place them on the stove top, grabbing a spatula to flip them as she continues cooking.
The laughing gets louder the more she tries to cook, overpowering the sound of her girlfriends.
“Yesterday —--- — —-- Ce -ine —-”
Zoey's head snapped up at the name. Celine? Why was she hallucinating about Celine? She tries to listen closer but the laughing just gets louder, almost as if they're laughing at her feeble attempts to understand.
She frowns and clutches at her spatula, they had gone no contact with Celine soon after Rumi came out about her patterns, so why was she hearing her name?
So lost in thought Zoey didn't notice as her hands grew hot and the girls behind her started yelling. She only turned back in when Rumi pushed her away from the stove and the apparently on fire pancakes.
Soon enough the fire alarms started ringing as Mira did her best to douse the flames. The ringing dispelled the ghastly sound of laughter but despite her newfound clarity Zoey couldn't do much but stand there dumbly.
While Mira continued to do her best with the flaming pancakes Rumi walked over to inspect Zoey's hands.
She lifted them up to the point where both of them could see the slight burning. It was strange how much Zoey knew it should hurt and yet how numb her hands felt. Matter of fact she hadn't felt much of anything today, not her girlfriends normally warm embrace, not the cold air when she rolled out of bed.
It was almost frightening how numb she felt.
She looked down at her blistering hands now shaking slightly, her body felt light like she was floating and darkness started to creep into the edge of her vision.
“-ey”
"Zoey!"
Rumi was shaking her shoulder, trying to get the younger girl's attention, Mira was standing close behind her with bandages in her hands and a concerned look on her face. Even further behind Zoey could see that the pancake fire had been put out and the fire alarm had turned off.
“Jesus, Zoey, are you ok? We've been worried about you, it's not like you to forget things like this.”
"Like what!?”
Zoey retaliated with some sense of defensiveness, there was some part of her that didn't like the questioning but Mira kept going.
It's not like they'd even care.
"Like Thursday when you forgot about your appointment and didn't care when you were late! You also forgot about Boba day, which isn't a big deal, but you woke up this morning promising to buy some! What's up with you?”
They're going to abandon you.
“I don't know! And if I did it's none of your business!”
Zoey jabs turning around and walking away.
The further she got the worse she felt, she yelled at Mira, lied to her, even messed up breakfast. And apparently she was late on a day she doesn't remember and forgot her weekly tradition, what if they all hate her? The doctors, the photo contractors, her girlfriends, that's why they're being so accusatory they're looking for a reason to leave her.
They're going to call you crazy.
They're going to leave you.
Just like they left me.
