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"Shit! I'm late for my Philosophy class," Zoey's widened as she saw the time on her boyfriend's alarm clock. Zoey attempted to get up but a mysterious force stopped her. Zoey tried again and again but the force kept dragging her down towards the bed. Zoey giggled as she turned to face a man who's trying his best to look asleep. Zoey internally sighed and thought, "so this is why you haven't acted in a drama yet." Zoey mustered up the most serious face she could do as she cleared her throat. "My dear Mystery, what would your fans think when they see you be this down bad for someone other than Romance?" Zoey teased. Mystery held her closer and tighter, "don't care, only want my baby to stay in bed with me."
Time froze.
Zoey's heart pounded and invaded her senses.
"Baby?"
"Baby!?"
"Baby?!"
"Babe? What's wrong?" Mystery was about to brush a hair out of Zoey's face when his girlfriend's phone rang. "Fuck! It's Mira. I really have to go. See you later at dinner!" Zoey sped off to the bathroom to get ready.
Mystery sat there, dumbfounded at how fast his girlfriend was getting ready. He touched her side of the bed and his body slumped.
"Jesus Christ! What happened to you?" Mira asked a hyperventilating Zoey. "I—Had to—Ru-rush so—" Mira interrupted Zoey's answer. "Okay, okay, save your energy for the lecture," Mira said as she beckoned Zoey to sit next to her. Zoey suddenly felt burning at the back of her head but not a fiery burn, it was a burn that felt like someone was watching her. "No, it can't be. No one actually cares if I'm late to this class. I mean, half of the students aren't even here yet," Zoey internally reassured herself. She suddenly saw someone staring at her in the corner of her periphery. She glanced at their direction to confirm this but the person pretended to write something in their notebook to evade her narrowing gaze. "Mira?" Zoey hoped that Mira wouldn't dismiss her concern. "Yeah?" Mira responded. "Do you think that…" Zoey trailed off, suddenly feeling ridiculous about her impending question. "That?" Mira cued her to continue. Zoey took a deep breath. "Doyouthinkthatpeoplearewatchingme?" Zoey's words came out faster than she intended. Mira sighed as her face dragged down. Zoey's brows concerningly furrowed, "What? What's wrong?" Mira breath an even deeper sigh. "Mira.. You're scaring me," Zoey said in a panic. Mira overlapped her hand with Zoey's and her hands squeezed the younger's.
"Zoey, they know."
'Mystery's wife: I don't know what he sees her.'
Buzz
'Romysterytruther: She looks like she's exhausting to be around lol.'
Buzz
'Mysteryfoxyboxy: Someone give him a purple heart for putting up with her.'
Buzz
Zoey put herself on bed rest as she read through all of the comments on her and Mystery's dispatch article; using her phone's constant buzzing as background noise. Her heart broke into new fragments with every comment but her eyes and self destructive mind forced her to carry on. "They're right you know. Why would you even hide from the truth?" Zoey's mind questioned.
Buzz
Buzz
Buzz
Zoey rolled around to where her phone was. Zoey sighed, "You can't hide from the truth forever, Zoey." Zoey finally answered Mystery's call.
"Zoey! I was so worried about y—"
"Do you think I'm hard to love?"
Zoey heard Mystery gasped from the other end of the line but he didn't answer. "Babe, do you think I'm hard to love?" Zoey repeated. The silence that followed was shorter. In fact, the call was ended almost immediately. Zoey looked at her phone in disbelief. She buried her face in her bed as tears gushed through her eyes.
Ding dong
Ding dong
Ding dong
Zoey read the time on her phone. "It's 2 am, who could it be at this hour?" Zoey wondered. The doorbell didn't stop ringing. "Alright! Alright! I'm coming!" Zoey yelled as she got up to answer the door.
"Baby?" Mystery said as soon Zoey opened the door. Zoey was too stunned to respond but tears lined her eyes. "Baby!" Mystery tightly hugged Zoey. "Babe, what if someone sees us?" Zoey furiously whispered. "A couple hugging isn't weird, baby," Mystery matter-of-factly said. Zoey blushed, "I mean of course but you should still come inside in case my neighbors get bothered." Mystery dutifully marched inside. Zoey led him to the living room couch. There was an uncharacteristic awkward and tensed silence that enveloped them.
"I—"
"I—"
"Wait no! You go ahead, since you're the one that came here."
"No, you go first since you're the one who dodged my calls."
Mystery gasped, "Fuck! That came out wrong. I'm sorry."
"No, don't be sorry. You're right. I was the one who avoided a conversation," Zoey sighed.
Mystery earnestly looked at her. Zoey has never felt more naked. "I just… I just can't help but think that maybe I'm not the one for you. Maybe, I'm not what you need. I can't help but think that maybe… I'm too much for you," Zoey fiddled with her thumbs. She focused her eyes on the carpet below her. Mystery cupped her face and gently beckoned her to look him in the eyes. "Baby, you're not too much for me. I actually think that you're too good for me. Honestly I don't know how you put up with me," Mystery said. "Hey! Don't say that about yourself!" Zoey huffed. Mystery laughed, "I could say the same thing about you." Zoey was about to argue but her words evaded her. "Well, you got me there," Zoey softly laughed. But Zoey's face was saddened again as she looked down, "I mean… even if I'm the most chill and go with the flow person, still, I don't think it's easy for you to love me given that you're an idol." Mystery took a deep breath, "you know what I say to that?" Zoey waited for him to continue. "Fuck 'em, I love you even if it's not easy," Mystery lifted Zoey's chin up and leaned in for a kiss. Their lips danced to a song that made Zoey's mind repeat Mystery's words.
"I love you even if it's not easy."
"I love you even if it's not easy."
"I love you even if it's not easy."