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On a particularly unfortunate Monday, Zoey started off her day with a huge coffee stain on her brand-new pale teal sweater. Seated in the principal’s office with an ice pack pressed against her mouth, she glared at the girl next to her who was responsible for her misery: the infamous Pink-Haired Devil.
“Millicent Brooks,” The principal rubbed her temples. “A physical altercation in the courtyard before first period even begins. Do you have anything you’d like to say for yourself?”
Milly simply leaned back in the metal chair and put her feet on the wooden desk in front of her, “Zoey started it. Serves her right! She torments the other girls here.”
Zoey scoffed, “I torment the other girls here? Look who’s talking! You’re the one who poured my iced coffee all over me and then punched me in the face! I was just minding my business and going to class. You— you targeted me, you little punk!”
The principal slammed her hand down on the desk, making both girls jump.
“Feet off my desk, Miss Brooks. Now.” She ordered.
Milly dragged her boots carelessly off the desk, knocking over cup holding a couple stationary items in the process.
"I don't care who started it, and I don't care who finished it," The principal said, looking between the two of them. Her eyes lingered on Zoey’s ruined teal sweater and the swelling on her lip before shifting back to Milly. “Public brawling is an automatic suspension.” She turned to the younger of the two. “Millicent, you know exactly where you stand with this school. Being able to attend the band competition was a privilege that Ms. Jones and I agreed on as a result of you ceasing your problematic behaviors. We’d so naively assumed you’d changed as a person and had grown from your actions.”
The principal’s maroon eyes narrowed into slits. “I now see that change in your behavior was merely temporary. You never fail to disappoint me, Miss Brooks.”
All of Milly’s confidence and ego was shattered in an instant. She protested, “Zoey was making fun of me! She told to have fun talking to the plants at Gardening Club.”
The principal raised an uninterested brow, “That’s all? This is what warranted such a violent reaction from you?”
“You don’t understand!” Milly struggled to describe the fight, “She’s always been a jerk and huge bully to me. She—“
The principal clasped her hands together and rested her elbows on the table. “I’m sorry, Milly, but with no proper documentation or proof of verbal harassment, we can’t reprimand anyone for bullying. I would also like to kindly remind you that only one of you has a record of punching and beating other students over the past years. Tell me, Milly, did Zoey hit you back?”
“Yeah, Milly.” Zoey’s voice dripped with mock sweetness, “Tell her.”
Milly swallowed and stared at the floor. “No, ma’am.”
“Then it’s clear to me that this was not an act of self defense. Regardless of whatever history you two share, assaulting someone like this is never acceptable. You will receive a two week out-of-school suspension, effective tomorrow. Your participation in the music program at Rosemeadow High has come to an end.”
“What?” Milly breathed, eyes wide as saucers. Zoey’s mouth curled into a smirk.
“I mean it. You are banned from participating in any sports, clubs, and future competitions. This is the end of the line, Millicent.”
“This isn’t fair!” Milly was hysterical. “They need a guitarist! The entire club will shut down!”
“In a school with over 1,000 students, I promise you are not the only person who can play the guitar. Especially with the three musical prodigies who are currently in the process of transferring here from our sister school, I doubt your fellow club members will have any issue replacing you. If you cannot control your temper, you cannot represent this school.”
Tears sprang into Milly’s eyes as Zoey felt a twisted sense of satisfaction spark inside her.
Good, she thought, staring at the sobbing girl. If she couldn’t get back at Jake Sterling directly, this was the next best thing.
Milly deserved it, anyway. Ever since she’d (albeit accidentally, for once) hit Zoey’s shoulder with a dodgeball during PE last year, Zoey had despised her. Someone so inconsiderate and reckless deserved absolutely nothing, especially a girl so reckless and inconsiderate. What kind of mother didn’t teach her teenage daughter basic manners?
Moreover, what kind of mother let her daughter dress like a boy?! Zoey’s emerald-green eyes stayed glued on the crusted mud around the sophomore’s shoes, then snaked upwards to her baggy black shorts, hideous short-sleeved purple jacket, messy hair, and her backwards cap. Zoey would’ve bet Milly liked to stare at the other girls in the changing rooms or something if she didn’t read her pathetic diary page drooling over Elliot Thornton, of all people.
The principal helped up Milly. She placed a hand on her back as she guided her to the door. “Look. I understand this may be a lot to process at once, but you gave me no choice. Wait outside while I fill out your paperwork.”
“You monster!” Milly spat as she lunged at Zoey, only to be held back at the waist by the principal. “Nobody in this school would be your friend if they knew what kind of person you really are!” Two other staff members came to restrain her and promptly hauled her out of the office. The door clicked shut. The principal sighed and shook her head after her before turning back to face her remaining student, who was already collecting her belongings.
“Stay seated, Zoey. We have another matter to discuss.” She reached into one of her drawers and pulled out a fat stack of papers, “As you are probably aware, prom is coming up.”
Zoey felt a lump form in her throat. She knew where this was going.
“Your parents haven’t paid off several of the required school fees for the 2020 school year. If they aren’t paid off by the end of this week, you won’t be permitted to attend prom.”
“That won’t be a problem, Miss. I actually got a new job at this…” Ignoring her heart hammering inside her, Zoey’s eyes scanned the room to see an advertisement for a newfound BioTech club at her school, pinned to the cork bulletin board. “…BioTech….company. It pays pretty well.”
The principal smiled warmly at her. “Oh? Really?! That’s wonderful, Zoey! I had no idea you were passionate about that. You’ll have to tell me all about it.”
Zoey gulped, gripping the edge of her chair. The principal’s phone buzzed and lit up on her desk.
“Later, though. I have a meeting to attend right now, unfortunately.”
The blonde finally allowed herself to breathe as she grabbed her backpack, thanked the principal, and walked out the door. Milly sniffled quietly outside, comforted by Ms. Jones and a red-haired teacher Zoey didn’t recognize. She took a left to enter the nurse’s office and explained that she needed a new shirt.
The nurse looked her once over. “Well, darling, you’re so skinny that I’m not sure we have anything that will fit you.”
So the purging did work. Zoey thought proudly, ignoring the sympathetic glance from the woman standing in front of her.
A familiar voice called out, “Zoey! I have a shirt that might fit you!”
From behind a moveable curtain divider peeked Maria’s familiar form, sitting neatly with her legs crossed on the infirmary bed.
“How kind of you, Maria,” The nurse slid the divider out of the way, “In that case, I’ll leave you alone to change, love.”
Zoey set her bag down and took a seat next to her friend. “What are you doing here?”
Maria grabbed Zoey’s scrunch out of her hair and used it to put her own tail in a ponytail. She crossed her legs on top one another as she flopped back down on the bed. “Skipping. Lied about having cramps. Sorry about…whatever happened to you.”
“The only thing you should be sorry about is the day you lose credit for your classes because of your awful attendance record!”
“Woah, someone’s cranky. And clumsy, apparently.” Maria teased, poking a manicured finger at the stain on Zoey’s chest.
“Shut up, just give me the shirt. I’m not in the mood” Zoey grumbled, crossing her arms over the stain, “That pink-haired psychopath bitch I was telling you about earlier busted my lip open and poured my Gachabucks drink all over me.”
“Hey, at least she didn’t tear your hair out this time. Remember when she tore out all your extensions and you had to spend an entire week with a pixie cut?”
“Fuck off,” Zoey snapped, heat rushing to her face in embarrassment, “I was hideous.”
“Hey, Drew loved it. He said it kinda reminded him of Jake’s hair.”
Drew. Zoey’s heart dropped.
“Mar, I messed up big time, didn’t I? Drew wants nothing to do with me. I tried texting him so many times. I think he blocked me. URGH!” Zoey kicked a pillow onto the ground, “Jake just had to stick his nose into other people’s business and ruin everything. Now I don’t even have a prom date.”
“And that’s completely in your hands,” Maria shrugged, “You’re Rosemeadow High’s hottest blonde bombshell. Any guy would be willing to date you.”
More like any guy would be willing to sleep with me. Zoey thought sadly as she puller her knees up to her chest, “Even if I did get a date, my parents owe the school money, and I can’t go if it’s not paid off by the end of this week. I told the principal I got a job at this BioTech company and that I’d easily pay it off.”
Maria blinked, “You did?”
Zoey deadpanned, “We had to go to summer school because we both flunked out of freshmen biology. What do you think, Maria?”
Maria’s jaw went slack. “You lied to the principal?”
“Well, what was I supposed to say?! That I hang around some twenty-five-year-old nut-job any time I want money?!”
“Twenty-five?! I thought you said this dude was in college.”
“Community college. He’s behind on basically everything.” Zoey shivered, “Can you stop questioning me and just give me the shirt?”
“Oh! I almost forgot.” Maria unzipped her grey jacket, revealing a black t-shirt underneath. To Zoey’s surprise, she slipped it off over head. Zoey squealed in alarm, turning the opposite direction.
“Relax, we’re both girls anyways.” She threw the shirt at her. “Put it on.”
“I thought you said you had a spare.”
“Nope. I’ll just put my jacket on over my sports bra and zip it up completely.”
Zoey hesitated, “But…won’t you get cold?”
Maria laughed. “And you said I was the one questioning you.”
The shirt smelled overwhelmingly of Japanese cherry-blossom body mist. It wasn’t skin-tight or revealing like majority of Zoey’s clothes and felt soft against her skin.
“And to answer your question: Nearly every classroom’s AC is broken. I’ll be fine.”
Zoey tugged the baggy shirt down over her stomach.
"Ugh. It looks huge on me. I look ridiculous.”
"You're welcome," Maria said dryly, zipping up her jacket. Zoey rested her head on Maria’s lap and watched the fish in the mini aquarium tank on the bedside table. She closed her eyes.
She’d figure out the money. She always did.
The rest of school had been a blur, and by the time lunch rolled around, Zoey felt the pit in her stomach grow.
meet me @ woods behind ur school 12:15 do not b late.
She read the text from him over and over again. A new notification popped up.
Maria: heyyy wru? can’t see u in the line its huge today LOL. might just go eat outside campus today
Zoey turned off her phone and shoved it in her pocket. The walk to the parking lot was long and consisted of shoving many freshmen out of the halls before she even exited the building. Now outside, she pulled her car keys out of her pocket and rushed to her car.
“Hey! Zoey! Wait up.” Maria panted, “Where are you going? Let’s try that new pizza place downtown.”
“Maybe some other time. I have to talk to someone today.”
Maria frowned, “Your sugar daddy can’t even let you eat lunch by yourself?”
“He said I had to be by the woods at 12:15.”
“By yourself?” Maria grabbed Zoey by the arm, “How about I come with you?”
“Absolutely not,” Zoey hissed, “What if he gets mad at me?”
“Then I’ll kick his ass,” Maria grinned.
“You’re insane!”
“I’ll show you something insane.” Maria motioned Zoey to come follow her. She stopped in front of a Porsche.
A black Porsche. Drew’s Porsche. Except it had a huge, deep scratch on it. Several huge, deep scratches.
“Oh my gosh, who did…” Zoey’s voiced trailed off, “Maria! WHY?!”
“Why not? He was stupid enough to break up with you, so he should reap the consequences. He’ll never suspect it was me.”
“What if he thinks I did it? Now he’ll never get back with me!”
“Obviously not. So far you’ve done nothing but beg for him to come back and try to apologize to him. You have no reason to key his car. It’s not like you have an active rivalry with him. But you know who does?”
Zoey’s hands curled into fists. “Jake Sterling.” The entire school had a heard of the messy fight they had right before the school’s band competition.
“Bingo. Imagine your best friend of nearly three years leaves you for some stupid club to go suck up to a girl he barely knows and then yells at you in a hallway in front of everyone, then as the cherry-on-top, keys your car. I saw Drew’s parents once, during freshmen year. His mom was pulling him by the ear, yelling at him and telling that he was grounded for a whole month just because he got an 80 on one math test. Imagine what will happen when his parents find out their son was so irresponsible he let this—,” She gestured at the wrecked vehicle, “— happen.” Maria giggled, “He’ll be grounded for the whole year or something! He’s going to be so pissed, and he’ll take it all out on Jake.
Maria wrapped an arm around Zoey’s shoulder, “I know how badly you wanted to get revenge on Jake. I’m obviously nowhere near your level of badass, but I think this was a solid ploy, if I do say so myself. What do you think, Zoey?”
“Zoey?”
Zoey shoved Maria so hard the other girl almost fell over onto the gravel. “You’re crazy! You’re doing all this at my boyfriend’s expense and I didn’t even ask you to. What is wrong with you?!”
“Your boyfriend? You mean your ex.” Maria dusted herself off. “Calm down. I don’t see why you’re so stuck on someone who clearly doesn’t care about you. I had the misfortune of sitting near him in a couple classes. He reeks of Axe body spray.” She gagged before continuing, “Jake, Jake, Jake. It’s literally all he talks about. Jake did this, Jake did that, Jake posted this on his story, Jake went to xyz concert, Jake hung out with xyz people. Even his two fugly friends are so fed-up with him. Some of the underclassmen thought that he was dating Jake and broke up with him instead of you.”
“They thought what?! Those stupid little twerps! Ugh! I hate this school!” She checked her phone, “The meet-up! It’s 12:20. He’s going to be so mad at me.” Zoey whined.
“Meet up with him later, Zoey.” Maria sighed, “I’m sorry if I made you mad, I just…wanted to impress you, for once. Everyone fears you and respects you. After all, how couldn’t they. You’re gorgeous and popular. I’m just…popular by association. You never let people step over you and you always find a way to get back at people. Guess I just wanted to put myself out there and do something Zoey-ish for once.” But when Maria turned around, Zoey had already disappeared.
Practice had ended far later than Zoey had expected. Almost nobody remained at school except for Rosemeadow High’s meager team of cheerleaders, and everyone looked drained.
“I’m totally whipped. I can’t wait to go home,” Maria groaned, wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead. She held the door open for her friend, “I’ve gotta go to the bathroom. You go ahead to the parking lot.”
“Thanks,” Zoey mumbled. She scanned the area. It was almost completely empty with only three or four cars. Drew’s car, of course, was gone.
As she reached for her car handle, something grabbed her and pulled her back.
“You didn’t follow through.”
Zoey struggled in his grasp, “Dylan! Babe, I can explain— my friend followed me outside and insisted to follow me. I wanted to be alone with you, so I was going to text you asking if we could do a different time.”
“Mhm, I dunno. It’s starting to feel like you don’t value our relationship no more, Sugar.”
Zoey felt sick, “What do you mean?”
“Up until now, it’s just been silly stuff. Going to some shops and stuff, going on walks. I wanted to talk with you to arrange….new meet-ups. Different. I want to take things to the next level. Book a hotel room together or something. So you can prove you’re serious about this. Of course, I’ll pay you handsomely. ”
Zoey’s mouth felt dry. “I…I can’t...”
“Sure you can, Zoey. You promised me, didn’t you? This is the only way I’ll continue paying you. No more messing around.”
Dylan stepped closer, Zoey stepped back. She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he grabbed her arm.
“In fact, let’s go to my place. Right now. Let’s—“ He howled in pain as a large object came smashing down on his head.
“My nose! MY FUCKING NOSE!”
Maria stood above him, breathing hard, her backpack in her hands.
“I called the cops on him. Get into my car, now. We’ll get yours tomorrow.”
Zoey wordlessly got into the car and they sped away from the scene.
Maria angled the rear-view mirror to see Zoey gasping for air in the back, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah…just…spooked.”
They pulled up into Maria’s driveway.
“My mom’s away on a business trip and my dad’s working overtime today, so it’s just us.”
They stepped inside and Maria turned on the lights, then headed upstairs. Zoey followed suit to her room. Maria tossed her a pair of PJs, “Put these on.”
Zoey took off Maria’s black shirt, “Here.”
“Keep it and take it when you go home later. It looks better on you.”
Zoey blinked and stared at her for a moment before putting on the new pair of PJs.
Maria turned on the TV and both girls sat on the floor for a bit.
“I don’t get why you’d do this to yourself.” Maria started, “I mean, I do, I guess, but…I don’t know if it’s worth it.”
“What do you mean? Do what to myself?”
Maria’s hair hid most of her face. “Everything. You’re so hard on yourself, and it always gets you into so much trouble. You try so hard to be the school’s most popular and most gorgeous girl but I think you’re already perfect. Forget your stupid ex and that creep. I’ll pay for prom.”
“I don’t even have a date.”
“Here we go again,” Maria face-palmed. “In a couple days, they’ll all be lined up at your locker with promposal posters. Every guy at school wants to date you, Zoey. Hell, if I was a guy, I’d want to date you too.”
Zoey stared at her.
Maria immediately buried her face in her hands."Oh my God. Forget I said that."
A small giggled escaped Zoey before she could stop it.
Maria looked up in horror. "You're laughing at me. Fuck, I’m such an embarrassment.”
“It’s not that. You…said I was perfect. How?” She gestured to herself, “My make-up’s ruined and I’m not wearing anything cute.”
“You just always are, Zoey.” Maria said quietly, “You don’t even have to try.” She played with a loose thread on her sleeve.
“Now that I think about it,” Zoey twirled a strand of hair around her finger, “If I was a guy…I’d date you too, Maria.”
The rain continued falling outside as Zoey rested her head on Maria's shoulder and stared vacantly at the TV.