Used
Summary: Zoe finally lets lose on how Grace's rejection made her feel. This will be at least two parts.
Part One
Zoe Rivas swallowed hard as the teacher assigned the partners for the newest school project. She squeezed her fists together and shut her eyes, willing what she knew was going to happen not to. Most of the students had already been assigned partners and she and three of the other students were the only ones left. Usually, she wouldn't worry about such a thing. But after...after the incident, as she liked to call it with Grace happened, she was wary. They hadn't really talked since then and Zoe had been...well, not happy. But she'd been dealing with it. She'd been dealing with the loss of the friend she'd had feelings for. Dealing with how Grace had used her as an experiment or whatever. She wasn't ready for all of the emotions of hurt and anger to be brought up again after she'd finally become comfortable with herself.
"Grace Cardinal and Zoe Rivas." The teacher's voice broke through Zoe's thoughts and Zoe felt Miles reach over to squeeze her arm comfortingly. She turned and gave he and Tristan a grateful look and let out a sigh. She saw Grace sit beside of her, but she didn't look at the girl, instead taking out her notebook and a pen.
"Zoe, shouldn't we at least look at each other if we're going to do this?" Grace questioned, sounding slightly annoyed.
Zoe froze for a moment and gritted her teeth before she turned to look at the other girl out of the corner of her eye. "Fine. But this is only because I don't want to fail. Once the project is finished, we can go back to not speaking again." She stood up abruptly then as the bell rang and hurried to gather her books in one arm, lacing her arm through the arm Tristan offered her. She didn't look back at Grace as Miles and Tristan led her from the classroom, following their other classmates who were eager to get their weekend started.
"You okay?" Tristan asked once they were by the lockers and Zoe could breathe easier. He studied his best friend carefully, sympathy filling him.
She nodded. "I'm fine." She managed a smile. "I just..I thought I was over her. How she hurt me. I've been so happy since I came out. Why does what she did still hurt me?"
"Because you cared for her." Miles said, reaching over to hug her, allowing her to bury her head into his shoulder, the way he'd hold his siblings.
Her arms wrapped around him and she buried her head into his neck, hot tears dripping onto it. She hadn't let herself let go and deal with what had happened. She'd tried to get back at Grace by fooling around with Zig and it had just made her feel worse.
"Come on!" Tristan said suddenly, grabbing his best friend's hand and then his boyfriend's. "Let's go get some ice cream. Maybe that will cheer you up."
Zoe smiled and nodded, thankful for her friends.
The three took their seats at a table in the Dot, immediately ordering themselves some food before they began to talk quietly.
"You know, I think that you should tell Grace how she made you feel." Miles said quietly, stirring his soda with his straw. "It might help you heal. And it might make working on the project easier if you're able to get rid of some of that hurt and anger."
Zoe looked up sharply, dark eyes wide in shock. "But how do I explain to her that her having sex with me when she knew how I felt about her, and then turning around, saying she was straight and had always liked Zig made me feel like she used me as an experiment? How do I begin to tell her that without seeming pathetic?" She slumped in her chair at her outburst and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands before taking a slurp of her sweet tea.
Tristan scoffed at that, waiting until their meals were placed in front of him and the waitress had left before he replied, "If anyone is pathetic, it's her." His voice was venomous as he said it, dipping a fry into ketchup and popping it into his mouth for emphasis. "Who sleeps with someone that they have no attraction to like that? Who gets someone's hopes up when they know how that person feels about them?"
"Tristan is right." Miles told her with a nod of his head, scooting closer to the boy in question. "She hurt you and it's not your fault for putting yourself out there. Maybe if you're honest with her, you'll finally be able to move on and maybe meet someone who does deserve you."
Zoe groaned as she entered her room and shut her door, throwing her purse and book bag on the floor. She tore her clothes off and threw them into the hamper before shrugging into a long tee shirt and a short pair of sleep shorts. She bit her lip and stared at her phone, wondering if she should call Grace and plan to meet up with her for their project, tomorrow.
As if Grace had heard her thoughts, her cell beeped, signaling that she'd received a text. Opening it up, she saw that the other girl wanted to meet up tomorrow at noon. She typed in that that was fine before she shut off her phone and threw it on the bed. She went to get her laptop and opened it up. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be sleeping much tonight, the very thought of talking to Grace tomorrow and doing what Miles suggested plaguing her mind.