Did You Hear the Story?
Chapter One: If You Get to Know me
The world had changed in the last hundred years. In the wake of the so called Unnoticed Apocalypse (so called since it was so boring no one noticed it happening, just a worldwide drunken stumble into apathy and entropy) society was finally dragging itself back up.
There had been wars and rumors of wars, endless red tape and rampant unemployment…all so boring. No, the most exciting thing to happen was that ninety years ago, the Meteor Z that fell from the sky and infected a third of the population with alien DNA.
Those infected became something new and perhaps a touch familiar. They became pale with an odd variant of albinism; turning pale people much paler. And it turned dark skinned people to variants of grey and mushroom brown. They weren't thrilled. Then hair and eyes took on anime hues. Behavior was altered as brain chemistry changed and strange abilities manifested.
It also came with a language— as meteorites so often do.
They were quarantined for the next ninety years. Those in North America were luckier than most. Their uninfected families stared down the government and thus only a few cases of unethical experimentation took place for fear of enraged retaliation.
When it was finally determined that the contagion wasn't transmittable and could only be passed down by genetically, those in quarantine were released with all the rights and responsibilities of other citizens. Also, for their troubles; they were not obligated to pay taxes for the next ninety years. Also, all the back pay. So there was that.
They were just another minority in America. People took one look at the hollow eyes and pale skin and immediately called them Zombies.
As the poet so rightly said 'People be jackasses'.
The newly minted Zombies just laughed and took the name for their own.
The small Californian coastal city of Seabrook had two fairs one at the beginning of summer and one at the end. This was the first one. The air was permeated by smell of fried foods and the screams of people crazy enough to go on the roller-coaster of doom in the deepening twilight.
Zed was staying on the ground thank you very much. He wasn't afraid of heights. They just made him queasy. That's all.
It was the lazy, golden summer before the start of high school and he, his family and Eliza were enjoying the fair. Bonzo was away at music camp, mastering yet another instrument in his already large repertoire.
"Hey, have you seen my baby cousin?"
Zed blinked at an atypically worried looking Bucky Williams.
"She's got eyes that take up the majority of her face," the curly headed cheer captain described most unhelpfully. "I told her not to wander off so naturally, she wanders off."
He'd met Bucky his first day of junior high, incidentally his first day of normal school. At first the older boy had seemed like a bigoted bully. However; his performance was so over the top pompous, dramatic and full of overwrought hysterics that he came across as a caricature of a bigoted bully.
Bonzo figured it out. Bucky was stuck in a roll he didn't want and so was trolling the school. This went on for two years until his dad got custody. Bucky immediately quit the basketball team, joined the cheer squad (becoming captain in a record two weeks) and sent out apology gift baskets to everyone he'd ever overdramatically harassed. Except for those three dudes who'd totally deserved it.
"So, family visiting…" Zed prompted.
Bucky let out a sigh, "Not exactly. She's just been emancipated from her parents and came to live with me and my dad."
Most zombies, not that they'd ever advertised it, came with low level empathy. Zed discerned the cheerleaders worry and stepped back in shock, it was laced with a hot righteous wrath that Zed hadn't thought Captain Fancy-Pants was capable of. Something, bad had happened.
"Could you just keep a look out? She's not so good with crowds."
Zed nodded slowly. "Sure."
Bucky trotted determinedly away.
"What was that?" Eliza's bemused voice came behind him. He turned to see his friend with her bright amethyst eyes and iris purple hair watching Bucky's retreating back speculatively.
"I'm not entirely sure."
"What's emancipated?" Zoey asked. Thus far the cutest six year old in existence (in his totally unbiased opinion) was already loaded down with three stuffed things, a plushy Frankenstein's Monster, a blue bear with a rain cloud raining rain on its white tummy and a round violently pink spider pillow thing.
Zed sighed and knelt down. "It means that Bucky's cousin divorced her parents." He never lied to his little sister. "It only happens when the parents do something bad."
Zoey scrunched up her face. "When I meet her…"
Zed smiled ruefully. "When you meet her…don't ask her about it."
" 'Cause it could hurt her?" asked the most perceptive six year old in existence (in his totally unbiased opinion).
"Yeah." Zed stood and turned in a circle. "He didn't give me a name or a useful description."
Eliza thought, "Well, if his baby cousin is emancipated she's probably our age; though given the hordes of fourteen to fifteen year-olds wandering around in packs that's not all that useful."
Zed stopped as something caught his attention. He tingled all over and inside…what was he sensing? It was like music played soft in another room.
"Uh, Zed."
Zed ignored her and stared.
In the corner of the fairgrounds, there was a large zombie light garden that was flickering on as the sun set in orange creamsicle spender.
"I'm Looking," Zed murmured. Amongst the gifts the meteor bestowed was that of seeing another person's energy, their aura, life-force what have you. What he was seeing was leaving him breathless.
Eliza followed his gaze. There was a petite figure in the garden. She sniffed the air. It was a human girl, their age wandering the lights. "Who actually smells like raindrops on roses?" She widened her senses, wonder and delight with back notes of lingering sorrow. Then she saw. Oh. On many levels, just oh.
Firstly, the girl was completely unshielded. Everyone, human and zombie alike put up shields to keep the world at bay. She was…spiritually naked and being rubbed with diamond sandpaper and being doused with lemonade. How was she not a throbbing psychotic nerve… instead of this?
Zoey gasped, "She's so pretty."
And so she was. With her condition…she shouldn't have been this. She should have been desert and rusted barbed wire instead, her aura was carbonated liquid sunshine shot through with pink electricity; it surrounded her like a rippling pond.
"Savaza," he whispered before making a beeline to the garden.
"Ohhh, boy," Eliza shook her head in shock. Savaza meant 'mine.' It was a specific kind of mine; as in my mate, my spouse. She didn't think that Zed had even realized that he'd even said it.
Zombies had a tendency to be greedy when it came to their people. It was speculated by zombie anthropologist and psychologists that their alien progenitors were not above abduction adoptions or spouse stealing, as both these things were not acceptable, zombies took a different route. So if you caught a zombie's interest as either a friend or a mate be prepared to be courted. Persistently.
Zed had not in fact noticed what he had said. He was more intent on listening to the girl as she was reciting some poem as she moved about the light garden.
Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never
saw before.
Say "please" before you open the latch,
go through,
walk down the path.
A red metal imp hangs from the green-painted
front door,
as a knocker,
do not touch it; it will bite your fingers.
Walk through the house. Take nothing. Eat
nothing.
However, if any creature tells you that it hungers,
feed it.
If it tells you that it is dirty,
clean it.
If it cries to you that it hurts,
if you can,
ease its pain.
The gardener had discovered stained glass so the bulbs softly glowed with a multitude of colors both bold and ethereal. She spun about the painted lights like a ballerina in slow motion.
From the back garden you will be able to see the
wild wood.
The deep well you walk past leads to Winter's
realm;
there is another land at the bottom of it.
If you turn around here,
you can walk back, safely;
you will lose no face. I will think no less of you.
She had a sweet voice that soothed and hypnotized, rising and falling in pitch and cadence. Later, he would say he was bewitched, bothered and bewildered before he even saw her face.
Once through the garden you will be in the
wood.
The trees are old. Eyes peer from the under-
growth.
Beneath a twisted oak sits an old woman. She
may ask for something;
give it to her. She
will point the way to the castle.
Inside it are three princesses.
Do not trust the youngest. Walk on.
Eliza and Zoey were blatantly eavesdropping. As you do.
"Have you heard this story before," Zoey asked.
"No. But I think I like it." Eliza wrinkled her nose. "Do you think that she just goes around reciting cool but vaguely creepy poetry to herself?"
Zoey considered. "I hope so." This was not normal behavior.
Zombies had a very dim view of 'normal.' They thought it denoted a lack of courage and so, celebrated the strange and different.
In the clearing beyond the castle the twelve
months sit about a fire,
warming their feet, exchanging tales.
They may do favors for you, if you are polite.
You may pick strawberries in December's frost.
Trust the wolves, but do not tell them where
you are going.
The river can be crossed by the ferry. The ferry-
man will take you.
(The answer to his question is this:
If he hands the oar to his passenger, he will be free to
leave the boat.
Only tell him this from a safe distance.)
Zoey and Eliza had speculated on what kind of girl Zed would be into. While he noticed girls in a nebulously appreciative way, he was never moved to do anything about it.
If an eagle gives you a feather, keep it safe.
Remember: that giants sleep too soundly; that
witches are often betrayed by their appetites;
dragons have one soft spot, somewhere, always;
hearts can be well-hidden,
and you betray them with your tongue.
A human girl with a usual aura who gave herself private poetry recitals was not what they would have guessed he'd like. But, then they didn't know about his huge literary crush on Anne of Green Gables.
Do not be jealous of your sister.
Know that diamonds and roses
are as uncomfortable when they tumble from
one's lips as toads and frogs:
colder, too, and sharper, and they cut.
The white hair was a surprise. It was real with all the subtle shades that dyes couldn't duplicate; snow and salt, ice cream and milk, ivory and porcelain it fell around a cameo face in short chopped silky waves. Zed wanted to touch it.
Remember your name.
Do not lose hope — what you seek will be found.
Trust ghosts. Trust those that you have helped
to help you in their turn.
Trust dreams.
Trust your heart, and trust your story.
Then there was the cherry blossom skin, dark brows and real dark thick lashes that circled eyes that were the grey of a sea after a storm, her teeth were a tiny bit bucked and contrasted with her perfect pink lips. Oh. He was describing her in his head. That was new.
When you come back, return the way you came.
Favors will be returned, debts will be repaid.
Do not forget your manners.
Do not look back.
Ride the wise eagle (you shall not fall).
Ride the silver fish (you will not drown).
Ride the grey wolf (hold tightly to his fur).
There is a worm at the heart of the tower; that is
why it will not stand.
He had never been so fixated on a girl's beauty. He knew lots of pretty girls. His best friend was stunning and it never made his sloth slow steady heartbeat do anything. Zed decided it was everything about her all at once overwhelming his senses.
When you reach the little house, the place your
journey started,
you will recognize it, although it will seem
much smaller than you remember.
Walk up the path, and through the garden gate
you never saw before but once.
And then go home. Or make a home.
And rest.
She heard his soft tread and softer breathing in the garden and turned startled but not afraid.
Zed smiled brightly as she tried to suss him out of the shadows.
"Hello."
"Hello," he replied.
She spun to face him, "Hello."
"Why hello," Zed purred as they came face to face.
"You are not charming," she smiled at him even as she rolled her eyes.
She had dimples!
Zed grinned down at her, "I'll have you know I'm totally charming. "
"Sure, let's go with that." She held out a small hand.
He took the proffered hand and instead of shaking it— bowed elaborately before impulsively brushing his lips quickly over her knuckles.
"I'm Zed," he dropped her hand and shoved both of his behind his back. His heart had revved up for a moment. He could taste her skin on his lips.
"Addison…is my name."
Addy could feel her cheeks burn. Here she was alone in a zombie light garden with a really cute zombie boy. So, really her day was looking up. And yes, he was totally charming. No, she wasn't going to admit it. Not to him, anyway.
And she was in complete denial about how his golden voice made butterflies inside her. Addy liked denial…it was warm there, with nice beaches.
On a second glance it was clear that cute was bit of an understatement. Zed had dark green hair that looked soft and gentle peridot eyes. He was an adorkable goofball carved from marble. He made Da Vinci's David look insipid and boring.
And he felt as familiar as her very own heartbeat… what was that old song? 'Is there a word yet for old friends who've just met?'
"What were you reciting?" Zed wondered.
"'Instructions' by an old obscure writer, Neil Gaiman; its advice on what to do if you ever wander into a story…" Addison glanced around, eyes wide with wonder. "This place is like walking into a fairytale."
"Yeah, it really is," Zed's eyes never left her face.
They strolled out of the light garden sneaking peeks at each other. He shortened his stride and she lengthening hers so that their footfalls matched.
"You have your own faerie princess now," Zoey shook her head in little girl outrage. "How's that fair?"
Zed grinned, "Yes, and if you're very good I shall share her with you."
Addison let loose a breathy giggle. "Will you now?"
"Presumptuous?"
"Just a smidge."
Zoey was all but juggling her over large plushies desperately trying to keep them off the ground.
Addison reached into a pocket and pulled out a small nylon square that unfolded into a large teal bag with white owls of various sizes printed on it. "Hey, why don't you take this? Carry your new minions around in style."
Zed shook his head as the two loaded up the bag, "Minions… Please, don't give her ideas!"
"Addison, this is my little sister, Zoey."
"Hi! Can I hug you?" Clearly, she had to stake a claim now or Zed would hog her.
"I don't know…can you? Do your arms not work?" Addison teased.
Zed felt all…warm and fuzzy as the two hugged.
"And this is Eliza Ángel de la Muerte; she's my cool older brother." Zed smiled at his suddenly sputtering friend.
Eliza scowled at him before turning to assess the girl.
Addison then looked her in the eye and spoke the words that would forever win the zombie girl's heart, "Punk rock, post-apocalyptic, French couture?"
Eliza beamed, "Yes! That was exactly what I was going for. I like this girl. She gets me!"
Zed's eyebrows went up and he looked her outfit up and down, "Really? French couture?"
She scowled, "I am a girl. You have noticed that right? I like fashion. It's between computer science and rocky road ice cream on the list of stuff that I like. Also, the next time you cast aspersions on my girliness I will punch you in your pasty face."
"So, noted."
The Unnoticed Apocalypse had not been kind to fashion. Somehow, the world outside the Quarantine Zones had fallen into a depressing conformity. Everything was severe lines and a very limited color palette, the dullest of neutrals and fifty ever so subtle shades of beige. Women's fashion had been whittled down the extreme edge of feminine minimalism…eccentricity was right out. The only exceptions were cultural wear and sporting clothes (figure skaters had gotten more flamboyant.) It wasn't the law. It was like the world drowned under a vast wave of peer pressure.
Some things had improved like laws and health care and finally a viable replacement for petroleum. Additionally, both the Electoral College and the designated hitter rule in baseball were abolished.
Self-expression, however; had faded out. With a whimper.
Eliza had been very disappointed with the normies. She'd seen old shows and movies and read old books about centuries of fashion and had come out of quarantine out to discover that individuality was discouraged. Conformity ruled.
While zombie fashion tended to be dark, you couldn't say it wasn't creative.
There were very few people who defied the universal conformist dress code like her human cousin Shuri (loved animal prints) and Bucky Williams (got detention for wearing a lavender pinstriped shirt) of all people.
And now she was delighted that Zeddys' fairytale girl was one of them.
Addison wore blue.
"You augment that getup yourself?" Eliza asked.
Zed blinked before doing his own assessing of Addison's clothes. He hadn't actually noticed what she was wearing. He smiled. She was a blue bird in flock of beige pigeons.
Addison nodded hesitantly, "Yeah, I dyed the pants sky blue and the shirt slate blue. Bamboo cotton is super comfortable; however, it only comes in pale bla. And I glued sequins to the top."
Eliza nodded, "And you splattered a vintage morning glory blue jacket with silver paint."
Addison squirmed under their attention. "It's not too much?"
"No! You look like you wandered out of Oz or Wonderland. It's awesome," Zed assured her.
Eliza nodded, "Your freak flag is made of whimsy and I approve."
Addy blushed under their aggressive approval and maybe preened a bit. "Well, if you like whimsy…" she brushed soft white behind her ear. To reveal demure pearl studs adored with kitten ears.
Eliza liked.
"Oh, hey you found her," Bucky in all his green and purple flannel glory sauntered over and glowered at Addison. "Addy, what have I told you about wandering off."
"Bucky Bear, I'm not five."
Zoey and Eliza mouthed 'Bucky Bear' incredulously at each other.
"Found me?"
Zed sighed, "He asked me to keep an eye out for his baby cousin. He didn't tell even me your name; just that your eyes take up the majority of your face."
Addy thumped Bucky in the arm for that one.
"You poor girl," Eliza shook her head. "Livin' with Bucky, it'll be like livin' with a cheer obsessed honey badger."
Bucky smirked at her, "Awww, you're sweet, tiny bad tempered hedgehog."
Eliza's lip curled, "'Least hedgehogs are cute."
Zed shyly ghosted Addy's wrist with his fingers, "We're neighbors."
Addison shivered at his cool touch and her lips slowly curved up, "I suppose I could live with that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Bucky clapped his hands twice briskly, "Who's up for ice cream, I saw a gourmet soft serve set up."
"Me!" Zoey yelped.
"Who said that?" Bucky looked around and jazzed hands.
"I DID, I DID!" Zoey jumped up and down swinging her owl bag full of minions about.
"You are so going to be the next me," Bucky cooed at the little zombie.
"Umm? What?" Addison turned to Zed with a questioning tilt of her head.
"Zoey wants to be a cheerleader. Bucky's mentoring her." Zed made a face. "I don't ask questions because, they will tell me about it at length in excruciating detail."
"Hey, cuz?"
Bucky looked over at her.
"Thanks for paying. It's so very generous of you!" Addy beamed at him.
"What?!"
Eliza patted her shoulder, "We are so going to be friends."
The gourmet soft serve set up was a converted cargo truck, painted a lurid orange with tattoo art on the outside. The name of the shop was 'Name Pending' officially. Its proprietors were a tall lanky zombie guy and very muscular Samoan dude.
"I can understand, read, and write Zombie Tong, even pronounce it correctly, I just can't ever get the words to come out in the right order," Addy said as they waited in line. She waved her hands a bit to further illustrate her frustration.
"Say something." Eliza commanded.
She complied in a monotone.
Zed, Zoey and Eliza burst into laughter.
"What did she say?" asked Bucky. Was it meant to sound salacious?
"Thank you, for rubbing peanut butter on my umbrella," Zed chortled.
"Ha. Ha." Replied Addy flatly. "It's as if M. C. Escher took up linguistics while drunk."
Eliza snickered. "That's awesome. We should put that on the official language website."
Addison groaned.
"Addy, you planning on joining the cheer squad?" Bucky inquired with terrifying fervor.
"School is like three months away. Also, not so much."
"You were on a squad last year…and you were awesome," her cousin pointed out, trying out logic and reason before the inevitable nagging.
Addy closed her eyes as if in great pain. "Yes, and it ended in torment."
"You're exaggerating."
"They called the riot squad! And the animal control people!"
Bucky waved a hand negligently, "What are the odds that a rival school would smuggle in a whole flock of irritable Canadian geese? Again."
"I don't want to risk it!" Addison's voice went up a determined pitch.
"Geese, seriously?" said Zoey in disbelief.
"They chased me through the school, up and down the hallways. I ended up hiding in a storage cabinet in the art room!"
"That's truly awful," Zed said sincerely. He patted her hand.
"Geese are mean," Addison informed them solemnly.
They ordered.
Zed: Organic Madagascar bourbon vanilla in a sugar cookie cone
Addison: Dark Chocolate Black Raspberry Swirl in a chocolate hazelnut cone
Eliza: Cold brewed coffee float with Ancho Chili Chocolate ice cream and house made marshmallows
Bucky: Nutterbutter and Corn Almond with Candied Pecans
Zoey: Honey Lavender with strawberry flavored sprinkles. She had a very sophisticated palate.
They found a picnic table with peeling red paint to sit around or on.
Eliza hummed at the taste of chocolaty chili coffee goodness. She eyed Addy thoughtfully, as the other girl lapped her ice cream like a cat at cream. "Important question, vital really; what Hogwarts House are you?"
The white haired girl gave that question the consideration it was due, "Hufflepuff."
"Me too!" Zed exclaimed, he held out his hand for a mutually congratulatory high five and she met it with a bright smile
Eliza was Gryffindor and the cheerleaders were both Slytherin (which explained so much).
"Also, Jedi; Corellian not Coruscanti," Addison informed them apropos of nothing.
"Astro Tech," Eliza said firmly.
"Rebel spy," said Bucky with a nod.
Zed reflected, "Hmm. Scoundrel. Definitely."
"Yeah, right," snorted Bucky. "You're way too nice to be a scoundrel. You are the host of a children's holo edutainment show. The Fred Rogers of SSSPPAACCEE."
"How dare you?" Zed gasped mock outrage. He was quite pleased actually. He knew he wasn't remotely that nice, but it was pleasant someone else thought so.
"And Zoey?" Addison wondered.
"Ace aviatrix for Rogue Squadron," the tiny cheer zombie said as if it were obvious. She pointed a spoon as Addy. "Middle name." It wasn't so much a question as it was a demand.
Addison raised a brow. She could see her cousin's influence in the little girl's sheer imperiousness.
"Do not laugh," Addison warned.
"Never," Zed said.
"Hortensia."
Naturally, they laughed themselves sick. Bucky loudest of all.
"Windemere, you have nothing to laugh about." Addison grumbled into her soft serve.
"I think they're both lovely," Zoey said with a decisive nod.
Bucky's smile was fond, "You've always been my favorite."
"I know," Zoey preened. "Also, my middle name is Lulabelle."
The three of them looked at Zed and Eliza expectantly.
Eliza rolled her eyes, "Honeybee. My middle name is Honeybee."
No one dared laugh. Eliza Honeybee Ángel de la Muerte. Now that was a name.
Addison poked Zed in the shoulder, "Don't think you can escape."
He summoned forth his most charming smile and winked, "Eros."
Addison blushed.
"Hey, kids" said Henry Alexandros Necrodopolus. His small zombie infected branch of a sprawling Greek family had legally changed their last name, as had so many others, to screw with the government.
He and Felix Aramis Williams, father of Bucky walked lazily up to the picnic table. Henry was a stoat pale fireplug of man. He didn't blend. It wasn't the zombie thing. It was the having a personality like a patient rhino that made people give way.
Felix was a very fit, very mild looking fellow who nonetheless gave the impression that you'd be in for pain if you crossed him. Somehow, his mildness was that off putting.
Ah, with hair like that it must be the niece. Dear Lord, did Zed just sniff that girl? Oh. Henry got a whiff of Zed's pheromones…looks like they'd have to review The Talk. Fun.
"Hey, Pop," Bucky greeted Felix with a wave.
"Hey, son," Felix, eyed his cheerful niece with a raised bow.
Bucky nodded smiling at the unanswered question. She did look better.
Everyone ignored that exchange carefully.
"Daddy!" Zoey shook her head in denial. "Do, I have to go already?"
"I'm afraid so, my little zombie angel, you don't have school tomorrow, but that doesn't mean you can stay up till midnight."
"Awww," Zoey pouted. But, she didn't sulk. In the summer she could stay up an extra hour, so it wasn't too bad.
Zoey hopped down from the table and wandered over to the nearest plastic recycling bin and dropped in her cup and spoon. She returned to the table for farewells and the hugs that were her due.
She hugged Eliza, "Make sure Zed doesn't blow it," she whispered loudly.
"It'll be tough, but I'll try." Eliza huffed ruefully.
Addison and Zed did not, did not at all quickly dart a peak at each other and look away swiftly. They did not.
"I'm counting on you Bucky Bear to keep them out of trouble," Zoey informed Bucky somberly as he grabbed her up in a swinging hug.
Bucky pseudo scowled, "Sure, keeping the anthropomorphic personification of 'Fight Me'" he point at Eliza who dropped a perfect curtsy, "the knight in shining patchwork armor," Zed mouthed 'who me' pointing to himself in feigned confusion, "and little miss jeopardy friendly trouble magnet," Addison realizing that he meant her pouted, "out of trouble should be a walk in the park."
"Steady on, soldier." Zoey patted him on his shoulder before he sat her down.
She stared at her brother before smiling slowly, "Who's a good boy?"
Zed's eyes widened in panic and he squirmed, "Zoey!"
Zoey just looked at him in patient anticipation.
Zed's shoulders slouched in defeat, "I am! I am! Wruff, wruff." He waggled about like a twitchy purse dog.
"Awww.
Zed perked up. All was not lost; he'd not humiliated himself in from of 'The Girl.' Not, mind you 'a girl,' 'The Girl,' a very important distinction. And wasn't that fast and sudden? But, then he was a zombie. And zombie instincts, his in particular, were generally on point.
Zoey patted him on the head and turned her attention on Addison.
"Kitty!"
Addison's mouth dropped open. "Wait, what?" She shook her head rapidly in denial.
Zoey did a thing with her face. Her lower lip protruded and trembled and her eyes filled with unshed glistening tears.
"I have to don't I?" Addison asked Zed.
The boy cum doggy snickered, "Yep."
Addison picked up Zoey and slung the little girl on her hip. Their foreheads met and…"Merooww," Addison purred. She rubbed her cheek against Zoey's "Merooww."
Smug Zoey was smug. Clearly, she spent too much time with Bucky.
Eliza observed Zed's startled expression with amusement. The boy was funny. He'd jumped into a ravine only to find he was plummeting from the Cliffs of Insanity.
Addison walked over to Mr. Necrodopolus, "I think this is your munchkin."
"That she is," Zoey was transferred between them.
She held out a hand, "I'm Addison." Henry blinked at her sincere if a smidge ingratiating smile, it reminded of him of Zed, when his son was angling to get someone to like him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Henry took the proffered hand and bowed.
Addy canted her head. Clearly, this was a green apple and green apple tree thing.
Felix cleared his throat, "You three have three more hours." He smiled. "Eliza's in charge."
Bucky sputtered in outrage.
Eliza smirked, "Mine is an evil laugh."
"Dance, Dance Revolution: This Time its Personal! Special Addition!" crowed Zed. He grabbed Addy's hand and the two were off running.
Bucky rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, "Maybe we shouldn't have let them have sugar."
"Meh. It'll be fine. We'll have them run around in circles until they're tuckered out."
Zed picked the first song, 'Determinate' by Lemonade Mouth.
She kept up with him just fine. Zed supposed he shouldn't be surprised. He knew that a cheerleader had to be fast on their feet. And he knew Bucky's exacting standards. He also knew that the B-Bear wouldn't be dissuaded by a goose phobia.
Zed wasn't sure whose side he will take on that debate, on the one hand a cheer goose phobia and on the other…the cheer uniform.
Addison retaliated with something terrifying and classical he'd never heard of, 'Gangnam Style' by Psy.
Zed followed with Dropkick Murphys' "Shipping up to Boston" with that rocken bagpipe shredding. Trailed by 'I Wanna Be Sedated' by The Ramones, and then came her next pick 'In the Mood' by the Glen Miller Band.
They danced in tandem to the old, old song.
Her blue jacket was tied around her waist at this point.
"You're not normal," Zed said to her in admiration as she breakdanced to swing. This from a zombie is among the highest of compliments.
Addy was a bit breathless as she laughed, "Thank you, good sir. I have it on very good authority, that I'm—odd."
"Odd? How so?" Zed raised an inquiring brow as he spun.
"I was in testing to find out if I was on the spectrum and it turns out, no. I'm just odd. My psychiatrist at the time wrote it down on my official paperwork." Addison said as this wasn't at all worrying.
Zed's nose scrunched up, on her official paperwork, really? "Does that psychiatrist still have his license?"
"Maybe, after our sessions were over he left civilization to live in a yurt." Her smile was sweet and sharp.
What? "Are all your stories going to be mildly disturbing?" Zed wondered as they stumbled out of breath and out of the game. So, Addison wasn't all sugar and sunshine. He could feel her vindicated satisfaction. She'd totally made a grown man with a degree run away and live in a tent. A yurt was just a fancy tent.
He decided that whatever had happened, he was siding with Addy. From a zombies' viewpoint, the girl practically had a glowing neon pink halo.
"You'll just have to find out for yourself," Addy panted.
Zed was looking forward to it.
A shadow fell on the two teens. They looked up and found themselves to be surrounded by four men. It looked like a badly thought out ambush as it was in full view of the viewing public. Addison was startled by four expressions of pure menace and she backed up stopping when she hit Zed.
Zed cursed in mostly consonants under his breath.
"Hey, girlie" said a naked mole rat of a man in a beige velour leisure suit. "What do you think you're doing hanging out with that ugly stinking undead freak?"
"Zombies aren't actually undead," Zed smiled tightly.
"To begin with he's adorable," Addy replied as though this was an objective fact.
Zed's cheeks got noticeably warmer.
"Also, he's not stinky." Addison said thoughtfully. She turned and pulled him closer by his maroon shirt and smelt his neck. She was so close her nose ghosted his neck.
Yeah, just what he needed at this point— to be blushing hydrangea blue at this very moment in time. Thanks, Addison.
Addison released him and turned to the mole rat man, "He just smells…very extremely male."
Zed blushed deeper. Because really?
She reached behind her and grabbed his hand entwining their fingers. There was a spark of static electricity like a circuit had closed. Zed felt…strong.
"You on the other hand…I can smell you from here. When was the last time you bathed? You smell like jingle jangle and what's that cheese with the live maggots? Casu Marzu!"
Yes, he saw it now. This was the girl who drove a man crazy. This was the girl who 'got' Eliza. The two were destined to be friends. He was doomed.
Addison glared, "And what business is it of yours who I hang out with, stranger danger? I don't know you." Her voice was climbed like she was at a prep rally, rallying attention.
"They shouldn't have been allowed out of their pens to mix with normal humans. 'Specially, the women," muttered the dark skinned one with the unfortunate dingy dark puce Mohawk.
"Way to respect the agency of women," sniped Addison.
Zed smiled. It wasn't at all a nice smile. "You, a dude of color are advocating segregation and anti-miscegenation laws?"
Mohawk gaped at him like a carp on the floor of a fishing boat.
Addison grinned, "Answer the man's question. It's not like people with smartphones are recording all of this."
They were.
"How much you want to bet this guy is a meme by morning?" Zed drawled.
Puce Mohawk looked at mole rat, "Sorry, man. I don't need the notoriety." He left with a slouch.
"Hey, you!" Zed snapped at the skinny beanpole hiding in mole rat's shadow. "Yes, you in the ugly shirt," the man in the ugly shirt twitched at being called forth. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. This was supposed to be a pleasant evening of zombie baiting. They weren't supposed to talk back. "Stop looking at her chest, she's fourteen!" ugly shirt cringed as the crowd hissed at him.
Addison caught the eye of the smallest and roundest of Mole Rat's buddies. She snapped out the pointer finger of her unoccupied hand reprovingly, "You are not the man Fred Rogers thought you could be!" This announcement rang out like an accusing church bell.
Rolly-Polly's face crumpled and to everyone's astonishment he began to cry… ugly, wretched crying full of feelings and snot. He stumbled away into the night.
Mole Rat was not a loquacious fellow, he considered himself a man of action. Tonight was a disappointment. It was supposed to a way to impress his new friends…that he'd met on 4chan.
He came to the conclusion that it wasn't dead puppy boy's fault that he didn't know his place in life (under his boot.) It was the girl, with her snow white hair and that horrible, penetrating voice that was giving him delusions of personhood.
Mole Rat turned a highly unattractive shade of blotchy red and marched forward and grabbed Addison's wrist in a painful clench.
Addison did not whimper. Zed had very good control of his empathy. He deliberately closed out the asshats (their ugly emotions would not help his calm) and opened himself up to Addy. She did not whimper. Addison endured.
And didn't that explain a lot about Addison and her unprotected soul.
Zed snarled. It was a primitive noise that attacked the fear centers of the brain and took a bite. He could feel himself hulking out.
Addison bit out, in a freezing cold voice dripping in distain, "Let go." It was an order set in stone.
To his surprise, mole rat obeyed. That voice…what he wouldn't do to shut her up.
"Touch her again and I'll break you," Zed promised.
Addison squeezed his hand. "You're sweet," she murmured. What it say about her that she found his rage on her behalf comforting?
"Oh, look Addison; it's your Responsible Adult." Zombie hulk receded reluctantly into the back of his mind at the welcome sight of Bucky's dad.
Addy smiled as she looked beyond the two idiots, "Yes. Yes it is. It is indeed my Responsible Adult."
Felix Williams was frowning slightly at the tableau which, to any that knew him meant that he was furiously angry. "Gentlemen," he said sarcastically, "would you mind stepping away from my niece and her beau."
Addison squeaked. Zed smiled.
They turned to see who was addressing them and ugly shirt blanched.
"It's you!" Ugly Shirt began to tremble.
Felix canted his head in puzzlement, "Have we met?"
"I saw you kill a man with a bag of flour!" Ugly Shirt quivered.
Felix shook his head in bemusement, "I'm an accountant."
"You're death! Death in shiny patent leather shoes!"
"Were you ogling my niece?" Felix asked wondered. His frown deepened.
Ugly Shirt peed his pants and away screaming.
Zed smirked. "An accountant?" Zed asked Addy lowly.
"Lots of places need accountants," Addison replied.
"Let me tell you how this is going to go," Felix explained to the mole rat. "You are going to leave. Leave the fair and not come back. I'd demand an apology but I kind of doubt your sincerity. If you leave now without a fuss… I won't beat the stupid out of you." The accountant paused. "I'm forgetting something…" he looked at Zed.
"He grabbed Addy's wrist," Zed said scowling. "It's gonna bruise."
Addison looked down at her wrist, at the blossoming sullen purplish red with surprise. She hadn't noticed.
"So he did."
Felix slapped mole rat man. Not punched, slapped. A painful insult. His head rocked from the force like a bobble head.
"Did you just slap me?" the reprobate cried, half of his face lit in pain.
"Weird, right," Felix brushed off his hands.
The mole rat man rushed Felix, who simply sidestepped and let him bang his head hard on a ride, knocking him unconscious.
Felix shrugged.
The watching crowd applauded.
From a distance, Bucky and Eliza had watched the show. And now they observed Zed rub his cool hands gently over Addison's abused wrist.
Felix in the meantime was calming ordering carnies about. By the time he was done, the kids would both be in possession of a tidy check in lieu of an apology on behalf of the fair.
"They make the cutest power couple don't they," Bucky said cheerfully, something oddly knowing in his tone.
Eliza nodded, "They really do."
"Do you think it's moving too fast?" Eliza wondered. They had just met, haven't even gone on one date and they were segwaying into happily married.
Bucky spoke his voice a creepy echo-y thing, "This isn't the start of a summer romance that withers as fast as it blooms. In this time and in this place, they are completely compatible. They can grow into something wonderful. A friendship set on fire.
In other time and places, they would still find each other, however; they would struggle and bleed for what they are given now as a gift.
In other times and places, they would have an epic romance. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. EPIC.
Screw that. They both deserve better."
In theory and on paper epic was great. In real life epic hurt.
Eliza stared…no Eliza goggled. Who was this person? She'd thought she had a handle on who Bucky was…she was very wrong. "What the zark was that?"
Bucky regarded her with big vulnerable brown eyes. Something almost fearful lingered in the tightness round his eyes and the corners of his lips.
Yeah, no. This didn't work for her. Bucky shouldn't be afraid. And he shouldn't he afraid of her.
"I'm a psychic. Mostly, I see probabilities. Glimpses of possible timelines. It's this whole thing." Bucky shrugged like it was no big deal. Bucky who made a production of everything?
Of all the explanations… that would have never occurred to her. Sometimes, he would make a choice that seemed to domino out, changing the world around him in its path. She'd shrugged it off and put it down to coincidence.
Well, Bonzo had always been convinced Bucky had a secret that coiled round his heart, squeezing.
Bucky shrugged, "It happens sometimes. I mean I am a Celt."
She gazed at him blankly.
The cheerleader rubbed his eyes. "Hey, not all things come in on meteorites. Humans have their own peculiarities. It's something that I inherited and I can't exchange it for a toaster oven. Look, I really don't want to go into it." He was telling the truth. A truth that he'd kept to himself for so very long.
Eliza could feel a hint of that sheer loneliness that leaked occasionally from the most popular (feared) boy in school. That he suppressed every time.
"Why tell me?" Eliza asked gently.
He snorted, "Would you ever let something like me making oracular announcements in a creepy voice go?"
Well, he wasn't wrong.
" 'Sides, I trust you."
Huh.
"Before, I change the subject completely…" he smiled tiredly and glanced in the distance where Zed and Addy were hugging. "That…that solves so many problems and makes the future so much better. You have no idea."
Bucky was relieved. He'd tried to ignore…his peculiarity. Seeing the paths unfold was unsettling. Doctor Who had it right. The future was in flux with a few vital fixed points. Timelines changed and narrowed down as people made choices. He could change things in his small sphere of influence, but not in the larger world. He'd tried and it hadn't made a real impact.
He'd seen a glimpse of a world (the most likely prevalent timeline). Where Zed and Addy never met. A world where 'the world was too full of weeping' for Addy to understand and so was stolen. A world where Zed lost hope, lost faith and finally lost himself.
And that was just what had happened to them. Imagine the rest of the world.
Bucky couldn't do anything to stop it.
He hadn't seen this coming. They met and that grimdark timeline crumbled to dust. The future was bright. Bucky shipped it. He shipped it hard.
Eliza blinked. Zed and Addy made the future better by being together. Okay. She could dig it. Bucky was psychic. She could deal.
Bucky trusted her. That was new.
It was a huge advertisement. It was called Banshee! The Ride. It depicted a woman with a hideous wrinkled face, an incongruously rockin' body and reams of snowy hair, wailing.
Addison closed her eyes and wished she was hallucinating. She opened her eyes. Nope. Still there.
Suddenly, her vision was taken up with pale pink cotton candy.
"I thought comfort food was needed," Zed said.
Addy smiled. "I'm so glad I met you."
"Well, I am a wonder and a delight," Zed replied with all due modesty.
"Still, not charming." Addison lied as she popped a small skein of pink cotton into her pink lips.
Zed does not observe this with interest. He does not.
Zed laughed softly, "I am so charming that you simply cannot handle it. And are in deep, deep denial."
"Sure, that's what's happening."
"Seriously, are you alright?" Zed queried.
Zed, she had discovered was a fuss-budget. He fluttered about, touching her hands or shoulders softly and worried over her.
She liked it.
Addison was so doomed.
"This is not the most destressing thing to ever happen to me," Addy told him in her most soothing voice.
He frowned. "That's not reassuring. If anything, that means way more destressing things have happened to you."
Addison bit her lip. Maybe, I should have worded that better.
"I'm fine. It's just… I'm always surprised that the poet was right." Addison sighed.
"What did the poet say?" Zed wondered.
"People be jackasses."
Zed let out a startled laugh. Yeah, that kept on happening and yet it always snuck up on him.
Addy smiled
She looked at the sign and sighed.
"Just so you know I am not going on that thing." He watched as Banshee! The Ride spun and plunged. "I am not afraid of heights. It's the combination of heights and moving fast that my delicate constitution just does not like."
"Delicate constitution? Seriously," Addy said with a breathy giggle.
Zed liked her breathy giggles. He wondered what a genuine belly laugh from Addison would be like.
"I am a delicate blossom."
Zed and Addison entered the 'Magic Mirror Maze.' Thus far it was just the standard array of trick mirrors.
"Did, that guy from your poem write anything else?" wondered Zed.
Addy laughed. "Oh, yes. Novels, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, though, I do warn you…only read if you don't mind having your paradigms shattered and your sleep disturbed."
"That's fine. I'm used to that. I'm friends with Eliza, she shatters my paradigms all the time for fun," Zed assured her. "What else do you read?"
"All sorts of things, fiction and nonfiction, classics, contemporary, romance and mysteries but, I'm really into the fantasists; Gaiman and Chesterton, Tolkien and Lewis, de Lint and Duane and L'Engle and Butcher."
"So, you're an optimist?" Zed asked.
"How'd do you figure? Not all stories end happily." Addy replied.
Zed smiled ruefully, "Maybe not, but isn't there more of a chance of happily?"
"So, you have a touch of cynicism under that blithe exterior," Addy teased.
Zed shrugged, "I choose to be happy…no matter how much the world can suck. And then I try to make it better, no matter how many windmills beat the crap out of me."
Addison stopped. And stared; then started walking after him in shock. That…how? That's how I see the world! She felt some of that icy loneliness that had been ever-present in her life for as long as she could remember…just melt like fog in sunlight.
Silently, she took his hand.
Zed looked down at their once again entwined fingers, his coolness and her warmth tangling together. This, this felt right.
The naked mole rat man in the beige velour leisure suit followed. The zombie freak and that white haired hussy first. He'd save the accountant for later. You slapped a woman. You punched a man. He couldn't let the insult pass.
The zombie was the weak link…letting its woman take the lead.
There was something wrong with that girl.
With that girl's voice, it crawled into his head, pushed buttons. He'd felt her utter distain at his touch, her caring for the beast at her back. It shook him. He hadn't meant to let go. But, that ice cold, iron hard command…his hands shook at the memory.
He could hear them talk. Like what they thought mattered. Twittering like birds and making as little sense.
They're happy. He'd always hated the happiness of others. It made him feel cheated. It always seemed to make his happiness look cheap and ugly.
If someone had something, even if he didn't want it, he'd break it.
Just to hear it smash.
Just to hear their hearts smash.
The naked mole rat man in the beige velour leisure suit knew himself to be correct in all matters. He was incapable of being wrong. The sane man in the asylum is how he thought of himself.
And how he raged at the unfairness; how in the land of the blind, why wasn't he king?
He'd even changed his milquetoast birth name to reflect his proper station in life. Magnus Rex. Now, that was the name of a man who knew his true worth.
"Somethings wrong." Addy slowed to a stop. The fine downy hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention. Her grey eyes went wide with foreboding.
Zed opened his senses to include more than his pretty companion. His breath came in sharply, malice, hot and bitter was stalking them.
They turned and saw a reflection moving towards them. The figure was familiar.
"The naked mole rat man in the beige velour leisure suit!" Addy exclaimed quietly.
Zed snorted, "Mean, but accurate…" he looked back and sighed. Mole Rat now had a comically large hunting knife. Zombie hulk was waking up again. The wrath Zed had felt when the jerk had grabbed Addison had been terrifying. And the idea of him touching her again…
"Listen, I want you to run…"
Addy glared at him.
"This isn't because you're a girl! Okay. It's because out the two of us, I'm more durable." Zed hissed.
Addison shook her snow white locks, "I'm not leaving you to face a knife wielding psycho on your own. Together, or not at all, pretty boy."
"What did you call me?"
"Guy, with a knife, headed this way," Addison said hastily, ignoring the question.
Zed, best friend of Eliza, older brother of Zoey, knew that this was not gonna go the way he wanted.
"Let's go," Zed gently pushed her in front of him as they hurried down the hall.
It was the wrong way. Of course, it was.
"I warn you the only thing more devastating than my high kick is my low kick!"
Zed grimaced and pulled Addison behind him. Why, did she have to challenge the knife wielding maniac?
Mole Rat flinched at the sound of her voice. "Shut up! That voice, I can hear it echoing inside of me! I'm gonna tear out your voice box with my teeth!"
Zed Eros Necrodopolus, was it was widely acknowledged; a chill guy, a guy who could weather most anything with an enviable levelheadedness.
It was rare you got to see him angry. Those who'd gotten the privilege of seeing him in such a state inevitably hoped they'd never see it again.
There was a reason zombies have often mistaken him for a young warrior prince after getting a look at his aura, before being confronted with the reality of Zed's actual personality.
The mole rat recoiled at the zombie's murderous expression, and then rallied when he glanced at the girl. The girl was the real threat. A voice like that needed to be silenced.
Zed ducked under the hand with the knife and punched mole rat in the stomach. It was a good, solid, highly enthusiastic punch. Zed felt something crunch under his knuckles. He wasn't sorry.
Then he and Addison were running down the maze endlessly reflecting mirrors. A dead end was the worst thing that could happen to them at this time besides, being chased by a lunatic.
Mole rat threw his knife.
Addison felt time slow, saw the inevitable trajectory of the knife. It would hit Zed's neck, penetrating his jugular.
He would bleed out.
He would die.
Addison screamed.
It was a wail of wraith and grief and fear, which slammed into the brain like needles of ice and fire. The mirrors didn't shatter…they crumbled into sparkly dust. The knife paused a half an inch from Zed's throat and summersaulted backwards, hitting the mole rat in his shoulder.
The lights sputtered out.
The wail subsided and all was heavy breathing.
The lights flickered back on.
The man who'd once called himself Magnus Rex sat on the floor, arms tight around his legs, rocking back and forth. Blood dripped from his ears.
"Zed, Zed are you okay?" Addison cupped Zed's face in her hands looking him over, she was shaking with worry. "Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?"
Her small warm hands brushed his ears frantically.
Zed realized she was looking for blood. He reached up and took her hands in his larger cool ones. "I think I should ask you that?"
Addison was pale, her breath coming in short hiccup-y gasps and her grey eyes were wide with fear.
"No. No, you didn't hurt me," Zed kissed her forehead. It had been like standing in the wind as it roared over the ocean. "What was that?"
Addison gingerly stepped away from him and looked up at him. She searched his face for any sign of fear…of her and finding none let out her held breath in a whoosh. Addy struggled for words. "Darling, you're pop culture, I'm mythology.
She patted his chest turned away from the puzzled zombie and warily sidestepped the prone and whimpering mole rat, briskly made her way around him.
Zed stared at her retreating back. That cleared precisely nothing up! That was not an explanation!
Also, Zed really liked Addy calling him darling.
When they emerged from the maze, Zed was astonished to discover Bucky, Eliza and Mr. Williams already there.
"What happened?" Eliza demanded.
Zed replied, "How did you know we in trouble?"
Eliza and Bucky looked at each other with wide eyes then back to him.
"Aww, well…"
"I don't know about those two but Addy texted me." The man assessed the two teenagers, looking for injuries. And found none to his satisfaction.
"Are you kids alright?" Mr. Williams asked his expression and voice bland, the slight widening of his eyes the only sign of his concern.
"Yeah, we're unscathed. The other guy not so much." Zed gestured at the maze. "Bad guy down."
If Felix Williams was surprised he certainly didn't show it, just nodded briskly and headed it. He patted Addison's stiff shoulder gently on the way into the maze
"What the hell?" Eliza began scowling. "You'd better not be hurt Necrodopolus." Hostility was one of the ways Eliza showed affection.
"I'm fine. We're fine. The naked mole rat man in the beige velour leisure suit followed us in…it didn't end well for him," answered Zed.
Bucky looked into Addy's eyes, "How soon is that panic attack?"
Zed's full attention was back on Addison. The girl shivered all over…
"Soon. There's too many people. I can't…I just can't." Addy's strong voice was whispery and frayed.
Bucky nodded, "Thought so." He fished a ticket out of his pocket. "Farris Wheel. Good for four go rounds. You'll be done by then."
"Thank you," she hugged him hard then took off in a run; only pausing to cast an anguished look at Zed.
"Hey, wait!" Zed yelped.
Bucky smiled and handed the zombie boy a Farris Wheel ticket. "What are you waiting for? Go to her!"
Zed was off.
"Are they okay?" Eliza anxiously questioned.
"They'll be great."
"Zed's afraid of heights."
"They'll be great. As long as Zed doesn't yark on her."
Zed zoomed, zigged and zagged through the crowd, avoiding fair goers and carnies alike. He thought that maybe he'd just hurtled over a guy kneeling to tie his shoe laces.
To his frustration, the wheel was already slowly moving. He waved at Addison, who didn't respond; she was gripping the safety bar and staring into the distance. Addy's expression was haunted.
Zed cut to the head of the line. Causing many people to boo also, someone may have called him the son of a targ.
"Hey, what are you…?" the ticket guy sputtered.
Zed smiled winningly, slipped the ticket into a taupe pocked.
"Faint heart never won fair lady," Zed winked and began to scale the slowly revolving ride.
Addison was in shock. She'd tried ignoring it but, it had happened again. Okay, okay. She'd only hurt someone who'd deserved it…Addy could live that. Maybe. She hadn't hurt Zed. That was wonderful. A relief. But, she could have. She might still.
"I should go live in a yurt," Addison muttered to herself. "Everyone would be better off."
She yelped as her pod began rocking.
"I disagree with both those sentences," Zed pulled himself into the pod with a grunt.
Addison actually put her panic attack on pause to be astonished; who scaled Farris wheel to talk to somebody?
"You should not go live in a yurt Addy, all you'd be allowed to eat would be plain yogurt and goat jerky." Zed shrugged at her confounded look, "I don't make the rules."
"What about your delicate constitution?" Addison wondered.
He smiled flatly, "You having a panic attack more important."
She bit her lip and looked away, heart thundering.
"You don't have to tell me what happened in there." Zed softly told her. "I just didn't want you to be alone."
Addison said nothing. She closed her eyes and blindly reached for his hand. She concentrated on the feeling of his hand in hers and slowly her heartrate dropped from hummingbird in a wheat combine to something more reasonable.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Make a choice.
"My mother hated my hair. She said it was unnatural and freakish." Addy kept her voice as steady as possible. Which wasn't very.
Zed made a disbelieving noise of protest. He looked at the girl with the perfect white locks and knew he was going to get very angry a third time.
"It turns out it can't be dyed… at all. So, the obvious solution was to give me a buzz cut and make me wear a wig."
"What?"
Addison's eyes fluttered open, "It was itchy and hot but, at least it got me out of those horrible toddler beauty pageants."
Zed mind blanked. Just what?
"I recently found out why my hair was like this. It's not just some random genetic quirk. I've been trying to ignore it…but, it's the third time." Addison rubbed her eyes.
"You, know how magic's a thing. Like a really real thing, not just hats and bunnies." She gave him a wry smile. A brief flash of upturned lips.
Zed didn't expect that, "Let's assume, I did."
"So if magic's a thing, then assume magical beings are a thing," she pushed an errant lock behind a gently curved ear.
Zed considered this. Yeah, not where he thought this conversation might go. "Are you a magical being?" he ventured carefully. Addison was telling the truth. He could sense her honesty. It wasn't just that. Her voice vibrated with the truth, literally and not at all figuratively.
He'd have his own panic attack later.
"Kinda. Sorta." A long pause and then, "I'm a banshee!" Addison hid her face with her hands.
The zombie did not know what to do with this answer. "You're a banshee. A faerie ghost women?"
She brightened at his recognition, "You've heard of it?"
"Yes. My friend Bonzo is an Irish zombie and went through a myth and folklore phase he'd made us sit through lectures and a slideshow. He would give us pop quizzes afterwards. Well, me. He'd give me pop quizzes and would sulk when Eliza ignored him."
Addison exhaled, "Well, one of my ancestors dallied with the fae back in the day and sometime later…I happened. Latent genes turned on. And here I am. A mortal with a few banshee powers. And hair. I'm not allergic to cold iron and I can lie…badly."
She peaked at Zed. He seemed to be taking this very well. Also, he truly believed her. He wasn't just humoring her. Maybe, it was the zombie empathy thing her Zombie Tong teacher had mentioned.
Zed laughed, "I'm a zombie. Who was zombiefied by a meteor, darling. I've no room to doubt someone else's origin story."
"I don't suppose you could forget I called you that?" Addison grumbled.
"Not a chance." He winked at her, "Feel free to call me darling anytime it takes your fancy."
Okay, from panic attack to blushing puddle. Normally, after an episode she'd be depressed for hours if not days. Who was this boy? Where did he come from?
"No wonder you were staring at the poster from Banshee! The Ride. It's not a good depiction," Zed mused. There were days when he'd come across something from the past like a Romero movie or something of that ilk and was taken aback. Sometimes, he forgot where his people got their name. The cognitive dissonance was a bitch.
Addison sniffed, "I don't know…it seemed pretty close to the source material. Banshees are depicted as hot gingers or… hideous crones with white hair."
"Hey," Zed cupped her cheek gently and turned her to face him. Addison looked at him with uncertain moonstone eyes. He caressed her hair with his other hand. It was very soft. She gasped, a pretty blush blossoming on her cheeks.
"Your mom was wrong," He told her. "She was wrong. Your hair is not unnatural and freakish. You are not unnatural and freakish."
Zed waited until their eyes met, "It's beautiful. You're beautiful."
They were caught up in a kiss as soft as sleep, new and as sweet as spring.
"Hello," Addison whispered.
"Why hello," Zed purred.
Addy laughed, "Maybe, just a smidge charming." She held out her hand, forefinger and thumb a half-inch apart. "A smidge."
"I'll take it."
Later, on the way to the parking lot Zed slowed to a stop in front of a ball throwing kiosk. He paid for the privilege of throwing three balls and the chance to win a plushy.
Eliza snickered, "Trying to in press the girl with feats of strength, eh?"
"Do I strike you as the kind of girl who's impressed by feats of strength?" Addison asked raising a brow.
Eliza considered, "Mmm. Not so much. You're the type who's impressed by kindness or bravery or braininess…muscles don't do it for you. But, you don't mind looking." She smiled cheekily.
"Why, I never." Addison fluttered her hands about in mock southern lady indignation.
"In fact, I've caught her looking at young Zed's arms, on more than one occasion," Bucky interjected helpfully.
Zed spun round with an absolutely delighted grin, "You can look all you want, Addison. I don't mind."
Addison said primly, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."
Bucky and Eliza snorted in perfected tandem.
On, his second strike Zed won. His expression was insufferably smug.
Addison suddenly, found herself looking cross-eyed into the face of a large inexplicably teal duck-billed platypus plushie.
"This is for you!" said Zed, with the all considerable enthusiasm of a golden retriever puppy.
"You won me a platypus?" Addison took his offering. To his disappointment she hugged the platypus instead of him. "Thank you."
Zed held out his arm. Addy hesitated for a moment before taking it. "Shall we, milady."
"We shall good sir."
"Are they going to be like this all the time?" Eliza could feel the sugar shock.
Bucky snorted, "Sometimes, it will be all this. Other times they'll bicker like Nick and Nora Charles. We're a couple of years away from Morticia and Gomez levels of public displays of affection."
"They wouldn't!"
"Oh, yes. They would!"
Felix leaned against the door of his immaculately kept if ancient turquoise SUV and watched his son and Eliza play rock, paper, scissors, for sitting shotgun.
The other two had watched four games without comment. Then Addy yawned. It was contagious because then Zed yawned. Then they yawned together in tandem.
Afterwards, they just got in the backseat of the car, without a huge production.
Unlike Bucky and Eliza whose weird silent argument had gone on for a record ten minutes.
"Time, "Felix said. Ten minutes was enough. They sullenly broke of their argument.
"Bucky…" the teen blinked at him. "Be a gentleman."
Bucky groaned like one long oppressed. He opened the contested car door and smiled wryly at Eliza, "Here. The seats yours."
Eliza snorted, "I was winning anyways." She slid in. Bucky rolled his eyes and shut the door.
Eliza, Bucky and Felix stared. Addy and Zed were asleep. Addison's head was on Zed's shoulder with his arm slung securely around her waist, his cheek resting on the top of their head. The improbable teal platypus plushy squished between them.
They were absurdly cute.
"B?" Eliza said lowly.
"On it, E." Bucky pulled out his phone and took pictures.
Lots of pictures.
Bonzo Maureen Doyle (as Doyle means 'dark stranger' it didn't have to be changed) Ravenclaw and bounty hunter, walked into his cabin at music camp and flopped on his twin bed (that was too small for him, he had to curl up to fit) and smiled.
Band geeks were the best. Even their insults were superior and really a full orchestra playing 'Thriller' was actually kind of flattering.
He wasn't even pretending to only be fluent in Zombie Tong and Elvish.
He pulled out his smart phone and perused the accumulated e-mails of the day. Well, wasn't Eliza verbose today; usually, she texted, in short staccato bursts of annoyance.
From: EllieZQueenBee
To: MusicMan
Subject: Our young boy Z has found himself a girl! He is well and truly smitten.
• This is Addison Hortensia Williams, 'Actual Disney Princess'. The poor dear is Bucky's cousin. And now she lives with him. Shudder.
• She passed the Zoey Test.
• She's cool. Not for a human. She's just cool.
• They look good together.
~*~ picture of Zed and Addie looking adorable. ~*~
• The cute— it burns us!
• They've got the weirdest rapport. It's like one minute it's as if they've known each other their whole lives; cradle to the grave levels of comfortableness with each other. And the next it's all intense flirty flirt.
• Oh, No. WWHHHYYYY?
• I could have lived a happy life not knowing how Zed's pheromones smell like.
• Cinnamon toast with honey
• And now she's going: freshly baked sugar cookies…sure why not? The girl already smells like raindrops on roses.
• Also, I can no longer eat the two things ever again.
• Zoey has a kitty now.
• "Let me explain... No, there is too much. Let me sum up." See this YouTube video
• I know Bucky's secret. Can't tell you. Not mine to tell. It's the last thing you'd expect though.
• Hey, you're a Celt. Is there anything weird going with you I should know about?
• Also, Bucky Bear's turned matchmaker. Be afraid, be beary afraid.
• Our young lovers got chased through a maze of mirrors by a knife wielding loon
• They're A-Okay
• 'Cept Addy has panic attacks
• She ran from Zed and got on a Farris wheel
• He's climbing a Farris wheel to get to her…that'll teach her to run
• He won her a teal platypus plushy.
~*~another pictures of ultimate cuteness~*~
• I call dibs on best man. Just saying.
Bonzo did not know where to begin. He had so many questions.
Notes and References
• Was anybody else creeped out by Addison's parents? I got a whole emotionally abusive Mother Gothel / Alice Cooper vibe.
• 'Instructions' by an old obscure writer: Neil Gaiman. He was forgotten for a while but now is making a comeback.
• Addisong is Addison's e-mail. In case you were wondering.
• Rolly-Polly repented of his sins. Became a social justice warrior/minister of the gospel. And finally became the man Fred Rogers thought he could be.
• Ugly Shirt did not stop running until he hit Alaska. He lived in a yurt for the rest of his life.
• Unfortunate Puce Mohawk didn't escape memedom.
• And the naked mole rat man in the beige velour leisure suit spent the rest of his life in a sanitarium.
• Bonzo ended up giving his Celtic mythology and folklore lecture and slideshow to Eliza yet again. He won't find out why until the middle of the upcoming school year.
• An 'Actual Disney Princess' is exactly what Bonzo thought Zed would go for.
• Felix Aramis Williams would be played by Clark Gregg.
• Lots of places need accountants. Even super-secret spy agencies. He's retired.
• The psychiatrist who put down odd in Addy's permanent files totally deserved to be driven a bit crazy and have to subside on yogurt and goat jerky while living in a yurt.
Prompts
1. Banshee!Addison : This should so be a thing in this fandom
2. Sentinal!Addison /Guide!Zed
3. Mutants! AU: Mutant!Addy/Zombie!Zed: The zoms are expecting intolerance at normal high school, and they get it. Just from the teachers (excepting the football coach and lit teacher); not from the students. They treat the zoms just like they treat each other. Then the zoms discover the human kids have blackmailed the teachers to treat them decently. And then they discover why; absolutely, none of the Normal students at Seabrook High are normal much to the delight of the zombie hoard.
4. Danny Phantom!Addison /Zombie!Zed
5. Persephone!Addison/Hades!Zed
6. The 100 AU: Octavia!Addison/Lincoln!Zed : Bellamy!Bucky/Clark!Bree
7. Librarian!Zed/Guardian!Addy : Caretaker Galahad!Bucky, Cassandra!Bree, Ezekiel!Eliza and Jake!Bonzo
8. Leverage AU: Mastermind!Addison/Grifter!Zed : Hacker!Eliza, Hitter!Bonzo, Thief!Bree, Stirling!Bucky
9. Sugar and sunshine Veronica Mars!Addison /Wallace!Zed : No psychotic jackasses : Mac!Eliza
10. SupergirlAU: Kara!Addison /Mon-El!Zed :J'onn!Eliza, Alex!Bucky, Winn!Bree, Cat!Bonzo
11. Perky Arrow!Addison / Goofy Felicity!Zed : Diggle!Eliza, Thea!Bucky / Roy!Bree
12. Teen Wolf!Addison/Zombie!Zed
13. Dresden Files Wizard!Addison/ Alien Refugee!Zed : Urban Fantasy/college/Welcome to Earth, all our monsters are real, also; magic. But hey, there's pie.
14. Hogwarts AU: Hufflepuff!Zed/Hufflepuff!Addy, Ravenclaw!Bonzo/Ravenclaw!Bree, Slytherin!Bucky, Gryffindor!Eliza
15. Victor Von Doom!Zed/Squirrel Girl!Addy…stop laughing!
16. Holistic Detective!Addy/Confused Zombie!Zed
17. Hallmark Movie AU
18. Young Wizards AU
19. Divergent AU
20. Miraculous Ladybug AU