Since I only uploaded a prologue and instead of a chapter, I decided to update early! Plus, all the positive feedback (and one that I think was being sarcastic…?) really pushed my decision. Thank you all so much for reviewing. Enjoy! C:
A year now passed since the finale and Mike still couldn't get Zoey out of his head. Ever since the break up and what she told Mike, he couldn't help but work on his Multiple Personality Disorder. It was taken care of, he knew, but just in case. He finally learned to put away Mal, he learned ways of how to stay calm whenever he could feel himself getting frustrated, Mike kept his shirt on all times, and steered clear of fedora's. Since getting rid of his personalities, Mike hasn't been more alone in his life. There was no more communicating with these personalities anymore and he hasn't even contacted Zoey in a year.
Things were about to change though, he was going to get the guts and call her and tell her he's changed, how he's taken care of problems. He kept her number in his cell phone and decided to give it a call. When she picked up, he gave a sigh of relief that she didn't ignore the call. But this was Zoey, she would never ignore his calls.
"Mike?" Zoey asked hesitantly on the phone.
"Yeah, hey, Zoey." Mike said confidently trying not to sound excited that she picked up the phone.
"I didn't think you were actually calling me," Zoey said with a small laugh. "I thought maybe you butt dialed me or something."
"No, I purposely called you," Mike explained. "I wanted to know if you wanted to catch up or something."
There was silence on the phone and Mike thought he lost her for a second, he was about to speak into the phone again until Zoey spoke up. "Mike… I don't think this is such a good idea-"
"But it won't be a date or anything," Mike quickly said interrupted Zoey. He already had the guts to call her and he wasn't about to let her hang up. "Just to talk."
There was another minute of silence before Zoey gave in. "Alright. Sounds good, you want to meet downtown like we used to?"
When she said that, a million memories flooded into his mind after their first season of being on Total Drama, downtown was where they'd constantly meet up. All the buildings, restaurants, and little boutiques they visited together. From each other's houses, it was an hour drive but downtown was the perfect halfway mark- only a thirty minute drive.
"Perfect, let's meet at that coffee shop tomorrow at one. What was it called?" Mike asked.
"The Big Bean?" Zoey asked.
"That's it!" Mike said a little too excitedly before trying to remain cool.
"I'll see you tomorrow then! Good night, Mike." Zoey said before she hung up. He was going to wish her a good night but she hung up, which left him a little disappointed.
Mike quickly dressed for bed and couldn't sleep at the fact he was seeing Zoey now, the girl that he loved since he first saw her. He wondered if she changed at all, maybe her hair color or something. He knew when she would see him that he changed. He worked out a little more since Zoey left, determined that his strength could win her back, but since she never picked up her phone whenever he called her in the first few months in the breakup- he stopped. Since then, he became depressed in a way. He never called Cam, his friends, or try to access his personalities. He just didn't feel like dealing with people without someone asking what happened to the cute redhead from the show. Mike was determined to change for the better, and maybe having Zoey back would help somewhat.
Mike woke up the next morning feeling excited and a little jittery. He went into the shower and turned the temperature of the water to hot, some would say it was scolding, but he loved it. It made him relax more, cleared his thoughts- not to mention his sinuses, and just felt good. He went downstairs to see his mom making eggs with bacon.
"Morning Mikey!" his mom said cheerfully.
"Hey, mom, I need a favor." Mike said as his mom gave him a small plate with two eggs and two strips of bacon.
"And what would that be?" his mom said returning to the skillet to make herself some eggs and bacon.
"I need to borrow the car." Mike said as he put small pieces of egg into his mouth and chewing slowly anticipating an answer.
"Where are you going?" his mom grabbed her own plate and sat down next to him.
"Downtown to see Zoey." Mike said quickly hoping she wouldn't hear him.
"Zoey? But didn't you two…?" She didn't bother finishing the sentence knowing how her son has been.
"It's just to catch up, mom." Mike said wanting to get off this topic.
"That's quite the drive…" she contemplated as she ate some pieces of egg.
"Please, mom?" Mike begged.
"Alright, be a careful driver though." She said as Mike perked up.
"Yes!" he said gleefully. Mike quickly stuffed his face with eggs and gave his mom the last strip of bacon. "I have to quickly get ready so I can go."
"What time are you meeting her?" his mom called to him as he ran up the stairs.
"Soon!" he called down the stairs.
Being that it's early December in Canada, its freezing cold out. He would have to bundle in navy ear flap hat, his blue winter coat, black gloves, and his usual jeans. He ran back downstairs and waved goodbye to his mother before going into the garage and starting up his silver Ford Flex and taking off. The drive was tedious as usual in the winter. Whenever snow fell down from the sky, people instinctively drove slow- which annoyed him to no end. He decided to play music and sing along with the radio to calm his nerves. He finally made it into Toronto and tried to find the Big Bean, but the busy city with snow wasn't exactly an easy thing to do. Until he finally found it and found available parking just a block down.
When he walked in, it smelled of cinnamon and fresh baked pastries. Oh, how he missed this place. He sat where they used to on their dates, the two large, worn down, green chairs and waited for the other green chair to be occupied by Zoey. He stared at the door, waiting for the red velvet haired girl to walk in with a smile on her face, maybe even laughing at something that just happened to her. He looked at his cell phone clock and saw there was ten minutes till one. He couldn't wait ten minutes, he leaned forward on his elbows that rested on his knees and tapped his foot. He was just so nervous to see how she'd react to him. Should he get a coffee? No, that'd be rude. He just sat there in the chair, and waited.
There she was. He spotted her at first by her hair, which didn't change, neither did the style of being in two small ponytails on the back of her head. Being that it wasn't summer anymore, she had on a leather coat with a faux fur trimming on her hood. Underneath, she wore a red turtleneck that hugged her curves and dark jeggings that tucked into her black boots. He quickly stood up and waved her over.
She looked around for him until she saw him. She gave a smile at him and went in for a brief hug. Zoey shook the snow flurries off of her head and asked Mike. "Did you get something yet?"
"No," Mike shook his head. "I wanted to wait for you."
"Great!" Zoey's smile seemed to widen as they walked up to the counter. Zoey decided to get herbal tea while Mike ordered a hot chocolate, feeling too jittery already to get coffee. When they sat back down, Zoey asked before blowing into her tea to cool down. "How've you been?"
"Good," Mike responded. "I've been working out more."
"You look like you've gained muscle." Zoey commented.
"What about you?" Mike asked taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "Anything new with you?"
She hesitated by taking a sip of her tea and looking into it, not wanting to make eye contact with Mike. "It's been… interesting." She probably didn't want to make eye contact because he might know that something was not right. But judging by her tone, he already knew.
"Zoey…?" Mike asked concerned.
"I've been fine," she looked up with a sudden smile that seemed almost too happy for her reply. "Honest."
Now that he really saw her, she looked worn. Her face was slimmer and so did her body, but he was sure if she took off her top, you were probably able to see her ribs. She looked tired, like she hasn't had much sleep lately. The thing that he noticed the most in her face though… was that she was sad.
"If you want to talk about something-" Mike offered but she cut him off.
"Mike, I told you I was fine." She snapped. She realized her sudden outburst and winced a little knowing snapping was just not her. She coughed a little and asked. "How have you been without your personalities?"
"Good." He couldn't wait to bring up this subject. Mike wanted to bring up how he was a changed guy and how now Zoey can just date him and not the other personalities included. "They haven't come out in since the finale."
"Really?" Zoey gave a genuine smile at him and put down her tea. "That's great, right?"
"Yeah, now I can focus on myself." Mike smiled back at her.
"But doesn't it get a little lonely?" She asked.
"It was at first," he shrugged. "But what I had was a disorder, not friends, I had to get over it."
Of course Mike still felt guilty leaving his personalities in his head, not letting them go free, but he had to get over it. Zoey shifted in her seat awkwardly as she sipped her herbal tea once more. "Mike," she said softly. "You wouldn't happen to do this because of the breakup, would you?"
Mike stared at her for a second. Now he just had to see how she would react. "What if I did it for both of us?"
"I thought so…" Zoey sighed as she put down her tea firmly. "Mike, I don't know how to tell you this but… I'm with Scott now."
"You're with Scott? Are you serious?" Mike asked getting a little angry. "You know how deceitful he is!"
"It's been a year and he's changed since Courtney." Zoey said defensively.
Mike couldn't possibly think she was happy with this. If you just only saw her, then you could see she was troubled by something. At first, he thought it was from their break up and how she wasn't okay with everything, but now... it just might be about Scott, and that angered him some more.
"And how's that going?" Mike said sarcastically.
"Mike, don't do that," Zoey said upset by his tone. "Don't be a jerk."
"Zoey, you look terrible. You can't look me in the eye and tell you're alright when you clearly don't look like it." Mike said frustrated. He knew if he kept this up, Chester would reappear. At the worst time possible, too. Mike took a long sip of his hot chocolate to calm him down a little.
Zoey gasped as suddenly her lower lip trembled and tears brim her eyes. Mike softened as he realized what he said. "Oh, crap, Zoey I didn't mean it."
Zoey stood up hastily and threw the remained of her herbal tea on his shirt. There was barely a lot left, but he could still feel the wet warmth soon on his skin. She then yelled at Mike. "But you said it, and it was on your mind. I don't know if you're still Mal or Mike because you're acting like a complete jerk!"
She stormed out the coffee shop crying as Mike quickly chased after her. She seemed to find closer parking to the shop as she went along to the driver's side of her red Mini Cooper and fumbled to find her keys. Mike stood on the passenger side and leaned across the top of the car. "Zoey, I'm extremely sorry!"
"Here-" she sniffed while still fumbling for her keys. "I thought you wanted to be friends-" sniff sniff. "But now I see you just want to show off how well you've been doing!"
"That's not what I meant at all!" Mike said sadly. "I wanted to see how you were doing and maybe see if things worked out because I changed- for you!"
She stopped and looked at him with her tear streaked face and still sniffling. Seeing that she was giving him her full attention, he continued. "And seeing you like this, stressed out, made me upset. If that's not enough, I really tried to keep Chester back."
"Mike," she shook her head as fresh batches of tears seem to leak. "Please don't do this to me."
"I just want you to be happy," Mike confessed. "To be honest, I haven't been happy since the day you left."
"I- I can't just leave Scott," Zoey said as she found her keys and unlocked her car. Before she stepped into her car, she said softly to Mike. "Please understand."
But he couldn't. He could see she was stressing from possibly Scott and Zoey's relationship and causing her to be in such a condition that she is now. As she drove off down the snow covered road, he couldn't help but stare after her. How could this have possibly gone so wrong? He was sure this was a foolproof plan of getting her back, but now she left angry and crying. What was a guy like Mike to do? If there's anything that this conversation had, it was a hidden meaning. Mike could tell by her tone that she wanted him too. It could be a small lingering feeling but it was still there, and she felt it.
Mike walked back to his car solemnly and right when he was about to unlock his car, he slipped and fell on some ice that was in the street. When he fell to the ground, his head jerked back causing it to hit the concrete. Mike angrily rose up and almost started to yell at himself for not looking where he was going. He unlocked the car and stepped in with some difficulty. He shakily put the keys in the ignition and turned it with the engine starting. "I'm so stupid!" Mike said to himself.
While Mike drove himself home, he was left alone with his thoughts thinking what he was going to do now with Zoey. Defiantly apologize, but getting her to pick up his call would be difficult. It wasn't until his thoughts had a different voice, a voice Mike was none too happy to hear.
"Mal," Mike hissed. "I thought I put you away for good."
"That was until you hit your head." Mal replied until he tutted him. "You really should be more careful with that head of yours, wouldn't want me escaping again." He then laughed evilly as Mike cringed at the sound.
"Whatever it is that you want to tell me, I don't care." Mike said firmly wanting Mal to just leave him alone. He was having a bad enough day and Mal suddenly appearing wasn't making this anymore better.
"What if I told you I was willing to help you with Zoey?" Mal said in his low persuading voice.
"You wouldn't possibly help me, let alone Zoey." Mike scoffed. "What do you really want?"
"Nothing," Mal simply said. "It's a lot more fun in here now that the show is over and now I have servants."
"But why help me?" Mike asked almost giving in to Mal. "You have nothing to gain."
"Oh, I do Mike," Mal said with an evil chuckle. "But I won't tell you yet."
"Then there's no way you're helping me." Mike replied quickly.
"Listen, Mike," Mal said annoyed. "Zoey wants a bad guy, someone to give her some sort of thrill. That's why she's with Scott."
"You think so?" Mike asked.
"Exactly." Mal said smiling evilly, but Mike could never see it.
"But she said he's changed, wouldn't she want the old Scott? Not the Scott that she says has 'changed'?" Mike questioned.
"She probably meant being a boyfriend. You saw how he was around Courtney from before. Pathetic." Mal rolled his eyes at Scott's actions as he remembered them.
"I don't know..." Mike said confused on what he should do.
"Do you possibly think she wants you back? A weak, sad, boy, begging at her feet to take her back?"
"I wasn't begging!" Mike said defensively.
"You were practically groveling."
After moments of thought, Mike gave in with a sigh. "What do you propose?"
"Now that you can actually somewhat control your personalities, I say we switch out. Whenever I'm by Zoey, I'll go in, after that, you switch back."
"But what if I can't switch back?" Mike asked nervously.
"That won't happen," Mal said lying through his teeth as he coaxed Mike. "Since you're strong enough to take control."
This was enough confidence to actually have Mike think about this proposal some more. He couldn't believe he was doing this, give the reins of his body to Mal. He's done it before on accident, and look what happened.
"Zoey won't know it's you?" Mike asked.
"That's right."
After Mal replied, Mike could only see more pros than cons at this point. He was strong enough to take control of his body after all. If he could keep them in his head this long, he was sure he had complete control.
"Alright," Mike swallowed hard, afraid if he was making the right choice after all. "You have yourself a deal."
Okay, so I read in a fanfic that Scott was Zoey's cousin… please tell me that's not true… then I'd have to rewrite another name for Scott… anyways, long chapter this one! Tell me what you think, ideas are welcome! Please review!