"I'm sorry that I was forced out like that, Zoe." She nodded in response just barely getting home herself. "Did you go out?"
"Uh, yeah. I was curious about the town I'll be calling home," she replied. Looking at Harley she wanted to ask about Wade and what this huge deal was but she really didn't want to bring attention to the fact that she was friends with Wade. Could he see that she was hanging out with him? Could he see that she was leaving something out? With Harley's back turned to her she lightly sniffed her shirt smelling a soft hint of axe body spray. She could only hope that it wasn't too noticeable.
Harley gave a small nod, sitting across the room from her. She wanted to say something, she was even okay with Harley saying something. Anything to break the weird silence that was hanging over them. She just wasn't sure asking what happened with the neighbors for them to hate each other royally was the right thing to ask. The last thing she wanted to do was make things awkward between them. She did have to live here for the next two years.
"Zoe about the Kinsella's. There's just bad blood there. Earl and Wade are bad people," Harley stated, filling the void.
"But why? Wade had been nothing but nice to me when I met him this afternoon," Zoe retorted, skipping over the fact that she spent most her free time with Wade meeting his friends. She liked George, Lemon and Annabeth. There was something to be desired for Meatball.
"It's a long story, Zoe," Harley sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Funny, I've got nothing but time," Zoe responded, licking her lips. She wanted answers on why the sweet and caring boy next door was her sworn enemy. "I need a reason on why I can't be friends with Wade!"
"As your father, I'm telling you to stay away from him. That's all you need!" Harley argued back.
"You can't play that card. You may be my Father by blood, but Ethan was the Father that raised me. I know nothing about you and you know less about me. There is no reason is there?" Zoe questioned, trying to keep her anger at bay. To her that was the worst reason to keep her away from Wade. She wanted a real reason, but she was slowly starting to think there just wasn't one.
"At one point there was," Harley sighed. "Earl blames me for the death of his wife." That was the last thing she thought she was going to hear come from his lips. "I tried to save her but I couldn't."
"That explains why he hates you, but why do you hate him for?" Losing your wife gave a person a lot of ammunition to hate a person. Wanting to be a doctor herself she understood that you can't save everyone. But that reason it was a good reason to hate a person; just not forever.
"Jackie, his late wife was my best friend until Earl stole her from me."
"What?" Zoe asked, looking at him confused. That part didn't make much sense. "Were you in love with her?"
"Not like that," he sighed. "She was my best friend. Practically my sister since we were little kids. With Earl we were the best of friends. The three of us were always together, never without one of the others. That was until Earl went behind my back and fell in love with Jackie. I was okay with it at first, but over time I ended up the odd man out. I tried but they'd blow me off. As a young teen it angered me. I didn't have the heart to blame Jackie so all my anger fell to Earl."
"That's stupid," Zoe huffed. "This century old junk should be put to rest. That's between you and Earl. And I see no reason why I must stay away from Wade." Just like she was, Wade was innocent in this whole thing.
"Wade is a good kid, if he'd apply himself and stop chasing after girls. I don't want you to get hurt. It's best you stay away from them."
"I think I'm capable of making my own choices in life. You can't force me to not be friends with someone. It's time you grew up. You're not a teen any longer," Zoe stated with a slight yell, storming up to her room, slamming the door for an added effect.
Without thinking she went straight to her window. She smiled softly at Wade who was sitting on his bed looking through a comic and listening to his music. She looked around her room trying to find a way to get Wade's attention. But she couldn't find anything to throw at his window. With a sigh she sat in the window, her back to Wade's window.
"What are you doing?" Came Wade's voice. Zoe jumped, turning to look at Wade a scowl on her face.
"Do you get thrills from scaring innocent girls?" Zoe scolded him, a faint smile on her lips.
"You can't prove that," Wade shrugged. "What's wrong?" Wade asked, seeing the hurt in her eyes.
"Harley explained things to me. How'd your mother die?" She asked, chewing her lip. She needed to be blunt with him about that otherwise she wasn't going to be able ask him if she had any longer to think about it.
"Meet me around the block," Wade told her, shutting his window. With a sigh and with no choice, Zoe headed out. She sneaked through the kitchen not wanting to answer questions on where she was headed. Without much of a difficultly she had met up with Wade and without uttering a single word she followed behind him. Walking through the woods she wanted to complain, but thought it was best if she didn't. A smile tugged on her lips when they came to a pond.
"This is beautiful," Zoe whispered, sitting on the edge of the pond.
"One of the few places that I come to be alone. Helps me think," Wade told her, taking a place next to Zoe. "No one knows I come here. Never brought anyone here before."
"Thank you for that," Zoe gave him a soft smile. She didn't want to ruin the little moment they had, but she came here with Wade for the answers to the questions that she had floating around in her head. She also realized looking at Wade's sullen face that she couldn't rush him. This was personal to Wade.