He and His Girl
Chapter 9: The Mystery Deliverer
Zoey groaned as Chase put her down. Someone had to ring the doorbell at that time.
Chase went to answer the door and Rebecca stood there, wearing her signature pearl necklace and preppy sweater.
Oh, even better! Zoey sarcastically thought.
"Um, hey Rebecca," Chase said.
"Hey Chase," Rebecca said perkily. Her eyes then fell on Zoey and her she frowned. "Hey Zoey," she said with no enthusiasm.
"Ms. Brookes to you," Zoey said icily.
"Can I come in?" Rebecca asked.
"Sure," Chase said before Zoey had time to respond.
Zoey's widened eyes met Chase's and he only shrugged his shoulders as Rebecca entered their apartment.
"What do you want Rebecca?" Zoey asked with annoyance in her voice.
"Well, I thought that maybe all three of us should go out to celebrate your engagement," Rebecca replied in an innocent-like voice.
"Wait a second," Chase said holding up his hand. "How did you find out about our engagement?"
"It's all over the news," Rebecca informed the couple. "Well the entertainment news and gossip magazines."
"ALL OVER?!" Zoey and Chase chorused in shock.
"Yup. In fact, I believe there's a special about the event right about now on E! Yup, it's 6:00."
Rebecca turned on the TV and switched to E! just as a figure appeared on the screen.
"Good evening, I'm Jeremiah Trottman for E! news."
"Wow, a gossip channel," Zoey muttered. "Is that the best he could do?"
"He was fired from CBS news at noon," Chase responded.
"Why?" Zoey asked.
"Inappropriate conduct with the producer's married daughter," Chase said awkwardly.
"Wow," Zoey said in awe.
"Tonight's special: Chase Matthews, the lead guitarist of The Skinhearts, and his girlfriend, or should I say fiancé, Zoey Brooks who is also said to be carrying his child. The full story when we come back."
Chase angrily turned off the TV as Zoey put her hand over her mouth in shock. "Oh my god!" she screamed after a few seconds of awkward silence and dropped her hands. "How did they find out?"
"Somebody tipped them Zo'," Chase said. "Someone who knew about your pregnancy and our engagement."
"But Lola, Quinn, Nicole, or Dana would never do this to me."
"Or Michael, Logan, James, or Mark."
As soon as Chase said 'James', Zoey put it all together. It was James all along. He had to have tipped off Rebecca, which reminds me-.
"Rebecca," Zoey began, trying to sound calm. "Do you know I got a wedding dress?"
An unnoticeable line of sweat began to trickle down Rebecca's face. "Really?" she asked in an unnoticeable nervous tone of voice.
"Uh huh, it was my dream wedding dress," Zoey continued.
Rebecca smiled at knowing she had destroyed something so precious to Zoey.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Do you know what happened to it?" Zoey asked.
"I have no idea," Rebecca replied coolly.
"It was destroyed."
"How so?"
"Shredded and dry blood all over what remained."
Rebecca smiled again. Her accomplice was a genius.
"Now, do you know who on earth would wanna destroy my wedding dress?" Zoey asked her, still remaining as cool as possible.
"I have no idea," Rebecca replied equally coolly.
"It was you, you little liar!" Zoey screamed suddenly, not being able to keep calm any longer. "You wanna sabotage me so you destroyed my wedding dress."
With that said, Zoey slapped Rebecca. Rebecca slapped her back. They were in the middle of a slap fest when Chase stepped in between the two women.
"STOP!" he cried in a voice so commanding that Zoey and Rebecca almost literally froze. "What is with you two?" Chase asked. "Can you two remain civilized in a room for five minutes?"
"She started it," Rebecca said in a pouty voice and pointed to Zoey.
"I don't care who started it. If Zoey did start it, then you shouldn't have fought back."
Zoey smiled triumphantly and stuck her tongue out at Rebecca.
"And you," Chase continued turning to Zoey. "You had no right to pick a fight with Rebecca."
It was Rebecca's turn to smile triumphantly and stuck her tongue out at Zoey.
"My goodness, you guys fight like little kids at the playground arguing over who took the last cookie from the cookie jar. Both of you calm down and maybe we can settle this over that celebration dinner was gong to take us to."
That last sentence made Zoey remember that she was going to bail on the dinner and head to Nicole and James' place to straighten James out.
"Rebecca, can I take a rain check for that dinner," Zoey asked in fake sweetness, not wanting to ever go out to dinner with Rebecca. "I have to go somewhere?"
"You do?" Chase asked. "You didn't have anywhere to go fifteen minutes ago."
"Something suddenly came up," Zoey replied sound very Marcia Brady-ish.
"No problem Zoey," Rebecca replied but as soon as she saw glaring at her she corrected her self. "No problem Ms. Brookes. Chase and I will go celebrate."
"No, Chase can stay right here until I get back," Zoey said.
"Zo', a little dinner won't hurt. I promise to be back by… 9:00," he said looking at his watch.
Zoey looked at her watch. It read 6:30. Not wanting to have Chase think she didn't trust him, she agreed.
"See you later Zo'," Chase said as she was about to leave.
"Be back soon," Zoey replied and gave Chase a long kiss before she left the apartment.
"Shall we?" Rebecca asked pointing towards the door.
"Um… sure," Chase responded and left with Rebecca to dinner.
-He and His Girl-
Zoey banged on the door to Nicole's apartment. She needed to put James in his place because she was angry. No, scratch that – she was furious. Nicole opened the door and was surprised to see an angry Zoey on her doorstep once again.
"Um… hey Zo'," Nicole said awkwardly. "What are you doing here?"
"Nicole, can I please see James?" Zoey asked.
"Again?"
"Yes, again," Zoey responded impatiently. "By the way, can I come in?"
"Yeah, sure," Nicole said as Zoey stepped in. "James!" she called. "Someone's here to see you!"
James rushed to the door to find a yet again angry Zoey waiting for him.
"Hey James," Zoey half mumbled, half growled.
"Uh, hey Zo'. What's up?"
"Um, actually it's kind of private," Zoey said. "Nicole," she said, turning to one of her best friends, can you give James and me a minute alone?"
"Sure Zo'," Nicole responded and as she was about to leave, James stopped her.
"Zoey, anything you have to say to me can be said in front of Nicole," James sated firmly.
"James," Nicole hissed. "You don't have to do this."
"Yes I do," James hissed back.
"James I need to talk to you in private now."
"Can Nicole stay?"
"Did I not just say it was private?"
"Then I have nothing to say to you."
"Oh my god," Nicole groaned. "James, just talk to Zo' already. I'll be in our bedroom."
"But Nikki-."
"Go on," Nicole interrupted and left the room.
James turned to Zoey after Nicole left the room and she shook her head.
"What?"
"You wanted Nicole there as a "protector" (she said this using air quotes) so I wouldn't blow up at you."
"You think that little of me?"
"Right now I don't think highly of you in any such way."
"Zo', you have to be kidding me? What did I do now?"
"How low can you be?! You informed Jeremiah Trottman about my engagement and my pregnancy?!"
"Whoa… whoa… whoa…whoa… whoa… whoa. The media found out about your pregnancy?"
"And my engagement!"
"Did you see it on the news and figured I must have spilled the beans."
"No. Rebecca came over and told us about the special and we saw it on TV and then-."
"OK missy, that's when you stop talking and go over in your head what you just said," James abruptly interrupted.
Zoey gave him a look. "Excuse me?"
"REBECCA!" James said, telling her the answer to his question. "I've told you again and again, I have no relations with that woman."
Zoey was lost in confusion. Was James lying? She looked into his blue eyes again for the answer. She saw no sign of deceit, but how much can eyes tell you? In Zoey's case, the eyes didn't help.
-He and His Girl-
Meanwhile, halfway across town, Rebecca and Chase were enjoying a lovely celebration dinner at Café de Paris. Well, Rebecca was enjoying it while Chase was picking at his food.
"What's wrong?" Rebecca asked. "Don't you like the dinner?"
"Oh, it's great," Chase replied with not a single hint of emotion.
"Chase, I've known you for several years. Talk to me," Rebecca insisted.
"Well, the truth is, all I can think about is Zoey and who spilled the beans about her pregnancy and our engagement," Chase admitted.
Rebecca frowned at those words. She had hoped for a nice evening alone with Chase, but hadn't counted on the Saga of Zoey hour.
"It's just that, we hadn't counted on going public with it yet. Well, at least the tour is cancelled and Larry was able to get some gigs here so I can be there for Zoey."
"Uh… yeah, sure," Rebecca agreed, although her minds were on other things. All of a sudden, her cell phone rang. When, she looked at the number, she turned to Chase and said, "Will you excuse me for a moment?"
"Of course," Chase responded.
Rebecca hurried out of the restaurant and quickly flipped open the cell phone. "Impeccable timing. Are you ready for the third part of the plan? (Pause) What do you mean will it work? Of course it will. (Pause) Yes, I'm positive. (Pause) Of course, why don't we say around ten o'clock-ish? (Pause) Perfect. Bye."
Rebecca re-entered the restaurant and headed back to the table to find Chase still picking at his food.
"Still thinking about that news huh?" she asked in a half sympathetic voice (for Chase, not Zoey).
"Uh huh. Rebecca, would you mind if I just wrapped up my food and took it home? I'm not feeling so well."
"Sure. Waiter!" she called to the man who took their order.
"Oui madame (Translation: Yes ma'am)?" he said approaching her.
"Actually, mademoiselle and um… would it be alright if my friend here took home his food. He's not feeling very well."
"Why of course mademoiselle," the waiter replied in his French accent.
"Oh and check please," Rebecca added.
"Thanks Rebecca," Chase said. "I just hope Zoey has no more surprises today."
"Don't worry Chase," Rebecca answered. "There's plenty more surprises coming," she said to herself.
-He and His Girl-
"Oh my god!" Nicole said in awe.
"I know."
"Oh my god!" Lola, Dana, and Quinn chorused.
"I know," Zoey repeated.
"How could Rebecca do something so low?" Lola asked.
"'Cause she's Rebecca," Zoey replied. "She has no boundaries when it comes to destroying my life."
Zoey had decided to hold an emergency girl meeting at Nicole and James' apartment. It was mainly to talk about Rebecca as Zoey didn't want to talk about James and the role he could be playing in the whole 'Rebecca situation' (especially in front of Nicole). Besides, she had gotten nowhere with James so he had just left the room for the girls to talk.
"Ruining your wedding dress is one thing, but when someone reveals to the world that you and your boyfriend are engaged and having a baby, they've gone way too far," Nicole said.
"What are you going to do?" Dana asked.
"I have no idea," Zoey answered truthfully.
"We could dump a can of worms on her head?" Lola suggested.
Zoey laughed at the thought of Rebecca Callahan covered in worms.
"Oh, I have an idea," Quinn said. "I have this old Quinnvention from PCA that contains small explosives that can send you into a state of unconsciousness. If we leave her unconscious long enough, maybe she'll die."
"I like that one," Nicole said. "Let's do that."
"Thanks Quinn, but we're not trying to kill anyone," Zoey said politely. "I think I'm just gonna go home, it's been a long day."
"Try getting some sleep."
"Thanks Dana, I'll try."
"See ya later Zo'," the four chorused.
"Bye guys," Zoey said tiredly and let herself out.
-He and His Girl-
"Hey Zo'," Chase said from the living room as Zoey walked through the door.
"Hey," she responded, closing the door and dropping her purse to the floor. "How was dinner with Rebecca?" she asked, walking towards Chase
"Interesting."
"Seriously?" Zoey asked and stopped short with a worried look on her face.
"Nope. I was boring as hell," Chase said, grinning at Zoey's panic-stricken face.
"Nice,' Zoey replied sarcastically as her face fell at Chase's not so funny joke.
The doorbell rang and Chase went to answer. When he opened the door, there was a woman standing there in a delivery uniform, holding a package. Chase couldn't see what the woman looked like as her hat covered her eyes. Yet, when he answered the door, she seemed to smile when she saw Chase.
"Hi. Is a Ms. Zoey Brookes here?" the woman asked.
"Yeah, just a sec," Chase said. "Zo!" he called. "Package!"
Zoey rushed to the door for her package. The woman's face seemed to fall at the sight of Zoey, but neither Zoey nor Chase thought much of it.
"Hello," the woman said to Zoey. "I have a package for you. If you could sign your name first here," she continued, handing Zoey a clipboard and pen.
Zoey signed her name and returned the clipboard and pen. She also gave the woman a dollar as a tip.
"Thank you," the woman said in response to Zoey's act and flipped her long blonde hair as she handed Zoey the package.
"Thank you," Zoey said. "Good night."
"Good night," the woman answered as Zoey closed the door.
As Zoey brought her package into the living room, Chase thought about the mysterious delivery woman.
She looks vaguely familiar, Chase thought, but I can't seem to place her in my mind.
While he was going over these thoughts in his head, he heard Zoey scream. He rushed to the living room only to see Zoey brush past him and run to their bedroom. He looked into the box and saw a card. It read:
Dear Zoey,
Congratulations on both your engagement and your pregnancy. Happiness to you forever with Chase,
-R G (Author's Note: Purposely not meant to have a period in between "R" and "G".)
Chase shrugged his shoulders. What's so scary about a card from whoever this person or these people are? he wondered to himself. It was only when he looked into the box that he saw why Zoey had run. Lying there among the packaging peanuts was a headless bridal doll.
Authors' Note: I am so sorry for the long wait for Chapter 9. I have been extremely busy with school. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's extra long so that's a bonus because of how long I took. So plz review and voice ur opinion. To all who reviewed, etc…: You will be especially thanked at the end of the story. Thnx and stay tuned for Chapter 10. There will be an excerpt on my profile. I love you guys!
-Mary