As you'll see, this chapter is a flashback. The next few chapters will be as well. If there is anything in particular you want, let me know and I'll see what I can do. I already have the next chapter planned out.
It was the week after Zoe's 12th birthday. Her parents were going out of town for the weekend, including Friday and Monday morning. They would be back when she got home from school, Monday. She was excited that they put that much trust into her.
"We trust you, Zoe. If you need anything, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes are right next door. The numbers are on the fridge," Zoe nodded, as her parents went on about the rules. No parties, she must get up on time and go to school. Normally when her parents went away, she would stay with Lemon or AB. But now that she was twelve, old enough to baby sit and look after herself, they were going to let her stay home by herself. They had to let her grow up at some point. Their little girl was growing up, faster than they would have liked. But with the town of Bluebell keeping a special eye on her, what was going to go wrong?
"Lemon, Annabeth, George and Wade can come over, but they can't stay the night." Zoe nodded. Wade would be staying whether they said he could or not. She knew her parents had told the neighbors to keep an eye on her. So Wade would have to leave and sneak back in like he always does.
"I know the rules, I'll call and check in with you at the requested times. I'll be fine. You have the whole town watching over me. You both need to go before you're late," Zoe told them, pushing them out the door. "Have fun and enjoy your teenage girl free weekend."
"Why do I not like the sound of that?" Harley asked walking to the car.
"Because you worry way too much, daddy. Relax and enjoy the next four days. The house will still be standing, everything will be the same way, nothing will be broken or damaged. I promise," she explained, insuring them that things would be ok while they were gone. She had yet to break their trust in her.
"I can't help but love my little girl," he called back. Zoe rolled her eyes a smile playing on her lips. She was proud to be a daddies girl. When she was little she had followed him around everywhere he went. Instead of dressing up in her moms clothes, she wore her dad's practitioner coat's and played with her dad's old medical bag. She did however, love her mother's shoes and would wear them whenever she had the chance.
"Love you to, Daddy. Love you, Mom," she yelled, waving.
"Love you to, sweetie."
With their car out of sight, she headed into the house to clean up from dinner. They needed to travel to Atlanta and needed to be there by Friday afternoon, they didn't have to leave until early Friday morning but they didn't want to be tired either. It had made more sense to leave Thursday night. Harley had agreed to be a guest speaker at a high school. They were going to make a mini vacation out of it and head home Monday morning, instead of dealing with Sunday traffic.
"Boo!" Wade yelled, jumping into view. Zoe rolled her eyes.
"Real scary, Wade. Had me shaking for a minute," sarcasm oozed from her words. Wade shrugged, hosting himself up on the counter.
"When do the rents return?" Wade asked stealing a cookie.
"Sometime Monday before schools out," she replied running water for the dishes. "You eat yet?" She asked turning to look at him.
"Not since lunch at school and this cookie," he explained holding up the half eaten cookie. Turning the water off, she got Wade a plate of leftovers. She didn't bother to give him any salad, he wouldn't eat it, just complain about it. She warmed the chicken Alfredo up, before handing him the plate. He had jumped down to get a can of coke for himself, taking his spot on the counter once more.
It felt and looked like they were playing house. Zoe was busy washing the dishes and taking care of him. They were 12, way to old to be playing little kid games like house. Oddly enough they both felt serene, it just felt right; them together.
"You make the popcorn and I'll pick the move out. You get no say," he smirked, letting his plate and fork sink in the suds formed from the dish soap.
"I don't think so," she protested.
"I'm the guest," he smirked, turning to look at her.
"Uninvited guest," she argued back.
"Still a guest, don't forget the soda," he replied, walking to the living room, leaving Zoe standing in the kitchen with a scowl on her face. If she wanted a say in the movie she better hurry up and wash his plate.
"Where's the popcorn?" He asked seeing her walk into the living room with chips and soda.
"It's gone so either you deal with cups for the night or you go without," she remarked. He huffed playfully, sitting next to her.
"They'll do," he sighed, taking the bowl from her.
"Really?" She asked seeing he had picked out Scream. "You know how I hate scary movies," she pouted.
"I'll be here all night. I just have to sneak out in the morning," he assured her.
"Such a messed up friendship we have," she commented, stealing the chips back.
"That's just us, Zo." She nodded, agreeing with him. She wouldn't have it any other way.
Throughout the movie she buried her head into him. He smirked putting a protective arm around her, having the need to protect her from everything. She was his best friend, but it was more than that, he just couldn't put his thumb on it. He was scared to dig deeper into the unknown, afraid what he would find there.
Zoe found complete and utter safety in his arms. Being I'm his arms was like heaven to her, but it was more than that. It was the one place she wanted be, but couldn't be, because they were best friends. Over the last few days she had felt her feelings for him start to change, she just denied them, not wanting to ruin the friendship they had. Feelings tend to ruin the best things in your life. Without Wade she'd be lost.
They had turned off the lights going up to Zoe's room. They both got ready for bed, before they met up in Zoe's room. It felt weird that he wasn't climbing through the window after Zoe went to bed.
"This feels weird," Zoe commented leaving Wade some room on her bed.
"You don't have to tell me, Zo," he chuckled, climbing into bed. Like every night for the past few years, Zoe curled into his side, where she fit like a puzzle piece.
School moved by fast for a Friday. Wade had snuck back in and they ordered pizza and watched movies all night long, passing out on the couch around 2 in the morning. They had slept until 2 in the afternoon when there was banging on the door. Zoe pulled the door open to see who had woken them.
"Hey, Lavon. What can I do for ya?" She asked joining him on the porch, shutting the door behind her.
"Lavon, is sorry, but my Dad sent me over to make sure you were ok. They didn't see any sign you were alive over here." Zoe nodded, with a polite smile.
"I was up late last night, got sucked into a movie, I was still sleeping. You can tell them I'm ok," she told him, opening the door. "I'm going to go get ready for the day now. I'll talk to ya later, Lavon."
"Sure thing, Zoe," he nodded, walking off.
She groaned setting that Wade had beat her to the shower. She would have used her parents bathroom, if her stuff wasn't in the bathroom with Wade. Her wait wasn't very long anyway. She had busied herself cleaning the mess from the night before.
When she had finished with her shower, her friends were in the living room. Before she could join them though, she had a phone to answer.
"Hello?"
"How is everything?" Candice asked.
"Good," Zoe answered, leaning against the counter in the kitchen.
"What are you up to?"
"Talking to you," Zoe answered to be smart. "I'm not sure. My friends are here now, so it's still being decided."
"Alright, I'll let you go. Bye, Zoe. Have fun."
"Enjoy your weekend and remember, I enjoy being an only child. Bye," she told her mom, quickly hanging up. "What's the plan?" Zoe asked joining her friends.
"Water park in Fairhope, my mom said she'd take us," Lemon stated.
"Sounds fun," Zoe agreed with a grin.
"Great, meet at my house in about a half hour," Lemon stated, getting up.
"I don't think I'll swim," Wade confessed, following Zoe upstairs.
"Why?" Zoe asked, walking into her room.
"I don't want to go home and get my swim stuff. I really don't want to deal with my Dad," he answered, shrugging his shoulders.
"You can borrow a towel and my Mom washed your green and yellow swim trunks from the pool last weekend. There in your room," Zoe told him getting her swim stuff put into her bag.
"Oh," he responded, walking off down the hall. She shook her head, giggling.
About an hour later they were having fun in the water.
"You okay?" Lemon asked, sitting by Zoe. She nodded keeping her focus on Wade and George. "It's just you seem awfully quiet today." She chewed her lip debating whether she should tell them about her sudden crush on her best friend.
"It's complicated," she sighed tearing her gaze away from Wade to look at Lemon and AB.
"Uncomplicate things for us then," AB told her.
"I think, I have a crush on Wade. I don't want to either," she sighed, looking down.
"Why? Wade's a hunk," Annabeth commented.
"And he's your best friend. You know him inside and out, Zo," Lemon told her, adding her insight.
"He's my best friend and I don't want to ruin that," she told them, getting up. She headed up to one of the slides, needing to be away from her friends.
The weekend had went by fast, too fast for Zoe's liking. Wade had went home a few times to make an appearance. He still showed up again and they'd watch movies. She had enjoyed her weekend with Wade and her friends. She may have been 12 but she was starting to miss her parents.
School had dragged on, like a normal Monday at school. She was happy when the final bell rung. She smiled seeing her dad's car in the driveway.
"Told you I would be fine," she announced, walking into the house. Harley shook his head.
"It wasn't that we didn't trust you, sweetie. We were scared to leave you home that long by yourself. But you were right, we had nothing to worry about."
"Especially when you have the whole town on Zoe watch," she told them going to her room.