Her first week in Bluebell had went pretty well. Her and Wade become inseparable. She was on her way over to see Wade now. It was the one day she hadn't made any plans to spend with Wade. They had come to the terms that they needed to spend at least one day during the week with their other friends. Earl and Jackie treated Zoe like their own. The only one in the Kinsella house that treated her different was Jesse. It was like he wasn't sure how he was supposed to act around her.
"Zoe, Wade's not here. He didn't mention you were stopping by," Jackie announced from the kitchen.
"That's because I wasn't planning on coming over. Lemon and AB had to do family things. Where is Wade? I saw George with his brother. They're supposed to hang out. Or so I thought." Zoe shrugged the thought off going to the kitchen.
"He got a phone call from someone named Jennifer and he left to go see her." Zoe sighed hearing that. She had thought with her moving to town that Wade would drop the player act. He was to young for that anyway. That's what Zoe thought but what did she know? "You don't like, Wade like that do you?" Jackie asked motioning Zoe to sit at the table.
"No, he's just my best friend. I just figured he'd smarten up and quit using girls the way he does. But I guess I was wrong," Zoe sighed. She had never thought of Wade as anything more than a friend. The thought of dating him made her feel all weirded her out.
"He'll realize what he's doing is the wrong thing, once he finds that right person," Jackie responded patting Zoe's hand.
"I guess so," Zoe sighed. "Do you think that'll ever happen?" Her question went unanswered seeing Jesse stroll into the house.
"Hey, Zo. Wade didn't mention you were coming over. Since he's busy at the moment, wanna go get ice cream with me?" Jesse tried to keep his distance from her because of Wade. He didn't want to intrude.
"Sure," Zoe beamed getting up. "You're paying though."
"Why's that?" Jesse asked holding the door open for Zoe. "It best not be 'cause I'm the man, either."
"Nope," Zoe giggled. "I don't have any money."
"Wouldn't we be stuck if I was as broke as you," Jesse smarted off.
"Maybe you would be, but people in this town seem to love me. I could also go ask my dad. You have a job, so what do you waste your money on?" Zoe asked going from thing to another without realizing it.
"I'm saving it for a rainy day," replied Jesse with a shrug. "I'm surprised you're not with Wade. It is weird to see you without being next to him."
"We can't spend every waking moment with each other. I see it didn't take him long to find some girl, though. When he told me about that over the phone, I thought he was just joking. I didn't really take him serious. I guess I was wrong."
"Don't beat yourself up about it, ever since the girls started to notice him, he's been like that." It bothered her because no one deserved to be treated that way.
"What about you?" Zoe asked looking up at him. "Are you a player or looking for a girl to date?"
"I've tried to make Wade see what he was doing. I don't really approve of it. If that's what you want to know." Zoe shook her head.
"That's not what I wanted to know, I really did wanna know where you stand on the whole dating thing," Zoe clarified for him. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"I'm single at the moment. I'm more of girlfriend kinda guy. I hate what Wade's doing. He's not doing himself any favors."
"You aren't as bad as I had thought the first time I met you when I was 9." That made Jesse chuckle slightly.
"You're not nearly as annoying as Wade was at that age. Don't tell him this, but I prefer you better than him."
"Is it cause I'm a girl and don't live with you?" Zoe asked walking into the Dixie stop. Frank smiled at the two of them.
"Some what," Jesse replied. I'll get the cones and you go pick out the ice cream." Zoe gave him a funny look. "This way we can have all the ice cream we want without going back for seconds." Zoe smiled liking the way he thought. She headed off getting a box of cookie dough ice cream. They met at the counter. Jesse paid, not that he had a choice in the matter.
"Have a good day you two," Frank told them, handing the bag to Jesse. Zoe smiled at him walking out the door.
"Where are we going to go eat our ice cream at? It's going to melt if we go too far?" Zoe asked looking both directions before they crossed the road.
"The gazebo ok with you?" Jesse asked using his free hand pointing.
"That's perfect," Zoe told him. They sat down and Zoe held on to the cones well Jesse got the ice cream open. "You did get a spoon or something right?" Zoe asked trying to figure out how he was going to get the ice cream scooped into the cones. With a smile Jesse pulled a plastic spoon from the bag. The ice cream had softened enough the spoon wouldn't break when scooping the frozen treat.
"I've got things covered, Zoe. I'm not stupid. No matter what my brother says about me."
"Sorry to burst your little bubble, but we don't talk about you," Zoe smirked taking a lick of her ice cream cone.
"You think you're so funny, don't you?" Jesse remarked swiping his finger through the ice cream. Zoe eyed him suspiciously.
"You best be eating that off your finger," she warned seeing his smirk grow wider. He looked at the cold treat that covered his finger shaking his head.
"Can't say I plan on doing that." His smirk grew bigger moving closer to Zoe. She had moved further away falling off the bench they were on. Jesse cracked up laughing. "You're such a klutz, Zo," Jesse said between laughs. Zoe scowled getting up and smashing her ice cream cone in his face. He jumped from the cold and shock of Zoe doing that to him. He wiped some of it off and wiped it all over Zoe's clothes. She gasped getting a hand full of ice cream and throwing it at him. "I'm gonna get you, Zoe Hart," Jesse called out getting a handful of ice cream. Zoe went to run but Jesse got an arm around her waist, he smacked his hand that had the gooey cold treat all over the front of Zoe's chest that was bare from the tank top she wore.
"OH MY GOD, JESSE!" Zoe squealed. Moving away from him. She grabbed a cone and smashed it over his head.
"Not cool, Zoe!" Jesse yelled laughing. They had a made a mess in the gazebo.
"What's going on?" Wade asked standing on the steps to the gazebo. He wasn't sure how he felt about Zoe and Jesse acting so friendly with each other. A red-head that Zoe had assumed was Jennifer was holding his hand. She looked annoyed.
"Having ice cream," Zoe replied with a smile. "Want some?" Zoe offered looking around to see they only had a few cones that weren't broken and all the ice cream was over them and the floor of the gazebo.
"I think I'll pass this time." Zoe had noticed that Wade wasn't very happy but she pushed it aside not knowing what was wrong with him.
"Baby bro, we gotta get this mess cleaned up and ourselves. So if you mind taking your chick-of-the-day else where, we'd greatly appreciate that." Wade rolled his eyes pulling Jennifer with him.
"I'll see you tomorrow for church, right?" Zoe called out to him in a panic not wanting this to come between them.
"Of course, Zoe. I wouldn't miss the best part of church for nothing," Wade called back a smile gracing his lips. Zoe smiled back before she helped Jesse clean the mess up.
"Are you sure there's nothing else but friendship going on with you and my little brother?" Jesse asked walking Zoe home.
"Nope, just best friends, why?" Zoe asked stopping at her house. Jesse shrugged. He had felt something was going on between them. Either they were ignoring the feeling or they were just oblivious to it.
"Just curious is all. I had a blast today, Zoe. Maybe we could do it again sometime."
"I'd like that," Zoe beamed with a small blush creeping up on her cheeks. "Today was fun. Thanks for that."
"My pleasure," Jesse winked. "I'll see ya around."
"Kinda hard to miss me in this town," Zoe joked. "Bye, Jesse." She turned running up her steps and headed inside. "Dad, I'm home," Zoe called out shutting the door. Harley poked his around the corner of the living room.
"What happened to you?" Harley asked seeing dried ice cream and bits of cone all over his daughter.
"Ice cream fight with, Jesse. Wade was busy so I hung out with Jesse this afternoon. I'm gonna go shower, then I'll be down for dinner."
"Alright, sweetie," Harley replied with a smile going back to the news paper he was reading. Zoe ran up the stairs to her room. She got what she needed and went to the bathroom for her shower.
"You gotta to be kidding me?" Zoe yelled reading the headline for Dash's blog on her computer. A brother's turmoil over the affection of Bluebell's newest residence, Zoe Hart?