Zoe ate breakfast cheerily, watching the dust moats stirring in the sunlight that streamed in the back window. Her parents called out a goodbye, and she heard the car pull away from the house. She hesitated on her way out of the door, hand on her pockets. With a sigh, she folded it over her arm and stepped out into the brightest light she'd seen in months.

She was the first ones to school; she hadn't even checked the clock in her hurry to get outside. She headed toward the seldom-used picnic benches on the south side of the cafeteria. The benches were still a little damp, so he sat. Her homework was done—the product of a slow social life—but there were a few Trig problems she wasn't sure she had right. She took out her book industriously, but halfway through rechecking the problem she was daydreaming, watching the sunlight play on the red-braked trees. She sketched inattentively along the margins of her homework. After a few minutes, she suddenly realizes she'd drawn five pairs of Takuya's name. She scrubbed them out with the eraser.

"Zoe!" She heard someone call, it sounded like Koji. She looked around to realize that the school had been populated while she'd been sitting there, absentminded. Koichi was coming toward her in Levis and s green-striped t-shirt, waving.

"Hey, Koichi," she called, waving back, unable to be half-hearted on a morning like this.

He came to sit by her. His grin stretched across his face. He was so delighted to see her; she couldn't help but feel gratified.

"Guess what?" Koichi's smile widened.

"What?" Zoe grinned mysteriously. Zoe looked deep into Koichi's eyes to find answer. "You and Ash are—"Koichi hushed Zoe.

Zoe squeaked. "That's great! You guys look so good together."

"There's only one problem," Koichi looked at his twin brother, lonely Koji sitting on another table with a very mocking face.

Zoe followed where Koichi's staring at the she realizes what the problem is. "I can see his still not over Ash."

"This is really making me stop dating Ash." He said worriedly. "Tell me what to do. I need tips!" He begged on Zoe.

Zoe calmed Koichi down before she tells Koichi what to do. "Do love my best friend?"

"Of course, I love Ash, more than my own life." Zoe was touched.

"Okay, this is what you gotta do, ignore Koji and focus on Ash. Simple isn't it?"

"Ignore my brother?! I wasn't expecting that tip. I swear this is easier than I expected. I'll try for it. Thank you very much, Zoe."

"You're very welcome. I'll just comfort Koji."

"Please tell him I'm very sorry about this."

"Sure, sure."

"So, what did you do yesterday?" His tone was just a bit too proprietary.

"I mostly worked on my essay." She didn't add that's he was finished with it—no need to sound smug.

He hit his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Oh yeah—that's due Thursday, right?"

"Um, Wednesday, I think."

"Wednesday?" He frowned. "That's not good…That are you writing yours on?"

"Whether Shakespeare's treatment of the female characters is misogynistic."

He stared at her like she'd just spoken in pig Latin.

"I guess I'll have to get work on that tonight," he said, deflated. "Zoe, I want to ask Ahs if she wanted to go out."

"Ask her." She said immediately.

"May I ask how?"

"Well, you two could go to dinner or something…and you could work on it later." She smiled at him hopefully.

"That's a great idea."

"Do you think I will give you stupid and lame tips?"

"No…"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Well, it depends on what you're asking for."

"Please take very good care of Ash because I care for her than you do."

"I'm not doing this because you you're asking for it." He pointed. "I'm doing this because I want to."

"I guess I should thank you."

"No, thank you."

"I want to make a deal."

"Name it."

"I will do my best for you and Ash to be together while you will do the rest for Takuya and I being together."

"Deal." He agreed.

"It's time for our class, and we can't be late." She gathered her book up and stuffed them in her bag.

They walked in noise to building three, and their expression was attentive.

When she saw Ash in Trig, she was bubbling in enthusiasm. Then Jessica approached on Zoe and asks her. "Is it true that you and Takuya are dating at each other?"

"Uhm, Yes…No…Maybe…" Panic took over her.

"I can't believe you! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Jessica cried.

"I thought you knew."

"I'm sorry but I don't!" Then, Jessica grabbed Zoe's arm and pulled her to Takuya. Jessica smacked Takuya's head playfully. Zoe was holding her laugh on Takuya. "Who gave you the permission to date my best friend?"

"You've got a problem with that?" Takuya stayed on his seat.

"Yes I have a problem with that! How are you sure you're gonna make her happy?"

Before Takuya say another word Zoe interrupted. "Jessica, shall we not?!" She shouted on Jess.

Zoe and Jessica stared at each other deadly. Then, Jessica let it go. "If you ever hurt Zoe's heart, I swear you're not gonna get away from me." She warned Takuya.

"Deal." He smiled.

"I'm sorry for the heck of a scene Zoe." Jessica whispered on Zoe her apology.

Ash talked of nothing but how she and Koichi got together on the way to Spanish, continuing as if without an interruption when class finally ended, five minutes late, and they were on their way to lunch.

As was Zoe's routine, she's sitting beside Takuya. As shiver of love trembled in her stomach as she realized it was empty.

"Are you okay?" Zoe asked Takuya.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Actually, I feel great!"

"Don't mind Jess, she's just concern."

"Well, tell her she doesn't have to because as long as we're together, I will keep you safe and happy." Zoe was touched and smiled widely.

Koji sneezed on purpose and interrupted Takuya and Zoe.

"This is almost too cheesy to believe." Ash teased and then they all laughed.

"What about you? You and Koichi are so sweet, you're being slimed by thousands of ants." Zoe teased back. (Koichi is sitting beside Ash from now on)

Their lunch was nearly filled with laughter –Spanish had made them late—but there was no sign of bad luck on the gang. Happiness hit Zoe with crippling strength to go to school.

She shambled along behind Ash, not bothering to pretend to listen anymore.

They were late but the teacher's not yet at the class. Zoe avoided the empty chair next to Koichi in favor of one by Ash. She vaguely noticed that Koichi held the chair out politely for Zoe, and that her face lit up in response.

Koji asked a few quiet questions about the Macbeth paper, which she answered as naturally as she could while spiraling downward in happiness. He, invited her to go to go to their cousin's birthday after school, but before she agrees, she asked Takuya if he'll come, too, and both of them agreed to come,

"Zoe, I could really need some tips now." Koji said with a heartbroken face.

Zoe looked at Takuya. "Do you mind Takuya?"

"No, not at all." Takuya and Koji exchanged sits for a while.

"How do you feel about Koichi and Ash now?" Zoe started.

"It's like a thousand knives hitting my heart." He answered. "You think Ash still has feelings for me?"

"I don't know." She replied. "I know that you're hurt more than ever right after my best friend chose Koichi over you but you still should be happy for your brother."

"How'd you know?"

"Oh c'mon Koji, Ash's not the only girl on the planet."

"How would I know the perfect girl for me?" He asked Zoe.

Zoe just smiled, "Don't ret to look for the perfect girl. Just concentrate on being the right guy." She answered rudely. "If you really care for Ash, let go of her. Then start moving on."

"I hate it when you're right." He mumbled.

"I know, even though that what I'm saying is impossible but it's always right."

Zoe realized she'd been holding Takuya's hand while they're entering Biology, and let go of his hand as they sat. Before Biology class start, their Music teacher, named, Mr. Arthur passed by for an announcement.

"May I have all of your attention?" The students went into silence. "Who among you have laptops on their houses?"

Everybody pointed their fingers on Zoe while Takuya forcedly raised Zoe's hand.

"Can you bring your laptop to school?" Mr. Arthur asked.

"Anytime and anywhere, sir."

"She types really fast, Arthur." Mr. Banner added.

"Excellent, just the thing I need." Mr. Arthur commented. "Would you like to join the competition on Computer Literacy on S.T.E.P.?"

"Why not?" Zoe didn't really think about this.

"Will start making our theme tomorrow. The S.T.E.P. will be on next Wednesday." Mr. Arthur vanished like into thin air.

"Wednesday?" She repeated. "Are you kidding me?! I don't even know my theme yet! I'm one-hundred percent sure that the paragraph I'm going to memorize isn't going to be one not two but three!" Panic took control of her.

"Zoe, think positive! You're a tough chick! You're smart, you can memorize whatever you're going to memorize in one any half day! You're gonna win this, besides, you're good in Science and Technology, it's like taking a candy away from the baby." Koichi seemed to calm Zoe down.

"I hope so." Zoe said, worried.

The rest of the day passed slowly, cheerfully. In Gym, they had lecture on the rules of badminton, Zoe's forgotten sport. Their Coach Clapp announced another upcoming competition right after S.T.E.P. An Athletic Myth, Takuya shouted for joy because it was a long time since he hadn't been playing soccer and now is the time to show whose boss on the field.

Before leaving campus, Takuya, Mike and Ash were called by their Agriculture Teacher named Mr. Romeo. He was picking a competitor for Agriculture on their S.T.E.P. competition. Zoe waited outside the campus and standby at her favorite place, The Plaza. She on the grass and put her headphones on. While she's listening to her MP3, Koichi jumped in with one fish ball for him and one for Zoe.

"Oooh, fish ball!" Zoe quickly took a bite of her given snack.

"Takuya's really going to be in the soccer team to win." As Koichi sat beside Zoe.

"Both you and Koji are going to play at Table Tennis, right?"

"Yeah."

"Tell you what…I promise I'm gonna be there cheering for you on your competition."

"What about Takuya?"

"She's going to be there also as well."

"What's taking them so long?" Koichi whined.

"Let's go check them out if they're almost done."

As they got to the place where Takuya and the rest, Koichi and Zoe heard a cheerful noise for Takuya, so Takuya's the one who's going to battle on S.T.E.P.

Zoe wasn't glad to leave campus, because she won't see Takuya. Right after she walked in the door of her house, Ash called happily that Koichi had asked her out to dinner.

Zoe left her with a little in the way of distractions. She had fish marinating dinner, with a salad and bread left over from the night before, so there was nothing to do there. She spent focused half hour on homework, but then she was through with that, too.

She decided to kill an hour with non-school-related reading. She had a small collection of books that she borrowed from Angela, the shabbiest volume being a compilation of the works of Jane Austen. She selected that one and headed to the backyard, grabbing a ragged old quilt from the linen cupboard at the top of the stairs on her way down.

Outside in her small, squared yard, she folded the quilt in half and laid it out of the reach of the trees shadows on the thick lawn. She lay on her stomach, crossing her ankles in the air, flipping through different novels in the book, trying to decide which would occupy her mind in the most thoroughly. Her favorites were Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. She's read the first most recently, so she started into Sense and Sensibility, only to remember after she began chapter three that 'Love Days Dies'. Angrily, she turned to Mansfield Park, but a sentence came, 'Love while you can.', and that was just too close.

"Isn't there anything else to do in this house?" She snapped the book shut, annoyed, and rolled over onto her back. She pushed her sleeves up as high as they would go, and closed her eyes.

"You will think nothing but your S.T.E.P. competition." She told herself severely.

The breeze was still light, but it blew tendrils of her hair around her face, and that tickled a bit. She pulled a;; of her hair over her head, letting it fan out on the quilt above her, and focused again on the heat that touched her eyelids, her cheekbones, her nose, her lips, her forearms, her neck, soaked through her light shirt…

The next thing she was conscious of was the sound of her parent's car turning onto bricks of the driveway. She sat up in surprise, realizing the light was gone, behind the trees, she had fallen asleep. She looked around, muddled, with the sudden feeling that she wasn't alone.

"Mom? Dad?" She asked. But she could hear their door slamming in front of the house.

She jumped up, foolishly edgy, gathering the now-damp quilt and her book. She ran inside to get some oil heating on the stove, realizing that dinner would be late. Her parents were stepping out of their slippers when Zoe came in.

"Sorry, guys, dinner's not ready yet—I fell asleep outside." She stifled a yawn.

"Don't worry about it," Steve said. "I wanted to catch the score on the game, anyway."

Zoe watched TV with Steve after dinner, for something to do. There wasn't anything on she wanted to watch, but he knew she didn't like basketball, so he turned it to less sitcom that neither of them enjoyed. He seemed happy, though, to be doing something together. And it felt good, despite her depression, to make him happy.

"Dad," she said during a commercial, "I have competition on Computer Literacy next Wednesday and I'll be bringing my laptop to school…do you mind if I bring my laptop anywhere, anytime I want?"

"Wow! That's great!" he commented. "Sure, sure."

"Thanks, Dad!"

"I'm wishing you all of my good luck next Wednesday."

She awakened with renewed hope that she grimly tried to suppress. She dressed in a deep blue V-neck blouse.

She had planned her arrival at school so that she barely had time to make it to class. She hurried to English, arriving breathless, but subdued, before the final bell.

She had her all day on the computer room all by herself with Mr. Arthur—they finished the theme 'The Things You Cherished The Most'. She had memorized the format of the page layout and the half of the theme.

After school, Takuya wanted to know if Zoe really loves him, so he's hanging out with Jane.

"Hey, Zoe!" As Zoe turned on to Takuya she saw his arms around her.

Zoe's heart sinks, so she rest back and attack him with rude words.

"Do whatever you want Takuya, I don't' care!" Zoe walked away from the campus while Takuya followed her home.

"Sorry."As he tried to apologize.

"Ugh! You know what?! Forget it! It was nothing, really." They've stopped walking on the middle of the street.

"Then why are you yelling?"

"I'm not yelling. I'm embracing my anger."

"I won't stop following you until you accept my apology."

"I've forgotten about that so I've forgiven you." She lied.

"You're such a bad liar." He commented.

"Leave me alone."

"I'm not in love with her, okay?"

"Then why were you hugging her in purpose? You could hug her anytime but do it not in front of me!"

"I said I was sorry about that." Now, Takuya apologized in front of Zoe, begging on his knees.

"Get up." She demanded.

He ignored her command and kept apologizing to her again and again.

"Okay. Fine. But only if you promise me not to do it again."

"Yes!" Takuya stood up and squeezed Zoe.

Takuya let go of Zoe. "You know deep down inside I was laughing while you're screaming on your knees on the middle of the street. You're a heck of a scandal, you know that?" She chuckled.

"I'd rather get embarrassed." Takuya gave Zoe a kissed on her cheek and waved good-bye.

She can still Takuya's kiss on her cheeks. "See you again tomorrow, my lover boy." She whispered.