Chapter 25

Calling it Quits

Miles Hollingsworth finally made his return to school. He still was still all bruised up, his face yellowish and purple. You can tell he's been icing his face for the better part of the weekend, the few cuts on his face had a few lingering stitches but he was able to come to school once again. Giggles and murmurs surrounded him as he walked down the halls. Nobody really has seen too much of him since the showdown at the party, or the fight last week at Grease rehearsals. His dad made him come back to school, even though he wanted to pretty much drop out.

Everyone was talking about his drunken tirade at Maya's birthday party. He was pretty much ostracized. And he just knew he had to unwillingly put Tori at the top of that list. He knew he was pretty much persona non grata. Not even his sister will speak to him anymore. He went from being the guy you love to hate but now he's the guy you give the stink eye to. He saw it. He saw Zoe offer him a mean stink eye and a look of contempt and pride for his current social standing as the pariah she was not so long ago. Inside though, she felt bad for him because she knew the feeling and it does suck. She passed him by without a word. Maya, Tori and Tristan weren't far behind her and Zig met with Zoe up the hallway, they kissed and walked away. Maya's look was most stinging of all, after all he did love that girl once. She stared right through him, as if he was invisible. Forcing herself to ignore him. Frankie purposely bumped him as she glided by quickly down the hall. At least she's not ignoring him, but she was still angry for what he said to her about her friends.

Tristan offered a look as if to say, sorry. Tristan was always following the rules, he was like Regina George from Mean Girls and you dared to cross him he'd make you wish you bit your tongue. He never lets things die. He always will speak up about things, he has so many nitpicky and cruel remarks. For someone riddled with insecurities, he never appears to falter under the pressures if anything, he makes people wriggle with his piercing looks. His stoic expression returned after he lingered for a moment before turning around to join the rest in mindless conversation. Miles went straight to the theater after that class to quit the play.

"Miles, hi." Kwan sighed heavy with concern, "You look awful. If there's any consolation, at least you'll heal."

"Yeah, I know." Miles said his hands in his pocket sheepishly agreeing to the somewhat backhanded compliment, "You don't have to apologize."

"You have a lot of ground to cover in the time you missed. I'll get you some make up for your face out of my purse, hol-" Kwan started to say trying to make him feel better about things.

"I'm actually here to quit the play." Miles answered certain in his decision, even though he knew that it was kind of bad to do on the notice. The play was to be in a few weeks, she raised her eyebrow, and he corrected himself, "I mean musical. I quit."

"Miles you don't-" Ms. Kwan replied sympathetically, "We can talk about this."

"I can't get up on stage, nobody likes me." He pointed to his face, "Not one person on that stage is ever going to speak to me again. What's the use?"

"If you're not doing it for them, do it for you or me, Miles I like you. I picked you for the role didn't I? I see your potential."

Miles sighed, "I don't think I could do it. Besides, my dad's been giving me hell for being in this thing anyway. Don't get me wrong, I loved it because it was something I was doing with my friends."

"Miles, your audition was nice." Kwan remarked, "You fit into the role of Kenickie well. You're complex like him. You have the confidence, the bravado and the," she looked back and forth awkwardly about to make a pop culture reference, "Swagger that the role needs to breathe life in. He falls in love with Rizzo. You'll see."

"I have to kiss her and I-" He sat down hoisting him up onto the stage, "She hates me, she'll probably not let me kiss her and I'll look foolish up there. I feel foolish now, just thinking about."

Kwan sighed at her reasoning, and his dashed hopes. It didn't work and she felt badly for this boy who she had thought he was a jerk but she saw the vulnerable side of him and she couldn't help but think he was struggling with being on stage, but she didn't want him to run from this. "I can't make you stay."

"You're right, you can't." He spat, and then he let out a defeated sigh, "I'm stubborn. I don't do things I don't want to do. I don't want to make an ass out of myself."

"You have to make an effort, you owe yourself that much. You'll regret it."

"I'll live. Not once was I ever the kid that everyone ignored." Miles shook his head, "I was big man on campus at all the schools. Even in elementary school. I'm rich, I throw good parties and that's what they think of me. That I don't have feelings, it sucks when someone stomps all over them. I loved Maya Matlin. Whether she believes it or not. Whether anyone thought so or not. For the first time I met her she was special. I admired her from afar there was just something about her that was special."

"It's a common phenomena I've seen many people fall in love. Aren't Zoe and Zig together too?" Kwan answered, "I saw a couple in one of the first semesters that started to date and they just graduated and they were together all through college. Happiest little couple. Sometimes you don't know it, but there's other people out there. The girl wrote a paper about her first love, her high school boyfriend and how she thought they'd make it together but they split up before college. And then, they were better because of it. And it doesn't mean just because they broke up and she's with someone that she doesn't still care about that person. it didn't work out, it doesn't mean that you can't move on and find something better. That's what I want you to take away, Miles. Sometimes you got to stop using things to push others away, don't demean people because you don't know the life they live or judge them because you don't understand them because they're different from you. Don't give up, because it could give you strength. Don't quit. It'll take your mind off of it, lord knows break ups are terrible things, they happen and either do something to get her back or work twice as hard on acting because you have a real strength here."

"I'll think about it, okay?" Miles replied standing up jumping off the stage his head downcast.

"It's also way too late to find someone else. Get it together. Don't stress us out here, we really don't want to be scrambling." Ms. Kwan replied, "You letting everyone down because you want to quit is what they'd expect of you and if you want people to like you, you should stay."

"The look in her eyes, I screwed up. But there's somebody else and I don't know where it stands."

The auditorium door open and in came Becky shaking her head shouting, "I quit, I can't work with Imogen anymore. She makes me uncomfortable and quite frankly I can't work with her."

"Wait, just a minute we can't be out a Sandy and a Kenickie." She huffed exasperated shaking her head, "Please, you two are leads we can't replace you. Understand me?"

"God Miles, you suck." Becky shook her head crossing her arms shaking her head, "I knew it was bad idea casting him, he's not dependable."

Miles looked down, before gritting his teeth trying hard not to say anything and then he simply spit out something he wish he kept tight-lipped on, "Of course, I'm not the lead trying to get out of an obligation." He was full of contempt as he jumped off the stage and walked toward her adding, in a sing-song voice, "Oh so Imogen insulted the little yellow baby clothes you like to strut your stuff thinking you're so much better than everyone else because I'm little miss sunshine and my vagina pops out rainbows and I'm desirable because I don't put out or whatever you religious people do."

"Miles!" Ms. Kwan shouted in surprise at his cruelty.

"It's true." Miles remarked, "This is why I fucking quit."

"You're not going anywhere, you have detention with me after school, you'll be in the musical. You will finish it out and I don't care what happens. Fresh start, here and now. You can also start your fresh start right now. You apologize to Becky."

"Eat my shorts." Miles rolled his eyes.

"Miles!" She exclaimed, "I won't have this."

"You can't make me."

"I think I just did, I got you for three more weeks for each curse word you decided to use in my presence. I believe in you Miles, but not many people will if you don't let go of your anger. Try not having me punish you for you to realize. And fine, Becky." She looked in her direction as Miles stormed out slamming the door behind him, "We'll work things out. I don't know what happened."

"He knows nothing about me." Becky snarled angrily crossing her arms.

"What is going on, you mentioned Imogen?" Kwan asked confusedly.

"I don't want to talk about it, it's a personal matter." Becky retorted nearing tears, she wasn't wearing make up and her hair was up, but Kwan was looking to her sympathetically enough, she walked toward her listening with compassion, "Fine." She swallowed hard and sat in one of the theatre chairs and Ms. Kwan sat beside her, "I found out my deceased boyfriend cheated on me, with Imogen presumably before he died. That wasn't before she made out with me on the couch at a birthday party Friday night - so I wouldn't be mad at her. I mean, how else is it supposed to look? I can't work with someone who did this to me. You understand, right?"

"That was quite the bomb you set off Beck. Look it could be fine. You just use me as your middle man, but you have to talk about it at some point. Think about her side, she probably didn't want to hurt you. She is a nice girl, I don't know about your boyfriend -"

"He loved me." She cried, "He was thinking I wasn't faithful you know, because I was a lifeguard and he got insecure because . ." She snickered, "He was transgender and thought that he wasn't man enough for me. He was though, he was everything to me and everyone wishes I'd shut up about him, but he was so so special." She bit her lip as some tears fell down her cheeks, she sniffled before wiping her eye, "I just needed to talk to somebody, you know? Because, Lord knows he's the only person I pray to that he's taking good care of him."

Ms. Kwan without thinking wrapped her arms around her as Becky continued, sobbing shaking her head, "I've been here before, with other students. They never believe me when I say that it will get better, and you'll get through this. You just need to breathe."

"But it hurts, Ms. Kwan, so so bad. I can't describe, it hurts worse." Becky welled up, as she pulled back fighting back the comforting hug, sniffling her nose, "Because it's not fair, I see everyone in love and I wish it were me. Everyone coupled off, and here, where's my guy? Oh that's right, he died fighting for me and then him kissing Imogen just not like him, not at all. It's my fault because, I told her she can't hang out with him, I was just being jealous but I didn't think he'd really do that with her. And I- and she's kissing me and I can't take it back. What if I go to hell for that? I should have never left on vacation I should've denied the trip to spend the summer with him. The last time we talked we fought, he hates me. I loved him so much, and he's probably thinking I'm horrible but I'm just so sad and nothing would ever take it away. Imogen I can't trust her, and I trusted her, I told her everything about how I felt about Adam and she blatantly omitted that she had any part in that. She did. And my stupid fears because I was being selfish."

"Love is sometimes, selfish but that's because you care so much about that person." She whispered, "You weren't there, you don't know the details but what you do know is you shouldn't remember him that way. Remember him in your happiest of moments together. Like when you fell in love. He'd want you to remember him that way. Trust me, Becky. No one wants you to see them at their worst."

"I just didn't want anyone else to have what I had with Adam, what we had been it so special to me."

"And you will have that again. You'll see."

"And no, because I'll be a nun." She teared up, "I won't ever love again."

"Becky, I hate to break it to you but I don't see that life for you. You're a bright and talented girl. You can still love the Lord and still love someone again. Adam would want you to fall in love, have kids, have a house a home with someone you love. You have your whole life, and you don't need to rush. It's not like I'm saying go out and find someone new, but you'll see. Life is full of surprises." Ms Kwan continued, with a smile, pointing toward Becky's down turned smile, "If he loved you, and I'm sure there was a logical explanation, sometimes two people kiss and it wasn't meant to happen but it did happen and it's unfortunate that someone got hurt but sometimes things are meant to happen for a reason. It was the heat of the moment, whatever, you don't want to taint the memory with something like that. Just remember Adam the good things about Adam and at least you loved and lost as opposed to never loving anyone at all."

"I wish it were that easy to let him go."

"I didn't say it was easy, takes work. I'll be there at least until the musical is through, but you can email me anytime you feel stuck, I want you to get through this." She beamed nudging Becky, "You've got it so easy now, you're kind and sweet and you'll be okay."

"I really, really hope so." She took a breath, combing a stray hair that managed to blow in front of her face behind her ear, "I don't think I could handle this. I'm just so sad he was my soul mate. I loved him." She sniffled, "I sound like a broken record though. Everyone else is all over it, they've mended and healed and I never can get there. Even Luke tells me, my brother, I need to stop moping and deal with it."

"I promise you, you're going to be fine and I think you just need to forgive, because it doesn't matter how you treat someone after they die, it matters when they're still here."

"You're right." Becky thought profoundly, "Imogen lost Adam too."

"It's hard for her too. She's told me about how important the play was to you because of Adam. It was important to her too, because Adam was her friend too. And it was his favorite. You used to watch it with him. He used to tell stories about it to Imogen and that's how she remembers him. She told me this. Not what happened doesn't define their friendship, you'll see. Everything will work its way out, just forgive before it's too late. He'd want that. I didn't know him, but he was a decent human being and that's what we as humans want. We're all beautifully flawed, even the adults, even the most perfect of all will need to admit their flaws to improve. Even I need to give myself a check."

"Thank-you." She offered sadly, "I just need some more time to cool off I suppose."

"Yeah, I'll give you a pass to the bathroom, because you should wash your face before class."

"Exactly." She beamed, "You're alright."

Ms. Kwan signed her book, and away Becky went with her hall pass to the bathroom and Ms Kwan resumed back to her grading papers and reading through the scripts and the other things she had to go through sighing, just hoping that Miles would take this into consideration.

. . .

Owen walked through the front door of school with a death wish.

He was technically banned without a visitors pass but he wanted his money and he wanted it now.

The elder Milligan still had the bells memorized for it wasn't so long ago he was a student at Degrassi and things like that don't change year to year. He knew that every day at 11:40 the bell would ring, and the students would be in the hall, making it easy for him to come in without being detected. He's considered armed and dangerous. And then he saw them, Zoe and Zig giggling and kissing by her locker wrapped up in some sweet moment that would soon be interrupted. He kept his eyes on the locker as he managed to come in without a question or suspicion that he belongs there. He looked around scrupulously to stay undetected by the likes of Tristan. He caught them with surprise, he hit Zoe's locker shut with his hand beaming antagonistically causing Zoe and Zig to jump. The chaos swirling through the halls made it easy for them to be startled but not the people walking through the halls.

"Owen, what're you doing here?" Zig asked defensively and sternly, protective in nature stepping in front of Zoe.

"I'm here for my money." Owen remarked angrily removing his sunglasses sucking back on his lips causing Zoe to back into the locker fearfully.

"What money?" Zig asked him, acting twice as tough, but that was just that, he was acting. He had never stood up to Owen much, he always had a way of coercing him into doing his bidding.

"The money your girlfriend over there owes me for her large order." Owen answered, with contempt, "And I told her I don't run a charity. Isn't that right, Northpark."

Zoe pushed her way through Zig and looked at him, nervously and awkwardly, frozen causing Zig to ask Zoe whispering, "You forgot to pay him?"

The brunette ignored the question, but she still managed to stand up for herself, "It's Westdrive and I'll get you your money, right in my purse. Zoe fumbled through her wristlet before giving him the money, avoiding his eyes, "It should all be here."

"I had to chase you down." Owen added as he counted it in his hands, "Don't make me chase you down again. Take it as a warning." He was elated as he turned on his heel, put back on his sunglasses to remain inconspicuous and walked out the front doors of the school disappearing. Zoe and Zig both watched him leave, the awkward stillness of it was deafening as the people continued to scramble through the halls and they were stuck stock still after the argument. Zig's brow remained furrowed as he saw he was cleared and out of sight before turning around to Zoe.

She sheepishly looked at him, sighing dismayed by the scene with Owen, "I'm sorry Zig, just a lot of thing-"

"It's fine, just stay away from him, alright? He's slimy. I don't trust him." Zig answered, "I would know, I've had to deal with him for a while now."

"I'm glad you were here." Zoe blushed as she replied, embarrassed that she was left shaking her boots, and not many people scare her. She didn't think he'd be a threat and she had plans to pay him off later on at the ravine party that night, but of course she didn't think he'd come searching for her in school. She was completely blindsided. "Otherwise, I would've freaked out. Who let him in any way?"

"He has his ways, like I said he's like a snake." Zig says with his hands simulating a snake, "Slimy."

"So fight fire with fire?"

"So fight, inconspicuously. Don't let him know you have a problem, keep your head down. Unfortunately for me, he's my boss. And now I have to deal with him, you don't have to. I'll tell him to leave you out of it, just don't make any waves, alright Zoe?"

"Yeah I suppose." She relented rolling her eyes, "What do you say we get out of here and go somewhere."

"And skip school?"

She looked at him with a smirk, "You don't want to skip? I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"Fine, but if someone catches us, it was your idea."

"Race you to the car?" She asked gearing up to run, "Count of three?"

"You're on." He replied as they raced out the front door and in the car. Zoe won, but only because Zig stupidly had his shoes untied and he managed to trip on an ice covered puddle ditch in the parking lot. She ran back toward him and helped him up.

"Thank-you." Zig replied as he got up off of the ground and they walked the rest of the way to the car. He got in, put the key in the ignition and backed out of the parking spot going quickly.

"Hey wait!", Zoe protested a bit as she was trying to click her seat belt and with him going already she panicked a bit but then it clicked and all was well. He rolled down the window to allow some breeze to permeate the car, her hair started to blow in the breeze and he would take turns from riding to looking at her breeze-tinged hair, blowing like a model in the wind on a cover of a magazine.

"I feel like we're in a movie. You know where I'm the misunderstood bad boy and you're, that knock out actress model riding off into the sunset."

She giggled, both amused and flattered by the sweet remark, she looked his way, leaning her head on his arm, looking up with puppy dog eyes, "Where do you want to go?"

"Hmm, yeah where do we go?" He asked, this time keeping his eyes on the road and just going wherever the wind takes them.

"We could uh go the ravine, like old times tonight." Zoe asked curiously, "We could smoke."

"Yeah, tonight, that'll be fun, good idea I was even going to bring up - but the bad news is no one is there yet."

"I've always wanted to experiment in a recreational vehicle." Zoe replied attempting to get a rise out of him. It worked.

"Well look at you." He answered, "There we go?"

"I was kidding, that place is fine for smoking, not built for romance. I swore you knew me better than that."

"I've heard stories." He answered, causing her to cock an eyebrow, he had five seconds to save face, "Not about you but . . that van."

"Well don't add me to the list."

He sighed, "Oh you're no fun."

"Oh no? I'm loads of fun."

"Oh yeah? Then think of something, fast."

"Fine, Westdrive lot."

"Aren't you not welcome?"

"So?"

"Sweet, my girl is a rebel."

"That's right." A beam played on her lips, "I've got a plan."

When they arrived at the Westdrive set, no one was there. So this was a good sign. She just wanted to go to her home away from home and see the way it looked. When she arrived though, it was bare. Her bedroom was gone. She walked slowly in front of him and turned around pretending to happy, "You're standing where, my bedroom was." She had given him the tour of the set and she was saddened to see that it wasn't the same anymore. She peered around the corner and saw that a lot of the set pieces and furniture was added to another bedroom onset. The bed frame, the light fixtures, the vanity and such were for another room and they were taking it down, all that was there was her painted walls and wallpaper, the remnants of posters, it was all gone.

"I guess, there's no point in staying, right?" He asked confusedly walking toward her as she tried hard not to make a scene, her eyes were welling with tears, "Is everything alright?"

She shook her head and said nothing.

"Let's just -" Zig started to say until he was cut off by someone walking toward them to kick them out, even though Zig was encouraging to leave. Zoe's bravery kicked in, and she was already giving Zig the signals to move out.

And then they heard someone come into the set, followed by the unpleasant sight of Curtis walking toward them, blocking their exit, "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"What's it to you?" She asked, stopped still.

"You're not allowed to be here." He replied, "I'll call security if this happens again."

"And you're in my house, you're not allowed there." She answered back, squinting her eyes.

"Says who?" He asked, "I was invited."

"Says me." She retorted, "Leave us alone. Break it off with my mom. She doesn't want you. Just get out of our lives."

"Oh just cut the crap Zoe." He answered shaking his head with contempt, "Just get over it."

"Get over it?" She asked inching toward him, "Yeah, like it's that easy."

"It's okay, I'm not upset with you." He answered, making comedy after her very real concerns and anger twisting it around to appear that she was the trouble, "It was actually quite fun and you can't prove anything otherwise."

"I know about the tape." She confessed firmly grasping Zig's hand hoping he wouldn't try to attack Curtis. "And we were just leaving." The pair began bolting toward of the front doors sliding past him.

Curtis was left in the dust dumbfounded in the empty room, wondering how? What was his next course of action? He hollered while his back was turned, "I have it backed up, so who is the dumb bitch now?" He scoffed beaming, whispering to himself, "I still win."

"What now?" Zig asked trying to collect his breath after the mad dash to the car.

"We're going to his house." She started to say breathing in and out, "We're going to break in and find any copy and destroy it. And any other proof we're going to take with us and then we'll call the cops."

"A-are you sure?" Zig hesitated as he opened up his car door.

"One hundred percent, sure. And we'll celebrate at the ravine afterward, I promise." They pulled out of the parking spot and Zoe told him where to go. Even if it was against Zig's better judgement he had his suspicions of the potential threats in breaking and entering not to mention the other repressions, of finding things like tapes and articles to prove Curtis as a perverse guy who intimidates young people, and shouldn't be around them. He believes in Zoe and that's what gets him by and he'd do anything to make sure of her safety even if it breaches his codes of moral ethics. Even the trip to the Westdrive lot was somewhat of a surprise. She wants to take down Curtis and he is more than willing to help her carry out and be the heavy in her operation. "We have to take him down, I won't feel safe until he's locked up."

He could say he didn't hate this side of her, she was driven to a goal, but he did have a warning, "We will need proof, but if you don't feel comfortable keeping it or watching it we just need to know it's - What if it's others too?"

"I'm hoping because it only looks favorably upon my case."

"I suppose, but we're in this together whether we get caught or not."

"Promise you won't throw me under the bus?" She asked smiling.

"I promise." Zig said taking his free hand he wasn't using to drive to hold her hand. He can feel her hands shaking, but he knew that would subside when it's all over.