5 – Breaking Ties

'Hey, Ginger!'

The name had become unnervingly familiar to Newton over a very short time, and he looked around reflexively upon hearing it. Trixie, who had been walking with him, furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before following suit.

Elizabeth was sprinting toward them from across the courtyard, her long hair flying out behind her like a sail. Newton cocked his head and waited until she caught up, breathing heavily.

'Get this, dude,' she said, putting her hands behind her head and stretching out. 'Soper says there are like, six-week courses we can do here to learn units I might have missed at other schools. Like, certain science and history type things. How cool is that? I can do a Physics crash course, just like that!'

'It's pretty neat, huh?' Newton agreed, feeling inclined to share in her enthusiasm. 'But I think it's broader than that. I'm pretty sure Bertha's been doing a few of those music theory ones.'

'Yeah, and – hey Sweet Cheeks, I don't think we've met in person yet.' Elizabeth suddenly seemed to realise that Trixie was there too, and turned her attention, sticking her hand out. 'I'm Liz.'

'Really?'' Trixie deadpanned, shaking it. Neither of them let go.

'Ah, well -' Elizabeth shrugged offhandedly. 'What else can I say? You look like one of those porcelain dolls.'

'Vin has no originality and just says "hot",' Newton put forward helpfully, slightly confused as to why their hands were still clasped – rather tightly, at that.

'An actual walking goddess,' she conceded. 'That works too.'

The corners of Trixie's lips were curled upward, and she looked over at Newton. 'Looks like you've found a real charmer.' Despite her attempt at nonchalance, her cheeks were pink.

Elizabeth finally seemed to be affected by some sense of embarrassment. 'Ah, well . . .' She gently released Trixie's hand and absently scratched her ear, looking somewhere around Newton's feet. 'My Ma always said my mouth tends to run away with me.'

'It's fine,' Trixie said. She grinned slightly. 'It's nice to know someone thinks you're pretty. My name's Trixie, by the way.'

Elizabeth grinned back. 'Trixie. I – I think I like that better.'

When the moment lapsed into an awkward silence (in Newton's opinion, anyway), he chose that moment to step forward and take initiative. 'Right, so Trix and I were just going to get our books, if you wanna tag along?'

Elizabeth shook her head. 'Nah, you go on. I'll see yous all later.'

Newton could barely wait until they had gotten inside to tap Trixie's ankle with his own foot, almost tripping her over. She let out an indignant squawk at this, and sent him a withering glare once she had steadied herself.

'What was that for?'

'You were blushing,' he teased, giving her a wicked grin.

Her upper lip curled at this, and she sniffed in disdain. 'Was not.'

'Was too.'

'Well you'd be flattered if someone called you attractive, wouldn't you?'

'I guess, but admit it, you think she's cute.'

'I think she's interesting,' Trixie corrected, as they reached the library and collected their books from the table where they had last left them. 'There's a difference.'

'Why's she "interesting", then? Seems ordinary enough to me.'

'You'd agree she wears her heart on her sleeve, wouldn't you?' she posed, turning to him rather abruptly.

Caught off guard by the question, Newton faltered momentarily before answering. 'Uh, probably, yeah?'

'I don't think that's actually her.'

'You're pretty quick to make that decision.'

'It's a common defensive tactic, Newton. People with difficult histories often try to hide from them by adopting different behavioural mannerisms. You would think that being at this sort of school would suggest a different attitude on her part?'

He paused, looking down at her thoughtfully. 'Okay, say you have a point. But isn't that her business? It's not really our place to go nosing into other people's private lives.'

Trixie seemed to become fully aware of what she had been suggesting, and shook her head a little. 'You're right. I'm probably just imagining things.'

'Probably,' he agreed cheerfully, slapping her on the back. 'Now come on; we're gonna be late.'

'I could live like a hobbit,' Vin said, shoving a handful of chips in his mouth. 'Sit around, eat food all day, sleep – sounds like a good life.'

'Liar. You wouldn't cope with being that hairy.'

He punched Zero on the shoulder and handed her the bag of chips, readjusting his position on the bed. 'I'd get over it. I'd be too fat and happy to care.'

She hummed in agreement, and ate a chip.

The two of them were sprawled on Zero's bed, with her laptop sitting at the foot, which was playing The Fellowship of the Ring. They had piled a number of pillows at the head, and Vin was lounging with a hand behind his head. Zero was tucked up where the side of the bed met the wall, lying at an angle, with her legs thrown over his. It was some ridiculous hour of the morning, and they had just returned from a scouting mission, attempting to suss out what Macbeth might be planning next. They had come back with absolutely nothing – in fact, it seemed like she had no plan at all.

It was a little unnerving, really, but they were choosing to forget it in favour of watching movies.

'You know,' he said after a while, 'it kinda reminds me of us. INK, I mean.' At her questioning glance, he continued. 'Four little guys going on a quest to destroy ultimate evil – I know this one's fantasy and stuff, but some of the parallels are pretty cool when you think about it.'

'How profound of you,' she said dryly, 'but there's nine people in the Fellowship, dumbass. Learn to count.'

'Hey,' he replied indignantly, shooting her a look. 'I was talking about the hobbits.'

She remained straight-faced for a remarkably long time, but eventually cracked under his pointed stare and burst into laughter. 'I know,' she choked out, and dissolved into another fit of giggles.

'Then what are you laughing at?' Vin cried, unable to keep back his own grin. He elbowed her in the ribs. 'Zero.'

He always found it nearly impossible to focus on anything else when she laughed – mainly because he felt there was nothing else worth noticing. He knew it was stupid, but he was always . . . well, mesmerised or something, by the way her whole face seemed to light up, eyes bright. She'd developed this habit too, over the last year or so, where she would unconsciously bring her hand up to cover her mouth.

It was . . . well, to put it simply, she had him wrapped around her finger. She could tell him to jump off a cliff, and hell, he'd do it. He knew he would.

The moment was interrupted when Zero's phone buzzed, almost startling the two of them off the bed. Zero fumbled for her phone and answered it, shooting Vin a look that clearly said who the hell rings at this hour of the morning?

'Hello?'

Vin leaned forward and paused the movie, before pulling out his own phone and scrolling through Facebook, pretending not to listen to her conversation.

'Yeah, that's me.'

There was a long pause, and Vin was getting very tempted to look up, but her next words made him pause.

'Again? What the hell happened this time?'

Who was she talking to? He finally looked up, to see Zero . . . well, furious. Her eyes were wide and angry, and her whole body was tense, as though she were ready to jump up and run. She didn't meet Vin's gaze, as though she were deliberately ignoring him.

'Yeah, I can come. What time?'

As she spoke, she reached out and closed the laptop, signalling to Vin that their movie session was clearly over.

'Yeah, I . . . alright – okay. Yeah, bye.' She hung up and dropped the phone on the bed. Everything was silent for a long moment, and Vin looked at her hesitantly.

'Everything alright?'

'It's fine,' she replied shortly. 'I should probably go to bed, though. I've got somewhere to be in the morning.'

'Okay,' Vin answered, and got up off the bed. 'Night.'

'Night.'

He got all the way to the doorway before he paused, turning back around.

'Zero?'

'Mmm?' She didn't look at him as she went about dusting chip crumbs off the bed, but he knew she was listening.

'You know if - if something's . . . wrong, you can talk to me, right? And Newton. And Trixie. You can trust us.'

There was a long pause, and Zero paused halfway through tying her hair back from her face. 'Yeah,' she replied after a moment. 'Yeah, I know.'

'And -'

'Goodnight, Vin.'

'What the fuck have you done now, jackass?'

The figure on the other side of the glass looked up at Zero's abrupt arrival, seeming almost surprised to see her. He picked up the phone receiver with a heavily tattooed hand and looked at her scrutinisingly.

'You actually came.' His tone was harsh; hostile.

'You're lucky I was the only one left they could call.'

'Don't you go getting a smart mouth. You don't so much as call for a year, but the second I'm locked up you come visitin'. I know you don't learn shit at that school, so what's your excuse?'

'This has perks,' she replied dryly. She reached up and rapped the glass with her knuckles. 'You can't hit me from over there.'

He threw out his arms exasperatedly. 'Oh, so now you're gettin' picky.' His black hair, which was usually gelled back, hung limp in his face. 'I work my ass off for you, and I don't get so much as a "Thanks Pops, for givin' me a roof to sleep under". Nah, you just take off like it's nobody's business.'
Zero leaned in close to the glass, narrowing her eyes dangerously. 'If you think for one fucking minute that dealing meth is "hard work", then I hope you never get out of this stinking place. What the hell did you think you'd get out of that anyway?'

'It was for you, kid,' he protested. He slapped a hand down on the table to express his point, and Zero flinched reflexively. 'What, you think getting' a future comes free these days? You can't earn shit workin' an honest job, you know that.'

'Yes you can, but you're too much of a bastard to really understand that.'

He sneered. 'Face it. You're not gonna be anythin' more than some lousy skank. You're not cut out for the high life.' He gave her a leering smile, full of yellowing teeth. 'You'll wind up just like your ma. Makin' a whore outta herself at every bar in the state.'

Zero made a valiant effort to keep her hands from trembling. Neither of them had spoken about Zero's mom since the day she had left, and now . . . and now . . .

'You knew all this time?' she asked icily. 'You knew all this time and you never told me.'

The leer stretched into a broad smirk. 'She was never good for much else.'

'Shut up,' she hissed. 'Shut up.' She stood up, clenching her fists. The receiver on her side of the glass clattered to the table.

Her whole life, her mother had been the light of her life. Even after she left, Zero still believed that one day she would come back, and take her far, far away from Dad, where they could start a new life of their own. That hope had certainly faded over the years, as she matured and adopted a grimmer mindset, but Mama had been an untarnished aspect of her mind. Until now.

She was startled out of her silent, furious thoughts at Dad smacking his fist against the glass. Through the receiver, she heard the tinny growl of 'get back here, you little bitch,' still audible even where she stood.

She drew in a deep breath, steadying her trembling. She then looked him in the eye, and picked up the receiver. 'This ends now, you sick fuck,' she told him in a low, venomous tone. 'I'm not coming back. Never. You think I'll become a hooker? Fine, maybe that will happen. But maybe I'll go out into the world and make something of myself. I don't know. But I do know that I'm no longer part of this family. I want nothing to do with you, and if you ever try to find me, I'm calling social services. I'm done with your shit. Never again will you have your way with me. Never.' She exhaled heavily. 'You've given me scars I'll never get rid of. But I can try my best.' She slammed down the receiver, and as she walked out the door she ripped her visitor's label from her shirt. The words Zero Toriello stared up at her, like a brand; some kind of scorching mark that told her who to be.

This was the first step in abandoning that, then.

She balled the label up and let it slip between her fingers, before leaving behind the part of her life that had tormented her for sixteen long, miserable years. And just like that, she walked away.

10/12/2021