Zero-nine: Fraternizing with the Enemy
Zelda watched bemusedly as Link roughly plopped a ten dollar bill on the counter of the concession stand.
"Two slices of grease with meat, a lemon-lime Gatorade, a Cherry Coke, a Kit-kat bar, three Air Heads and a Ring Pop."
The bored-looking student volunteer sauntered away to fetch Link's order, and Zelda laughed.
"Quite the piggy, aren't we, Mr. Hero?"
"Half of it's for you, you know. And don't protest," he added as the volunteer set down the candy and went to retrieve the pizza. "Don't give me any of that diet bull that so many chicks use because I've seen you snarf down five krispy kreme donuts in a row."
"I wasn't going to protest," Zelda replied tranquilly, then eyed the greasy slabs of pizza that were literally dripping that the volunteer was bringing and gulped. "Much."
"You're going to eat it," Link replied. "Grease is good for you."
"Yeah, but not my pores…"
"Quiet," Link shushed her as he gathered the quarters the student threw at his head. "You'll like it."
"Of course," Zelda replied, taking the drinks and candy, allowing Link to proceed ahead with their all-oil main entrée. "I'm just not into greasy pizza."
"After this, you will be. America's finest pizza right here in this very stadium – ah," he said, dipping so one of the slices didn't begin to ooze off the cheap paper plate it had been so carelessly tossed atop. "Anyway, it's good. You'll like it. Trust me."
"Of course, Link," responded Zelda as they made their way up the boiling bleachers through the myriad of tumultuous high school bodies, reeking of perfume and Axe cologne. "Because you're just such a trustable guy."
"I know." He grinned over his shoulder for a split second at her, then continued making his way up the bleachers and to the left, away from the students, so that they could watch the game and ignore their peers' mindless banter. Link plopped down on the bleacher seat underneath the hot, bright lights, and Zelda sat down roughly next to him, exchanging his Gatorade for her pizza and dropping the snacks between them.
"Prepare to be astounded," Link murmured as Zelda tentatively raised the slice of pizza to her mouth. She turned and glared at him, eyebrows furrowing.
"Shut up and eat already," she said, and took a bite of the pizza. And decided that there was too much grease…
….but somehow, it was the best pizza she'd ever had.
"Toldja," Link spouted through a mouthful of pizza.
"It's decent," Zelda replied with an elegant shrug. "Not the best pizza ever, but I'm not complaining."
"Good," replied Link with a grin. "Nothing worse than having an unhappy princess on your hands, hm?"
"Whatever you say, Mr. Hero." Zelda moved her focus to the game, and suddenly hopped up with the rest of the crowd.
"GET 'EM!" She yelled. "GET THE BALL, DAMMIT! TACKLE THE BASTARD! YES! GO! GO GO GO!" She hopped up and down on the seat with her fingers in her mouth, cheering their team on with the rest of the hyperactive, overemotional crowd. Link watched with his mouth open as Zelda screamed her lungs out, dancing around on the bleachers.
"YEAH!" She cheered and danced around as the team scored, hugging Link as the band started up a victory song from the side lines. The score board read 0-7, 2nd quarter, and they were proceeding into half time.
"Um… Zelda?" Link asked as he found his face crammed into her dancing chest.
"What?" she asked him, pulling away and looking down at him. His face was very red. "Can't I just be a little happy if we're winning?"
"Nothing wrong with that." He coughed discreetly, took one more look at her, and clamped his hand over his nose.
"What's wrong, Link?" Zelda asked him.
"I god a dosebleed," he muttered, standing up. "Debbie go do da badroom."
"Okay…" Zelda watched as he stumbled down the bleachers, and then shook her head, watching the hubbub of football players exiting the field.
"And now, we are proud to present a performance by the Eastwood band and Eastwood Eagle Dancers!"
Zelda watched with detached interest as the dancers took their places on the field, clapping along and cheering as they wove a spell over the crowd. Once their dance was over, they exited the field, then the band marched, displaying their "mad nerd skills" as Zelda was sure Link would have put it. Once or twice she could have sworn she recognized some of the people in the band to be of Link's crew, but shrugged it off. Sheep didn't really seem the type to her to play a trombone. (She conveniently forgot the fact that Link's geeky friends were, actually, in the band.)
It was a while before Link finally returned, and when he did, half time was nearly over.
"That took a while," Zelda yelled to him over the noise of the crowd that was pushing her in. She was hot and sweating and had been a little lonely with no Link, but was surprised how much cheerier she felt when he showed up again.
"Sorry," he yelled back as they watched the other team's band performing. "Long line."
"I was bored." Zelda didn't know what evil poltergeist had possessed the connection between her brain and her vocal cords, but she knew that she wasn't very happy about it as she found herself saying, "I was lonely. I missed you."
"Awww, you missed little ol' me?" Link teased, poking her in the side and laughing.
"How could I not?" Zelda was relieved to find that he was taking it as stupid banter, but was still angry at herself. What was that, you idiot?
What she didn't notice was that Link made no move to leave her side again that night, not once. And when their team won the game in the last sixty seconds, he didn't even object to her dancing – in fact, he joined in with her. On the cool walk to Impa's car, he stayed by her side, keeping her warm after leaving the warmth of the stadium lights and thousands of bodies, and even allowed her to rest her exhausted head in his lap on the ride home, as they were stuck in the back together with a project of Impa's taking up the front seat.
But most of all, what she didn't notice was how he looked at her when she told him good night, and she didn't hear him quietly say, once he was tucked away in his own bed, "Good night, Princess" in the softest whisper possible, and she didn't see him roll over and kiss the air before falling asleep.
----
The next morning, Zelda awoke to little Jayda sitting atop her stomach, trying to wake her up.
"Whaddayawant, squirt?" Zelda mumbled as her neat blond pigtails swam into view.
"There's a girl on the phone for you. Her name's Malon." Jayda handed Zelda the cordless phone, which had been sitting next to her, but remained sitting on her stomach.
"Ugh, Mal, did you have to call so early?"
"Girl, it's already eleven thirty," came Malon's bubbly reply. Zelda glanced at the clock and sighed.
"So it is."
"You up late or something?" Malon snapped her gum.
"Yeah." Zelda rubbed her eyes a few times, ignoring Jayda sitting atop her stomach. "Link and I went to the game last night."
"We win?"
"Fourteen to zip," Zelda replied.
"Was it like a date?"
"No. Why did you call?"
"Wanted to see if you wanted to go shopping for homecoming dresses." Malon snapped her gum again.
"Homecoming? Dresses?"
"Homecoming is a big event. We exchange homecoming mums, there's a big pep rally, then a huge football game, and then on Saturday there's a dance."
"When is this?"
"Three weeks from now. I'm scheduling appointments to get my makeup and hair and nails done. Lu's coming, too. Feel up to the challenge of being a girly girl?"
"Sure," yawned Zelda. "When are you gonna pick me up?"
"How does about half an hour sound?"
"Sounds good. Bye."
"Bring money."
"I will. Let me go take my shower now."
"'Kay." Malon hung up, and Zelda hit the "talk" button, silencing the line.
"Yes?" she asked Jayda, looking up at the little blond expectantly.
"Mama took Saria to the dentist and Link and Dad are gone so I get to stay with you, Zelda."
Zelda groaned, running her hand along her sleep-grimed face. "Why couldn't you have told me that before I made plans? When will everybody be home?"
"Daddy said he and Link are going to be gone until four and Mom said she'll be back in time to make dinner."
Zelda glanced at the clock and sighed, sitting up, causing little Jayda to go sliding off her stomach. "Let's call around and find you a babysitter."
"No!" Jayda looked dissatisfied, clutching to the front of Zelda's pajama shirt. "I can come! I know all about fashion. I can help you," she replied. Zelda raised an eyebrow and looked down at the little girl.
"You promise not to complain?"
"I promise." Jayda put one of her hands over her heart (and Zelda couldn't help but notice the perfect manicure) and said very seriously, "I won't complain and I won't bother you. I can help you, honest."
Zelda grinned and patted Jayda on the head. "Okay, kiddo, but remember that when we're out shopping. Can I leave you alone for a few minutes so I can get myself cleaned up?"
Jayda made a face. "I'm not a baby. I'm just not allowed at home alone all day." She hopped off the bed, stretching. "I'll make you some oatmeal."
"That safe?"
"I told you I'm not a baby. I know how to use the stove." And Jayda sauntered out of the room, closing the door behind her. Zelda shook her head, smiling lightly, and picked up the phone, quickly dialing in Malon's number.
"Yo, Mal? We've got a slight kink…"
--
"No," said Jayda, examining her nails as Zelda stood bemusedly over her in an ice-colored dress. "It's too light because you're so pale. It bleaches you out and makes you look like a corpse. I'd say go with a healthy peach to bring out the pink in your cheeks, or maybe a crimson."
"What about green?" Malon asked, leaning amusedly against the door of her own stall in a short, flirty, blue-and-cream dress.
"It all depends on the shade. A light green might look nice, but it's considered rather drab. A darker forest green, like the color Link likes, would look good but you'd have to do green eye shadow to match or else it would look funny."
Malon eyed Zelda cattily for a moment, then grinned. "Speaking of Link, what were you and him doing at lunch the other day? I saw you two sitting out together in the courtyard"
"He was helping me with my chemistry," replied Zelda from within her dressing room.
"Chemistry, huh?" Malon asked, amusement apparent in her face as she watched Zelda come out of the dressing room in a tacky spandex dress that only a cheerleader would wear.
"No," snipped Jayda. "You look trashy."
"We have a regular fashion expert on our hands alright," Malon commented. "How does this look, Jayda?"
"It looks good," she commented, studying Malon up and down. "The blue brings out the color of your eyes and the cream contrasts with the color of your skin, since you're darker than Zelda but lighter than Ruto. "I like the skirt," she added. "The way they've layered the tulle under it to make it flare out really adds curves to your body. It makes your waist look smaller, especially with that blue sash."
"Hi all." Lulu sauntered into the room, several dresses slung over her arm. "Any luck with you two?"
"Jayda has approved this dress," commented Malon wryly, "but we're having a little trouble getting something for Zelda that fits and looks good."
"I curse my father's genes," she grumbled, retreating into her dressing room to pull on her next gown, a flamenco-style dress that swirled like fire.
"Poor Zelda." Lulu shook her head, tossing her blue-black hair. "Cursed to look mediocre."
"I heard that," came Zelda's muffled reply as she struggled out of the tight dress. "And not all of us are born with supermodel genes."
"I don't have any supermodel genes," Lulu pointed out. "Just superstar."
"Pity you." Zelda gave a muffled exclamation, causing both Malon and Lulu to crack up. Jayda looked amused, and grinned in delight as Malon tossed a magazine in her lap.
"Read," commanded the redhead. "I have the feeling that it's going to be a while before Zelda manages to change."
--
Jayda didn't like the red dress. She didn't like the dark blue one, or the elaborate pink one, or the white one or even the sparkly black one. Zelda was feeling frustrated as Lulu and Malon sat with their own dresses in their laps, reading People over Jayda's shoulders. Zelda emerged huffily from her stall in a swirling green dress and Jayda looked up before saying a short "no", then returning her attention to the magazine. Sighing, Zelda retreated back into the stall. She hadn't thought she looked that bad…
She kicked the dress off and reached for her "last hope" – even though she'd been through several "last hopes" and all of them had been hopelessly horrid. Sighing, she pulled on the wine-colored gown, wiggling into it before she realized there was a zipper on the left side. Cursing herself for her stupidity, she unzipped the dress and stepped in, looping her arms under the spaghetti straps and admiring how well it fit through her grumpiness. Zelda zipped the dress back up and examined herself in the mirror, feeling that she didn't look half bad. Maybe Jayda would approve this one. It was two layers and reminded her of a dress Shakespeare's Juliet might wear, from the square neck to the simple cut of the second layer that revealed the first in an inverse V. She combed her fingers through her hair and walked to the door of the stall, pushing it open.
"How about this?" She didn't miss the looks of admiration on the faces of the three girls as they took in Zelda in her dress.
"Cinderella has found her gown," Lulu finally stated. Malon nodded.
"You look fab," she said.
"I like it," Jayda stated. "That color is perfect for you. Brings out the purple in your eyes but doesn't make you look washed out."
"Finally," sighed Zelda in relief.
"Go change," Jayda commanded her. "We're looking at shoes next, and then after that, accessories."
Zelda groaned.
--
When Zelda returned to the house several hours later (with Jayda and many bags in tow, it might be added) she was quite sure that she had never once been happier to see the peeling paint on the back porch door or Impa's jasmine vines crawling up the front pillars. She kicked open the door, stepping into the kitchen and yelling, "We're home!"
"Yo." Link sauntered out of the entertainment room, grinning at Zelda. "You've been gone a while."
"Jay said you wouldn't be back until five," Zelda replied, looking down at the little girl at her elbow, who was currently busy filing her perfect nails, then back up. "How long've you been around?"
"A while." Link easily stretched his arms over his head, muscles bulging through the thin white tank he wore. Zelda felt her heart pace speeding up against her will, and tried to keep the color from rising to her cheeks.
"You're looking buff," she commented against her will. Link grinned, spinning his torso left and then right.
"You think so? I've been working out a little."
"Any reason in particular?"
"No. Whad'ja get?" Link eyed the shopping bags in Zelda's hands as she set them down on the table, and Zelda inwardly wondered if it was an attempt to change the subject. She shrugged – whatever.
"It's a surprise. You'll see eventually."
"Did Jay help?"
"I helped," Jayda piped up, looking up from her nail file. "Though I don't think Zelda appreciated it."
"She had me in the dressing room for hours trying on different dr – designer outfits."
"She's the dominatrix of shopping in this house." Link smiled at his sister as she left the room, then rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head left and right and being rewarded with an audible "pop!"
"Ew," commented Zelda with a grimace. Link shrugged and moved towards her.
"Want me to carry those up to your room for you?" He stood in front of her, looking down with humor in his eyes.
"I think I got it." They were slowly moving together…
"You sure about that?" They were standing chest to chest, cheek to cheek, his breath tickling her ear as he spoke. Zelda closed her eyes and opened her mouth, taking a deep breath. As she was about to speak, though…
"Zelda, you need to take that thing upstairs NOW and hang it up or it'll get wrinkles," yelled Jayda from the living room. "I hope you're not fraternizing with the enemy."
The spell was broken. Zelda stepped back, hands on her waist, smirking at Link.
"Fraternizing with the enemy?" she yelled, though her eyes were fixated steadily on Link's the whole time. "I would never." She lowered her voice so Jayda would not hear her, "How does she even know that phrase?"
"Ahhh…" Link grinned a little and backed away. "Long story. Hey, I just forgot that I left the TV on and the commercial break will probably be off soon." He was backing farther away, down the hall. "You sure you don't need any help with those bags?"
"I'm fine," replied Zelda, closing her eyes and shaking her head as he disappeared into the TV room.
"I'm not fine," she whispered quietly as she gathered up the bags and carried them to the stairs, up and through the hall into her bedroom. "I'm not fine at all." She hung up the dress in the closet, neatly positioning the matching accessories underneath it, and then sat down on her bed.
"Goddesses' sake, girl," she yelled to herself. "This is Link, the king of idiots here, the royal jerk, the ass hat you're living with and you will NOT, I repeat, will NOT fall for him."
"Dammit." Zelda rolled over on her bed, burying her face in her pillow. "I'm so confused…"
Girl, what have you just gotten yourself into?