Disclaimer: I don't own Zoey 101.
A/N: My first attempt at a Zoey 101 fic. I don't even know where this came from; I just started getting into the show really recently and haven't even seen all of the episodes. I simply can't resist cute shows created for tweens ;) This takes place in early June of 2009 and really has no true plot other than randomness. P.S.- I think I may make a sequel.
THE LAST NIGHT
XXX
The sun was setting in all its gorgeousness; the clouds were lit by brilliant pinks and purples, yellows and oranges, with just a hint of blue. The view from the boys' rooftop at Pacific Coast Academy was perfect to watch the sunset; it always had been, and it always would be.
For the six eighteen-year-olds on the roof enjoying this scene, it was their last time, and they wanted it to be memorable. Cameras flashed as picture after picture was taken to later be placed in scrapbooks, frames, or in some cases, boxes that would be tucked away under the bed and taken out only for reminiscing. Laughter rang out continuously for what seemed minutes, or maybe hours, at a time, until the group needed a breather and calmed down.
The extended silence was finally broken by Zoey Brooks: "I can't believe it's our last night here at PCA," she said wistfully from her spot in the lap of her boyfriend, Chase Matthews, as the two shared a fold-up lawn chair.
"I know," agreed her roommate of five years, Nicole Bristow, also sounding sad. "I can't imagine going to school anywhere else."
"We had a lot of fun here," Michael Barret nodded.
"Too much, sometimes," chuckled Lola Martinez, between sips from her bottle of water.
Logan Reese shook his head and moved his lawn chair a little so the group was forming a circle. "You guys are bringing this down. C'mon, it's our last night! Be positive!" he commanded, always in charge (unless someone took his ego down a few notches). "Though I gotta admit, it wasn't even much fun here 'til you girls came."
"What was that?" Lola smirked from his left in her own seat, putting a hand to her ear as if to hear better. "Did Logan Reese just admit that PCA wasn't as good without girls?"
"I never thought I'd live to hear it," Zoey said with a smile.
"I agree with Logan," Chase declared, his head poking around Zoey's back. She moved a little so she was only partially covering him, giving Chase more room to see everyone. "Everything was pretty quiet here until the girls showed up."
"Yeah, then we started gettin' in trouble," Michael pointed out. "I can't even count the times you got us into a crazy mess that we had to dig ourselves out of."
"Excuse me, but I think you guys helped us get in trouble many of the times," Nicole defended. "I mean, we were barely here to start the school year and Logan gave us a stuffed bear with a webcam in it!"
"Oh, come on! That was harmless fun," Logan said, waving it off. "It's not my fault us guys wanted to learn about the secret world of girls. Plus, I mean, you all are hot," he added smoothly, then he smirked and turned his attention to Zoey. "Hey, Zoe, remember when you and I did that play together?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows suggestively.
The others laughed, except for Lola, who looked confused. "What play?"
Zoey hid her face in Chase's shoulder as he replied, with a hint of annoyance, "Back when the girls first came I wrote this play, and the drama teacher liked it so much he decided he was going to make it into a real production. So Zoey got cast as the lead girl and I thought I'd get to play the lead guy since I wrote the thing, but then Logan came and took that spot and… well…"
"We almost had to kiss," Zoey finished for him, embarrassed.
"Weird!" Lola exclaimed, looking back and forth between Zoey and Logan. "Ugh, I can't even picture that!"
"Good!" Chase interjected.
"Chill out, man, she's your girlfriend, not mine," Logan said, his hands raised in defeat.
"I think it's cute that you were jealous," Zoey told Chase, kissing him lightly on the cheek.
"He was always jealous," Michael groaned.
"Oh, you know what I just remembered?" Nicole asked. "That beach party we missed? And we ended up at some random beach with no way to get back to PCA?"
"That was a fun day," Michael shrugged. "Good thing Quinn got us out of there."
"God, you guys did a lot before I came," Lola said. "Ooooh, remember when Zoey got pissed off at those geeks and we had a robot-fight with them?"
"Oh no," Zoey said, shaking her head at the memory.
"Yes!" Nicole laughed. "And we only won because Quinn pointed out that something was wrong with their robot and they had to be disqualified. Wow, she's really helped us out over the years."
"And hurt us," Logan mumbled.
"Ah, you're just still bitter over that bungee-cord jumping thing sophomore year," Chase teased.
"She said it was safe, and then I ended up getting a concussion!" Logan shouted.
Nicole was still giggling as she put in, "How about when Michael's science fair project broke last year and sent a golf club flying at the headmaster?"
Michael shrugged. "Hey, it wasn't my fault he stood too close and the damn thing chose that moment to let the golf club go."
"Speaking of the headmaster…," Logan continued, "Hey, do you remember last fall when he caught Zoey and Chase making out at the school store when they were supposed to be working?"
"Oh, God, why the hell would you even bring that up?" Chase said loudly, hiding his face in his hands.
Zoey's cheeks burned as she attempted to salvage her dignity while the other four laughed heartily. "Chase started it!"
"What?" Chase glared at his girlfriend. "Uh, I don't think so. You definitely started it."
"No, Chase, I remember, you're the one-"
"Aw, bickering like an old married couple," Lola interrupted, smiling sweetly.
"Like they haven't been doing that for years," Nicole sighed.
Michael glanced at his two bashful friends, who were both seemingly trying to disappear into the chair. "We're only joking, guys. It's only because you've been going out for, like, ever."
"Three years," Zoey corrected.
"On-and-off," Logan muttered to Lola, Nicole, and Michael, referring to the few times during Zoey and Chase's on-going relationship when they'd fight so heatedly they'd decide to 'take a break', though usually in a day or two they'd be back together and happy.
"Yeah, well, you and Samantha were together for, what, two years? And we never made fun of you guys," Chase said to Michael, who suddenly looked sullen.
"Chase," Zoey reprimanded harshly, hitting him in the chest.
"No, it's fine, whatever," Michael said slowly, lost in his own thoughts.
"No, you two have only been broken up for like a week, it's still new," Nicole soothed, patting his hand. "You're allowed to be depressed. Believe me, I know." The others snickered at that and Nicole furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"
"Nicole, you've had like, a hundred boyfriends the five years we've gone here," Zoey said for the group.
"I don't think I've ever seen you get upset over breaking up with a guy…" Lola looked off in consideration, and then finished, "Ever."
"Yeah, well, I bounce back easily," Nicole said in a tone of finality.
"Yeah, me too," Logan nodded. "My motto: never get upset over a girl."
"Oh please," Chase snickered to himself. The five turned to him with puzzled gazes. "Logan, you were totally upset over Dana leaving for at least a month!"
Michael, Lola, Nicole, and Zoey's mouths all dropped simultaneously. "You liked Dana?" they asked in unison.
Logan glared at Chase. "Yeah, I liked her, okay? But I got over it."
"Did you two ever date?" Lola asked, not present for when Dana went to PCA.
"No," Logan replied, and then his face broke out into typical ass-Logan fashion: "But we did make out the day she came to visit last year."
"Oh my God," Nicole said, sounding caught between surprise and… not-surprise.
"Really? You and Dana made out?" Chase seemed interested. "I never pictured her as going for your type."
"Yeah, well I never pictured Zoey going for your type either," Logan sniped. "Or Lola going for your type, for that matter."
Lola crossed her arms over her chest in a huff and leaned back into her chair. "It was a tiny crush that lasted like a day! Plus, I mean, me and Chase? Weird! Especially considering how jealous Zoey would've gotten," she said with a wink towards the friend in question.
"Puh-lease, Zoe was totally jealous the second you told her Chase said he'd go out with you," Nicole informed her. Chase looked torn between laughing, smirking, and being mortified, but he broke out into a grin as Zoey giggled.
"You were jealous?" he asked, a little surprised, but the grin was still spread across his face.
"Just a tiny bit," Zoey said, shifting a little so they could look at each other without her straining her neck to turn her head. "I didn't think it was anything at the time…"
"Little did you know…" Lola supplied.
"Hey, Chase," Michael called, "Did you ever tell her about…" he trailed off, raising his eyebrows and widening his eyes to indicate what he meant.
"The text message? Yeah," Chase confirmed.
"Oh, that's such a great story," Nicole sighed.
"How do you know that story?" Chase asked her incredulously.
"Michael told me."
"And me," Lola added.
"Me too," Logan nodded.
Zoey chuckled a little as Chase groaned. "Great. Just great. Can nothing be kept a secret between any of us?"
"I never told Lola that me and Michael had crushes on her when she first showed up," Logan shrugged.
Michael's eyes crossed dangerously. "I thought we weren't gonna mention that ever again, man!"
Lola looked pleased. "Hm, interesting," she said silkily, winking at the two guys.
"And since this is our last night here, I'll also say that: Nicole," Logan started, turning to her, "That party we went to sophomore year? And we played spin the bottle? I purposely shoved the guy next to me so the bottle was facing me."
"You two played spin the bottle? Where?" Zoey asked, bewildered.
"At this party my friend threw-"
"Who I had been dating!" Nicole chimed in, anger flashing in her eyes. "And because of Logan, Pete didn't trust me anymore and broke up with me!"
"Whoa, you two kissed?" Michael needled.
Lola urged, "Why didn't he trust you anymore?"
Nicole scowled at a smug-looking Logan as she returned the question with, "He thought Logan and I were sneaking around behind his back."
"Oh man, I can't believe you two kissed," Chase expressed with disbelief.
"We did more than just kiss," Logan divulged slyly, and by now Nicole was fuming.
"I thought we weren't going to tell anyone about this!" Nicole whined, but the others were on the edge of their seats… literally.
"You mean there's more?" Zoey interrogated.
Logan was smirking at Nicole, who looked so uncomfortable that the others could practically feel her pain. Finally she threw her hands in the air and announced, "Fine, tell them. I don't care anymore. It happened two years ago; I am so over it."
"Good. So am I," Logan concurred. "I was over it the day after it was over."
"I was over it the day it was over," Nicole challenged.
"What? What was over? What was over?" Michael demanded for the group.
"We sort of… well, after the party… we…"
"We made out. A lot. For a month," Logan explained simply.
The four who had been in the dark before suddenly saw the light, each letting out exclamations of surprise. "That's why you two were so weird around each other at Christmas!" Lola realized.
Nicole picked up her bottle of water and waved it around as she clarified: "But we ended it because we didn't want to date and the whole secret-meetings thing was getting old."
"Wow."
"Crazy."
"Outrageous."
"That is beyond weird."
Footsteps approaching alerted them all to someone coming towards them, and all six turned their heads toward the sound, breaking the tension that had just enveloped them with the revelation that Nicole and Logan had made out on the sly for a month during tenth grade. The sun was nearly gone, now, rising on the other side of the world, leaving them in darkness until the next morning. Quinn Pensky, just a year younger than the six eighteen-year-olds, appeared on top of the roof, her hair still done in a wild fashion and her glasses still perched atop her nose. Just behind her was Dustin Brooks, Zoey's fifteen-year-old brother, much taller than when the girls had first begun going to PCA and looking more mature by the hour. He'd become quite a ladies-man around campus, which Logan gave himself credit for.
"Hey guys," Zoey greeted for those who had already been present, each hoping to move on from what had just transpired. "What's up?"
"I figured you all were up here so I decided to come say goodbye in case I don't see you tomorrow," Quinn answered, taking a seat on the ground. "My newest lab experiment needed to cool down, anyways."
Dustin stayed standing. "I came to tell you Mom and Dad went back to the hotel," he said to his sister. "They're gonna be back tomorrow at nine to pick us up. I think they said our plane leaves at twelve."
"Okay," Zoey nodded, feeling Chase's hand tighten around her own as Dustin left the way he came. They'd both been dreading their last day together at PCA, ever since they'd gotten together at the end of their freshman year.
Everyone had been dreading it, in fact. Each had done their best to stay in touch and try and get together to hang out during the summers previous. But this summer, this summer was different. In the fall, they wouldn't be coming back to PCA to spend another nine months together getting into wacky situations, dealing with teachers and fellow students, getting in fights, learning how to make up, trying to figure out relationships (both romantic and platonic), and attempting to grow up and become responsible adults. Come the last week of August, it was off to college.
"That was nice of your parents to stay," Lola said. "After graduation two days ago my mom and dad had to get back to work. But my older brother is coming to get me tomorrow morning. He goes to college around here. We're doing a little brother/sister bonding road trip." The Martinez's lived in New Mexico.
"I'm gettin' on a plane tomorrow afternoon and flying back to Colorado," Michael told them for no particular reason. "My parents had to bring my little brother back home… he's missed too much school already this year I guess, or something."
"I'm off to my dad's first, in Maine, then to my mom's in New York," Nicole said, more to herself than anyone else. "I think graduation was the longest they'd been in a room together since the divorce."
"My flight for Connecticut is at eleven," Chase threw out. "My parents are staying with some distant relatives north of here tonight… they're like, second-cousins-twice-removed or something."
"My dad's sending a limo to pick me up," Logan shrugged. "Heading to Santa Barbara, just like every summer."
"This time tomorrow I'll be in Delaware again," Quinn reported fondly.
"And I'll be back in Louisiana," Zoey shared. "It's hard to imagine we'll all be getting on planes again in three months and won't be coming here."
"I will," Quinn reminded her.
Logan flicked on the lantern they'd brought up, the sun completely gone now. The noise from below seemed heightened; everyone was celebrating their last day before summer vacation. "Eh, I'll be coming back this way too."
"You'll be the closest to PCA out of all of us, at UCLA," Lola said. "Becoming a famous director and all. Will you be friends with us when you became a celebrity, Logan?" she asked teasingly.
"Maybe." Logan seemed disinterested, but deep down, he was counting on keeping in touch with his friends.
"How about you, Chase? When you get outta Boston University and become a published writer, will you remember us?" Michael smirked, mimicking Lola from just the moment before.
"Probably not," Chase said, mock-serious.
"Well you'll have no choice but to stay in contact with Zoey," Quinn interjected. "Where was it she's going again? I know it's in Boston… Harbard?"
"Harvold?" Lola guessed.
"Harparbe?" Chase questioned.
Nicole tapped her chin with her index finger. "Harvarte?"
"Oh, right!" Michael suddenly burst out. "She's going to Harvard! Man, I guess all that studying and grade neurosis really paid off in the end."
"You know, someday, when I'm a successful doctor, if I go anywhere with any of you and you choke or have a heart attack? I'm not helping you," Zoey finished smugly.
"Dr. Brooks has a nice ring to it," Chase said.
"Please; he's totally hoping she'll become Dr. Matthews," Michael whispered to Lola and Nicole, the two closest to him.
"Okay, I'd save you," Zoey relented, not hearing a word, "but no one else!"
"Ahhh, he always gets special treatment because he's your boyfriend," Logan complained.
"At least I'm in a steady relationship," Zoey fired back. "I'm guessing you'll have had at least four trophy wives by the time we're thirty?"
"At least," Logan repeated. "What about you, Lola? Excited for NYU?"
"Excited?" Lola shook her head. "More like in a state of shock. I mean, I'm going to be in the same city as Broadway!"
"You guys are so lucky, that you know what you want to do. I'm off to Texas University in less than three months and I don't have the faintest idea. Fashion designer? Physical therapist? Car saleswoman?" Nicole sighed loudly, then continued, "Maybe I'll just marry rich and forget the whole job thing."
"That would be very… you," Quinn said.
"You can marry the rich and famous director Logan Reese," Lola sing-songed to her friend, who didn't seem to find it all that funny.
"Well, you aren't alone," Michael directed to Nicole, "I guess I'll think about it while I'm soaking up all those rays in Florida."
"I'm so jealous of all of you," came Quinn's addition to the topic. "I wish I was going to college."
"You're smart enough," Zoey told her.
"I'm going to miss you all," admitted Quinn.
"I'll come and visit, when it's time to pick up Dustin," Zoey replied.
"And there's always reunions," Chase said.
"Plus cell phones, e-mails, text messages… there's no way we could all lose touch unless we just didn't try," Lola concluded.
"Yeah, I'm gonna stick with reunions," Logan joked. He stood up and grabbed his things, then headed towards the stairs. "See you all in ten years!" He was about to disappear, then turned back. "Kidding. I've just gotta go finish packing."
"Yeah, I'm gonna go with you," Michael said, also standing and getting his stuff together. "Later. Hey Quinn, stop by our room later to say 'bye." The two guys descended the stairs, the sounds of Michael teasing Logan about Nicole following behind them.
Lola was on her feet by this point, along with Nicole and Quinn, each carrying something. "I'll help you guys finish packing too, if you want," Quinn offered. The girls agreed and were leaving before Nicole called back, "Hey Zoe, you coming?"
"A little later," Zoey replied, sending them on their way. Now just she and Chase were left. They smiled at each other and Zoey wrapped her arms around Chase's neck. "You'd think your legs would've fallen asleep by now. I've been sitting on you long enough."
"Yeah… they did. About an hour ago," Chase conceded sheepishly. "I didn't want you to move."
"Well we've got to get up eventually," Zoey reminded him. "We both have planes to catch tomorrow. We're going home." Her hand played with some of his dark curls. "I'm gonna miss you."
"I'll miss you too," Chase said. "But we're gonna see each other this summer. I'm gonna fly to Louisiana and experience Southern life, and you're gonna fly to Connecticut and let me show you what summer in New England really means. And we could even drive to each other, you know, we meet up in the middle?"
"That sounds good," Zoey nodded, smiling. "You know, after this summer… a lot is going to change, but we're still gonna be in the same city. We're gonna still see each other all the time."
"I hope we don't get sick of each other," Chase said with a false-worried voice, before confirming, "Yeah, we're gonna have no choice but to make time for each other."
"We're doing the right thing, right? Going to schools in the same city?"
"Of course it's right. Why wouldn't it be?"
"I dunno," Zoey admitted. "Does it seem too desperate? Like we think we can't handle a long-distance relationship?"
"Nah," Chase said with an easy look. "It just means we want to spend our college years together. I mean, you were gonna go to Harvard no matter what. Even if you didn't get in, you were gonna go," he jested. "And I want to be a writer, and BU is known for it's great writing programs… it's not my fault it all made sense."
"It's fate's fault," Zoey decided, then made a face. "That sounded corny."
"Sounds perfect," Chase corrected, and then he kissed her. It went on for some time, until finally he broke it. "Okay, seriously, we need to stand, because I can't even feel my legs anymore."
Zoey laughed and got up, Chase right behind her. He placed a hand around her shoulders to steady himself. They got the rest of the forgotten things and began walking to the stairs, though Chase was doing more of a weird leg-shaking dance than an actual walk.
"So you'd really go to PCA'S 'Class of 2009 Reunion'?" Zoey pried.
"Yeah, of course," Chase said, as if it wasn't even a question.
"Really?"
"Definitely."
"You promise you'll go?"
"Yes, Zoey, I promise! Why are you so worried?"
"Well… in case we… lose touch," Zoey began shyly, "Then if we both went to the reunion… we'd have to see each other."
Chase smiled a little, though it was hard to see in the darkness. They were walking down the regular paved paths now on the actual ground, back towards the girls' dorms. "When's the first reunion?" he inquired suddenly.
"Um… the five-year, in 2014," Zoey answered, confused. "Why?"
"Okay, here's the deal," Chase started, letting his arm drop from her shoulders. He clasped her hand and swung it a little as they kept walking. "In five years, when they send out those little cards that let you know it's time for the reunion, you call me, no matter what state our relationship is in, and you tell me to get off my sorry butt and go to it. And I will."
Zoey was chuckling. "How can you be sure you'll go?"
"Because I always do what you want me to, and that's never gonna change," Chase said softly. "No matter what."
Now, Zoey was grinning. "So… if we're together in five years…"
"Yeah…?"
"You wanna be my date?"
Chase half-smiled, and this time his face was illuminated by the lights of the girls' lounge just a few yards away. "Of course," he said graciously, walking her to the door. They reached it quickly, and he let her hand go. Her kissed her once, fast, since the girls in the lounge were watching them. When they pulled back her eyes were sparkling.
"I'll call you in five years," Zoey joked, opening the door.
"See you then," Chase waved, going along with it, and she entered the building.
Chase reached his dorm room in less than five minutes and found Logan and Michael had done little packing, but somehow had had time to beat four levels of their newest video game. His cell phone (he'd gotten rid of his TekMate soon after the spring break incident) buzzed in his pocket and he read the text on the screen:
I can't wait 5 yrs. I'll call u 2moro morning. Love u.
-Z
Smiling, Chase placed his phone on the little table they had, the one covered with picture frames that Logan called 'girly'. He looked at each one, staring hard. Photos of all combinations: he and Michael, Logan and Michael, he and Logan, the three of them together, one of the three girls, a few of he, Logan and Michael with the girls, one of just he and Zoey. They all looked so happy, so close, in every single picture.
And that was the moment Chase knew that these friends were forever.
XXX
End.