Surprise
Chase was still dying from running around campus to try to get the single bed, but Michael and Logan had beaten him to it. He took a swig of water to help him cool down, and enjoy the momentary quiet now that he sent Logan and Michael out of the room to try to settle who got the single bed.
Michael popped back in the doorway. "Did you tell Zoey yet?" He asked.
Chase shook his head. "Not yet."
"When are you gonna tell her?"
"Soon."
"You better." Michael warned him.
"I'm gonna tell her."
"Yeah, I heard that before." Michael said sarcastically.
"Tell who what?" Logan asked.
"You that you're annoying." Michael shoved his way past Logan.
"Oh I'm annoying? I'll tell you who's annoying." Logan and Michael continued arguing down the hallway.
Chase just took another breath, he really had to talk to Zoey and even seeing her in person for the first time since this summer, every time he sees her, part of him always feels the same way. For once he was in agreement with Michael, he really needed to tell her. This time nothing was going to stop him.
"Knocking." Chase knocked on Zoey and Lola's door. "Entering."
"Chase!" Lola and Quinn both shouted and ran forward to meet him in a group hug.
Chase happily returned their welcome before walking further into the room and spreading his arms wide, "No hug from Zoey?"
"I tried to hug you like an hour ago but you fell down and then ran away."
"This is true." Chase nodded, "but can I cash that hug check?"
"I suppose." Zoey said with a smile, stepping forward to give him a hug.
Zoey always gives the best hugs. I know the longer I wait it's just going to get harder and harder. I won't let anything stop me this year. He promised himself.
"What's with all the…items?" Chase asked glancing around the room, he could see several open boxes filled with things that didn't seem to be Lola or Zoey's usual décor.
"Um, Quinn's gonna be our new roommate for a while." Zoey said, sending him a nervous look.
"Uh oh, I mean, oh how nice," Chase corrected himself, "for all of you."
"Does he know about Nicole?" Lola asked.
"Yeah, I heard, OMGD."
"Yeah." Zoey and Lola both nodded in sympathy.
Both girls walked off to continue unpacking, and something yellow and buzzing caught his eye. "What is this?" Chase asked, picking it up.
"My bee sanctuary." Quinn explained.
"Why?"
"I like to put fresh honey on my biscuits, is that so weird?"
"Uh…"
"Be quiet." Quinn ordered with a glare.
Chase set down the bees and picked up a tube of something green, and he really didn't want to know what it was. "So um…listen Zoe, do you have a minute to talk?"
"Sure talk." Zoey said, still unpacking.
"Um, privately?"
"Oh yeah, but can we do it later? I really want to get all this stuff put away." Zoey said, both her and Chase missing the knowing looks Quinn and Lola shared behind them.
"Yeah, absolutely." Chase nodded, "Just gonna set this down, and try to get the image of it out of my brain forever."
"Oh come on it's just-" Quinn started to explain.
"I don't want to know. Anyway, you guys have fun. Want to grab a coffee later?"
"Sure Chase, see you later." Zoey answered.
"Bye Chase." Lola and Quinn both waved at him as he made his way out the door. "See you later! Ciao!"
"I wonder what he wants to tell me." Zoey said after Chase left the room, she was genuinely curious.
Lola and Quinn shared a knowing look.
"Gee, I wonder." Lola shrugged her shoulders.
"Yes, whatever could it be?" Quinn added, scratching her chin.
"OK, does it smell really sarcastic in here, or is it just me?"
"Well, I mean come on, it's so obvious." Lola told her.
"What's obvious?"
"Why Chase wants to talk to you, alone." Quinn said like she was trying to lead her somewhere but Zoey still had no clue where they were going with this.
"Then I guess it's obvious to everyone but me."
"Bingo!"
"Ding Ding Ding!" Both of them were looking at her like she was crazy for not knowing.
Zoey set down the box of stuff she was holding. "OK. What?"
Lola and Quinn shared another look and small chuckle.
"Chase wants to tell you he's in love with you." Lola finally explained.
"In love with me?" Zoey asked.
"Yes!"
"Completely!"
"Head over heels."
"Uvula over pancreas."
Both Zoey and Lola looked at Quinn, very confused about how her mind worked, even though Zoey was doubting both of her friends' sanity at this point.
"Head over heels." Quinn corrected, downcast.
"In love with me? Chase?"
"No it's me. Marry me Zoey? Please be my wife." Lola deadpanned.
"Chase is not in love with me, he and I are just friends. Fu-rends."
"Then you are Cra-azy."
"How long have you two thought this?"
Quinn and Lola shared another laugh between them, that was getting kind of annoying.
"Us two?" Lola asked.
"Everyone thinks it." Quinn said, laughing.
"No, they don't."
Lola turned around and walked to the door. "Jeanie come here."
"What's up?"
"Blank is in love with Zoey. Fill in the blank."
"Chase." Jeanie said without a moment's hesitation.
"Thanks for playing." Lola motioned her back out the door.
Zoey crossed her arms. "You know it really gets on my nerves that a guy and a girl can't be close friends without everyone thinking there has to be more to it."
"Oh grow up Zoey."
"Yeah, there is more to it. Have you seen Chase when he's with you?"
"OK, OK, if everyone's thought that Chase is in love with me for so long, why didn't you guys say so a year ago?"
"We were waiting for you to catch on."
"No one thought you could be so clueless for so long. No offense."
"Some taken." Zoey started marching out the door.
"Ugh, now she's mad at us."
"Yeah, I'm mad. Chase is not in love with me!"
"Where are you going?"
"To get some lunch."
"What about us?"
Zoey marched back in and picked up Quinn's green substance. "Eat this." She said, handing it over to Lola and marching back out the door.
"You know we actually could eat-"
"NO!" Lola screamed, carefully setting it back down in its box and throwing a blanket on top so she didn't have to look at it.
"There is no way Chase is in love with me, we're friends. That's all." Zoey whispered to herself under her breath. He was her best friend in the entire world. He was the number one person she was closest to at PCA, and sure there had been times when she felt like there was more going on in Chase's head than he ever told her, but he never said anything that would make her believe their theory for a second. Besides if it was true, why wouldn't Chase say anything at all the two years she had known him? All signs that her roommates were acting crazy. So nothing really new.
She didn't have any idea what Chase would want to talk to her about. Maybe he got a girlfriend over the summer. That would show Quinn and Lola she was right for sure. Zoey laughed to herself for a few seconds before she got a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach at even the thought of Chase with a girlfriend. Whatever it was, it was probably pretty important if he wanted to tell her alone. It was probably just something super cool or exciting he did over the summer, or maybe he missed playing Would You Rather as much as she did. She would catch up with Chase and put this dumb rumor to rest. She couldn't wait to see him again. He always gave the best hugs, and for some reason, she always found it hilarious how he always fell on his face without fail the first time they see each other every year.
Zoey was sitting by the fountain, as Chase ran up the stairs with their coffee.
"Your Javachino." Chase handed it over to her.
"Thanks, straw?"
Chase pulled a straw out from behind his ear.
"Eew!"
"I washed behind my ears, every other month." Chase smiled at her.
Zoey wiped the straw off with her shirt and stuck it in her drink.
"So…you spent most of your summer being a lifeguard?"
"Mmhmm." Zoey nodded while taking a sip of her coffee.
"Fun?"
"Mostly, except for one Thursday, this old lady fell in the deep end, and almost drowned."
"Wow. You pull her out?"
"Yeah, I had to give her mouth to mouth."
"So how'd that go?"
"She bit my tongue!"
"And it all turned out OK?"
"Yeah, she was fine."
"I meant your tongue."
"I don't know, do I have a scar?" Zoey playfully stuck her tongue out.
Chase gently held her chin and closely inspected it. "I don't think so…but."
"But what?"
Chase smirked, "You have a tiny tongue."
"Alright, we're not gonna sit here and make fun of my tongue."
"Please?"
"No. So what'd you want to talk to me about?" See there was no way he was in love with her. It already felt just the same as always, as if they hadn't been apart for three months. Best friends that knew just the right way to make each other laugh.
"Alright well…"
Logan and Michael ran up to them, acting crazy and dunking their heads in the fountain. Chase somehow translated that they were eating peppers to decide who got the single bed but they tied. Before he sent them on their way, prepared to settle their argument with a boxing match.
"Sometimes I wish I didn't have roommates." Chase sighed and took a sip of his coffee.
"I hear you, all day today, all Lola and Quinn will talk about is how everyone thinks you're in love with me. How ridiculous is that?" Zoey shook her head and laughed out loud.
Chase tried to keep his cool, but at the moment, his veins turned to ice. What should he do? She was laughing out loud over how ridiculous the unknown truth was to her. How should he answer her? He told himself he was prepared for this moment, the past two weeks he had been writing out and practicing the best way to finally say it, but just like every other time, his mouth felt frozen and he couldn't get those three simple words out.
"Zo, Zoey." He stuttered out before he had to take another breath to try to calm his rapidly beating heart. "What if I didn't think that sounded so ridiculous?"
"What do you mean?" Zoey stopped laughing when she saw the seriousness in his eyes.
"Look, Lola and Quinn were right. They are right. The reason I wanted to talk to you was to finally tell you, Zoe. I love you with all my heart. The two years that I've known you have been the best time of my life. I tried telling you before we left for the summer, but it didn't work and I didn't have the courage to try again. So I wanted to do it now. I promised myself it would the first thing I would do here because otherwise I would keep putting it off and it would never happen. Just like every single day of the last two years, and I can't just keep making myself wait forever and-"
"Chase…" Zoey didn't know what to say. He was her friend, her best friend. All this time, she had maybe some inkling that he may be liked her as more than best friends, but those moments were all so few and far between that she never really questioned him or them. She thought to herself because now she had an important choice to make.
Lola and Quinn, and apparently everyone else on campus were so certain, and somehow right that Chase was in love with her. But they never questioned how she felt about him. She honestly didn't know. She had missed him the most out of everyone over the summer. They had called each other every weekend and still emailed nearly every day. Thankfully Quinn had fixed her Tekmate after she found it in the fountain right before they left on summer vacation. Whenever they did talk, she always knew she smiled more the rest of the day. If she wasn't working at the pool or doing something with Dustin or her parents she was usually bored out of her mind back home and wished that any of her friends were with her, Chase especially. They had played would you rather over text a bunch, but it just wasn't as fun as in person.
But the question that she knew she needed an answer to. Did she like him as more than a friend? Could she even love him? All her favorite memories of PCA involved Chase in some shape or form. He was always the first person she turned to when she needed something, and she knew she was that person for him. When they worked together, nothing could stand in their way. She knew he would never do anything intentionally to hurt her, and she knew she could trust him with anything. And Zoey admitted to herself, he is pretty cute. She could never help but smile back whenever he smiled at her.
The silence had dragged on for almost a minute. Chase was terrified, so he tried to joke. "Um, Zoey? Please say something…before I throw up."
Zoey shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked at Chase, her best friend Chase, the one person she knew she would do absolutely anything for, just as she knew in her heart he would do for her. She knew the only answer she could possibly give. "I like you too Chase."
"To be clear, as more than friends? Because I don't expect you to say it just because I said it. And if you don't it's cool I don't want to ruin our friendship. Beyond anything else, I want you in my life as my best friend first. You don't have to-"
"Chase, Stop." Zoey interrupted him. "I mean it. I don't know how I never saw it before, and Lola and Quinn said I've been totally oblivious, but you're apparently pretty obvious to the rest of campus. I do like you, more than as a friend. Maybe even love you."
"You know what? I'll take it. So Zoey, will you be my girlfriend?" Chase's terrified expression finally started to slowly morph into a bright smile.
"I would love to Chase. As long as you be my boyfriend."
"Deal." Chase smiled even wider and gave her a side hug that both happily leaned in to.
"So you wanted to tell me this before we left last semester? Why didn't you?"
"Do you remember our big fight over me stealing your Tekmate and I was right about to tell you everything at the fountain?"
"Yeah? Oh my God! I really am oblivious! Were you really going to tell me you love me? And why would you do it over text message?"
"I didn't want to. Michael was telling me I should do it, but I didn't want to wreck our friendship. I sent him that message but it accidently went to you instead so then I took your Tekmate to delete it, and you know our fight happened, but I was still too terrified to tell you the truth. Then I was about to tell you here at the fountain but we got interrupted to watch the TV show so then I sent you another text message and you never read it. Did you ever read it?"
"No, my Tekmate fell out of my pocket and into the fountain or something, probably when I was talking to you. Quinn fixed it up but it didn't have any text messages on it."
"So that's why you never mentioned anything. I thought maybe you were just ignoring it but didn't want to bring it up whenever we talked to each other. Or it was the Lord or Force or the universe trying to keep us apart."
"No, I never saw it. I was still curious about the original message since you never told me, but I didn't want us to fight again so I never brought it up. I hate fighting with you." Zoey leaned her head against his shoulder, sending goosebumps of delight along both of them.
"I know me too. The election and spring break were both the worst weeks of my life."
"I agree wholeheartedly. But like you said, you don't want to ruin our friendship? Let's promise each other right now. We're best friends first. We'll never let anything keep us from being friends. Not that I think anything will ever go bad between us permanently, I want you in my life for a long time Chase."
"I feel the exact same way. You have a deal. Oh also I did have something else to tell you, I recruited someone new to PCA."
"Who is it?"
"Her name's Rebecca, she's from my hometown and our moms work together and that's how she heard about PCA, so we hung out a bunch this summer and one thing led to another so she's here now."
"So, this Rebecca, she's here?"
"Yeah, I don't know where her room is yet, I was too busy trying to beat Michael and Logan to the single bed."
"So is she nice? What's she like?"
"She's great, she's really nice. I really hope you like her. I've already told her all about you and everyone else here at PCA, she was almost as excited to come to PCA as I was to come back this year."
"Of course I will, maybe you could ask if she wants to switch rooms with Quinn."
"You mean you don't want bees or green stuff in your room?"
"Preferably not, I love Quinn, but I think its better for everyone if she has her own space."
"Yeah, so did you get to your room first to claim the single bed again?"
"Girls aren't like that, I even offered to let Lola have the single bed but she wanted the top bunk. We aren't insane like your roommates." Zoey laughed.
"I think I can list several reasons your roommates are both insane. Quinnventions, the aforementioned bee sanctuary and green stuff, and Freaky Lola."
"Good point, but I'm not insane."
"Yep, you are definitely not insane. You're the one keeping me sane this year."
"Yeah, same, especially if Nicole's gone." Zoey sighed.
"Good old OMGD." Chase rubbed his hand up and down her back in sympathy.
"I'm gonna miss her, Nicole was my best friend."
"Ouch."
"You know what I meant." Zoey elbowed him, "You're my guy best friend, plus now my boyfriend."
"Yep, I know, and you're my girl best friend and my girlfriend." Chase agreed, throwing his arm over Zoey's shoulder. "I seriously missed seeing you every day, and of course, all I did was talk about you and everyone else whenever I saw Rebecca. And hey now I can tell her you're my girlfriend."
"What, did you tell her all about your crush? Or was it just super obvious like it apparently is to everyone but me?" Zoey teased him.
"No, I didn't go that far into detail. Just that you're my best friend. That's Michael's job. In fact, he probably wanted me to do tell you just to get me to shut up." Chase glanced away from Zoey for a moment before his eyes lit up even more. "Hey speak of the devil, there she is now. Hey Rebecca!" Chase called out and waved, his other arm still snaked around Zoey's back.
"Oh hey Chase, I've been looking for you. Who's this?" A long-haired brunette girl walked up to the fountain with a smile on her face when she caught sight of Chase.
"This is Zoey. I've told you all about her. Zoey meet Rebecca."
"Hi." Zoey waved.
"Right, your best friend, but Michael doesn't get to know that." Rebecca joked, waving back at Zoey, her eyes seeming to dart between the two of them.
"Yep, but great news. She's still my best friend, but now also my girlfriend! This has been the best day of my life. You know what, don't tell Michael I told you first, I promised he'd be the first to know whenever I finally did it."
"That's so great." Rebecca's smile disappeared for an instant. Zoey could have sworn she was grinding her teeth and forcing a smile out.
"So what were you looking for me for? Do you need anything?"
"I know for a fact Chase gives excellent tours." Zoey suggested.
"Oh never mind I was just looking for…the gym, Oh I see it now! I'll see you later Chase." Rebecca quickly walked away. Zoey almost swore she could hear her muttering something under her breath.
"Did you get a weird vibe from her too just then?" Chase asked Zoey.
"Yeah, but I don't know why. Is she always like that?"
"No, she's usually a lot happier. I don't know whatever it is she can come tell me when she feels like it. Maybe she's just homesick or something."
"You're so sweet. Always thinking of others." Zoey leaned in closer to him.
"No, I'm always thinking of you but thanks for the compliment. I hope she likes it here just as much as everyone else does."
"I'm sure she will." Zoey's Tekmate started ringing so she took it out of her pocket. "It's Lola calling me. I just know I'm going to get a million I told you so's." She groaned.
"Yeah, I'm sure Michael will say that to me too. I should probably go see if they've finally settled who gets the single bed. And possibly take them to the infirmary."
"I'll talk to you later then. So where do you want to take me on our first date?"
"Well I haven't had sushi since May, so want to go to Sushi Rox tonight?"
"It's a date Chase. I'll see you later."
"Bye Zoey." Chase waved. They gave each other one more hug that melted both their hearts before walking in opposite directions towards their dorms, both with the biggest smiles on their faces. Until Zoey answered her Tekmate to hear Lola's panicked screams so she started jogging back.
A few hours later after Coco had led all the bees out of their room with her ravioli, Lola Zoey and Quinn were busy reorganizing and cleaning up their room. When they finally finished Zoey was sitting on her bed while Quinn and Lola sat on the couch across from her.
"So…?" Lola asked, still with the same annoying grin on her face.
"So?" Zoey tried to play dumb, but she knew what this was about.
"Don't play games. What did Chase want to tell you?" Lola asked.
"Did he say he's in love with you?" Quinn asked.
"Stop." Zoey said blushing.
"He did!" Lola and Quinn both screamed, jumped up, and hugged her.
"Come on tell us everything!" Lola begged.
"Fine, you guys were right. We were sitting at the fountain and he told me he loved me after I told him how ridiculous you guys were being."
"And…?"
"I told him I like him, maybe even love him too."
"I knew it!" Quinn clapped her hands in excitement.
"So we decided to start dating, we're getting Sushi Rox tonight."
"Awe. You guys are going to be so cute together, I mean you were already, but now. Eee!" Lola screamed again.
"OK, don't burst my eardrums."
"Fine," Lola calmed down just a little bit, "but we do get to say….We told you so!" Quinn and Lola both shouted in unison.
"Enough. We've gotten sushi together a million times, nothing has to change."
"But this does change everything." Quinn corrected her.
"All it means is that we're closer than ever. Chase is still my best friend, just also my boyfriend."
"Well whatever you say, now we need to start getting you ready!" Lola jumped up and started searching through their closet.
"What are you doing? I still have like three hours until dinner time, I don't even know what time we're meeting at."
"But we have to start now. It's your first date. You have to make a good impression."
"Chase sees me every day. I don't need to make an impression. Plus he did say I'm all he thinks about." Zoey blushed. "I don't think I could scare him away even if I tried."
"Zoey, I've waited two years for this and Lola's waited for one, now we get to make you look so fabulous, Chase is going to be knocked off his feet." Lola and Quinn kept pulling out different dresses and holding them up to Zoey's body along with different sets of earrings and necklaces.
"Guys, I'll be fine. Thanks for your help, but it's Sushi Rox, not Vaccaro's. I'll probably just wear a cute top and shorts. I don't need anything special."
"Are you sure Zoey? Don't you want to make you guys' first date special?" Lola asked, her hands full of dresses while Quinn's were full of jewelry.
"It will be special because I'll be with Chase. That's all I need." Zoey insisted.
"At least let us do your hair all cute. Please." Lola begged.
"Fine, you can do my hair, but that's it." Zoey said with finality.
"How about this dress?" Lola asked, pulling out a bright red dress from her closet.
Zoey rolled her eyes. "Please, I want Chase to talk to me tonight, and he can't do that if his tongue's rolling on the floor. No fancy clothes. We can save that for something really special."
"Fine," Lola sighed. "So onto your hair…"
Chase walked back to his dorm room with an extra spring in his step. He had finally done it, and now he felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He was so giddy with happiness that he had to tell someone. He was a little concerned at Rebecca's weird reaction, but not really worried. As far as he knew, he was the only person she knew on campus. So she'd probably be hanging out with him and the rest of the gang a lot. But right now he really wanted to tell Michael.
He walked into his room to find Logan laying across the couch and Michael sitting up triumphantly on the single bed. Both their faces were bruised black and blue with swollen lips.
"Hey Chase." Michael greeted him, sounding a bit groggy and out of it but still alert enough.
"Hey Michael, so I assume you won?"
"You bet I did!" Michael smiled. "The Single bed is all mine!"
"Congratulations dude. Logan, you OK?"
"No, my face hurts." Logan whined without opening his eyes. "You better not have damaged my face Michael."
"Don't worry you're just as Logan as ever." Chase reassured him.
"So, have you told her?" Michael asked.
"Actually yes, I did, I finally did it." Chase tried to play it cool, but he was probably failing, his face was actually starting to hurt a little with how much he had been smiling the last 30 minutes.
"Did what?" Logan asked.
"You really told Zoey you loved her?"
"Yep, I did." Chase smiled.
"And…?"
"She said she likes me back and maybe even loves me!"
"My man. I told you so!" Michael jumped up and gave Chase a hug that Chase returned for about two seconds before he broke away groaning. "Ow! Even my bruises have bruises."
"How much did you guys wail on each other? You don't look so hot."
"You take that back!" Logan shouted angrily.
"Fine, you both look great. The bruises really bring out your eyes." Chase deadpanned.
"So you finally manned up Chase?" Logan asked.
"Yeah, I did."
"So have you kissed her yet?"
"No we haven't. But we are going on a date tonight, and she said she'd love to be my girlfriend."
"Congrats man." Michael said again, now sitting back on his bed.
"So, you gonna make out with her tonight?"
"No! I don't want to date Zoey just because I want to make out with her. It's because I'm in love with her, that means all of her, inside and out."
"So if she wanted to make out with you, you would stop her?"
"Well, no, I'll do anything she wants to do, but even if I have to wait another 2 years for her to kiss me, I know it will be worth it. I won't change a thing. I'm just glad she likes me as much as I like her."
"I don't know why you act so surprised about that. I mean she has been completed, and I mean completely oblivious to you for forever. But you were totally just as clueless as she was if you really thought for a second she would tell you no." Michael rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"What are you talking about?"
"She has never had any desire to make out with me, so I guess she saw something in you."
"Don't listen to Logan. But seriously everyone knows you two do literally everything together. From getting sushi to studying and your Would You Rather Game. Neither of you is very subtle at all, except you two. Chase you do realize everyone at PCA knows you've been in love with Zoey since forever and everyone knew Zoey had to have something for you too?"
"No? Everyone knows?"
"Hey Del Figalo!" Michael called out.
Marked stepped through the doorway. "Hey guys. How's it been?" He said in his flat voice.
"Blank is in love with Zoey, fill in the blank."
"Chase." Mark said without any hesitation.
"Thanks for playing." Michael stood up and shut the door in his face.
"See if Del Figalo knows, literally everyone knows. Except for Zoey apparently but now she knows too and you two can finally be happy together without you panicking over every time you talk to her."
"I don't panic when I talk to her. I always love talking to her."
"Except after it's that time of the month that you stress over whether you should do it or not. But it doesn't matter anymore. We're both happy for you. Right Logan?"
"I suppose." Logan groaned from the couch.
"Now we have to get you ready for your first date." Michael smirked.
"Guys I don't need to get ready. It's just Sushi Rox."
"Mmhmm. Chase, Chase Chase, don't you know how important the first date is? Right Logan?"
"I'd have to agree, although I never go out with the same girl twice, so in my expert opinion, yes the first date is very important."
"You know I'll never listen to you for romantic advice."
"Your loss."
"Guys seriously it's going to be great all that matters is I can finally be everything I want to be Zoey. This year is going to be great no matter what."