Friday night came and Zed was thrilled to be sharing this years Zombie Bash with Addison. This only happened once a year and took place on multiple levels of the old power plant and was totally different from a rave that was occasionally thrown there. Everyone who was anyone would be there meaning every single zombie, young and old, got together to celebrate their heritage. It was this time 71 years ago that the factory exploded. Thanks to that fateful day, zombies came to life and lime soda would forever be banned in Seabrook.
He spent the entire day getting ready with Addison. Something had been bothering her and he couldn't put his finger on it. He had a feeling it was about how she felt living with him and Bonzo in zombietown. It was a big adjustment for her and something he had been working on trying to fix lately. He would be telling her after the bash about exactly where he had been lately while she was working.
She wore her bedazzled jacket and some other clothing that more resembled the zom style and Zed once again thought she was the most beautiful thing on the entire earth. They joked, they danced and they laughed while getting ready and Zed thought that she looked more like herself than she had in awhile. Yes, he was definitely making the right choice about what he was planning for them.
Addison had almost forgotten she was going to have a chat with Zed and Eliza after the day she had with Zed. She had been planning and thinking over it all week about how she could bring up her insecurities without sounding like she was accusing them of anything. She would tell them everything that Zarah had said to her and deep down she knew that everything would be ok.
The factory was lit up brighter than anything she had seen before. Colored lights danced and flashed across the front and music blasted from the busted windows. It was a wonder how they managed to pull this off every year and not get caught. Addison surely would have seen a sight like this flashing from where her house was in Seabrook.
Once inside she decided everything she had been thinking earlier was stupid. There was no way Zed was doing anything with anyone besides herself. He stayed by her side all night and shot looks at the other zombie guys when they got a little too close to her. There was that and the fact that she hadn't seen Eliza all night. She would still tell Zed about Zarah coming into the shop though, maybe he could do something about that to ease her thoughts.
Zed said he didn't drink much, which she knew to be true as he had only ever had a small amount at their christmas party, but he said had something planned that night and thought maybe they both needed to let loose.
A zombie game around with a tray of shots handing them out to everyone. He handed one to Zed and one to Addison and without thinking they tipped them back and took it all at once. She felt like she was getting better at this.
A new song came on and Zed pulled her closer, pushing his hips into hers and taking her mouth with his. He sloppily pushed his tongue against hers and together they practically had sex on the dance floor. Addison didn't care either. She couldn't give two fucks what anyone thought about them at that time. She was stupid to think Zed wanted anyone but her. When the song ended they pulled themselves apart.
They came off the dancefloor and collapsed into an alcove next to a window that wasn't busted out. Zed hugged her close and gave her another very sloppy kiss before saying he was going to the bathroom. She took the time to assess the crowd and take a moment to catch her breath from all the dancing they had been doing.
"You should really keep a better eye on your boyfriend. Letting him walk away alone like that. You know he was a wandering eye." Addison was startled from her thoughts as she turned to see who had spoken to her.
"I'm not going to sit here and listen to your shit Zarah." She stood to leave and Zarah spoke again.
"I was here first and I'll be here long after you're gone too, you little bitch."
"You're stupid if you think that's true. He doesn't want you anymore. You had your chance and you lost it. Now fuck off!"
Zarah splashed her drink down the front of Addison and pushed her to the ground before stomping off. Addison sighed and pulled herself up. Unsure of who won that battle.
She made her way to where she saw Zed walk towards the restrooms. Maybe she would meet him on the way. Screw waiting until after the bash was over, she would tell Zed everything now.
After she emerged from the restroom she decided it was time to just drink water for the rest of the night. Whatever was in that last shot was way too strong. She didn't remember feeling this way when she entered the restroom. Did alcohol always set in this quickly?
She stumbled down the hall and bumped into a group of people she didn't know. They all stared down at her but maybe that was just her drunken imagination. She excused herself desperately needing to find Zed, or Eliza, or anyone she knew. Zarah was up to something she had to be. She had to tell them something was going on. Something was wrong.
She stumbled through a few more corridors before she found herself back out on one of the dance floors and relief took over her when she spotted Eliza. She made her way over and wrapped her hands around Eliza's upper arm for some support.
"Addison you look terrible, where is Zed?" She hollered over the music.
"I…I don't know." She clutched Eliza tighter and swayed on her feet. What was in that drink?
"Come on, let's go get you some water and find Zed." Eliza wrapped her arm around Addison to steer her towards the bar. Addison stumbled along after her and Eliza sat her down onto a chair. She turned to get her some water but Addison shot her hand out and grabbed her arm again, suddenly remembering what she needed to tell her.
"Wait… Zarah!" she hollered.
"Zarah? Addison what's going on?"
"She came into the shop. She said that Zed was cheating on me." Addison could feel herself getting more and more tired. Maybe she could lay herself down on the table?
"Addison!" Eliza shook her. "Stay awake, what did Zarah say?"
Addison snapped herself back up and continued. "She said that Zed would get tired of me. She said that he would go to you and you guys were sleeping together behind my back." Eliza's face turned to one of rage at what Zarah was accusing.
"Addison you know that would never happen. Zed loves you, and I only see him as a brother."
"But you're always together when I'm at work and I don't know what you do together." Addison's brain was turning to mush. It was getting harder and harder for her to put thoughts to words and she felt like she sounded like a five year old. "What do you do together?"
"Oh my gosh Addy, nothing. I promise. Zed is working on something for the two of you and I've been helping him. Sit still you still need water." Eliza walked off for just a minute to get a bottle of water for Addison before she came back. "Come on, we need to find Zed. You need to tell him what Zarah said to you."
After Addison took a couple minutes to rest and sip on her water she stood and felt well enough to walk around with Eliza. She held Eliza's hand, scared of getting lost again, as they made their way around the main area of the floor. "You said he went to the bathroom and then Zarah came up to you." Addison nodded her head and Eliza pulled her in a different direction. "This way, if I know Zed he will be in the indoor light garden. That was always his go to spot if he drank too much."
They made their way towards the area Eliza was talking about and Addison was hoping so badly that Zed was there. She was ready to tell him everything Zarah had been doing to her. To tell him all her insecurities she had been feeling lately. Eliza said that he had been busy working on a project for the two of them and maybe he would go ahead and tell her what it was. But what she found when they arrived she wasn't prepared for.
There was Zed leaning against the wall, with his eyes closed, but his arms were wrapped around Zarah and his lips were on hers, or rather hers were on his. Addison was frozen to her spot, her brain trying to process what she was looking at. It was Eliza who spoke up for her.
"Zed what the fuck is going on!?"
Zarah pulled her mouth off of his but didn't even try to move how her body was pressed up against his. Zed didn't answer, his stare was just glassed over as he tried to make heads or tails of what was going on as well.
"Addison?" he slurred and blinked his eyes a few times. Zarah stayed nestled in his arms, putting her head on his shoulder and staring right at Addison.
"Sorry human. I tried to warn you." Zarah said sweetly. Addison shook her head and started to back up, desperate to leave the scene. This had to be a joke.
"Zed. No." She whined.
"Zed what the fuck is going on." Eliza went over to the two of them and pushed Zarah off of him. "Fuck off you hag. You did something to him." Zarah had the nerve to look offended.
"Why I would never." She gasped. Addison had seen enough. Zed still wasn't saying anything and nothing made sense to her right now. She turned to storm off and almost stopped when she heard Eliza calling her name. But it needed to be Zed that was calling after her and that was what mattered. He obviously didn't want to be with her seeing as how he didn't try to get her back very hard.
She pushed her way out of the factory, crying the whole way. She was stupid to think that it would work out between them. They were from different sides of the tracks. She grew up in seemingly a paradise and he in a much darker side and it was time for her to go back.
Eliza should have gone after Addison, but she was too pissed with Zed to do anything else. She pulled out her cell phone and quickly texted Bonzo, telling him where to meet her and that she needed help with Zed. Zarah had run off, but Eliza was making a mental note to find her after they got Zed home.
"Come on fucker." She slapped his face a few times to get him to focus. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Zed didn't answer. He closed his eyes and dropped his head. She could feel his whole body going slack and quickly pushed him back against the wall to keep him from falling and hitting his head. Bonzo showed up a few seconds later and they managed to get him down into a sitting position against the wall.
"Drugadez." Bonzo mentioned, peeling Zeds eyelids open to look at the glossy eyeballs underneath.
"Oh my God, that piece of shit Zarah. She drugged him. Help me get him up." She stood and together they managed to drag Zed out of the factory. Bonzo promised to get Zed back to their house. Eliza had some snooping to do.