Zoey had been sitting by the door for a while. She lost track of time; she was daydreaming. She had even forgotten that her dad was going to call. She heard the phone start to ring; she raced up the stairs and down the hall to her room to answer it. She picked up her bubble gum pink house phone and answered the call before it could go to voicemail.

"Hello, this is Zoey Graham. How can I help you?" She asked politely. What can she say? Her mother raised her well.

"Zo, I'm surprised that you forgot! You've been looking forward to this call all week!" Her father exclaimed in disbelief as she gasped.

"Daddy! I am so sorry I forgot! I got home not too long ago from a friend's house. We were working on a project together," Zoey explained as she sat on her bed.

"It's okay, Zo. I was just a little surprised that's all. So, what else is new?" he questioned curiously. She thought about what she wanted to tell him.

"Well, I broke up with Brett yesterday," she informed while she fiddled with the cord of the phone.

"What? You guys have been together for like two years! What happened?" her dad sounded concerned. He always did like Brett. Mainly because he had someone to talk about football with.

"For starters, the spark died. I just don't feel the same about him anymore. Plus, he kissed another girl when I didn't eat lunch with him. Besides, I like someone else now." Zoey could hear noises coming from her father's end of the call. "Hey what's going on over there? What is all that noise?" Her father cleared his throat dismissively.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Zo. Just forget about it." He skirted the question. She always hated when he did that. "So, what did you do to upset Brett? And who is this new someone?"

"I didn't do anything to upset Brett!" Zoey yelled defensively. "I told him that I was going to be working on a science project with someone named Chase during lunch and he went off and kissed Lindsay!"

"Ah-huh. So, this new somebody that you like, it's Charlie. Isn't it? Wait, Lindsay? As in Lindsay Walker?"

Zoey couldn't lie, her dad was incredibly smart. She got some of her smarts from him, or so he says.

"Yes, Dad. It was Lindsay Walker; my old friend. And his name is Chase," she confirmed his suspicions as he sighed.

"I'm guessing Lindsay told you about Brett." She stayed silent. It was usually her way of confirming something without actually saying anything. "Does this Chad kid at least like football?"

"Again, his name is Chase, and I doubt it. He's more of a science nerd. A cute science nerd," Zoey said dreamily.

"TMI, Zo. TMI," he faked a gag and they shared a laugh.

"I wish Mom were here. You're great and all Dad, but I need someone to talk to about this stuff."

"I know, Zo. I miss her too. But, um, there is actually something that we need to talk about. Something really important." His tone became serious.

"What is it? What's wrong?" It was Zoey's turn to sound concerned. Her father was a serious guy, but he was hardly ever serious around her. She was the only exception.

"I'm not gonna be home at the expected time." He sounded upset, but there was a hint of excitement. She started to think that he believed he was going to get that promotion that he had been wanting for a while now.

"When will you be home?" Zoey inquired. Although, she already knew that it wasn't going to be anytime soon.

"I'm afraid it won't be in time for your birthday," he responded sadly. That's when it hit her. She had totally forgotten about her birthday. It was less than a month away.

"But, you never miss my birthday," Zoey complained as she fell backwards onto her bed. Her father sighed again,

"I know, Zo. I know. But my boss wants me working on this for the next few weeks. No exceptions. I'll make it up to you," he promised. She felt some of her happiness returning. Whenever he had to make it up to her, he always went all out. Once, he had forgotten to get her a birthday present. So, he made it up to her by taking her, Macy, and Lindsay on a road trip around the country. It was amazing.

"I'm going to hold you to that," She joked as he laughed. She always enjoyed hearing him laugh.

"I hope you do," her dad commented. "By the way, there is something else."

"What? What is it now?" Zoey was extremely curious; she was told that she got it from her mother.

"There are new neighbors moving in down the road," he began as she let out a groan. She knew exactly what he was going to say next. She didn't even try to hide her annoyance. "I have already talked to them, and they have agreed to let you stay there while I'm away."

"Why can't I stay with Macy?! Besides, I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself!" She argued as she quickly sat up. She didn't want to get dumped on the neighbor's door step again.

"I know that you aren't a child, but you aren't 18 either. You aren't old enough to legally be on your own for this long. And I want you to stay close to the house, just in case. They have a son about your age. He will be going to the same school as you. You can become his friend and show him around," her dad suggested. It wasn't a terrible idea, but she still didn't like it.

"Fine. But only because I know that I can't get out of this," she agreed as he chuckled. "Just so you know, I'll be expecting an even bigger surprise for this." In all truth, she didn't care about the stupid surprise. She just wanted her dad to come back home. And stay home.

"I love you too. I'll see you when I get back."

"Alright, Dad. I love you. Stay safe."

"You know I will, Zo. Good luck with this Chris guy." With that, he hung up.

"It's Chase," she added, but it didn't matter; the call had already ended. She loved talking with her dad, but every time he hung up, it felt like she was being abandoned. She felt the same way when he left. He would always tell her that he would be gone for a week or two tops. Then, he would call and tell her that he would have to stay where ever he was for even longer. She always worried that she would never see her dad again because of what happened with her mom. When she was younger, her mom had left her home alone. She had said that she would only be gone for a little while. She was only running to the office to get some paperwork. The next thing she knew, the police were at her door saying that her mom had been in an accident, and she didn't make it.

It was normal for her to get dumped at a neighbor's house. Usually for months. That's how she met Macy. She had been the new kid in town and had to stay at the other girl's house for a while. They became good friends. Best friends. Lindsay had lived a few houses down. They would all hang out together. But, her father insisted that they moved to a different neighborhood. One that was closer to the school, so her walk was shorter. She really missed those days with Macy and Lindsay. Everything was simpler then. Why couldn't it be like that now?