Addison was all alone, walking down a long, dark hallway. She opened a door and walked into the gym at school, she was still all alone, and then a spotlight shone down on her, and the bleachers were suddenly packed with people. They immediately began insulting her. "Boo! Get off the stage you freak!" You'll never be a shrimp! You're ugly!"
Addison tried to defend herself, but she was speechless and frozen trapped in the spotlight.
"Look at her, are you sure she's really one of us?" Barbara suddenly appeared
"Let the neighbors scream and howl when they see her hair." Walter joined in.
"Why are you so rude? Look at you look at me what's it matter?" Addison shouted out.
"Isn't it obvious?" Bucky said.
"Why do I make you all laugh and scoff?" Addison asked again.
"Have you seen your reflection?" Kathryn jeered.
"Look at her, come on tell me what went wrong." Dale said.
"Look at her and be thankful that she's not your kid." Missy joined in.
"Look at her, look at me, look at you, you'll agree anywhere you look will be less grim, then a glimpse of this wimp of wimps, look at her." They all started shouting in chorus. Addison felt herself shrinking as everyone around her grew taller and continued their insults. While she was frozen in place.
"You are different! You will never belong! You're a freak! You should hide, so no one has to look at you!"
The insults continued and Addison was finally able to squeeze her eyes shut tight, and when she opened them again, only Zed was standing there, she longed to run to him, but still couldn't move a muscle. She cried out "Zed!"
His face morphed from his normal sweet smile that she loved, to a look of utter disgust and contempt. "I could never love a freak like you." He said then walked away and disappeared into the darkness.
"Zed no please!" Addison called out she tried to run after him but then she felt like she was falling through the air, and she knew this time Zed wouldn't be there to catch her.
Addison woke with a jolt and let out a terrified gasp. She looked at her surroundings in confusion, but gradually realized she was in her bedroom. "It was only a dream." She whispered to herself, "It wasn't real, I'm me, I'm not a fr-." Addison began to whimper and before she could stop herself, she began crying, "but I am a freak. Everyone hates me, yesterday was real, because I'm different. That's all everyone cares about." Then her thoughts shifted, and she suddenly remembered the worst part of her dream. The look on Zed's face, "No that will never happen I know it won't." She tried to convince herself. But her confidence was at an all-time low. She reached for her phone and saw it was just after 3 am. She of course still had the picture of her and Zed hugging at the football game as her lock screen. But for first time that picture screamed at her that he only had that smile on his face because of her wig when she was still pretending to be normal. She felt herself falling into the familiar pit of fear and self-loathing and even though she was terrified she called Zed. Every second felt like an eternity as she waited for him to pick up.
"Hey Addison, What do you need?" Zed asked letting out a yawn.
"Zed I shouldn't be bothering you, I'm being dumb but…" her voice shaking.
"Addie," Zed said, now sounding more alert, "whatever you need you aren't being dumb, and I'll do anything I can to make you feel better."
"I was having a nightmare and I woke up and I had to call you to convince myself it wasn't real."
"OK, do you want to talk about it, what scared you so badly?"
"I was all alone in the gym and everyone was calling me a freak, including my family they were saying I was ugly and no one loved me and…" Addison broke off into tears.
"Addie it's ok, you are not any of those things, you know your family members that believe those lies are just being horrible to you for absolutely no reason. Just like they were about zombies. You don't believe any of the things they said about me right?"
"No of course not you aren't a monster."
"And you aren't a… I'm not even gonna say it. Because you deserve to never hear that word again. Was that all, more of your family being disgusting dead-eyed fr- monsters?"
"No." Addison said, quietly. "The worst part was…was…then you appeared and said you would never love a freak like me." Addison began sobbing even harder. She was waiting for his reaction, to tell her it was true now that he had seen the real her.
"I'll be right back I promise." Zed said quietly, before hanging up and a few moments later he called her again on a facetime call. Addison shakily answered, nervous to see the look on his face.
"Can you turn the light on Gorgeous, I want to see your beautiful face."
"OK." Addison said slowly, she turned her lamp on and looked even more nervous for Zed's expression. But she saw the kindhearted eyes that she loved looking back at her, and she was surprised to see trails of tears running down his face.
"Zed why are you crying?"
"Because Addison, you're breaking my heart, I want to do whatever I can to make you feel better, I thought it would be better if I could see you and you could see me, and know I mean every word I'm about to sing." Zed said, softly strumming his guitar.
I found a love for me
Darling just dive right in and follow my lead
Well I found a girl, beautiful and sweet
Cause I never knew you were the someone waiting for me
We were just kids when we fell in love not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
But darling kiss me slow you're heart is all I own
And in your eyes you're holding mine
Baby I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
When you said you looked a mess I whispered underneath my breath
You heard it, darling you look perfect tonight.
"Addison you will always be nothing less than perfect to me, and if anyone tells you otherwise feel free to show them your deadly low kick. And if you ever have any doubts about how I feel about you, that you're the one I was waiting my whole life for, tell me, and I promise I will relieve your baseless fears because nothing can keep me away from you."
I have faith in what I see
Now I know I have met an angel in person and she looks perfect
I don't deserve this you look perfect tonight.
Zed finished and looked at her with a hopeful expression on his face. "Addison please don't ever doubt how much I love you because nothing will ever make me stop."
"Thank you Zed, I love you too."
Zed smiled, "That's my girl." Before letting out a yawn
"I should let you go back to sleep."
"It's fine, I won't hang up until you're ready to sleep again."
"I'm feeling better now, you always make everything better."
"I'm glad to hear that, but are you sure you're good?"
"Yes, I'm better, for now, I know it's gonna take me time to get past this, and this is a low point, but just being with you since school started has made every day a million times better than ever before. You prove to me every day that there is nothing wrong with me, even if my fears are stronger than usual right now, you always know how to make them disappear."
"Don't make any plans for tomorrow then, because I am taking you out on a date tomorrow and I will show you just how much you mean to me too."
"I can't wait. Goodnight Zed, or good morning I guess." Addison said with a slight giggle.
"Good morning Beautiful. Gar Gar Gaza."
"Gar Gar Gaza."
The next morning Zed woke up bright and early and started making plans. He was still immensely worried about Addison and wanted to give her the best date ever to help relieve her fears. When he woke up, he spent about an hour writing and rewriting plans, trying to make everything perfect before he took a breath and calmed himself down, he went back to one of his earlier ideas and decided to just keep it simple. He called Addison to let her know he would be at her house at 5:30 and to tell her not to dress up, they were just going to be themselves. but he was still filled with nervous energy all day.
Finally, the long-awaited hour arrived and Zed was at Addison's door at 5:30 on the dot. He was wearing the same tan and maroon outfit he wore to the first Zombie Mash that he invited Addison to, while Addison was wearing the same pink jacket and jeans that she wore that night, the only difference of course being her white hair that she had in a similar braid.
"You ready to go?" Zed asked.
"Let's do this. Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"
"Bye Addison, Bye Zed!" Missy called out.
"Back by 10!" Dale called out.
"So where are we going?" Addison asked.
"You'll see, one of our favorite places."
"Hmm, well that narrows it down to two places, and one of them is closed for Thanksgiving break."
"Great minds think alike because that was exactly my thought process, but no more guessing, I want you to still be surprised."
"Fine, I can be patient."
They continued walking towards Zombietown and Zed led Addison in a B-line for the powerplant. They got on the elevator and traveled down to the Mash level, and they happily walked towards the light garden. They both slowed down automatically, both entranced by the beauty and happy memories swirling around them.
Zed kept his eye on Addison the whole time, and he could see that the moment they walked in, she let out a sigh of relief and relaxed, letting out some of the tension running through her body. She revealed a small smile of gratitude that Zed happily returned.
As they walked around the room Addison finally saw a blanket spread out on the floor with a basket sitting next to it.
"Voila! The perfect picnic spot." Zed said in a terrible French accent.
Addison couldn't help but giggle at him, "You're right, it is perfect."
They sat down and Zed took out the food, most of it leftovers from his thanksgiving yesterday, cranberries, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cornbread, stuffing, Zed had brought a little bit of everything except turkey. He was just thankful all the warm stuff was still warm and the cold food still cold. Zed and Addison ate in comfortable silence, occasionally teasing each other but for the most part just enjoying being alone together.
Once they finished eating everything, Zed reached in the basket one more time and pulled out two more plates covered in foil. "Do you still have room for dessert?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Don't tell your mom, but as amazing as her apple pie is, Eliza's mom's pumpkin pie will always be the best part of thanksgiving. Zed whispered. I was lucky to save these two pieces for us."
Addison gladly accepted the plate, took a bite, and agreed it was delicious.
After they finished, they both cleaned up the plates and any crumbs that were left before sitting together upon the top of the central platform.
Do you want to know what I'm thankful for Zed?
"What is it Addison?"
"You, I am so glad I met you this year, I never regretted anything for a single moment, ever since the day we met I knew there was something special in you."
"I'm thankful for you too, you were literally the first human that ever treated me like a person, as an equal, and you inspire me every day that everything can always get better if I work for it."
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you because you were right, I do know what love feels like, I feel it every time I look into your eyes. I know your heart belongs to me, just as much as mine belongs to you."
"You don't have to apologize."
"I know, but I need to tell myself that just as much as I needed to tell you."
"You know you're safe now, you have me, your parents, Bree, Bonzo, Eliza, Zoey, Pops, we all love you just the way you are. Please don't ever change yourself for others."
"I know, I just wish I knew why I was like this, all the doctors would only make random guesses, none of them knew anything either."
"What the doctors say don't matter as long as you're you and you're healthy and happy. I would go with Zoey's theory that you're a beautiful, magical fairy princess."
"Oh, and would that make you my handsome prince?"
"Eventually, I started out as a humble frog, and I became your handsome prince when right from the start you caught my eye and something inside me came to life."
"You were always my handsome prince I just had to wait to meet you."
"Addison I can't promise you you'll know why someday, but I will always be ready to help you figure it out. I think you just got lucky enough to be born even more beautiful than everyone else. Besides being normal is overrated anyway."
"Thank you, Zed, but that's enough compliments I know what you're doing."
"I'm not doing anything, just telling my gorgeous girlfriend the truth about how she is the most amazing person I have ever met inside and out. In fact I-"
Addison silenced him with a kiss, to get him to stop. "Thank you Zed, I appreciate it more than you can know, but I will be ok. I know I've got the best of me, but where's the rest of me, I'm searching for my missing piece. School will be back in a few days, and everything will be back to normal."
"As normal as Seabrook gets, you mean."
"Yeah, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Our differences make us stronger. Soon we really will be able to hang out anywhere we want. I'm also so thankful that my parents are accepting you, and all zombies now."
"Don't count yourself short, you're the first person that showed people they don't need to treat us like dangerous monsters."
"Hey no M-word, and was that a short joke buster?" Addison asked in mock indignation.
"No, I promise, it's just an expression," Zed held his hands up in surrender, "besides literally everyone is shorter than me, and it just makes you even cuter in my opinion. The way you fit perfectly in my arms, but we have to meet in the middle when we kiss." Zed then leaned down to demonstrate, capturing her lips with his own.
"Alright, you're forgiven, for now."
"Just for now? What does that mean?"
"It means you're on thin ice, I don't want to have to high kick your handsome face."
"Like you could reach it."
"You want to try me?"
"You have to catch me first." Zed said, jumping up and running down the stairs laughing. Addison tried to follow him, but with his much longer strides he quickly lost her in the maze of the powerplant. Addison searched for a few minutes, but she soon felt lost, when it was quiet and empty like this it was hard to tell what direction anything was in. "Zed?" She called out.
"Right here." Zed said behind her. Making her flinch.
Addison slugged him in the arm. "That was for scaring me," Then she stepped on her tiptoes, and gave him a quick peck on the lips, "and that was for everything else."
"How about this?" taking her hand, Zed led her up to Eliza's DJ booth and turned up the music soon Bamm was playing and they just let loose and had fun dancing and showing off their moves to each other, before pausing for a breather after the song ended.
"Does this place have any more secrets Zed?"
"Not that I know of, at least nothing as cool as right here. Plus it's getting pretty late, as long as your Dad says he likes me I don't want to go back on his bad side."
"You have nothing to fear, if he says he likes you, then he genuinely does. Plus I would stop him from doing anything to you."
"I know, are you ready to head back?"
"I'm never ready for you to leave, but I know we have to."
Later that night, as both were preparing for bed, Zed called Addison to say goodnight one more time.
"Hello?"
"Hey there Addie, are you getting tired?"
"Yep, we had so much fun tonight I'm beat."
"I hope you have sweet dreams."
"I'm sure I will, I'll be reliving our fantastic date night."
"What are you doing tomorrow?"
I'm going over to Bree's house to study for the math test we have on Monday and work on choreographing a new routine. What about you?"
"I'll just be hanging around with Zoey for most of the day, but I have practice in the afternoon for a few hours."
"Sounds like we both have busy days tomorrow."
"Yep, I'll talk to you tomorrow then."
"Bye Zed, goodnight."
"Goodnight Addison."