Yay! More time to write! Anyway, in this chapter, you'll find out why Mike and his siblings are being raised by their grandfather. Also, Xena, Zoey's twin, will be introduced. Xena is an evil twin, so she and Mal should get along just swimmingly. She also refers to herself in the third person. Hope you enjoy this new chapter!
Mike nervously walked up to Zoey's locker.
Why did I let them talk me into this? He thought. Zoey was brushing her hair. On cue, Duncan ran toward her with his knife. She let out a scream. Before Mike could do anything, a girl who looked like a hardcore version of her jumped between Zoey and Duncan. She kicked the knife out of his hand and pinned him to the ground.
"Don't mess with Xena's sister, Duncan," she said, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Plan B?" Mal asked Mike.
"Sure, know where we can find a bear?" Manitoba said sarcastically.
"Guys, just give up," Mike said after the third time they had failed. "Zoey will never fall for me. I mean, I'm just Mike. I'm not a genius like Mal, I'm not strong like Vito, I'm not brave like Manitoba, and I'm not agile like Svetlana."
"Hey, you three!" said a voice. It was Xena. "Xena wants to talk to you three about you trying to kill her sister!"
"Xena, we're not trying to kill her, we're trying to endanger her life so Mike here can save her," Mal told her.
"Why didn't you tell Xena?" she asked. "Xena loves to help people."
"Because you kinda scare people."
"Amateurs," she laughed. "Meet Xena at her house after school. Don't be late."
After school, Xena tried to calm down her twin. Zoey didn't notice the trip wire set up by the gate. As Mike came through, he tripped it, causing a Rube Goldberg machine. Darts began to fly towards Zoey.
Mike, not thinking about himself, pushed Zoey out of the way, nearly getting hit.
"Owww," Zoey said, rubbing her head. She looked at Mike. "You saved my life."
"Oh, anybody would have—" he began, but was cut off as Zoey threw her arms around him.
"Thank you!" Mike felt himself do a victory dance in his head.
"I'm Mike," he said, hoping he sounded cool.
"Zoey."
"So, uh, do you wanna go out or something?" he asked.
"It's the least I could do to thank you for saving me."
That night, Mike looked through his closet. He had decided to raid his bank account and take Zoey to one of the nicest restaurants in town: Spade.
"Hi, Mike!" Svetlana said as she chomped an apple. "Whatcha doing?"
"Svetlana, I'm not in the mood right now. I've got a date."
"With who?"
"Zoey."
"I've met her. She's nice! And she thinks I'M ADORABLE!" She yelled the last part toward Vito's room.
"Sis, if we weren't related and you were the last chick on Earth, I wouldn't date you," Vito retorted. Svetlana's face crumpled.
"Vito!" Mike yelled. "Quit being so mean to her."
"Am I really not pretty?" Svetlana asked in a tiny voice.
"Svetlana, you're at that age where people start being real jerks to you," Mike began. "Remember how I used to refuse to hang out in public? I was worried about how people saw me."
"I remember."
After their chat, Mike picked up Zoey and they headed to Spade. After a fairly peaceful meal, they went for a walk in the park.
"Mike?" Zoey asked after they had been walking for a while. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Why do you live with your grandfather?" He sighed.
"It's not a happy story, and I don't really like to tell it. Only my close friends know."
"Sorry I asked," she said, looking sorry.
"Okay, I'll tell you. It was six, almost seven, years ago. Mom and Dad, or Greg and Lily Greenberg, were heading to Australia for a vacation together. We went to stay with my dad's dad, who lived here in Rivervale. On Svetlana's birthday, they were supposed to return. But, instead of our parents coming home, we got a letter from our uncle Ryan, who they had stayed with. He told us that Mom and Dad had gone into the outback and hadn't returned.
"For weeks, we hoped they would come home. But, after about two months of searching the outback, the search team stopped looking. As far as we know, my parents are dead. Svetlana was always sensitive, and I remember her crying for weeks after Mom and Dad were legally dead. Vito was no help, and he knows she cries easily, so he teases her because he wants her to toughen up. Before, Mom might have grounded him for it, but now…"
"Oh, dear."
"I know." Neither noticed Heather watching them from the bushes. When she got home, she began writing it as a story for the school gossip column.
The next morning, Mike went to school. Zoey tackled him in the hall and pulled him into an empty classroom.
"What is it?" he whispered.
"Did you see The Rivervale High Herald today?" she asked.
"No, but what does that have to do with you tackling me?"
"Here." She handed him the paper. "In the gossip column." He flipped through. He had ended up in Heather's column more than a few times; she hated him for some reason.
"No." He gripped the paper.
"THE STORY BEHIND THE WEIRDO," the headline read. Mike read the story aloud.
"There is certainly more to Mike Greenberg than meets the eye. Everyone knows that. But what you didn't know was how much there was.
"When Mike was 9, his parents went on a trip to the outback, and on his sister's birthday, they found out that Greg and Lily Greenberg had disappeared. Poor Mike had to endure weeks of his sister crying her eyes out, and since his parents are legally dead, he lives with his grandfather and wants sympathy from girls by telling them this story.
"This reporter doesn't buy it. But, apparently, new girl Zoey Prescott does. Mike got her to go out with him using the story, no doubt. Ladies, be honest: Do you want a guy like that?
"Signing off, Heather Williams."
Mike felt his heart racing. This was low, even for Heather.
"Mike, you have to tell Heather she needs to print a retraction," Zoey pointed out.
"I can't. She hates me."
"Then I'll go talk to her."
"Zoey, Heather can make life miserable for you."
"Who cares about me? You have friends who would stand by you no matter what. I'm just the new girl nobody likes."
"That's not true! I like you! I care about you! Everyone in my family cares about you!"
"You think so?"
"I know so."
Together, they walked toward Heather's school office. On their way there, Justin looked up from his entourage and looked Zoey over. He winked.
Me: Oh my word! What was that?
Rabel: You are weird! You wrote it; you should know!
Me: I need to stop reading so many fanfictions.
Rabel: Agreed. Now go get me a latte.
Me: Fine. *stomps out of computer room*
Rabel: Anyway, read and review!
