The weekend came and slid through Zoe's fingers, dissolving into good memories tainted with guilt and worry. Her parents were going to kill her for running off. Jess reassured her that his own were going to skin him alive. It wasn't a comforting predicament for either of them, but Jess jokingly reminded her that he did promise he would keep her safe. Besides, it's not like she did it to be malicious, Zoe defended herself. She needed to get away from it all, and she'd been right. It felt like she could breathe again when they returned to Vista Grande.
Monday morning found Jess and Zoe walking across the school parking lot of Vista Grande High. People literally stopped to stare as they went by. Jess flashed a heartening grin when she looked at him. That look said: it is okay that people are staring. Let them.
They walked down the busy halls and finally stopped at Zoe's locker.
"Zoe!" Tanya seemed to appear out of thin air, blocking their path when they turned to head down another corridor.
"What?" Zoe asked, startled. Tanya's bright eyes darted from Zoe to Jess, and back.
"Everyone's been looking for you. Where have you two been?"
"That's no one's business but our own." Jess retorted.
"Oh. So..." Tanya faltered, and anger flashed across her features. She stepped back, and glared at Zoe. Glare wasn't really the word. If looks could kill, this one would have mutilated Zoe. "You guys are... a thing now, is that it?"
Zoe glanced at Jess, her cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. It was nothing like that...
"So what if we are? Have you got a problem with that?" Jess said coldly.
Tanya tensed, and stared.
"Jess." Zoe gasped, stunned and confused.
"I'm telling Haley." Tanya yelped, and took off down the hallway like a streak of lightning.
Zoe watched her go, and turned back to Jess in dismay.
"Jess." She said again.
"There's no point in telling them the truth, Zoe. They won't believe us. It does look suspicious that both of us just disappeared together for the weekend. People are going to believe their own conclusions, no matter what we say or do." Jess said innocently.
"Still, it might help not to encourage their version of things." Zoe narrowed her eyes at him.
"What class have you got?" Jess asked, sliding his hands into his pockets with a shrug.
"Computer applications is first period." Zoe said as they walked down the hall together. People really were staring; their heads turned to actually watch them pass by. "I still think we should have gone home first, Jess. Let our parents know we're safe."
"You're really that eager to face them after what's happened? Zoe, they're hiding something from us. I thought we reached that conclusion over the weekend." Jess said, slightly irritated.
"I know I just... I feel guilty for making them worry."
"It serves them right. They couldn't just expect us to shut up and take whatever they throw at us like it's nothing. They need to know how much this affects us. They need to feel it, Zoe." Jess chided.
"Maybe you're right." Zoe said.
They were about to step into the class room when they bumped into Kyle. He paused to really look at them; first measuring Jess up with a cool gaze, and then shifting awkwardly when he turned his attention to Zoe.
"Glad to see you guys didn't just fade into oblivion." Kyle commented.
"We should have." Jess said flatly.
"We just needed to get away for a bit." Zoe admitted, looking wearily from Kyle to Jess. The last time she'd seen Kyle, he'd been ready to take a swing at his best friend because of her.
"You could have let us know." Kyle accused, his eyes going hard. "At least, me and Haley."
"I didn't want to get you guys into trouble." Jess said. "The less you know, the better."
"Right." Kyle said sceptically. "Your parents have been turning over every stone in town to find you."
"So?"
"Your Dad's especially pissed off, Jess. I wouldn't want to be you right now. Your mom is a mess, you know." Kyle looked at Zoe. "Sorry about what happened at the party, Zoe. I wasn't myself."
"No, you weren't." Zoe agreed.
"It won't happen again." Kyle said, half-embarrassed. "Anyway. You should let Haley know you're back. I'll see you around."
Jess and Zoe watched Kyle melt into the stream of students, and exchanged looks.
"It doesn't sound good." Zoe said as they took seats in the class.
"No, you're right." Jess said.
By third period, Jess was becoming fidgety. When Zoe asked him about it, he shrugged.
"I'm just wondering where Haley is. I've been waiting for her to pitch up and give me an ear full. She's usually the first one to welcome me back at school."
"Maybe she just hasn't had time to come see you."
"No, that's not it. This is Haley we're talking about."
"Do you think she believes what Tanya said? About you and me? It's all over school already."
"If she did, I'd have a knife in my chest already. No, that's not it either."
Zoe watched his composure loosen and his confidence diminish as the day wore on. By lunch time, Jess was ready to turn the town upside down for Haley.
"Let's go check in the cafeteria first. Maybe she's still at school and hasn't gone home yet." Zoe suggested.
"She won't be there. I know Haley. If she was here, she'd be next to me right now. I'm pretty sure she's at home and the reason why she hasn't come talk to me is because her parents won't let her leave the house." Jess said.
"Or maybe she's just too upset to talk to you. Let's just check, okay? If we go home now, and she's not there, you won't get to see her anyway because your parents won't let you leave the house."
"But I know she's not here."
They stepped into the busy cafeteria together. Jess, it turned out, didn't know Haley as well as he'd initially thought.
Haley was there. Sitting at a small table, alone, and staring out the window at the parking lot. She looked tired. Zoe and Jess went over to her and sat down. Haley didn't look at them right away.
"Have fun?" She asked gallantly.
"What's going on?" Jess responded.
"You tell me."
"You know Tanya's just full of shit."
"Hmm." Haley pursed her lips.
"Come on, Hales. You know it's not true." Jess said, glancing at Zoe for help.
"We bumped into each other at the asylum. We went to Las Vegas, just to try forget about everything. Nothing happened between us Haley, I swear." Zoe said, knowing even as she spoke that it sounded very suspicious.
"Of course not." Haley said flatly.
"You believe us then?" Jess asked.
"I don't care where you went or what you did."
"Haley, I love you. You know I'd never betray you." Jess said gently.
Haley looked at them, finally. Her expression was grim.
"Your mom has been bawling her eyes out all weekend, Jess. She thinks she's lost you forever. I'd swear you were dead rather than missing, the way she's been going on. And your parents aren't any better off either, Zoe."
"Well, we're back now." Jess frowned at her.
"Yeah." Haley said and looked away uneasily.
"You're not happy." Jess said, confused.
"No. I'm not." Haley glanced at Zoe, then looked at Jess. "I mean, I am happy for you guys, but... I'm not, for selfish reasons."
"Haley, come on. You know me. I wouldn't lie to you." Jess said, his temper flaring up.
"We're not together, Haley, really." Zoe agreed.
"I get it." Haley said and sighed heavily. "I just feel like... well, now that you've got someone you can relate to, that you won't need me anymore."
"Come again?" Jess said coldly.
"Zoe is going to replace me. Well... in some areas, at least." Haley blinked away tears. "She won't be able to give you what I can because... it's just inappropriate and not done. But she'll be able to give you what I never could, and so why would you need me to hang around you anymore?"
"Haley, for crying out loud," Jess said, clearly agitated. He ran his hands through his hair, leaving the blonde mass in complete disarray.
"You're not making any sense." Zoe said, frowning hard at Haley. "What are you getting at? I'm not going to be replacing you in any way."
"Yeah, you are." Haley said, and stared down at her hands.
"Would you like me to spell it out for you?" Jess asked, his voice rising.
People glanced toward their table. Haley shifted in her seat, and hugged herself.
"We've known each other practically all our lives. When I told you that I would never leave you, I meant it, Haley." Jess said.
"I know." Haley shrugged, and licked her lips.
"Then why won't you believe me?" Jess demanded.
Haley looked across the table at him, and her eyes flashed furiously.
"I'm not retarded, Jess. I understand when you say there's nothing between you." Haley said. "Rumours and gossip is the least of my worries right now."
Zoe slowly leaned back in her seat. She could almost touch the steel wall that had slid between herself and Haley.
"Then what's with the cold shoulder?" Jess asked.
Haley blew out her breath, and Zoe met her gaze evenly.
"I think... Zoe, I think it's best if we just... you know... don't hang out for a while."
Zoe didn't flinch. She stared back at Haley, tears stinging her eyes.
"Why?" Zoe asked, embarrassed when her voice shook.
"My mom is afraid you might have a bad influence on me and Kyle." Haley diverted her gaze, and her words were as cold as her voice.
"Haley... you're the only friend I have." Zoe stalled. She was silently pleading that Haley would crack a smile and disregard everything except their friendship.
Haley didn't reply. She was stubbornly looking out the window. Zoe felt her temper flare up suddenly, dangerously, masking the hurt.
"Whatever." Zoe said curtly, scooting out her chair and getting up.
"The only bad influence here would be you, Haley..." She heard Jess's voice as she walked away.
Then she was heading down the hall toward the girl's locker room. Zoe wasn't sure exactly why she was going there – the cold fury inside of her was solid enough to stay. The tears wouldn't come again.
"Hey, Zoe," Tanya called from the lockers, detaching herself from Kim and Lisa and strolling toward her.
"What?" Zoe snapped.
"We wanted to know if you'd like to hang out with us after school." Tanya said, startled at Zoe's angry expression.
"What?" Zoe repeated more calmly.
"We were going to go to the beach – Kim's boyfriend has a surfing competition on. Then we were going to go to Lisa's afterward. She's got the entire Ugly Betty series on DVD. I thought you might like to come along, seeing as Haley's gone all anti-social."
"What do you mean?" Zoe felt her defences falter.
"Well, she did tell you off, right? She did the same to all of us." Tanya said, glancing over her shoulder at Kim and Lisa, who were both watching from a distance.
"She did?" Zoe asked, stumped.
"Yeah. She nearly slugged me this morning when I told her you and Jess are back. She said if you think you're being a good friend by telling me this then you can all go to hell." Tanya said and grimaced. "Well, something to those lines."
"Oh." Zoe said.
"So, are you game?" Tanya asked hopefully. Her green eyes sparkled when the bell rang. "We'll meet you at the bus stop!"
Zoe dragged herself to her next class, her mind a whirlwind of mixed emotion. So, her friend became her enemy, and her enemy became her friend? How does that work? How does that even happen?