Chapter Seven: Worthy for your Love

Chad was staring at the mirror for almost half an hour. Even when he was getting ready for his big date with the girl of his dreams, he felt sad. Z…

"Hey Z, do you want to head to my place and watch some movies?" I asked.

"No, I am making my way to the library." She said. "I have to study for the exams."

"Do you need help?" I asked.

"No, I got it." She said. "I don't need your help Chad but thanks anyways."

She is moving away from me…

Cree, Maurice, and I were sitting on the bleacher. Zelda was doing laps around the field and they were amazed how fast she was and how she agreed to do track and field. "Hey Chad, is Z okay?" Cree asked.

"I don't know… She has been distanced with me." I said. "She has been studying in the library a lot recently and she joined the track and field. I don't know what is going on with her. I hope she remembers our date on Friday."

"YOU REALLY PULLED IT OFF!" Maurice said.

"Keep it down… Yes I did. It was last week Friday. I picked her up from her babysitting gig and asked her out." I said.

"I am proud of you man." Maurice said, patting my back.

"But why is she doing all this? It is not like Z to participate in sports." Cree said. "I mean… I kind a miss her running away from the PT teachers…"

"I know… did something happen? Maurice asked.

"We didn't get into an argument but she did meet my parents." I said. "They love her."

"Oh no…" They both said.

"What?" I said.

"I think you should chat with your parents." Cree said.

"Yeah, you know how perfect and high and mighty they can be." Maurice said. "They probably said something to Z."

"Your parent must have said something to push Z into doing all these things." Cree said.

I thought about it and they brought out a good point so after her Track and Field practice, I asked her.

"Hey Z, what made you join the track and field?" I asked.

"I thought I should be athletic like you." She replied, smiling at me.

"But I thought you don't like sport." I said.

"Now I do…" She replied.

"Zelda, did my parents say anything to you?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Zelda said.

"Well, you are acting strange." I said.

"Don't worry about it Chad. I just thought I need to change a little." She said, smiling at me.

Her smile becomes more fake by the day… But today after school, that smile disappeared.

I was waiting outside the school for her with my bike. She walked out with a frown on her face. "Z, are you okay?"

"Chad, I think I am going to walk alone today." Zelda said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I just want to be alone…" She said.

"Ah… Okay… See you tonight…" I replied. She didn't bother to say goodbye to me. She left without a word and I was confused and hurt. What is going on with her?

He returned to reality by the sound of his phone ringing. He answered it. "Hello…"

"Chad, it's me Nigel."

"Hey, is there something wrong?" Chad asked.

"Yes, what have you done with my cousin?"

"What do you mean?" Chad asked. "Is she okay?"

"She is fine. It is just she has been acting weird lately." Nigel said. "She recently went in a diet and she usually used her money on comic books and art supplies but she bought makeup and other girlie stuff." He then let out a sigh. "She is not herself and I want to know why. What have you done with my cousin?"

"I will call you back." Chad said, hanging up. Z, you are making me worried. I need to figure out what is going on here and fast. He rushed downstairs and found his parents in the kitchen.

"Oh hi my Chaddy-poo, are you going somewhere today?" His mother asked.

"You look dashing son." His father added.

"What did you say to Zelda?" Chad asked. "I want to know every word."

"Well, nothing much… I told her that the date is cancel. I mean, my Chaddy-poo deserves much better." His mother replied. "Chad deserves a mature, active and smart girl instead of a nobody."

"She is a dreamer but she needs to get out of those clouds and do something with her life." His father added. He turned and found his son gritting his teen and gripping his fists. "Son, is everything okay?"

"I can't believe you two." Chad said, glaring at them. I can't believe… This is why Zelda was acting so strange. That is why she didn't say anything when I said I will see her tonight. She knew that my date with her was cancel and she didn't bother to tell me. "WHY WOULD YOU SAY SUCH THINGS!?"

"Chad, indoor voices please…" His mother said. "We said those things because she didn't fit our standards. You deserve better my dear"

"And don't worry, you would still have fun today." His father said. Then the doorbell started to ring. Chad furiously walked to the door and opened it and it was Gwen.

"Gwen, what are you doing here?" Chad asked.

"I am here for our date silly." Gwen answered.

"Date? What date? I didn't have plans with you." Chad said. Please don't tell me…

"Oh Gwen, you are here. You look beautiful." His father said. "We were just talking about you."

"Good things I hope…" Gwen said.

"What is going on here?" Chad snapped. "I demand to know."

"We cancel your date with that Uno girl and replaced her with Gwen. She is far more better and she is the captain of the cheerleading squad." His mother said.

"Do I even have a say in this?" He snapped.

"Why are you so mad? You have a beautiful girl right here." His father said.

"She is not the girl I want." Chad snapped. "I have been patience with you both for years. You two have forced me to do things I didn't want to do and push me to be perfect." He gripped his fists. "I thought it ended when I finally became a teenager but no, you are doing it again. You two never thought what I wanted."

"Chad, don't be so rude. We have guest." His mother scolded.

"No mom, you guys never bother to even know Zelda. She may have average grades. She may not like sports but she was perfect in my eyes." Chad snapped.

"That girl is a nobody." His father said, walking towards Gwen. "This girl is perfect for you."

"You guys are unbelievable." Chad said. "Zelda is not a nobody. She is special to me. She is kind, funny, and fun. She always knows how to make me smile and helps me out when I am sad. She may not like dressing up as a girl or wear makeup but she doesn't need to. She is already beautiful."

"I don't understand why you want her." Gwen asked. "I am far more better than her and your parents agree with me. I am the one for you so why do you want to be with her?"

"I want her because I love her…" Chad snapped. But he paused when he realized what he said. Wait, I never told her that I love her… "I love her…" I need to fix this before it is too late. He then raced to his bike and rode off.

"SON, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" His parents screamed. He kept on pedaling.

Zelda was hanging out with Cree's house. She sat on her friend's bed with dismay. I guess Chad does deserve better. She thought, letting out a sigh. She was wearing jean shorts and a red hooded jacket.

"Girl, you should stop beating yourself up. Don't care about what Chad's parents said to you." Cree said, walking towards her with a carton of ice cream and two spoons. "Do you want some ice cream? It is vanilla."

"I am not hungry." She said, letting out a frown. "But thanks anyway Cree. I know you are trying to make me feel better but I am not in the mood."

"Z, do you want to talk about it?" Cree asked. "You got torn to bits when you got that call from Chad's parents. I overheard that they cancel your date with Chad and asked Gwen."

"I just want to forget about it." Zelda said, standing up from the bed. "Well, I am going to go now. Thanks for trying to cheer me up." Then Cree hugged her.

"If you need anything, I will always be here." Cree said.

"Thanks Cree…" Zelda said, hugging her back. She left the room and walked passed Abby. Abby walked into her sister's room.

"Cree, is she okay?" Abby asked.

"I really don't know Abby." Cree said, letting out a frown. Then her cell started to ring. "Chad, I seriously don't want to talk to you."

"I know you are mad at me but please listen. Do you know where Zelda is? I tried calling her cell but she is not answering."

"That is because she put her cell on airplane mode. So she is unavailable at the moment." Cree said. "What are you up to Dickson?"

"I am trying to get to Z so I can tell her something… Important…" Chad said, blushing. "Please I need to get a hold of her."

"She just left my house. I don't know where she is at the moment." Cree said. "I am not in the mood to help but I know someone that can. I think Maurice can help you track her. Her phone is still on so you can pinpoint her location."

"Thanks Cree, I owe you one." Chad said.

"You owe me plenty Dickson but you're welcome." Cree said, hanging up. I really don't know if I did the right thing but I know these two need to talk. She then turned to her little sister. "I know that Nigel is going mad with this so can you please try to calm him down."

"Sure thing sister… You may be my archenemy but I will help you with this one." Abby said, letting out a sigh. "Number 1 is driving my patience anyways."

Nigel was worried about this cousin. He never had seen her like this ever since her mother passed. He was sitting in his room, staring out the window. He was waiting for her to return home so they can talk. Then his cell phone started ringing. "Hello…"

"Nigel, I need you to listen to me."

"You did this… You did this to my cousin." He snapped.

"Nigel, please…"

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He screamed.

"Nothing… My parents said some things they shouldn't have said." Chad said. Nigel calmed himself down. "Look, I am calling you to tell you that I am sorry. I didn't know this was going to happen."

"If my cousin is hurt in any way, I will hold you responsible." Nigel threatened.

"I know you would say that." Chad said. "So I am going to fix it." He hung up and Nigel let out a sigh.

"The life of a teenager sounds so stressful." Nigel said. "I have to go find her."

"I rather not…" A voice said. He turned and found Abby,

"What are you doing here Number 5?" Nigel asked.

"Number 5 just came to check if your head is still sane." She teased.

"You are here to stop me." Nigel said. "Why?"

"Number 1, you have to understand that you can't protect Z from everything. She is a teenager and she is going through a lot of good times and also a lot of bad times." Abby said.

"No, I need to protect her from those bad times." Nigel said.

"Those bad times makes her stronger." Abby said. "It is life after all."

"You don't understand. She needs my help." Nigel said. I almost lost her last time….

It was after her mother's funeral. She wasn't even there. Uncle Henry told me that it was too much for her to bear and she rather not be in the funeral. I searched for her everywhere and when I found her, I found her with a knife in her hand, sitting on the floor of her bedroom. "ZELDA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I screamed, racing towards her and tossed the knife away. "ZELDA, ARE YOU INSANE!?" She didn't utter a word. She sat there lifeless, staring at her hands. "Zelda, are you okay? You are scaring me right now." She finally turned to me and started crying.

"Nigey…" She cried.

"Hey I am here." I said, hugging her. She hugged me back, crying endlessly.

"I can't believe she is really gone." She cried. "I can't believe…"I hugged her tightly and I cried as well. "I can't lose her. She can't leave me now. I still need her."

"She may be gone but you still have me." I said. "And I will always be here to make you happy."

I can't break that promise…

"Number 1, I know that she has been through a lot but I you have to trust me on this." Abby said.

"I hope you are right Number 5." He replied.

Zelda was sitting on the bench at central park. She pulled out the makeup and health magazines out of her bag. "It is useless. I can't do anything right." She said, tossing them into the trash bin. She leaned back and let out a sigh. "I guess they are right about me." Remember Z, you can't stress yourself up. You love Chad but maybe you are not the one for him. She then let out another sigh. I can't turned into the perfect girlie girl in just a week. It will take a miracle for me to change.

"Zelda, is there anything going on between you and my son?" Chad's mom asked. I blushed in front of his parents.

"Well… He asked me on a date and it's on Friday." I said shyly, blushing even more. Chad was in the kitchen, preparing some lunch for us while I was stuck with his parents.

"I see… Do you play any sports or in any clubs?" His mother asked. "And how are your grades?"

"No, I am not a sporty person like Chad and I don't have time for clubs because I help my dad with our pizza joint and also babysit." I said. "My grades are average…"

"I see…" His father said, looking disappointed. "That simply can't do."

"What?"

"My son deserves the best and I don't think you cut it." His mother added. I was shocked to hear this from them. "My son is the best in everything and you don't even compare to him."

"We need someone to meet our standards." His father added.

"I see…" I said, holding back tears. I just confessed to him and hearing all this. I don't know if I am good enough. 'How about I change all that? I will join a sport and study hard to boost up my grades. Will that meet your standards?"

"I highly doubt it dear but yes…" His mother said.

I joined the Track and Field and studied my butt off in the library. I noticed how much I was losing myself. I don't draw and stopped acting like a kid. I even tried to be a girl. But I couldn't do it. It is not me…

She then looked up into the night sky and stared at the shimmering stars. All I know that it is going to be hard to stop loving Chad. She then gripped her chest. I need to stop thinking about this… It is too depressing. She then noticed a rose garden right next to her seat. "Mom, I am sorry that I can't be a proper lady like you." She pulled out her phone and went through the photos. It was photos of her and her mother. Mom, do you remember when I was a princess?

"Daddy!" I said, running through the house. I found him in the garden with my mother. "DADDY! MOMMY!"

"Zelda, is there something wrong my dear?" My mom asked.

"Daddy… Mommy, look at my dress. Uncle Benedict bought it for me." I said, twirling around with it. It was a pale pink dress decorated with glitter and lace. "I can't wait for the ball…" She then placed a crown made out of fresh flowers on my head.

"You can't go to the ball without your crown my princess." My mom said, smiling at me.

"Mommy, it is so pretty and it smells good too." I said, hugging her. "Thank you Mommy…"

"Anything for my princess…" My mom said.

"Oh my gosh, I am in the presence of the princess." My dad said, offering his hand to me. "Do you care to dance my beautiful young lady?"

"Of course kind sir…" I replied. We danced with laughter while my mother watched us with glee.

But I am not a princess now… I guess I was never a princess.

Damn it, again with the depression.

"Zelda…" A voice said. She snapped back into reality and found Chad in front of her. "Hey…"

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I am here to pick you up. We have a date remember." He said, smiling. She stood up from her seat.

"You are not supposed to be here." She said. "How did you find me?"

"I have my ways." Chad said. Thanks Cree… Maurice… I owe you guys big time. "Anyways, what are you doing here all alone? It is dangerous for a girl to be out here in the middle of the night."

"I was about to leave." Zelda replied. I need to leave… I need to leave now before things get difficult. "Ah… bye Chad…" She was about to leave until Chad grabbed her hand. "Chad…"

"Where do you think you are going?" Chad asked. "We have a date remember?"

"Are you sure? I thought you have other plans." Zelda asked.

"Why didn't you tell me about what my parents told you?" He asked. She tossed his hand away from her.

"It doesn't matter…" She said, letting out a sigh. I need to bail and fast…"I need to go home now so see you later." She tried to leave once more but Chad grabbed her and made her face him. "What is your problem? Let me go."

"Why? Give me a good reason." He snapped. "You have been pushing me away this whole week and I finally know why. I am here and yet you still push me away. Why Zelda?"

"BECAUSE I AM NOTHING!" She screamed. There was a paused between them yet their eyes were still lock on each other. She moved herself away from him. "As much I don't want to believe it, your parents are right about me. I used this whole week to change myself so I can be worthy to be by your side." She then let out a soft giggle. "However, as always I fail to do so. I quit Track and Field today and the studying didn't go very well. The more I try to be beside you, the more I lose myself." She then let out a fake smile. She was trying so hard not to cry. "I can't be that girl for you."

"Idiot…" Chad said. "You don't need to change for me." He then grabbed both of her hands. "I love you Zelda." She blushed in front of him.

"But… I… You can't love me… Your parents will not approve." She said.

"Stop making excuses…" Chad snapped.

"I am not making excuses… I am speaking the truth." Zelda snapped back. Chad then calmed himself and stared at her straight in the eye.

"There was this girl, I fell in love with her the moment I first laid eyes on her." Chad said. "I asked her if I can take her on her first day of school and she accepted my offer with a smile on her face. Ever since I see her smile, I couldn't get it out of my head." She blushed in front of him once more. "On her first day of school, I wanted to be near her all the time. I wanted to see that beautiful smile again and again." He placed her hand on his chest. "And every time I see that smile, my heart takes a leap. This girl doesn't like playing sports but she love to mess with the PT teachers. She is a very fast runner and it comes in handy when she is running away from trouble. She gets average grades but she knows a lot about Pacific History to the point that she didn't need to study for most of our exams. I remember one time, our class had a presentation and she was the first one up, explaining about the tools that Polynesians used. I love her voice. Her voice is like music to my ears because you can hear the love and passion. She also loves to draw and sometimes I will sit next to her and watch her doodle. She will be so lost in her own little world that she entrusted me to watch over her while she embarks on her journey." He then cupped her face. "However, the thing I love so much about this girl is that when she loves you, she will love you with your flaws. She will love you even with a bitter past. She will love you when you don't even deserve it. I have been a fool to her most of the time but she never sees me as one. She will smile that beautiful smile and make me love her even more."

"Chad..." She mumbled, crying.

"Also, tears don't suit her." Chad said, wiping her tears away. "But in a way, it makes her eyes glow…"

"You really mean all those things." She said.

"Yes I do…" Chad said. "I don't care about standards and changes. I just want you as you." He then hugged her tightly. "I am sorry about what my parents told you. I forgot to warn you that they could be very well direct and weird. I didn't expect our first date to be like this."

"It's okay." She said, cuddling him. "I don't want your money but a hug would be nice."

Did she just… Chad thought.

"No, I don't want your money but…" She said, hugging me. "A hug would be nice." I chuckled and hugged her back. "You are the best partner ever."

"You too…" I said.

Chad pulled back and stared at her. "Chad is something wrong?" She asked. He slowly moved to her lips and she blushed, as he was too close. "Chad?" He kissed her and she froze when she left his lips onto hers. He deepened the kiss, hoping she will return his love. She kissed back and wrapped her arms around his neck. They pulled back and she let out a giggle. "Confident are we?"

"Only when my life with you is being threaten…" He replied, smiling. He then hugged her again.

"Chad, is there something wrong?" She asked.

"No, it is just this is the best first date ever." He said. She giggled and hugged him back.

"I guess you are right." She said.

The next morning, Nigel was dead asleep in his room. He was up all night waiting for Zelda. All of the sudden, a loud alarming noise filled the room. "AHHHHH!" Nigel screamed, jumping off his bed and landing on the floor. He turned and found Zelda with a frying pan and ladle. "Zelda, what are you doing?"

"Nigey, it is Saturday Breakfast Time remember?" She said. "Also, the new Fire Emblem game is out so we have to hurry to the videogame store before it sold out." Nigel was shocked that his cousin was smiling and back to normal. He stood up and hugged her.

"Are you okay?" Nigel asked.

"Yeah I am fine. I am sorry for acting all strange lately." She said, hugging him back. "I will make it up to you. If you are not busy we can hang out the whole day today, just you and me. We can even go and play some laser tag."

"Laser tag… You always cheat." Nigel pouted.

"You are just a sore loser." She teased.

"I AM NOT A SORE LOSER!" He snapped.

"Then you are dead meat…" She teased, wrestling with her on the floor.

"Z, GET OFF ME!" Nigel screamed.

"Not until I tickle you…" She said, tickling her little cousin. They both started laughing and Mr. Uno smiled when he heard them having fun.

"CHILDREN! BREAKFAST IS READY!" Mr. Uno screamed.

"NOT UNTIL I GET MY REVENEGE POPS!" Nigel screamed, tickling Zelda.

"AHHHH! NIGEL, STOP IT!" She laughed.

I am happy she is back… Nigel thought.