Forgotten Rules (Rules 4)

Willy Wonka: Can we talk about what happened?

2 days ago

Willy Wonka: Did you move out of your house? Do we live on the same fucking planet? I haven’t seen you all week.

2 days ago

Willy Wonka: I’m sorry…

1 day ago

Willy Wonka: About everything.

1 day ago

Reading Will’s last text an unhealthy amount of times, I stop myself from replying and pad into the empty kitchen. A new text from Zoey pops onto my screen.

Zoey: Are you on your way?

Kass: Be there in fifteen.

Zoey: Okay. Grab me my usual at Starbucks.

Ignoring the absence of a please in her message, I grab my bag, pitch it over my shoulder, and amble to my car. My mind travels back to Will’s text as I sink into the passenger seat.

No, I didn’t move out of my house, Will. I’ve just changed every single thing about my schedule to make sure I never run into you.

I’ve been spending all my time away from my place lately. When I’m not at school or work, I’m at my friends’. I only come home to sleep and leave at the crack of dawn to pick up Zoey. Even managed to miss art class this week, courtesy of a fake headache.

Since I had to think up an excuse to feed my mom about why I leave so early, I’ve been driving Zoey to school every single day. She’s been needing a ride since she broke up with Sean.

Again.

Zoey’s birthday party ended with Sean’s tongue down another girl’s throat. I’m guessing this time it’s really over, but then again, with Zoey, you never know. My phone buzzes with another text as I’m reversing out of my driveway. I don’t get to read its content, but I do catch who it’s from.

Willy Wonka.

I don’t know why he’s doing this. Why he’s been texting me round the clock since the night he freaked out on me. He told me to stay away from him, hence my efforts to get him out of my life, but he hasn’t been making it easy. The last time I saw this guy he was almost inside me. And now he doesn’t want things to be weird? I’m sorry, Willy, but things will never not be weird between us ever again.

I pull up to Starbucks five minutes later, then drive straight to Zoey’s apartment. It’s past eight when I snatch the guest parking spot by the entrance. We have to be at school in an hour.

Zoey gave me a key to her building when it became clear I was reinventing myself as a taxi driver, so I don’t bother waiting for her to buzz me in. I come to a stop in front of her unlocked door and step inside, careful to be as quiet as possible. The walls are paper here, and I don’t want to wake up the cranky lady next door. She already hates us.

Seconds before I holler to alert Zoey of my arrival, a female voice captures my interest.

“I’m so sorry about Sean, girl. I heard.”

“Don’t worry about me. I rebounded thirty minutes later.”

That’s Zoey.

Curious, I follow the voices, tiptoeing down the hall toward her half-opened bedroom door. I see Zoey lying in bed on her stomach through the crack. She’s on a video call with someone.

“No way? With who?”

She’s talking to Callie.

“Okay, fine, I’ll tell you but…” Zoey pauses, glancing around as if to make sure she’s alone. I retreat into the shadows. I don’t have a visual anymore, but I can hear everything. “You have to promise not to tell anybody. Kass would kill me.”