Chapter 9

Next Scene

Narration: Chase comes home to the guest house.

Zoey runs in to Chase's door and hugs him hysterically.

"Chase, I love you!" Zoey hugged Chase too tight she almost choked Chase.

"Hold on hold on!" Chase said.

"Chase! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Did you know James finally agreed to have a date with me? He ignored me before! How did you do it? And you're also coming with us! You're soo nice!" Zoey hugs Chase again.

Zoey continues to talk, "Oh my god, you're so nice! I owe you my life, my future, you're an angel Chase!" Chase wasn't so happy but Zoey didn't notice it.

"You know what Zoe, you're overreacting. It's only a date" Chase says.

"I don't care!" She smiles. "Now, I have a chance with James. I have a chance! I love you Chase!" Zoey is so excited she hugs Chase again. "I love you very very very much!" Chase finally smiles but then loses it after a few seconds.

Zoey tried to pick something from her pocket and yet spoke again, "and because of that, I will give you a gift!" Chase was sad knowing that he had just helped the one she loves date someone else. Chase looked down while Zoey was looking for the gift in her pocket.

Zoey finally got the gift. It was a friendship ring. "Tada!"

Chase looked up and tried to look happy as soon as Zoey found the ring. The ring was a normal silver ring that had black and blue backgrounds. Zoey grabbed Chase's left arm and puts the ring in Chase's thumb.

Chase looks up to her in doubt, "what is this?"

Zoey smiles at Chase, "That's the symbol of our friendship", she said sincerely. She continued to talk, "I have another one for myself". She picks another similar ring from her pocket and shows it to Chase. "Tada!" She puts the ring in her left thumb.

"Game?" Zoey says. Both of them did their exclusive handshake. "Best friends forever?"

Chase smiles and nods his head. The two executed the last step of their handshake which was to bump each others forehead by each others hand. They both laughed.

"Okay! You know what Chase, I don't really know how to live my life if you weren't here"

Chase slightly smiles at Zoey.

"Thanks again!" Zoey hugs Chase, again. Chase is unsure about how he feels. He feels happy because Zoey continues to show her love for him but sad because she likes someone else.

Next scene

Narration: Zoey and Chase are in the restaurant similar to the one in Season 4 "Dinner for too many"

Zoey had her hands tied while she looked around everywhere without looking at anything in particular and taps her foot rapidly.

"Zoe? Zoey?" Chase tried to get Zoey's attention but Zoey continued to look around nervously.

"Zoey!" Chase spoke louder.

"…what?" Zoey said quietly.

"Can you breathe a little bit less? You're taking all the oxygen in this restaurant." Chase said.

"..I'm nervous" Zoey said. "Does he even like this restaurant?"

"Of course, that's why we're here right now"

"That makes me more nervous.."

"How come?" Chase asked.

"Well..first, he might not like me..Second, I don't have a lot of money.."

"You try to date but you don't even have money" Chase says rolling his eyes.

Suddenly James enters the restaurant.

"Hey guys" James proceeds to sit. Zoey is still looking down and Chase is still looking at Zoey after their conversation.

"Anything wrong?" James asks.

"Oh, nothing..Everything's fine here" Zoey says in a slightly uncomfortable tone.

Chase puts his hand on his forehead, looks down and talks to himself sarcastically, "This is just going to be great"

"What was that, Chase?" James heard Chase mumble.

"Oh, nothing! Uh..the waiter's here"

The waiter asks them if they were ready for their orders.

"Zoey, James, let me do the honor okay? I've planned everything" Chase said.

"Sure" James says.

Chase took the menu and started ordering.

Chase ordered several expensive things. "For starters, we'll have the premium shrimp soup, one bottle of best vintage of champagne, plus escargot, and oysters, and your…"

Zoey secretly bumps Chase's foot under the table to make him stop. Chase is doing this because he wants to ruin the date.

"Mhmmm, delicious. Can't wait" James says.

Chase felt Zoey's foot but bumps Zoey's foot back.

"and to finish all..we'll have crembole, mango peach flambay, and Italian jalu" Chase finalized. "How about you Zoey? You want something more?"

Zoey seems to be sweating thinking about how much she was going to pay.

"..oh, nothing! Uhmm water" Zoey said while trying to fake smile in order to look good for James. The waiter walks away.

James wanted to start a conversation. "How strange Zoey, this is the first time we've seen each other. Well, although Chase and I are very close, I hardly go to her guest house because the environment there is very dirty. It's because guest from other states stay there right? Well how about you? Where do you live?"

"Uhmm..I live near Chase's guest house" Zoey says. "Our parents are both guests here at PCA. We're neighbors.." she says uncomfortably.

James wanted to start a conversation but it looked like it wasn't going well. There was an awkward silence.

James tried to break the silence, "Uhmm oh the tennis courts. I heard you go there often."

"Yeah. When I was in middle school. I was..a ball girl." Zoey says. There goes another awkward answer.

"Ohh..haha…really?" James tried to make things not awkward.

"But I'm working with music right now..uhmm I have a band right" Zoey points out for her last attempt to make the date a success.

"Oh really?" James seemed to be more interested now.

"Yeah, uhmm before I even knew how to read, I already played the piano. When my dad and mom fights, I'd just play the piano and I don't hear them anymore" Zoey was finally talking normally.

"Zoey, you know what" James leans towards Zoey a bit more. "We're alike, I mean we like the same things about music" James says interested. Zoey seemed to be happy to hear it. She couldn't believe it.

"Really?"

"Yeah, so what else? What else do you like about music?" James leaned a lot closer to Zoey now and Zoey did the same. The two were basically just a foot apart from each other. Chase looks at them in disgust.

Zoey seemed to have a lot of things to talk about "Well, my band plays pop/rock"

"Pop/rock? Wow"

"Yeah, but I prefer ballad and I compose love songs! I'm actually composing one right now"

"Love songs? Nice" James said who seemed to be very interested in talking.

"Yeah, the second stanza is still not finished, but you can really feel the love"

"Uh-huh"

James and Zoey continued to talk like this. Chase, who was on the other side of the table watched the two getting along well. Chase drinks his water. He felt alone and hurt. Chase breathes heavily and stares blankly and thinks about how sad it is that the one he loves doesn't know how much she's hurt him. Chase's heart is being broken into pieces as the two kept talking. Chase looks at Zoey in a sentimental way and feels that the Zoey he once knew will slowly drift away from his life.

A/N: Sorry if I haven't updated much! I've been busy lately but I've also outlined the story for the future chapters! and I gotta say, the next few chapters will be AWESOME you might CRY! You can't miss it! haha Stay tuned ! :D