A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This chapter focuses mainly on Zora and her parents. Hope you like!
Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own anything.
P.S. Did you see Falling for the Falls? I LOVED IT! Chad is so sweet!
As I waited outside, it was around 2:00pm. 5 hours 'til my congrats party. That's what we decided to call it. I was excited. I saw my mom's car pull up. I saw her. Her hair was down, like mine. But hers was wavy. She looked younger than what she was. She had her regular black blazer and black skirt on. I was about to open the car door, when she ran out of the car and hugged me. Weird.
"Oh my god Zora. I was so worried about you, you just left, and I didn't know where you were. I was re-"
"Oh. Yeah mom. You were so worried. You didn't even take the time to call. You had to only text me. You were totally worried." Did that just come out of my mouth? Uh-oh.
"Zora… I didn't call you because it was late at night before I realized you were gone. If you were sleeping, I didn't want to wake you. And anyways, you're turning 12 in two weeks. I figured you would be able to find a place. Considering you have the mind of a 15 year old."
"Mom. You let an 11 year old girl out into the streets of L.A. I could've been mugged!"
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have left!"
"Maybe you and dad shouldn't be fighting! Maybe dad shouldn't have called me a freakshow!" I realized I said that loudly. I heard scuffing on the sidewalk. None other than the drama snob Chad had to hear me.
"You know what Zora? I don't know why dad called you that, I really don't. But can we just get going? I love you." She had a promising smile across her face. But I can see the hurt in her eyes. I couldn't deal with a silent car ride. And I realized Chad was walking by. Slowly. He's so nosy.
"I'll…get a…uh…ride from Sonny. I just need to clear my head. I'll see you in about an hour. Thanks for trying to pick me up though." Mom nodded slowly. She understood. She slowly closed the passenger door, went around the car, got in, and left. I swore I saw a tear slide down her face. But nothing compared to the tears that were already coming out. I realized I was bawling my eyes out. I also realized that I had no ride. I took out my phone and called the taxi company. Beeping noise. They're on hold. I kept trying, still busy. I sat down against the wall. I called one more time, and there was no use. I started crying again.
"Hey, Zora." Chad was talking to me. I looked up, wiping the tears from my eyes.
"Oh. How much of that did you hear?"
"Snippets."
"So pretty much everything?" He nodded. "I'm sorry you had to hear that. A lot's going on right now." He was silent, his hands in his pockets, and looking down on the ground.
"Uhh…isn't Sonny giving you a ride?"
"No. I just said that to get my mom off my back. I'm trying to get a hold of the cab company."
"I'll give you a ride."
"Uh…no. I don't need your charity."
"I'm not doing it for charity. I'll do it for you."
"Hmmmm…." I got up, brushed off the dirt off of my skirt, and looked up at him. "What's the catch?"
"Listen, Sonny and I-"
"Oh, Sonny. Okay, you can give me a ride." By the look on his face, he looked puzzled, but he kept walking. If I didn't hear his mumbling today, about Sonny, then I wouldn't have taken the offer.
"Okay…..Over here." I saw his convertible parked in a spot that said 'CDC'. I chuckled. "What?"
"Oh, of course you have your own parking spot." We reached his car, and I opened the door. It felt weird to be opening a car door with no roof. I climbed in, him climbing in after me. He turned his car on, and took out his GPS (Of course). "
"What's the address?" He asked. Instead, I took it from him, and typed it in. He shrugged it off. The GPS lady said to turn left, and he followed. It takes a half hour to get to my house. So, I'm stuck with him for maybe 45, permitting traffic. 10 minutes later, we were on the highway, in traffic, in silence. I looked at the GPS. It said arrival time would be 3:09. It was 2:16 now. 45 minutes, like I said.
"Thanks for driving me. It's a lot easier than driving home with my mother, that's for sure." He kept looking at the road. "Do you mind if I turn the radio on?"
"Go ahead." I turned it on. I went to my favorite station, commercial. I went to the Hip Hop station. Some guy was talking, about to announce a song. I don't really like Hip Hop, but it was better than silence.
"Now, this is Drop It Low, with Ester Dean and Chris Brown." The DJ said. The music started, I love this song, and I started tapping my foot to it. Anything to get my mind off of the situation at hand. As she was about to sing, Chad turned it off.
"Chad-"
"Zora, what's going on? Why did you accept this car ride from me, and why were you and your mom fighting? I know that you don't usually communicate with others, but I want to know what's up."
"Why do you care?"
"I don't. But I just want to have a good reason for going out of my way to drive you home."
"I told you, you didn't have to."
"Well I'm not gonna leave a crying girl out on the street."
"Fine. I'll tell you. My mom and dad have been fighting for as long as I can remember. All my dad cares about is the money I make. He wants me to join your show, because it'll make me more money. But I love comedy. It's my passion. And my mom tries to stop him from saying such hurtful things about me." My voice was cracking. "Like, like, like, a…..freakshow. My own father could've called me something worse. I know. Like a bitch or something." Chad's face looked surprised after I swore."But, before I joined the show, kids at school would laugh at me. Call me a freak. I won all the science fairs, well, that a 4th and 5th grader can enter. The only friend I had was Sarah. But the bullying wasn't that bad. It really wasn't. Just a few names here and there. Not too severe. My mom and Sarah helped me through it. My dad just told me 'Kids will be kids'. Yeah, that helped. But, he did realize that I was actually hurt, so he got me an audition for So Random!, and I got a part. I mean, I'm so so so so thankful he did that for me, but after he called me a freakshow, it was the last straw. I went to Sonny's, slept there, and came back. Now my mom has a conversation for me. Probably a lecture. I don't know, and I could care less right now. Now, I'm just waiting for my congrats party tonight." I smiled, at the thought of me and the cast, sitting together in the restaurant, having the time of our lives. He was absorbing all I said. It took him a while to respond.
"I'm sorry. Really. But just one question: what's the congrats party about?" Everything I told him, and he asks me that?
"Oh. I wrote my very first sketch."
"Oh. Cool." He seemed confused.
"It's like you, writeing you very first episode of Mackenzie Falls."
"Ohhhh…The nice job!"
"Really. That's it? Out of everything I told you, that's all you have to say?"
"Well there is one thing." I looked at him. I gave him a 'well?' look. "I've went through this too, my parents divorced, it was tough. But I realized my life was-"
"Hold up." I put my hand up. "Divorce? My parents are NOT getting a divorce. They've been through this many times before. They will get through it." I couldn't believe it. Divorce? That was not gonna happen.
"Zora, it seems very possible. I know, you don't want to hear it, I know I didn't want to hear it. But this is realit-"
"No it's not!" Great, tears. "It's one of your dramas again! Because you're on a show about pointless drama, doesn't mean that you have to go making it in real life." I looked at the clock, 2:30. 5 more minutes. The traffic cleared up. Thank God.
"Zora, I'm not making drama. Trust me; I'd love to anything to tear apart your show. But saying that, and if I didn't know what you are going through, that would just be going way too far. I know I wouldn't want to do that to you. Please Zora." The GPS said 'You have arrived'.
"Thanks for the ride." I opened the door, I looked at Chad. "And, my parents won't get a divorce. I know it. But thanks for the warning." I got out, with my bag, and closed the door. I walked up the steps. I live in a normal suburban neighborhood. Not like a mansion Chad would probably have. No, my parents were not getting a divorce. It's not gonna happen. I walked through the front door.
"Hey Zora." My dad. "How are you?"
"Ha…I've been better."
"Sweetie, I'm sorry for calling you that. I didn't mean it. I was, just outraged, I should've never said that. Can you forgive me?"
"Whatever." I went to my room. I put my bag down on my bed, and laid down on my bed. I heard a knock. "Grrr….what?"
"Zora?" My mom. "Can we talk to you?" I got up, and opened my door. My mom and dad were sitting on the living room couch. I sat on the chair, opposite the room. "Sweetie. I know these past couple of years was hard. With all our fighting. And, we love you. We know it wasn't easy. So we thought of the easiest outcome to make you happy, and make us happy. It will be a huge transformation, and a lot of driving will be involved, but when you left last night, we talked about it." She looked to my dad. No. No no no no no no no!
"Your mother and I-"
"NO! Chad WAS right! You guys are getting a divorce! I thought he was wrong! I thought you guys were gonna work it out! No! This can't be happening. No."I cried some more, is that even possible?
"Zora, please don't cry. Your dad and I thought about it, and it would be better. You're gonna live with me, and visit your dad every other weekend. He's moving an hour away. I know it will be hard, but our lives will be better." She hugged me. I continued to cry. Then, my dad said something.
"Did you say Chad? From Mackenzie Falls? You should ask him for an audition. Since your mom and I are getting a divorce, you'll need more-"
"Carl!" (My dad name's)
"Dad, just shut up about the money! I love comedy! Comedy is my life! I don't want to join those drama snobs!"
"Zora, it was just a-"
"Dad, remember. YOU were the one who helped me get on the show! Why are you so unhappy now?"
"I'm not, I'm just open to op-"
"Well, Mackenzie Falls is NOT an option! How many times do I need to tell you that? Mom, I'm going out. Now. Bye." I walked out the door. I called Nico. I can't bother Sonny again.
"Yo yo yo! What's up Zora?"
"Uh…" Shoot, voice cracking again. "Can we start the party earlier?"
"Zora, what's going on?"
"I'll tell you later."
"Zora, let me pick you up, I'll bring you back to the studio. Bye." He hung up. I waited. In 20 minutes, he came. I opened his door, and climbed in. "You had a hell of a day today, didn't you?"
"Nico, you have no idea."