ZOE BELL PART 69

I went home later that night and found Zagger and Curtis waiting for me in my room.

"What are you two up to?" I hugged them both and stood back so I could see their faces clearly. I was feeling a little worried and hoped they weren’t here to guard me all night or something weird like that.

"We just came by to say hello." Zag muttered.

"Well hello. Was that all? I don’t usually find you in my room when all you want to do is say hi."

"We needed to tell you something, but you might already know about it."

I looked at Curtis and waited for him to continue with whatever they came here to tell me.

"Yes?" They kept staring at me with wary looks on their faces.

"Have you talked to Mason lately?" Zagger asked.

"Yeah, I just came from his house. Why?" I tossed my purse on my bed and kicked my shoes off.

"Where did he say he’s been the past couple of days?"

"Fending off bad guys. I guess that Adrian guy is still trying to kidnap me or something."

They glanced at each other and shook their heads a little.

"Did something happen?" I started feeling queasy. I knew there was something wrong earlier.

"Zoe, Mason’s been lying to you, and if you want to know the truth, you have to see something that you might not like very well."

I sat on my bed and looked down at my hands. What was my brother about to tell me? What is Mason doing that is making them upset? I took a deep breath before looking at Zagger.

"What did he do?" My voice broke and my hands were shaking.

They both sat on either side of me, and Zagger pulled out his phone with a picture showing on it. I took another deep breath and let Zagger place his phone in my hand. I looked down at the picture and saw Mason with a girl I’d never seen before. They were in a serious looking hug behind some trees. I skipped to another picture and it was of them kissing.

I gave back the phone and felt tears stinging my eyes. "Who is she?" I managed to croak around my tears.

"His ex-girlfriend from Arizona. Her name is Amber Johnson."

"How did you guys get that picture?"

"We were at a party in Phoenix, and we seen her there. Twenty minutes later, he showed up, and we followed them around most of the night."

"Weren’t you supposed to be in school?" I was going to find some possible way out of this nightmare. This was a nightmare right? I was just with Mason and he was declaring his love for me!

"We haven’t been going to school, Zoe. We only pretend we are for our mother’s sakes." They both snorted and found it amusing that the last year of their lives has been a lie.

"Lots of lying going on. What happens when you’re supposed to graduate?"

"We’ll figure that out later," Curtis snorted.

"So what are you going to do, Zoe?" Zagger asked me, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go on a break from boys for a while."

"No!" Curtis almost shouted. "I’ll be your rebound, and you can make Mason wish he never did this to you!" He grabbed my hands and looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"That’s not fair to you Curtis!"

He pulled me into his arms. "I don’t care. I want my second chance. Even if it only lasts for a week or so. I don’t care."

I sighed. "How about I think about it."

"Fine." He kept one arm around me though, and I sort of found myself not caring.

"I’m sorry Zo," Zagger told me.

"You didn’t do it. Just forget about it, and don’t tell him why I’m going to be avoiding him. If you do, you’re going to pay!"

They promised they wouldn’t, and as soon as they left I crawled into bed, where I cried myself to sleep. Mason tried coming into my dreams, but even then I ignored him. All I seen when I looked at him was a girl I didn’t know. In the morning, I went out to get some air on my balcony and Mason was there, sitting in my swing.

"Morning beautiful." He opened his arms to me, but I turned my back to him.

"I don’t really want to see you right now. I need some time to think."

"Think about what?" He came up behind me and started rubbing my back.

"Just go please. We’ll talk later."

He sighed and tried to kiss me, but I turned away so he kissed my cheek. He looked at me, but I kept my gaze on my hands. I couldn’t bear to look at him right now.

He jumped off my balcony and ran away from my house. A little piece of me died inside when I watched his back disappear from my sight. How could this have happened to us? I thought he was bound to me, and me only! Who was this Amber chick that has now ruined the one relationship I thought was going to last me the rest of my life.

I curled up into a ball on my swing and wished things in my life were different. I know I can’t change the past, but I wish I knew what my future held for me. I’m terrified of all the things that could happen to me that are unknown!

Graduation was next Thursday, and I was moving to Cedar City the third or fourth week of June. My life used to consist of wishing I was older and out of school. Now I wish I was a little kid again. I wouldn’t have to worry about so much! Skinned knees are easier to fix than broken hearts.