Chapter 3

• ~ July 16th - 4:48 PM ~
• Zoe stepped out of her bedroom and found Sophia and her mother laughing together at the kitchen table. "Oh, there you are!" Zoe's mother exclaimed upon seeing her close the door. "Sophia and I were just talking about the trip to the cabin. I think it’s an incredible idea!" Her smile reached her eyes. "It would do you some good before you travel abroad."
• Zoe groaned internally. 'Why now!?' she thought as she bit her lower lip nervously. Zoe realized that she hadn’t told Sophia about her plans to travel to Germany for a few months. The thought of spending time in a foreign country had been her secret for a few months. She had discussed the idea several times with Hannah, who lived in Germany. The details had been talked about. From the departure to the landing. The accommodations that were being arranged. It was a plan in the early stages of its making, but it was coming along nicely. With only a few things that needed to be ironed out. Zoe still had to wait for the visa she applied for three months ago, figuring it would take a few more weeks before the documents were delivered to her parent's place. The other issue she needed to resolve was securing the remaining funds to support herself while she was there, which this commission piece was intended to cover.
• Smiling internally, 'My dreams are at my finger tips!' She thought to herself.
• Zoe sighed as she considered what to say to Sophia. One thought leading into the next. 'I would have to break the news sooner or later!' the realization struck her. She was happy about taking the leap into her dreams. At the same time, there was a ping of regret.
• One of Zoe’s biggest dreams, aside from becoming a well-known artist, was to travel the world. A dream her parents had also cherished but never had the chance to pursue. With friends in various countries, this dream felt more achievable.
• Yet, as she glanced over at Sophia, Zoe noticed the hurt in her eyes. Behind the pretence of bravado, there was a scared little girl who did not like the thought of the unknown. 'Sophia will have to except sooner or later that the world doesn't revolve around her.' a tiny voice screamed in her head. 'No! that isn't fair, she struggles and I, as her best friend, should be more compassionate about things.' her subconscious scolded her.
• This was one of the reasons she had decided not to tell Sophia sooner; she might have misinterpreted the situation, believing that Zoe wanted to move there permanently. This disposition came from Sophia's separation anxiety, plus her struggles with accepting significant changes. 'Germany is one of the top five places to go to become a world-renowned artist!' a chipper little voice spoke up in Zoe's head. Feeding her the thoughts of studying abroad at one of the top academies to improve her skills.
• Unable to maintain her inner actions, Zoe inwardly rolled her eyes, knowing it wasn’t exactly a change but merely a life experience. Nothing anyone would call earth shattering! However, Sophia would view it as life-altering. There is a good chance that Zoe would not be around for the Thanksgiving holiday. Not being able to see her as Sophia had expected would likely send Sophia into a downward spiral. Something Zoe figured Lance could manage.
• Zoe had wished that her mother would have kept her mouth shut. She did intend to break the news to Sophia. Zoe had many plans that had bounced around in her mind. However, she was leaning more towards telling Sophia as she bought the tickets. That way, it would have been a done deal. Meaning that Sophia could not persuade her to stop and make her feel guilty for wanting to travel. Something she was sure Sophia would try.
• "Mom," Zoe said, ensuring her tone remained calm, "I haven’t finalized the details of that conversation. There’s far too much to consider to just up and leave." She stepped closer to the small table where her mother and friend were seated. "I know I want to travel the world; I just want to make sure everything is in order. With every 't' crossed and every 'i' dotted. A lot of preparation goes into these adventures." Zoe felt breathless after her rant.
• Zoe could see Sophia's uneasiness; she could also feel her friend's emotions beginning to spiral out of control. Her mother might not understand, but Zoe did. "Sophia, I was going to tell you, I promise!" she thought, 'When I was on the plane.' She placed her hand on Sophia's. "I was still going to follow the plan. The only difference would have been," Zoe paused to let Sophia’s emotions calm. "The location and time zone!" she finished with a reassuring smile. Hoping Sophia would accept her explanation and the logic of her thought process.
• 'Everything is moving too quickly!' Sophia's original reaction bounced around in her mind. 'No! We are all going to different schools for post-secondary education.' the logical side kicked in. 'but I thought Zo would stay in her room and work on her commissions!' Her inner thoughts whined. Sophia forced a smile. "You have always said that you wanted to travel!" She swallowed the saliva that was building in her mouth. "You are, and always will be, the planner of precautions. You are going to have the time of your life!" She took a deep breath. In the back of her mind, Sophia had a small hope that Zoe was speaking without ever meaning to follow through with her words, like so many people do. Thinking to herself, 'Zo has never been one of those people who talk and never try to find a way to make things happen.' Though she could feel the tears building in her eyes, she forced her smile to say other words. "I demand to see lots of pictures!"
• Noticing the slight change in the atmosphere. "It’s good to be prepared and aware of everything, my dear." Zoe's mother had her gentle hand on her daughter's back. "But there’s also something called hyperfixation. You remember what Dr. Collins said?" Her mother gave her a knowing look, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "You’re almost 19 years old. It’s time for you to leave the nest and create memories of your own." She recalled the many places that she had wanted to see in her youth. Her parents had stopped her from doing so. Telling her she needed a career if she was to go anywhere in life. She didn't want that for her daughter. From the point Zoe had said travelling the world, she made sure to fill her daughter's head with ideas of seeing the several wonders of the world. Never settle for a mediocre lifestyle. "And your adventure can start with going with your friend to the cabin." There was a sparkle of excitement in her mother’s eyes.
• Zoe narrowed her gaze at Sophia; her face displayed a neutral expression, often referred to as a 'resting bitch face.' Inside, Zoe was frustrated with Sophia for involving her mother in this situation, knowing there was only one person she couldn’t say no to, her mother. She was also irritated at her mom for opening her mouth about her plans for Germany.
• Breathing slowly, Zoe pulled out a chair and sat down, not wanting to reveal her true feelings.
• “Come on, Zo, it will be a blast! Good friends!" Sophia began listing all the fun things that would happen. "Great food!" She held up two fingers in the air. "Memories that you can capture!" she cooed. "And most of all, lots of laughter!"
• Zoe smirked. 'You forgot the booze!' "I still have to finish the commission," she reminded Sophia.
• Waving dismissively, Zoe's mother said, "I have seen your work. That little project is almost completed. You're just stalling and being stubborn. Just say yes. I will make sure Mrs. Bedford receives her ordered item." she had her hands on her hip. The expression on her face that said, 'don't try me little girl!' "You worry over nothing. Remember what Dr. Collins said?"
• Zoe glared down at her hands, feeling the frustration building. Blowing the air out of her lungs, she resigned to the inevitable. Deep down inside her body, she knew there was no way she could avoid Sophia's parents' cabin. An inspirational thought entered her mind. 'What if my cup of water should tip over and ... may.be spilled on the canvas?' breathing in and out, 'I really don't want to start it all over again!' she thought as she raised her eyes to Sophia. "Fine!" she whined, saying the word slowly. Deep down, she knew she was making the worst decision of her life.
• Sophia leaped out of her chair. Screeching so loud that Zoe had to cover her ears. Pressing her hand to her mouth, Sophia said, "Sorry!" She wrinkled her face and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I had a little too much excitement in that squeal of joy!"
• Zoe's dad entered through the main door with a smile on his face. "What is going on here?"
• With both her hands on Zoe's shoulder, "Zoe is going on vacation with her friends to Sophia's family cabin," Zoe's mother exclaimed with a smile.
• "That's nice!" he said, pecking his wife on the lips. "Are you guys going to be drinking the wobble pop?"
• Sophia hitched her breath. "Absolutely not!" she lied.
• "How about the special grass?" he asked as he kissed Zoe on the top of her head to say hello.
• Lying again, "No, sir!" Sophia was unsure if Lance would try to sneak in some Mary- Jane to the party.
• He continued to move his feet forward to his bedroom. "I know the boys are going ... Sex?" Zoe's father said the word slowly.
• Instantly, Sophia and Zoe had gone red in the face. "Mr. Godfrey, we would never!" Sophia acted offended by the very idea.
• Shrugging his shoulders as he made his way further into the apartment, Zoe’s dad said, "Your party is going to be so lame! Back in my day..."
• "When the dinosaurs roamed freely, and your parents had no idea where you were!" Zoe said, bursting into laughter.
• Slowly, Zoe's dad turned around with a playful, shocked expression. Dramatically, he had his hand placed on his chest. "I am not as old as your grandparents!" he pointed out, laughing. "We had bush parties, great music, lots of drugs, and oh, how we got plastered?"
• Snickering, Zoe replied, "That was probably when the cops were called, and you all scattered in different directions for underage drinking!"
• Pointing at his daughter, he said, "Yes! And it made for a good story to tell you at bedtime when you were a kid." He was playfully joking around.
• "Conor!" Zoe's mother put her hand on her hip, tilting her head to the side. "You did not!"
• "Summer of '69, red Cadillac on the highway to love!" Zoe referenced the first time her parents kissed on the hood of her father's car. Supposedly, the plan was to watch the sunrise, but what actually happened was a lot more risqué, and her father would never talk about it. With a good imagination, Zoe was able to figure things out.
• Zoe lowered her head the second her mother said her father's full name, snickering. "That is what led to the creation of me. You just had to do a lot of practicing!"
• To change the subject, Sophia tapped her fingers on the table as if she were playing the drums. "So, Zo, are you able to make the detailed plans for the long weekend getaway?" she asked, her face turning red.
• "Text me the address and the time you want to be there, and I can have it done!" Zoe responded with a forced smile.
• Zoe's father pointed at her with a playful smile, "This party is going to benefit you," he huffed out loud as he motioned his head from one side to side, "Sometimes you are too serious! You need a bit of fun in your life! Loosen up a bit!"
• Zoe forced a smile onto her face to hide the turmoil she felt. 'This is going to be a disaster!'