You, Me, We, Us

Chapter 56

Zane

Zoe just gave us our gifts and hugs and says she's sleepy we tell her to sleep no need to entertain us. I watch as she snuggles next to my cousin and get comfortable. She's one of those genuine people with a kind and generous soul. Once she falls in love with you, she will love you always. I don't just mean romantic love either. I mean friendship she falls in friendship love too. She's a little hard to get to know because she's gaurded she's been hurt too much in her life by people who are supposed to love you. Her dad always forgets her birthday till late at night even though he got remarried on it. Shitty to do to a kid guilt them into letting you marry on their birthday. She's also had a lot of people make fun of her. Zoe is pretty but she's short and overweight. She also does not get about 85% of jokes unless they are sarcastic. Which I thinks adorable. Hudson always protects her and looks out for her when we are in a group. He knows it bothers her to be so different. I once caught her crying saying how stupid she was I asked what was wrong? I mean book wise she has a reading problem but she is damn smart. I heard from Hudson in the 3rd grade she used chemistry to have her volcano explode it was like fireworks different colors not the regular vinegar most use. She looks up all teary eyed and says I was hanging like always Hudson wasn't there yet and Quentin told a joke it went over my head and he started to make fun of me. I said you usually handle his jabs better what gives? Well the others left and it was just us (sniff) he grabbed my hair and pulled it back so my head was back and told me a stupid fat cow like me doesn't deserve my friends. He threw me to the ground hard and stepped on my hand. I was so mad, yes I use to be mean to her but never degraded her or got physical except for lifting my sweaty armpits near her face telling her to smell. Nothing real bad though. She looked so hurt so broken. I helped her up and told her we'd find my cousin but she made me promise not to tell him what happened so I didn't I just said he needed to keep an eye on the guys interactions with Zoe. That was when we all still lived next door to eachother. Hudson calls my name and says bro what are you thinking about so hard? Just Zoe and how nice she is and doesn't deserve the pain. I look at my cousin he loves her so much I think if she died it would utterly destroy him. Hudson what did Doc say? Hudson; well he said the virus she had can cause long term effects over the next year its better for her to work at regaining her strength and eating a good diet low sugar which apparently includes cutting down on thing like bread and pasta too. She has to try to keep from getting sick again because a simple cold could really hurt her body. She can't start to really walk to regain her strength until we get to the place were everything isn't exhausting her. I took a picture of her when I found her and recorded her for mom to see. Can I see it? Yeah here. I look at the pics and whatch the video she looks half dead no color to her at all no wonder he was so scared. Wow I'm glad she's getting better. Me too. So, has everyone been questioning you? Hudson; Kinda they want to know if we are more than friends if taking care of her is a burden. If I miss my old life before this hanging out and doing stupid stuff with my friends. Zane; Well do you? Hudson; nah man I can't explain it but it's my responsibility to take care of her but it's not a burden it's different like it's my honor to take care of her. Zane; wow ok does she know that? If she doesn't you might want to tell her. So she doesn't feel as though she's ruined anything. I'd leave out the responsibility part and just say the honor part since Janet has put that doubt in her head. She's always struggled against her mind thinking she's not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, too loud, too nerdy, too needed, too fat. Hudson; hey don't say that about her. Zane; chill bro I'm just saying what she thinks about herself. Hudson; how do you know? Zane; it was an accident, she was writing in her diary and left it open I saw what she had written I wanted to both close it and read more but I chose to close it I didn't want to invade her privacy. Hudson; she wrote those things? Zane; yep but she also said you make her feel safe and like she could conquer the world because she is enough. Look we all have messed up lives in our own way but she's struggled more than us. I mean at least we never had to worry if we were going to be fed or if we would come home to lights out because the bill wasn't paid. She has, I think that's part of why she works so hard. Remember when she had braces and she had to nanny for those people to be able to pay for them? Hudson; yeah I do I hated her always in a different city not knowing what was going on she'd call me but she was walking around these places with two kids on her own, I hated it. Zane; I remember you were an ass till she came home. It was like hell week for 3 weeks. We were only thirteen, fourteen and fifteen at the time. Thank God she doesn't work for them anymore. I prefer the teddy bear you not the grizzly (Laughing) Hudson; I just don't like her in unsafe situations and I can't be there. She sometimes is nieve and can get herself into trouble. Zane; well she's not now having a stalker does that. She's extremely vigilant now. Hudson; I know...Zane; Dude don't go to the dark side she's fine. I really hope she's good now I guess we might not be able to see you again till Easter. Will she be here for that? Hudson; why wouldn't she be? Zane; ( laughs) ok then lets sleep.