Goodbye Normal (23 page)

“Can’t you just follow simple orders? Return their sense—” Zoe shouted exasperated.

“Beauty with no brains, you are so pretty.” Lonard said scathingly, his husky voice getting to her nerves “yet so deplorably stupid to think that after almost two centuries of confinement I would follow petty etiquettes.”

Zoe fumed as Jin-joo giggled.

“Where did you get these?” Chris asked, his eyes showing a pile of expensive looking suits and dresses on an empty table.

“We have a ball to attend tomorrow.” He inhaled his tobacco form the thin long cigar, blew out the smoke and added. “It’s only fair we have the required dress code” Clay said.

“You stole them?” Zoe reasoned.

“Eer, I would prefer to use borrowed.” Lonard uttered defensively “The owner saw us go in, she welcomed us sweetly. There was no breaking and entering, no struggles whatsoever. So when the event is over, I’ll be sure to return them, if they’ll be in an acceptable condition thereof.”

“Unbelievable!” Zoe gnashed.

“Return their senses. We are going back to quarters.” Chris ordered.

“Ok pal.” Lonard agreed.
That was too quick,
Zoe wondered suspiciously.

“No more funny business, or else this time I’ll be the one to freeze your senses.” she bluffed.

Lonard eyed her impressively “Yes maam. Just a minute.” he urged with a finger as he walked towards a table with a young couple. He stationed the guys hand on her partner’s breast.

“That’s a good one bro.” laughed Clay, placing his table’s partners hand affectionately over her friend’s thigh.

Zoe rolled her eyes and suppressed a titter with a huff. Chris geared up his guts and walked towards the couple to rectify the prank but Lonard appeared in front of him on a heartbeat. Zoe couldn’t believe her eyes, he was incredibly fast. She almost gave in to the idea that someone shot an arrow.

“I wouldn’t think about that. You don’t want to witness my kinda funny business. But you can always try me” Lonard threatened, in a crisply husky tone. It was so irritating to hear him speak. His voice was reason enough to feel humiliated.

 Frowning, Chris went over to Iann, he asked for his car so that he could take the humeleons back to DAW. With a sharp snatch Chris caught the keys thrown to him by Iann and advanced to the door.

He glanced at Clay hatefully “Do what you have to, am waiting in the car”

“You coming?” Chris asked looking at Zoe.

“I think we are done for the day, so no.” she said.

Lonard stood on top of the counter and stared back intensely at the bar customers. His eyes turned white and illuminated like a dim bulb. He dropped down and smirked.

“It’s done in five seconds.”

Five seconds later, everyone in the bar was back to life. The lady whose hand was on her friend’s thigh, removed it sharply with so much confusion and embarrassment. Same thing happened to the man whose hand was where it was not supposed to be. His date was so furious she ran out of the bar cursing. Zoe wiggled her head to understand everything that had happened that minute. Gazing at the customers, no on seemed suspicious of any foul play except the ones who had been played. It was as if nothing had happened to them.

When the humeleons were gone, Zoe went to Iann.

“Hello. I’m Zoe.” she said nestling on a high seat.

“I know who you are.” Iann replied while wiping his counter.

“Sorry about that” Zoe said.

Iann shrugged “Can’t do nothing about it. So what does the Channeler want?”

“I thought you read minds” Zoe mused.

“Good for business, but try not when it’s unnecessary.”

“How is it good for this business?” she asked with interest.

“This is another kinda therapy session.” Iann said holding on to a table cloth.      “As much as much people drink for pleasure, they also do it for their problems and since people like good listeners. I snoop around once in awhile to tell them what they want to hear.”

“You are a con artist in disguise.”

“I’d think of me as a therapist in disguise. I save a lot of lives you know.” he said, giving her a glass of red wine.

She chuckled “I bet you do. So I was just curious, why were they looking at him when we arrived?”

“For them to freeze someone, that person has to be looking them in the eye. So he came in the bar as a black man, but I already knew who he really was, because you know… am a witch. The black dude came in white and so did the Korean girl. When they pulled out their stunt they immediately changed back to their original bodies.

“You really saw them change.”

“In a heartbeat, they were completely different. I’ve never seen anything so incredibly occult.

“Can it affect witches?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t looking at him.”

Zoe scratches her scalp thoroughly and groaned angrily.

“You know what I think, don’t push their buttons, don’t force them at all. They have been through hell you know. So I guess you should go by their rules”

Zoe breathed out her day’s frustration and took sips of the wine as she factored in what Iann had advised.

Later in the evening as much as Humeleons were on the loose, so were Carol, Zoe and Zackary. It was yet another family date day. They went out for movies then later had dinner at Joe’s with Joe himself. All her piled up stress was slacken off with Zack’s smile and Carol’s laugh.

Iann’s definition of therapy was not for her.  Quality time with her little family was all the therapy she needed.

To-do list for the day was both challenging and exciting. Below challenging were, getting Liz to talk to her, finding cover for her night life and mingling with the obnoxious humeleons. Factoring exciting was finding out which was the ball gown, meeting up with Josh and going to the DAW ball.

Under the shades of her home’s porch, Zoe sat with curled legs dressed in jeans, a spagetti top supported by loose cropped top.

 Zoe was beyond redemption as she tried to canalize the artistic skills she possessed to write her thirtieth apology text to Liz. She briefly considered sending the text Josh had used to help her see reason but thought against it as Liz would eventually find out. All her strained brains could come up with was
it’s a sad world without you…please tell me where you are.

On deliverance of the devout message, she stared at her phone like it was now or never.

Zoe almost dropped her phone when she heard a text alert.

Josh,
will pick you up at Joe’s. You cool with that?

As her high hopes derailed she replied crestfallenly.
Cool.

Another beep, Chris…
Morning beautiful, need your ride. Am stuck playing errands boy for the chameleons.

She scoffed, misery loves company!...
that’s awful
. N
no problem, I’ll leave it at Joe’s.

Chris…
Ur
a life saver.

Liz…Oh my God she has replied. Yesssss! Zoe cheered. She could feel her heart jump along with joy.

Liz…
M’  home.

Grabbing the held on invitation to seeing things eye to eye, Zoe flew to her car and en routed her wheels to Liz. In no time her freshly painted feet were hitting the brakes at the Donaldsons. Bracing herself physically, emotionally and physiological to whatever bomb Liz would pull on her, she got out of her car and walked nervously to the front door.

After a gaga amount of knocks, Zoe knew Liz had just played her.

Zoe…
I get it Liz, am at your place. I really wanna tell you everything.

Liz….
OMG, u poor thing I’m in town now. Learning from mistakes is a good thing...keep up.

Zoe swallowed her pride then replied….
N so is forgiving. I miss you
.

Deliberating what her next move would be, she danced over going back home, then concluded it a waste of time. And decided she could just go to Joe’s and catch up while she awaited Josh’s company.

Zoe secured her eyes with goggles from the incinerating sun. Very quick steps saw her inside the dinner in seconds. The joint was mildly populated. On Sundays most people remembered their weeklong abandoned families and homes, which resulted to either dry attendances or a family full house. She searched around for a good spot and suddenly thought her eyes were betraying her.
Is that really Liz
? She saw a blond befitting Liz’s features only that it was the back she was seeing. Knowing that she was in no hurry, she walked toward the table to find out. 

 “Liz?” she asked disbelievingly, pulling her goggles to her forehead.

She looked down on her scanning a fashion magazine. Liz looked up at her but there was no hint of surprise on her face- at all. It was as if she was expecting her.  

Liz glimpsed Zoe and veered her eyes back on the magazine. “Ah. You came to mark my homework teacher?

Zoe glided on the seat opposite Liz and watched her take no notice on her presence.

“You lied to me again?” she muttered.

“Oh yes I did. Kinda hurts huh! Besides am getting tutored by the best liar in town” Liz said without putting effort to restrain her voice.

“I’m not taking this anymore Liz.” Zoe bluffed.

“Great move teacher” Liz clapped and a fake smile stretched on her lips. “It recently crossed my mind that you’d make such a remarkable cast in pretty little liars.”

“I don’t wanna fight Liz.” she said seriously.

“Of course you don’t.” Liz gnarled “Because you call the shots in our little realm.”

Zoe felt the anger in her voice, she didn’t like it. But it was time they moved on from this.

“Don’t …” Zoe begged.

“But you DO!…” Liz shot back, looking as hurt as she had been when she first told her the secret “You DO not tell me stuff that you think I can’t handle, you DO as you please not caring about what people who care for you think, you Do not get to tell me what I shouldn’t DO!”

“Will you stop being such hard cookie Liz.”

“Because you can jinx me to one?” Liz grumbled.

Zoe realized it was anger that brought out the reply. But thinking of turning Liz into a cookie was exceptionably humorous.

Zoe broke down with bubbles of laughter. Funny enough Liz joined.

When the natural pressure suppressant died, Liz cleared her throat them raised her brows at her.

“Can you seriously turn me into a real cookie?”

 They both resorted back to cracking their ribs.

“We can always experiment.” Zoe offered.

Liz eased up on her seat and shook her head “Nope not on me, I have no intensions of being somebody’s midnight snack!”

 Zoe giggled “I missed laughing with you, now get off your high horse and forgive me already.” Zoe said smiling at her.

“I already forgave you. I just wanted to enjoy giving you a hard time.”

“Jeez, you’re mean!” Zoe said.

“Speaking of which, It’s about time you live up to your words. I wanna know EVERY little detail about.” Liz bent towards her and whispered “the witch stuff.”

“I had no plans of leaving out anything.” Zoe assured her.

“Okay…am all ears.”

“Liz just being cautious…what am about to tell you is deep, scary and every bit real but that’s the price you pay for being in my world. Oops forgot important detail…it is very secretive. Do you have a good stomach?” she asked Liz, who looked like she was holding popcorns in a movie theatre.

“Get on with it already…I didn’t throw up when I was midair… I don’t think I would now.”

“Okay...here goes…and don’t interrupt me.”

Zoe’s eyes wavered around the position of their table for discretion purposes and was satisfied enough to talk. They were situated in a corner and the tables near them were unoccupied. The only person able to hear her is a mind reader or someone with extra special hearing abilities.

Liz listened attentively as Zoe traveled her through the three week mind blowing adventurous journey. Through the course of her tale, Liz had made a lot of stirring, shifting positions, fanning herself with the magazine, once in a while she made Zoe stop, so that she could shove water down her throat or simply breathe.

“Should I stop?” Zoe asked, truly concerned.

“No don’t .I…I’m handling it.” she mumbled as she fanned herself with the magazine.

By the time Zoe was winding up her true story with the humeleons, Liz had consumed three bottle of water and got rid of the blazer she had been wearing. She went on to exhale so heavily but with such restrain it was sad to watch.

“Zoe,” she said with a very small tone “are you sure your still not dreaming?”

“Are you dreaming?” Zoe whispered back at her.

“OK, that stupid…so right now are you wearing the chain?”

She shook her head “No, it’s in the car…in my bag.”

Zoe watched Liz, from the table between them she could see how much she was shaken.

She truly didn’t want her living in fear or paranoia but lying any further was out of the question.

“Oh my God! Oh my God…Holy shit that is…horrifically deep.” Liz murmured as she stared absentmindedly at her desk.

She then threw a curious eye at Zoe “Does Carol know?”

“NO.” she sighed “I don’t know how to tell her.”

“You have to Zoe, you have to tell her. What if… Uhm…dark..Darkeel targets her to get to you?”

“God forbid, but not now Liz. She’s been talking about visiting Aunt Rosalinda this holiday. It’s due in less than 10 days. If I tell her, she won’t go. And I’d rather not tell her so that she could go and be safe from all this madness.”

“What about Zack?” Liz asked.

“They are going together.” she said.

“Ok, that’s good. So nobody has seen the other humeleon?”

“No. Chris was trying to locate him with no luck. It’s possible he’s in some country doing what he does best.”

“Holy Crap!” Liz shivered “I’ll have nightmares today. You said Chris will come get your keys and he will be with the other…”

“No, he’ll take the keys and go pick’em up.”

“Oh thank God! I don’t wanna see them.” Liz said panicking “I don’t even wanna know them.”

Zoe held her hand and leveled their eyes “This is a small town. You can’t escape them. I won’t let them hurt you or anybody else. I’ll do anything in my power to safeguard your protection.”

“Don’t get all martyr with me! What about your safety?” Liz said fearfully.

Zoe smirked then removed her hand “I have the best bossy team in town, three humeleons and a protective witch.”

Liz pulled her brows at her. “I’m serious Zoe.”

“I know.” She said softly “And so am I. I can at least fend for myself.”

“Is it enough?” Liz looked weary.

Zoe closed her eyes briefly contemplating on how to ease Liz’s fears. There was no way out and no shortcuts whatsoever to go about her fate.

“Liz, I’m involved in this ordeal head to toe. It’s a matter of life and death. There is no easy way out of any of it. All I have to do is learn to survive and help keep Doomsberg safe.

“Please take care. I can’t lose you to those monsters.” Liz’s voice was a definite plea, soft and sad.

“I will.” Zoe smiled sadly then crossed over their barrier for a best friend hug.

Zoe murmured in her ear “Liz…about the ball. Please cover for me?”

She chuckled then nodded once, breaking free “Sure thing. I’m also waiting for George, his off duty today so it’ll also give me some back up story.

Zoe giggled and at the same time her phone rang.

She hunched to get to it. It was Josh, before she could answer; she glanced outside and saw his car.

“Hey, be there in a second.” she said to the phone.

“My date is here so, see you tomorrow!” Zoe said standing.

“You are not leaving this place without introducing me?” Liz said grabbing her arm playfully.

She ushered Liz to follow behind.

When Josh saw Zoe coming out with Liz, he got out of the car and stood smiling at them.

Zoe went to him and wrapped her arms around him, she then turned swiftly to introduce Liz, who was shamelessly staring up at him. Zoe jabbed a waky-waky finger on her shoulder.

“This is Liz, Liz… Josh.”

“Hello Liz” he said, taking her hand to his lips and then kissed the back of her palm. Zoe could see Liz flying.

“Haah...hi” she replied in an incredible small voice. “It’s good to meet you.” she said raising her voice a bit, when he let go of her hand.

“I’m mostly pleased.” he threw her the million dollar smile. The kind that beautifies his posters and make girls like Liz go dumb.

“Okay.” Zoe said bringing Liz back to face reality “Josh I’ll be right back and Liiiz” Zoe beckoned her as she walked to her car.

As Zoe dug into her bag, Liz was still hitched “Zoe if I were you, I would totally jinx him to fall in love with me.” Liz said shifting from Josh to what Zoe was doing.

“You are out of your mind.” she said carelessly emptying her bag on the car seat.

“You are such a drag.” Liz said frowning.

“Okay take these.” she handed Liz her car keys.

Liz looked curious “why aren’t you going with your bag?”

“We are going to the NorthHill hike area. We are exploring each other’s alone time places.”

“You guys are a boring bunch, but anyway whatever that leads to! you go girl!” Liz said with a seductive face.

Zoe rolled her eyes and nestled them on her mess. She pulled back into her bag whatever she could reach and decided to live the rest to Chris.

The best friends said their peck-full goodbyes, and Liz urged her to text back every romantic detail.

“Liz get it in your mind we are Just friends.”

“How can you be just friends with that?” Liz asked glancing at Josh then groaned her way back to the dinner in a daze.

 Zoe wore her invisible necklace and sprinted towards Josh who was already waiting in the car.

NorthHill hike area was a good three to four kilometers away. That distance made time for lots of schmooze, music and maybe plain lucid silence. After her overwhelming resolution chat with Liz she would probably favor talk and music. Thinking might get her despondent.

Josh was a keen driver, very mature and careful. Given his profile you’d expect him to be irresponsibly carefree and rough on the road but just like his character he was nothing near predictable.

Eventually they got to the area of destination with lots of music, internet and less talk. She was in luck Josh’s oldies playlist was something she could coup with and in more than one occasion sing to. It occurred to her that he was sort of distracted throughout the ride. She didn’t know him well enough to know if he was just always quiet or there was something working his mind. 

They had walked a short mile in silence and she knew that she had to start the conversation, Josh was definitely not Liz. They couldn’t even talk about school because he had no memory any of it.

“You were terribly quiet, is something bothering you.” Zoe asked, eyeing him with interest. He glanced at her and kept walking forward.

“Am sorry about that, am terrible company.”

“I kinda suck too, so don’t apologize. This place is truly beautiful.” she admired, looking around the trees and big rocks on the narrow pathway.

“You ever been here before?” he asked with a hint of curiosity and interest in his tone.

She nodded “Yeah. Long time though. Something like four years ago.”

“That’s long!”

“Yep! Took lots of cool pictures, don’t know why I never came back.” she said try to figure out the reason for staying away. It was the kinda place that would suit her mood swing getaways.

 “I come up here nearly every Sunday when am in town. I like the privacy, freshness and tranquility.” he said then inhaled a large amount of air into his nature loving lungs.