Chapter Text
Zoey had never been a perfect child, and she had always known it.
But she spent a large part of her life wishing that someone would see her as one.
Even if it were only her parents… but that wouldn’t be possible either.
Zoey was just talking to her father on the phone when her eomma snapped.
She screamed so loudly that even the neighbors came out of their houses.
“WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO THAT SCUM? CAN’T YOU SEE THAT IT’S BECAUSE OF HIM THAT WE’RE HERE? YOU BRAT!” Tears streamed down the woman’s face; her voice broke from screaming so much. She raised several glass cups, pointing them at the girl with trembling hands.
Zoey crouched against the wall. She couldn’t say anything. She just stared at her in terror while her instinct forced her to cover her head. Her breathing became uneven; she shook like never before.
“I-I’m sorry… please, eomma, forgive me, I'm b-begging you” she tried to say, forcing each word as if she were about to throw up.
But her eomma didn’t listen.
“YOU’RE TRASH. BECAUSE OF YOU I COULDN’T DIVORCE THAT IDIOT. YOU’RE HIS EXACT COPY. I COULD KILL YOU JUST FOR THAT.”
Zoey could no longer hear her. Her ears rang with every sound. She coughed, apologized over and over, without knowing exactly why.
Then, the woman stopped shouting.
There were no blows.
She simply took a step back and went into her bedroom without saying anything else.
Zoey couldn’t get up. She felt like she was going to die right there. She throw up from hyperventilating and, when she finally managed to breathe again, she remained lying on the floor, crying and trembling for a long time.
It wasn’t the first time it had happened. Her mother always reacted like that when something displeased her, but Zoey never managed to get used to it.
She lost track of time until she finally managed to get up. Her clothes were stained with saliva and bile. She changed clumsily, her hands still trembling, and put on her favorite outfit. She wanted to run away, to stop breathing in the jasmine scent that soaked into the house.
Before going to the bathroom, she glanced at her favorite corner: Mr. Melon’s terrarium. The little turtle watched her attentively. Zoey’s eyes filled with tears. She stepped closer and gently stroked his shell.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, little buddy” she whispered, trying to hold back her sobs. “I’m going out for a bit...I promise I’ll bring you something.”
She gave him a small kiss on the head. Mr. Melon answered with a yawn that managed to pull a smile from her.
In the bathroom, she washed her face. Her eyes were red, her nose irritated. She brushed her short hair; she never knew how to style it, and back in California the kids would pull it whenever they could, so she decided to cut it herself every month.
As she grabbed her skateboard and satchel, she heard her mother sobbing from her bedroom. Zoey ignored the tightness closing around her chest. She closed the door carefully and, without looking back, sped away on her skateboard.
The streets were quiet despite it being mid-afternoon. Zoey weaved past the few people walking by without looking at anyone, her gaze fixed straight ahead. She felt the pressure in her chest slowly begin to ease. She hadn’t eaten anything all day, so she stopped at her favorite 7-Eleven.
She went in with her head down. She didn’t want anyone to see her sad face; her mother had always reminded her that her face was the first humiliation she’d ever had.
She grabbed her favorite apple juice and a bag of chips with Pikachu on the packaging, then headed to the counter. The guy working there looked to be a little over twenty. Soo-won. He was the only one who knew a bit about Zoey’s life.
“hello, Zoey. Haven’t seen you around in a while. How’s everything going?” he greeted her as he scanned the snacks. He noticed her irritated eyes, but chose not to press.
“Hey, Soo-won… I’ve just been pretty focused on some things, but everything’s fine. And you?” she replied, forcing the best smile she could, ignoring the fact that her heart was still beating too fast.
Zoey knew he was talking to her, but something else caught her attention.
Soft, harmonious lines seemed to surround her. They moved like invisible waves, sliding toward the exit of the store, beyond the automatic doors. A shiver ran down her spine.
“Are you seeing that?” she asked, unsettled, following the waves with her eyes.
“Seeing what?” he replied.
“…Nothing” she murmured. “See you, Soo-won. Keep the change.”
She almost ran out of the store.
“…But you’re still short,” he whispered with a smile, pulling a bill from his own pocket.
Outside, Zoey could clearly see how those waves moved in an almost celestial way, marking a path for her. She got on her skate and rode forward without looking at the road, following only the lines. Every time she tried to touch them, a chill shot through her body.
It didn’t take long before the waves began to fade. Zoey frowned, confused—and then it happened.
A rock.
The impact was sharp. She hit the ground with a yelp.
“Are you okay?” asked a female voice, soft, almost musical.
Zoey saw a hand extend toward her. She took it without hesitation. She stood up, brushing the dust off her pants, and when she looked up—
The same waves surrounded the girl standing in front of her.
Holy moly...
She looked about her age. Purple hair in braids, brown eyes shining with concern. Zoey felt like she was standing in front of an angel.
She stayed silent for a few seconds, then shook her head, snapping back to reality. She felt her face heat up.
“I-I… I’m fine, yeah. Great. Oops, clumsy me, falling right in front of a beautiful— I MEAN— no, I didn’t say that— I mean, you’re pretty, but not like that, I mean yes, but—”
Every word came out worse than the last. Her hands were sweaty.
The girl raised an eyebrow and let out a small smile, a clear blush on her face.
Zoey’s mind went completely blank.
Without saying anything else, she grabbed her skate and bolted.
“OK, BYE!”
Stupidstupidstupid she repeated over and over as she got away.
What she didn’t know was that, during the fall, her frog-shaped keychain had come loose.