Dropping off Zoey, almost

Author's Note: Welp, I'm about to lose half of ya. Sorry about that. Please feel free to skip this chapter. Dark content warning, seriously.

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Pushing the worry you felt around your plus sized manhood to the side you were feeling pretty damn good about things as you start the journey to Zoey’s place.

“Hey Jesse?”

“Yeah Zo?”

“Zo? Ha! I like that. Zo! He he he!” Zoey giggles. “Um…I just wanted you to know that I still like boys. I’m a straight girl.”

You look back her with a WTF sort of look. Beside her Elsie is face palming at her friends ditsy weirdness.

“Okay.” You say as you wonder where on Earth this was going. “Whatever you say.”

She giggles and looks from you to El and back again, though her laughter was strained. “I am silly aren’t I? We were all pretty silly tonight. I’m such a silly.”

“Yes!” Elsie says with a hug. “And we love you for it!”

“I love you too.” Zoey peeps happily, though again something was wrong. Elsie peers at her friend, picking up on the same vibe you were. Something was definitely not quite right here. “I love you! You are so nice to me.”

“And you’re so nice to me.” El replies kindly. “You’re my best friend.”

The way she beamed this sentiment clearly meant the world to her. “Jesse?” Zoey says again.

“Yeah?”

“Can…can I say I was with you tonight?”

“Me?” You laugh. “What’s wrong with Elsie?”

She wasn’t laughing anymore. “Nothing’s wrong with El.” She says. “But…she’s a girl.” Nervousness was quickly turning to what you swore was fear the closer you got to Zoey’s home. “Dad won’t…like that. I’m a straight girl. I only like boys.”

Understanding dawns on your sister’s face as she hugs her friend close. “Aw, my sweet girl. Just don’t tell him at all. It’s none of his business.”

“He’ll know.” She says. “He always knows. He’s so smart and I’m so stupid.” She asks again, this time with desperation coloring her sweet tone. “Please Jesse, just let me say I was with you. If…if you could walk me to the door so Dad can see. Umm…” She shrinks down into Elsie’s arms, resting her head on El’s soft bosom. Elsie immediately shifts into Mama Bear mode and holds her friend close. “I had so much fun tonight.” Zoey whispers. “I really like being with you guys. I really like you Elsie. I’m your sweet girl.”

“Zoey?” El says. “What’s going on?”

“Nuthin, I just need Jesse to say it was him. That’s all.” She says. “If that’s okay.”

“Yeah, of course. And yeah, I’ll walk you to your door. No problem.” You say as you and Elsie give each other a concerned look. “You can say you were with me tonight. That’s fine.”

“Thank you.” She says with great relief, a great weight being lifted from her shoulders. Looking at the pair of you she smiles, a sad smile. “You guys grew up without a Daddy. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Understand what Zoey?” You ask as your foot eases off the accelerator.

“He loves me.” She says more to herself than to you. “He wants what’s best for me.” She laughs without mirth. “And I’m so dumb. I’m just a dumb straight girl. Tee hee!”

In the blink of an eye you see through the cutesy act to the wounded girl beneath. The air-headed dumb blonde routine might have been partially genuine but it also provided a psychological facade for the real Zoey to hide herself. And an instant later the glimpse was gone. The girl seemed at peace, her pain crammed down inside and out of sight, now that you’d agreed to her request. She snuggles into Elsie, letting out a contented hum with a look like she wished this moment to last forever. You and your sister were far more upset than she was. Neither of you were about to let this lie.

You pull the car to the side of the road and park as Elsie strokes Zoey’s long blond hair and kisses her head. “Why don’t you come home with us tonight?” Elsie says. “You can say you were with Jesse.”

She shakes her head. “I’ll get in trouble. Dad doesn’t mind if I’m late but I’m not allowed to stay the night. I mean…what would the neighbors think!? Ha! Me coming home in the morning.” She trembles slightly as she adds. “He’d be real mad at me. Real mad.”

“That bruise you had last month…” Elsie gasps. “…and the one before that!”

Zoey shakes her head. “I’m such a klutz. Such a dumb stupid klutz.” The tone of her voice told the tale far clearer than her dishonest words.

“Zoey…” You ask, dreading what you were about to hear. You slow the car even more. “…does your Dad hurt you?”

“No!” She exclaims as if the question was ridiculous. “No, no, no. I mean, when I do dumb stuff he…ya know.” She shrugs. “Dad’s love their kids different than Mom’s. You guys wouldn’t understand.” She wanted to say more, you could see it, she desperately wanted to open up to Elsie. To share her burden with somebody…somebody that she loved and loved her back. Her cornflower blue eyes beseech your sister not to stop. Without saying as much out loud she was begging for help.

Elsie leans back, holding Zoey’s head to her breast as she strokes her long soft hair. “I can imagine how you feel.” El says softly, distantly. “When someone you love, someone you look up to, hurts you. And all you want is for them to make it all better but they don’t even know how bad they hurt you.” She closes her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “You feel betrayed…alone…small. So very small.”

“Yeah.” Zoey says, her voice cracking. “Real small.”

“But you still love them.”

“Yeah.”

“And you don’t want to hurt them.”

“Yeah.”

“And you want to tell someone…anyone…but then you would ruin everything. And you don’t want to ruin everything. You don’t want to be a fuss…a bother. You just want everything to be okay again.”

“Yeah.” Zoey peeps in a tiny voice.

“But it’s not okay, is it Zoey?”

“No.” The girl whimpers.

“My sweet girl.” Elsie strokes her hair. “My sweet sweet girl. I am right here. I can hear you.”

“He…he took…my dog Elsie. Pepper. She was so beautiful. We drove out to…a forest…and…he took her…and…I had to wait in the truck…and…I waited…and…I heard the shot…” There are no tears, her voice goes dark and cold. A chill runs up your spine. “I heard it. I heard her cry. But not for long. He came back alone. I miss her Elsie. My beautiful Pepper.” She whispers. “I’m a straight girl Elsie. I’m a good girl. No daughter of his…” Her voice fades into silence.

Elsie opens her eyes and with a fierce strength you’d never seen in her before looks at you. “Take us home Jesse.”

“Thank you.” Zoey says as she buries her face into her best friend.

You didn’t need to be convinced. Pulling a rapid U-turn you turn the car around and head for home.