Loved You For Eternity

~Zoey~

I stood behind the glass with my right hand placed in Dad's. I gulped, but I couldn't bring my heart to stop pounding while we both glared at the blonde female doctor who had been administering medications to Mum for almost half an hour.

"It's okay, monkey. Your mum will be fine."

Dad's voice sounded shaky, his hands almost quivering as he pulled me into a warm embrace. It seemed as though he didn't believe in his own words of comfort. I noticed his eyes welling up with tears as the doctor approached us, her brow furrowing as the corners of her mouth turned down slightly.

"Dr. Lynder, what happened? Can we see her?" he asked, dashing toward her without hesitation.

Her deep sigh, followed by a haunting silence, prompted me to barge into the room where Mum lay. Beads of tears began flooding my eyes when I sat beside her, taking one of her stiff hands in mine.

I swung my gaze around the room, and my heart raced even faster when I caught a glimpse of Dad's tear-soaked face; then I averted it back to Mum and caressed her fingers, my lips trembling as I spoke.

"M-Mum...what's happening to you?"

However, silence loomed between us, teardrops seeping from her open eyes while she remained frozen.

"Please don't leave us now....I-I can't cope without you here..."

I shut my eyes and drew her hands closer to my face, sobbing as I muttered words.

"Look at me, it's me...Zoe, your Zoe."

My words, like silent raindrops, fell into silence, causing me to sob harder until she finally uttered some words in a whisper:

"You'll be fine, honey....Love will bind us."

I lifted my gaze and planted it upon her, allowing me to notice the faint smile that lit up her face before it faded away.

One final gasp, and her eyes sealed shut, the grip her hand had on mine loosening in an instant. A suspenseful chill washed over me as I let go of her hand.

I cried out, my sobs loud and uncontrollable this time when the doctor's hand softly rested on my shoulder.

"She's gone."

My screams reverberated throughout the whole place, followed by a sudden wave of darkness that engulfed everything and everyone except me.

In the blink of an eye, I found myself in a dark and empty void, haunted by the echoes of Dr. Lynder's last words:

"She's gone."

"NOOOOO!" I cried.

Then....

Gasp....

****************************

My eyes shot wide open to the blinding rays of sunlight, followed by a gaping yawn and a few stretches.

It was a dream, I whispered to myself, my heart still racing from the vividness of it all.

As I sat up, the weight of the dream lingered in my chest. My dad and I-our lives were never the same after that day. He became a shadow of the loving and decent father he used to be.

The bond we once shared as a family faded into oblivion, and each family dinner we managed to have either concluded with him drowning himself in countless bottles of alcohol or a heated argument between us.

The space between us dug deeper, and the darkness that accompanied our loss continued seeping through, threatening to rip us apart for good.

The buzzing sound of my digital alarm clock yanked me out of my thoughts, and I flung my gaze at its screen to realize that it was already 6:45 a.m.

"Oh, shoot...I'm gonna be late," I muttered, panic flaring in my chest.

Wasting no time, I leapt out of my king-sized bed and landed with a bounce, stealing a glance at my mirror to see how messy I looked in my poofy hair and silk nightgown.

I darted into the kitchen, hurriedly filling the coffee maker with water and coffee grounds before slamming the brew button.

That was when my gaze met a new sticky note on the kitchen counter. Its lemon-green hue contrasted the dull brown counter, and a few words were scribbled upon it in my dad's cursive handwriting:

"Off to the truck store...don't forget to lock the house."

I sighed, pacing around the kitchen until my coffee was ready. My heart still raced with anxiety, a reminder of the nightmare that felt too real.

A few more preparations, and I finally arrived at school, my stomach twitching in knots as I tread down the cream-walled hallway, heading straight for my locker.

It had been, give or take, three months since I last visited my hellhole of a school, and a LOT had changed since then; for starters, Trisha, my best friend, moved to Italy to live with her elder brother. More unfortunately, it seemed like my locker had been reassigned to someone else, leaving me with no space to secure my belongings.

Everyone's eyes peered at me as I moved past the multi-colored array of lockers, each labeled with numbers starting from ten.

I could feel blood slowly drain from my face, and my legs seemed to wobble as though I would trip and fall at any moment. Whispers came from all angles, filling the whole place while everyone avoided speaking to me, yet I paced further until I bumped into someone.

My books slammed onto the ground with a loud thud, and by now, I began pleading with the universe to make me vanish.

"Hey."

The voice sounded familiar, but my gaze remained pinned upon the pile of books on the blue chess-patterned floor.

I gulped, letting down my backpack before reaching for my books; but that was when a gentle palm rested upon my hand, causing me to steal a glance at the curly-haired dude, whose face was imprinted with a bold smile.

"Zoe, it's me...Asher," he said.

'Oh dear, Asher West, the class nerd', I thought.

A deep sigh escaped my mouth as I grabbed one of my books and allowed him to help with the rest. I lifted my gaze and pinned it upon his nerdy face, gaping at him for a few seconds before he adjusted his bogus pair of glasses and handed me my books.

My gaze scanned him from top to bottom, and I couldn't help but feel disappointed at his outfit; he was clad in a crisp button-up shirt, paired with a plaid bowtie, tailored slacks, and neatly polished shoes.

"Hi...um, Asher," I said, forcing a smile, my heart still racing from the awkwardness.

He yanked me forward, and we began walking, ignoring the obnoxious stares from every other person in the hallway.

"I know we didn't relate with each other before...um...the event, but we can be buddies now because we're alike," he whispered, his tone earnest.

I scrunched my brows upon hearing those words.

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled briefly, and we both halted.

"There's a rumor that's been spread about-" he paused.

My brows twitched as I pulled them into a tighter frown.

"About what?"

By now, I had summoned more courage to look him in the eyes because, well...nerd. My gaze pierced through his eyes, allowing me to see nothing but fear linger within them.

"Talk!"

He gulped, his lips trembling as he munched his response:

"Your mum's death...someone's telling everyone that she died of a bizarre and contagious disease, and that you could be infected too."

I gasped, blinking vigorously in an attempt to hold back my tears.

"Who's the source?", I inquired.

"I'm not sure, but--"

The bell rang, interrupting his response; we both quickened our pace, feeling the curious stares as we pushed through the crowd.

"What's our first class?", I asked.

"Science class"

"Oh, and I've got a warning for you...", he added.

"What?"

He chuckled for a second, yanking me through the blue door, into our class which I could hardly recognize;

"Beware the class prince, Ethan Hunter"

~Zoe~

I moped at Mr. Hans, the science teacher as he kept on yapping for what seemed like ages, his hunched frame barely visible under an old brown cardigan that looked as worn-out as he did.

A pair of thick, smudged glasses sat low on his nose, and he peered over them, lost in his own lecture, but not until he noticed me.

My mind was unable to comprehend most of everything he was saying because I paid no attention to begin with, kept flinging my gaze from side to side, every now and then, trying to figure out who might've spread such an obnoxious rumor about me.

"And Le Chatelier's principle states what, Miss Zoe?"

His raspy voice yanked me out of my thoughts, and my heart raced faster with everyone's eyes pinned at me. Frozen, I gulped, watching him adjust his crooked-looking glasses.

"I-I...The principle--", I stuttered.

"Could you please get up and tell the whole class?", he requested.

'What a jerk', I thought.

I found myself fiddling with my fingers, tiny droplets of sweat carpeting my blood drained face while everyone jeered at me.

"That's what I thought...step forward"

The knot in my stomach pulled itself harder when he uttered those words and at that point, I wished hell would just consume me immediately.

My feet wobbled as I trudged further past my desk, my heart racing with every step I took until I arrived in front of the whole class.

I pulled a few strands of my bronze hair behind my left ear, burying my face downwards to avoid making an eye contact with anyone but the blue chess-patterned floor.

"Yes Mr. Hunter, what does Le Chatelier's principle state?"

My eyes shone at the mention of that name...could it be?

"Ethan Hunter, I'm talking to you", Mr. Hans added.

I gasped under my breath before lifting my head to catch a glimpse of the infamous class prince.

Ethan Hunter, just as I had earlier suspected, was the ghost-behaved guy clad in a really cool leather jacket, who constantly fiddled with a pencil while his attention was always pinned upon a sketchpad.

He wore a plain look on his face, highlighting his handsome features, from his perfectly chiseled jawline to his ebony black hair, lined with a single unique silver streak that casually fell across his forehead.

"Wow", I mumbled under my breath.

I silently witnessed as he let go of the sketch pad and pencil he was holding, rising from his seat while shooting a death stare at Mr. Hans.

"Le Chatelier's principle?", the teacher demanded.

A brief silence filled the atmosphere, suspense lingering in everyone's eyes as their piercing gazes shifted from me to him.

"Le Chatelier's Principle states that when a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changes in concentration, temperature, or pressure, the system will adjust itself to minimize the effect of the disturbance and establish a new equilibrium"

He spoke in a cold tone, and I realized from the brief glances I stole at him, that his gothic eyes were fixed on no one but me, while he spoke.

Everyone's mouth including mine, shot wide open at the end of his sentence. Meanwhile, he grabbed his sketchpad and pencil and took a seat, without the teacher's permission.

Mr. Hans exhaled, averting his unimpressed gaze to me;

"I'll let you off with a warning this time...but next time, you should pay more attention in my class, other than moping at everyone,understood?"

I shook my head in agreement, with my gaze still pinned to the ground.

A few more classes skipped by and the bell rung, prompting everyone to scurry out for lunch.

I wormed my way through the crowd, playing deaf ears to our biology teacher just like everyone else did. My stomach couldn't help but grumble at the thought of having lunch in the school cafeteria where everyone's eyes would keep staring at me, but I was left with no other choice.

I exhaled, scuttling down the hallway, its atmosphere consumed by the loud whispers of students.

Arriving at the cafeteria, I took another deep breath, the warm and creamy aroma of mac and cheese filling my senses in an instant.

I glanced around the bright, spacious cafeteria, swaying my gaze from the sleek red seats to the smooth tables along the glass walls.

A smile crept onto my face when I spotted table 44, where Trisha and I loved to sit, enjoying a close-up view of the red maple tree through the glass.

That was when a hand grabbed my wrist from behind, jolting me back to reality in an instant.

"Hey, Zoe"

I gasped and my heart skipped a beat.

"Geez...Asher, you've got to stop startling me"

"C'mon buddy, it's mac and cheese monday"

Asher beamed a sheepish smile at me, pulling me with him as he waltzed towards the waiting line.

Rolling my eyes, I responded:

"I can tell"

An awkward silence existed between us as we proceeded inch by inch, my eyes scanning past the array of palatable dishes until it was my turn to grab a tray from the multicolored stack.

"Hey Mrs Dwana, looking good today...is that a new apron I see?"

The lunch lady, Mrs. Dwana, wore a neat plaid apron and hairnet over her graying curls, her face beaming with a warm smile on hearing Asher's words. A warm feeling washed over me, and I couldn't help but smile when her gaze met with me.

"You must be new here," she said in a gentle German accent.

"Um...nope, it-it's complicated", I replied, eyes glued to the mac and cheese she dished into Asher's red tray.

"You seem nice...double scoops for you"

"Thanks"

I flashed a smile at her, knowing pretty well that besides Asher, she was the only one who actually didn't treat or mope at me like a diseased animal.

Asher waved from table 42, hands flailing for no reason at all.

'What a nerd'

I sighed, pacing towards him with my tray. With every table I passed, it felt like everyone poked at me with their edgy gazes, even though my eyes were pinned at him alone. Nevertheless, I pressed forward, but not until I walked past the worst table ever...

"Hey look, it's disease girl"

I froze and instantly felt my heart skip more than a dozen beats on hearing those words. The voice sounded familiar, and it was then I figured out who had been spreading the rumor about me.

"Would you look at that outfit...it's giving pathogenic", someone else from the table jibed.

I exhaled, playing deaf to their words, until suddenly....

"I heard her mum died of herpes...and--"

The cafeteria exploded with thunderous laughter from every angle and my quivering hand let go of the tray I was holding, its content bathing the floor.

I flung my sullen gaze at the b*ch who uttered those words, and of course, it was Sandra Carter.

She was clad in a beige dress, twiddling her long blonde hair with a smirk on her face. It felt like though I was a prey amidst the girls who sat with her, their scowling gazes stabbing me over and again.

My lips trembled, not in fear, but fury as I munched my words:

"W-what did you say?"

She grabbed a cup of smoothie from one of the girls beside her and sprang up, flipping her hair leftwards before drenching my blue dress with its pink liquid content. Everyone gasped, and with tears brimming in my eyes, I slammed my palm into her face.

I took a deep breath, exhaling with annoyance while watching her flawless cheeks turn red.

"Being the richest girl in school gives you no right to insult my mum or spread lies about her", I spat before making to leave.

But my exit was foiled when she seized my dress' neckline and emptied the content of another cup over my head.

The crowd was now glaring at us, and just as I was about to retaliate, she plunged her fist into my nose. I staggered backwards, wincing as the tingling pain zipped through my brain in seconds. My fingers were bathed in red when I rubbed my nose with them, tears pouring from my eyes as I staggered backwards. Yet she seized another cup from the table, ready to take the shot again.

Then, a cold familiar voice rang from behind me:

"Touch her again, and you'll lose every single tooth from that pretty mouth of yours"

Everyone's loud noises and whispers quickly faded into a sudden, heavy silence, transforming the atmosphere. Shivering from the humiliation I had just experience, I glanced over my shoulder and gasped when I realized who it was....Ethan.

"Sandra Carter, Ethan Hunter and Zoey Alexis, please report to the principal's office immediately"

~Zoey~

I dashed out of the cafeteria as the receptionist's voice echoed over the school's PA system, pacing down the empty hallway until I arrived in front of the principal's office. The cold silver doorknob pressed against my palm as I gave it a gentle squeeze, opening the door to the receptionist's office.

The office had a dull-brown polished reception desk at the front, a row of cushioned chairs along the wall for waiting students, and a small side table, neatly stacked with school newsletters, all beneath a green bulletin board filled with student achievements and tons of reminders.

Miss Cogby sat behind the desk with neatly pinned chestnut hair and sharp eyes behind cat-eye glasses, calmly scanning the computer screen until her attention was drawn to me.

Her face scrunched into a worried frown as she asked, "Geez, Zoe, are you okay? You look terrible"

I sighed, wiping as much blood and smoothie as I could off my face with my wrist. But then she opened a drawer, pulled out two wipes, and handed them to me.

"Here you go"

"You might also wanna use a clarifying hair shampoo, cus without it...you're gonna regret it"

Tilting my head backward, I spoke in a nasal tone,

"Thanks, Miss Cogby"

The wipes felt cool and slightly damp, yet I winced each time I rubbed my face and neck with them until I was a bit clean. Then I made for the red cushioned chair, tossing the used wipes into the trash bin beside it, before taking a seat.

It didn't take much time for the others to arrive, Sandra scowling at me as the three of us glided into the principal's office, the scent of lavender mingling in the air. A large desk dominated the room, papers stacked neatly beside a computer, while framed photos and awards hung on the walls.

Blinding rays of sunlight beamed through the tall windows, highlighting the principal's stern gaze as we occupied the neat array of red chairs.

Principal Simmons, donned in a navy blue suit, pierced a sharp and unwavering gaze at each of us, her eyes meeting with ours before adjusting her pair of sleek, rectangular reading glasses.

"Fighting....really?"

Her voice was firm, cutting through the silence like a knife; yet, I shot a blank stare at her, my heart racing as she pinned her gaze at me.

"You're resuming for the first time in six months, and you've already gotten into a fight?"

I rolled my eyes, heaving a sigh.

"What happened?", she asked.

Sandra shot another scowl at me, adjusting a few strands of hair from her face as I made to speak;

"Sandra couldn't keep out of my business", I spat.

The principal's face scrunched into a frown as her eyes scanned me again;

Flinging a brief gaze at Sandra and Ethan, she inquired, "What do you mean?"

"She spread a rumor about my mum and attacked me in front of everyone, even when I chose to ignore her"

"That's not true, Principal Simmons"

Sandra's voice was shaky, tears welling up in her eyes as she averted her gaze to me;

"She accused me of spreading rumors about her, and slapped me in front of everyone when I confronted her about it...I-I just"

Tears began pouring from her eyes while she caressed her left cheek.

"I had to do something about it...it was clearly self defense", she added.

My eyes shot wide open as Principal Simmons turned to me, her brows twitching as she spoke:

"You attacked her?"

I shook my head in disagreement, shooting a frown at the demon beside me.

"No, I didn't attack her...she's lying, she spread those rumors about my mum", I argued.

The principal sighed, faint lines of frustration etched on her face;

"What rumor?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled, hesitantly munching my words:

"She said my mom had a weird disease and hinted that I might be a carrier too"

"That's a LIE!..I--", Sandra cried but pursed her lips when the principal's voice thundered;

"Shut it, young lady!"

Principal Simmons tamed a few stray curls from her long black hair with a finger, stabbing her scrutinizing gaze at me once again;

"And who told you she's the source of such horrendous rumor?"

Her voice dropped an octave, her eyes fixed upon me as though they could penetrate my soul.

"No one, I figured it out when--"

Her eyes shot wide open at the utterance of my words, and she spoke in a tone, void of warmth:

"You assumed?...really?"

"Young lady, you need to understand the seriousness of this situation...this is a serious accusation you laid upon Sandra here"

I folded my arms and lowered my head, tears filling my eyes while I trembled with intense fury. I couldn't believe how fast the tables turned against me, the real victim. I had no witness, and no one would dare oppose Sandra Carter-the hellish witch out to destroy everyone's lives, including mine, for no reason at all.

Ethan sat there the whole time, with arms crossed and lips sealed shut. And although he helped me, I couldn't help but loath him for being silent while an accusation was thrown at me.

'So much for being the good guy', I thought.

"And you, what was your business in this?"

He quirked his brows and heaved a subtle sigh when the principal threw her question at him.

"This is just a waste of your time, don't you think so?"

"You should probably skip to the part where you punish us at your will"

I jolted my head up and shot a frown at him, upon hearing those words.

'What a jerk!', I silently fumed.

Principal Simmons' eyes shone, a sudden gasp leaving her mouth as she peered at Ethan's cold hard gaze.

"You know what?"

She clasped her palms together and let out a brief but menacing chuckle.

"I'll let you off with just a warning...three of you"

My brows flicked upwards...'Is she kidding me?', I spat silently.

"Detention, on saturday...with Mr. Danies"

Cold shivers flushed down my spine, goosebumps carpeting my skin upon hearing those words. Sandra groaned, her brows knitting themselves into a tight frown, while Ethan's lips remained sealed.

"You can't be serious right now!...I'm the victim here, why should I--"

"Shut it!...you can leave now, all of you"

"And as for you, Zoe...go home, I'd like to have a word with your father"

*************************

I barged into the house after such a long day at school, fully drenched in a mixture of sweat and smoothie. As I reached the kitchen, a soft creak floated down from upstairs.

I paused, brow furrowing, with my hand still on the cabinet door. I was probably hallucinating or something, maybe because of how banged up my head felt.

I swung open the fridge door, grabbing a chilled carton of chocolate milk, darting upstairs when I heard another creak.

"Dad?"

My voice echoed throughout the stairways until I reached the landing, glancing at the doors lining inside. My heart raced, and I gulped as I neared my dad's room-the source of the strange noise.

"Who's there?", I whispered.

However, goosebumps carpeted my skin and I could feel blood drain from my face as the creaks intensified, but not until my dad's voice rang from behind his room door;

"No one's here...it's just us now"

My eyes grew round with surprise and I tiptoed closer, taking a deep breath before grabbing the quickly twisting the door knob.

"What the F*ck?!"

My voice thundered throughout the whole room in an instant, drawing my dad's attention towards me.

"Why?"

I trembled, tears pouring from my eyes.

My dad, usually the picture of confidence, sat disheveled beneath the rumpled white sheets, his dark hair tousled and slick with sweat on his forehead. His eyes dimmed, shifting from shock to guilt as they widened in disbelief, while peering at me.

Next to him, was a stark woman whose long blonde hair flowed over her shoulders. She wore a lacy black camisole that hugged her curves.

Her black eyes flashed with surprise, as she pulled the sheets around her, as if trying to shield herself from the reality of what I had just seen.

The atmosphere became thick with unspoken words, and a thousand emotions washed over me all at once.

"Honey, I-I can explain"