"You can't let your past keep having its way with you." The girl's brown eyes sparked in the evening sun as she tried to explain. Her hair was tied in two braids behind her ears. The braids fell just under her chin.
"We all know how easy that one is." The second girls voice held some sarcasm that soon left after she took a fork full of salad. "By the way, I'm Jen but everyone calls me Zoe."
"After the saint?"
"Who knows? Its my middle name."
"Ah. I see. I'm Jessica." She said as she started to take a red ribbon with gold Chinese dragons inlayed on it out of her hair. Once the ribbon was in her hand Jessica stood up and walked behind Zoe. "Hold still while I put this in your hair."
"My hairs fine. You don't need to." Zoe pleaded trying not to get her hair played with. Jessica pulled the purple hair tie out of Zoe's hair letting it fall to the jewel-studded belt at Zoe's waist. Jessica ran her fingers through the mess of tangles and unruly waves trying to make sense of the chaos that was Zoe's hair.
"Wow. Its beautiful once you get the tangles out." Zoe's hair fanned her back hanging down gracefully. Jessica pulled it into a half ponytail and started braiding quickly. "Why don't you wear it down?"
"Gets in the way but I'll never cut it." The two laughed as Jessica started tying off the bottom of the braid.
"Good thing too. Look at how long this is!" Jessica flipped the finished braid over Zoe's shoulders. The bottom of the braid landed in Zoe's palm where a red ribbon now starred back at her.
"Thank you so much! But ya know what?"
"What Zoe?"
"My group hasn't seen me with my hair down since it was around my shoulders." Zoe laughed and looked down at the braid again before her eyes shifted over to her watch. "We should head to the main tent. Its almost time for the Teen Peep Talk."
"So that's what were going to." Zoe nodded as she lifted her self from the grassy area. Grass stuck to her body even after she tried to brush it off. "So Zoe, why are you really here?"
"I came from watching the section of seats my groups sitting in." Zoe shrugged the question off not knowing what she meant by what Jessica meant as threw out her trash in one of the garbage cans near by.
"Not that ya goof. Why'd ya come on this retreat?" Jessica's turned artic in the middle of a summer in Massachusetts.
Zoe looked over at Jessica. The eyes Zoe has seen sparkle earlier seemed to lose their shine right now. "I guess I was tired of all my friends having their life together while I was a mess but still trying to help. They all seemed so happy lately and here I am still helping even though I have no clue what I'm doing."
"I guess none of us have it together." Jessica's eyes held sympathy but still a gaze of artic winds.
Zoe woke up to the screaming of her alarm clock next to her. Slowly she turned over trying to find the screaming demon of the morning to turn it off. Once she found it she looked at the time, 6:22 AM. Just what it was set for. Zoe let out a soft moan as she pushed herself off the soft bed. But as she tired the old quilt pulled her down and wrapped the warmth of the old patchwork quilt that's been in the family for years seemed to call her back to the world of dreams. By 6:30 she was finally freed and dressed. A cheep dollar store brush glided over the knots and snagged on them occasionally. The mess of hair was soon pulled back into a waste length ponytail which was braided just as quick. A red ribbon with a Chinese golden dragon seemed to fall out of her hair accessory box as she worked. The gold shimmered and chough Zoe's eye by surprise. "Where'd you come from?" She paused and looked at the braid's reflection in the bathroom mirror. "It's a new day." The ribbon found its way into her hair once more.
The smell of fresh coffee seeped under the door and danced with the scented hair moose which Zoe used to keep her hair in some sort of order. The coffee called Zoe out of the bathroom to meet with her mom at the stairs. She saw her mom searching around looking for something once more. "Come on, not today. Where are they?" Her mom mumbled.
"Hey Mom, what cha looking for?" Zoe asked as she stepped off the stair case.
"I can't find my keys again."
Zoe lifted her mother's jacket off the banister and pulled the keys out of the pocket. "Same place as always."
"Thanks baby. I'll see you when I get home. Have a fun day at school. Make some friends if you can. I know you'll make me proud." Her mother gave her a quick hug before running out the door.
"It's the same old song and dance here isn't it?" Walking into the kitchen the coffee was godly smelling. Once a mug was located, Zoe poured sugar, milk, and the drink worthy for Gods into her Micky Mouse mug. It mixed together like it always did. Leaving slight clouds in her coffee before she drank down her first sip. The bitter taste of old coffee lingers in her mouth as she swallowed. Her stomach turned realizing that today was the day she had to go in. Today was the day her past could die. But today was the day she would never be aloud to forget.
Spilling the mug of bitter morning ambrosia into the sink Zoe mumbled, "Mom you suck at making coffee." Boxes flung open as Zoe searched for a travel cup. Some of the boxes in the kitchen held trinkets that belonged in other rooms and were meant to be lost over the years. Eventually Zoe found her sliver lock lid travel cup that actually kept the coffee warm long enough to get somewhere. 6:49 the clock on the coffee maker blinked. "I'm finding a decent cup of Joe." Her keys sat sticking out of her purse where she left them the night before. Before Zoe realized what she was doing she was out the door and in the car.
She parked her black 1988 ford in the student parking lot of a two story high school. One by one, she turned off the different equipment she had in her car. She knew even if she did just take out the keys everything would turn off on its own, but she just felt safer that her stereo was off. "At least I have your memory to soothe me." The artist sang just before she turned the radio off.
"Sorry Matt Caplan, I don't have any memories like that. Those memories sting too much to soothe. " She took out the CD and put it in her case. Before she left, she made sure that her doors were locked and everything was where it should be. She placed her keys in her purse which doubled as a backpack and started walking towards the school building. Other students were looking at her as she passed. She wore blue jeans that flared slightly near her black sneakers that lit up when she stepped. Her leather jacket was open enough to show a red shirt of some kind under it while a silver chain held a little silver moon hung off her neck. A car spun around the corner and flew into the parking spot where she was walking. Hearing the squeal of the tires, she jumped up and landed on the car. Her feet planted themselves in the hood so she held her balance as she spoke, "Where did you learn to drive, Jersey?"
"Get off my car." He screamed half hanging out his window.
"No prob bud." She jumped off the car making sure to slightly scuff the paint job. "I should sue your ass for dangerous driving." She turned her back to him and let her braid fall to her back. She walked off as if she owned the school she was walking into. Quickly she found the main office and got her class listing. Aimlessly she searched for locker B3277. "Now if I only knew where that damn locker is, I'd be good." She started asking for some help. She placed her hand on a teenage boy with long blond hair tied back in a ponytail's shoulder. He turned around and looked down at her with ice eyes. "Excuse me, can you help me find locker B3277." People stopped what they were doing and started starring at her as if she broke an ancient taboo. She watched as he walked off and the crowds parted for him. "Loser." Zoe was annoyed and getting fed up. She spoke the word with ease before she turned to see a girl with red wavy hair standing there.
"Your new here aren't you." The girl asked. Her hazel eyes showed no fear but her voice dripped with it. She was about five feet tall, her honey hair hung slightly past her chin angling back into a long pony tail that held some curl to it.
"What gives it away?"
"I have not seen you hear before and you just asked one of the three most feared boys in the school for help. No one even talks to him and his friends." Alicia explained. "What locker do you have?"
"B3277. What's so scary about them?" Zoe looked down to her sheet.
"You luck out, Mines number B3290. Come on there in the same hall way." Alicia grabbed Zoe's hand and pulled her off. "That guy was Terry Banks, him and two of his friends are the three most popular guys in the school. The other two are Joe Maltys and Terry's little brother Andy Banks. The three of them are fighters." She lead her Zoe to her locker. "This ones yours."
Zoe shrugged. "Thanks, what's the big deal about them being fighters" The first bell rang. "Thanks." She started fiddling with her locker. When it was finally open she threw her jacket in and slammed it shut. "See ya later." Zoe said as she ran off down the hall to Room C103.