"Sometimes we have to behave indifferent towards people who proclaim their love to us, just to see if they are really different."
― Michael Bassey Johnson

   I liked the band. I loved the atmosphere. And I couldn't help but stare at Zoey Graves. The beautifully smart and interesting Zoey Graves.

   She had closed her eyes, and was kind of swaying to the music.

   Tucker and Kate had gone off somewhere. And now it was just me and Zoey.

   In this moment, the band was performing a slow love-song. And the crowd had grown quiet.

   The lead singer's low and sweet voice matched up perfectly well with the music that the band accompanied.

   It was chilly and the sky wasn't completely dark yet, but I was starting to see the stars that covered the sky.

   It was amazing.

   " I really like this song," Zoey said. Her eyes were still closed, but she was smiling. "It makes me think of a happy moment in my life. When my mom and I were still close."

   I nodded. "Yeah. I'm not really close with my parents either."

   She continued. "I feel like my mom takes me for granted sometimes. She works late, but she never wants to spend anytime with me, or do anything fun with me. My dad, I really don't know what he's doing now." She opened her eyes and looked at me. "Isaac, thanks for this. I needed this."

   She started to hum a little to the song. And I looked at her, wondering if she felt any particular way at the moment. Was she feeling depressed? Did she feel like the whole world was on her shoulders?

   But I decided not to think about that a whole lot. I only focused on the music, the crowd that was feeling the music along with me, and the fact that Zoey had wrapped her arms around me.

   For a moment it felt like it was just me and her in the world. In the whole universe.

   We were hugging each other, with other concert goers around us, looking out at the band on the stage.

   The song seemed to play on forever.

:: :: ::

   "I don't go to Warner," Kate said to me and Zoey. "I go to Wayward."

   I looked at Tucker like he was crazy. "Does your brother know?"

   He put his hands up defensively. "Hey, I'm not part of any sports!"

   "Yeah, I know that. But you know how Chandler is, especially around homecoming."

   If I were to name anyone in our football team who was the most school spirited and competitive, I'd pick Chandler Leeds. Some of my teammates would disagree with me, because they believe that Simon Moore is the most school spirited and competitive, just because everyone thinks Simon Moore is the shit.

   Anyway, because Chandler is that way, there was a likely chance that he wouldn't approve of his baby brother dating someone from Wayward. I didn't have any problem with it, especially when he wasn't part of any sports teams.

   For instance, if he was part of the basketball team, wrestling team, baseball team, etc.., he wouldn't be able to date Kate. But even if that was the case, I wouldn't make his life a living hell or anything. I'd only know that he'd be given hell by everyone at school. But I'd play no part in it.

   But I didn't trust myself enough to be so sure of that.

   Tucker shrugged. "Chandler doesn't really care about my dating life, or know much about it. We barely talk as it is."

   "Well, you two make a cute couple," Zoey said nicely. "You guys are kind of like Romeo and Juliet."

   Kate laughed a little. "Your name's Zoey right?"

   Zoey nodded.

   "Well, Zoey. I sure hope it won't in any way come close to the ending." Kate then made a face. She looked like she was imitating a dead cat's face; she stucks her tongue out to the side, and made her eyes do this funny thing.

  Tucker, Zoey, and I laughed.

   We'd been eating at a burger place, so after we finished our food we decided to walk around.

After a little while, Kate and Tucker went off somewhere together, and now it was just me and Zoey.

   "Do you know if any of their Albums are in stores? Take Me There's" She asked suddenly. "I'd really like to have one, if so. I wonder if Andersville has a Vintage Things."

   "We could look," I decided. 

   "Really?"

   "Yeah."

   I glanced at the time on my phone. It was nearing midnight, but I knew then and there I'd do anything for Zoey. "What time does it close?" I asked her.

   She didn't say anything, but looked as if she were in deep thought. "I know this might sound weird, but I think they're starting do this whole 24 hour thing. Random if you tell me, but they should still be open."

   I nodded. "Okay, to Vintage Things we go."

   She looked like she would've kissed me right then and there—she didn't. Anyway, she gave me a big smile. "Thanks, but we might have to look and see if there's one here."

:: :: ::

   "You should reach your destination in one mile."

   Zoey took back the phone when we realized that I'd be driving for one mile straight.

   "...I have one of these on my phone, but she can never get the directions right," Zoey commented. 

   I cracked a grin. "Well," I said, "if you wanna know the truth, I didn't know how to use this damn thing until you used it."

   She smiled and laughed a little before shaking her head and saying, "Wow."

   She then turned around around in her seat; looking out the back window. "Is that Tucker's car?"

   I checked my mirror and saw a bright orange vintage car trailing me. "Yeah, I think so."

   Zoey nodded. "Sorry," she said, "it's just your eye and the homecoming. You know how Warner High gets. It's like the West Side Story when it comes to our school versing Wayward."

   West Side Story? I was about to ask her about it. But then I thought about my bruised eye. Was it that noticeable? She was smart not to question me about it, though I wouldn't go ape on her or anything. However, she'd ask me all about it and I wouldn't wanna recall people--who I kinda thought I was cool with--helping my former friend beat my ass. I wasn't surprised that Simon Moore joined in on the "let's go beat Stint's ass fest." He was a huge asshole even before this time loop thing. It was about time that he gave into the opportunity of beating my ass.

   "...Isaac are you okay?"

   I looked at Zoey who was staring at me. "Huh?"

   Saying nothing, she looked at my hands on the wheel.

   I looked at my hands. I was gripping the steering wheel hard; my knuckles white.

   "You know... We could do a prank or something..."

   "What?" I said. Zoey had mumbled that last part.

   "We could get back at them," she stated, this time a little louder.

   If it wasn't for the lit up Vintage Things  sign that stood in the near distance, I would've jumped the curve when I turned into the less than crowded parking lot of the strip mall. Zoey and revenge? "You mean revenge?" I asked. I parked my car near the vintage store. 

   Zoey shook her head. "I wouldn't exactly call it revenge." I gave her a weird look. If you don't call getting back at them not revenge, then I didn't know what revenge was.

 "Fine," she sighed. "I just don't think they had a right to jump you like that. And speaking of which, why did your friend beat you up?"

   I could feel my jaw set. Like I said, I didn't wanna recall getting beat up by my former friend with the help of Simon Moore and his fucked up lackeys. But I didn't wanna drive Zoey away, not when I was this close to getting close to her. Close enough to change her mind. But if I told her that Peyton beat my ass for cheating on Justice—though, I was sure her and I were done. Zoey would just go blaming herself for everything, and I didn't want that, cuz it wasn't her fault.

   I stared at the building to Vintage Things. The lights were still on inside the store, and I knew I couldn't make this night miserable by dishing my things out to her. I needed to change the subject in order for everything to go fine. "We better head in before they decide to close," I told Zoey who was waiting for my explanation. I knew she knew I was changing the subject, but she didn't push it. I was gonna tell her, but just not right now.

:: :: ::

   "Hey Zoey!" shouted Kate from cross the other side of the store. "Do you know anything about easy-listening music? Cuz I'm supposed to give my grandparents some sort gift for their 50th anniversary."

   Zoey who was looking through the used vinyls rack, stopped what she was doing, and with a grin made her way to Kate.

   I was standing by Tucker, looking through some rap music with him. He had a handful of CDs tucked under his right armpit. "I'm gettin' me some Beastie Boys," he sang to himself. I gave him a weird look before shaking my head as I looked through more of the stack.

   Right when we entered the store. I knew Zoey was in her element, her natural habitat. The way her face lit-up when she entered the store was beautiful. Like, somehow, that person she was when her face lit-up right then and there could never be sad. But Zoey was sad, no matter how I wanted to see it. Zoey was sad, and little things that I'd love to call tentacles (like her asshole of a boyfriend who made her life a living hell) who always seemed to ruin her happiness. 

   "...I mean the way you stare at her man. Do you?"

   I hadn't been listening to whatever Tucker was telling me.

   "Huh?"

   Tucker rolled his eyes. "Isaac, I see the way you look at Zoey. Are you in love with her man?"

   I flushed at Tucker's question. I couldn't believe he was asking me this. I quickly glanced at Zoey, before turning my full attention on Tucker. He smirked. "Yeah you love her."

   For some odd reason that made me angry. I wasn't angry at Tucker, but how he thought he had me figured out somehow. He must've sensed the change in my demeanor because he put his hands up. "Oh sorry man, if it's something you still need to figure ou—"

   "I see you already have everything you need," Kate said, making Tucker jump up in surprise a little. "Uh yeah," he said giving me a look. He looked nervous now. I didn't mean to turn bipolar like that. Do you love Zoey? I didn't need to hear that. Not that I didn't, but love was a strong word and being in love seemed stronger.

   "You scared him,"  Zoey answered Kate's question to her boyfriend: Why did you jump up like a jumping Lima bean?

   I was about to laugh at Kate's play on words when the clerk of the store said from the counter: "Uh are you guys ready to check out?" Kate and Tucker made their way to the counter while I stayed back with Zoey. The corners of her mouth turned upward. "I got Take Me There's album," she said, a shine to her soft brown eyes. "I made sure it had that one song that we both said we liked. Ha, you know the one they played at the end of the concert? I think it's called..." She stopped to look for the name of the song, on the album cover.

   "Oh yeah there it is," she pointed at something on the cover. "Love and Time. Yeah that's the song's name."

   "Great," I said, hearing a smile in my voice. I grabbed for my wallet in my back pocket. "I'll buy it. I'll buy those other Three CDs you have in your hand, too."

   Zoey shook her head. "No Isaac, you don't have to do th—"

   "I am."

   And that was that.

:: :: ::

  When Zoey and I exited the store behind Kate and Tucker. Amazingly I wasn't surprised to find Lawson and his friends by my car. Even though me and Zoey weren't holding hands, I felt the distress radiating from her, and that gave me the determination to not let this ass ruin everything.

   "Hello Isa—"

   "Get the hell away from my car!" I shouted. He was leaning against it like he didn't give a damn whether or not he'd scrape the paint off, with his stupid button jacket. It was funny how things were going to start between me and this asshole, since we weren't even that close  to him and his group of buddies (in distance), but that didn't stop him from saying anything. 

   "You get the hell away from my girlfriend!" He countered back. I so badly wanted to rip this guy. 

   "Lawson it's not what you think it I—"

   He interrupted Zoey, his attention now focused on the couple beside us who were holding hands. "Oh and looky here, Leeds you're dating a Wayward student—Hello Kate."

   I glanced at Tucker who didn't seem fazed at Lawson's observation. He smirked at the ass. "Yeah, I'm dating her. So?"

   Kate acknowledged him by giving him the finger.

   Lawson laughed at Tucker's words, seemingly ignoring Kate's gesture. "Your brother is gonna be pissed man... We all know what happens when two individuals from these rival schools get together, right?"

   Tucker shrugged. "That thing that happened in the 80s man, was just a myth."

   The shitface ignoring Tucker, turned his attention back to me and his girlfriend. "Zoey, what's Stints doing to you that he has your mouth wrapped around his di—"

   He was not going to ruin this night.

   I punched Lawson.