Authors: Lily N Anderson
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Coming of Age, #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Fantasy, #Epic
Goodbye Normal
GOODBYE NORMAL
(The Zoe Brown Series: Book 1)
By Lily N Anderson
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real person, living or dead is coincidental.
Cover art design by Godwin Kalyanyama
Goodbye Normal ©2013 Lily N Anderson
DEDICATION
To my family: My darling mother; Theresia,
Brothers and Sisters; Patrick, Silver, Joyce and Andrew.
For your love and support.
Fairytale has it a glass slipper could grant a common girl a prince and his castle. Real tale however serves this platter with looks, money, connections and technology. At least that was what Zoe Brown’s head contemplated.
Her hypnotic pair of baby blue eyes settled on a poster of a young male model. Josh Mickels was perfectly glued to her bedroom’s creamy wall. Bound by her crush, the six-two Caucasian had no blemishes. Whilst considering both his inner and outer personalities, if her memory served her right, he surely was a guy to fantasize and metaphorically die for.
Perhaps it was also a poster to daydream over for nearly… Zoe shifted her regard from the poster to the ticking wall clock on her left… two hours!
“Great! Zoe, you’re officially a picture stalker.” She huffed then resorted to what she had been doing. Placed in front of her by the desk, was a half-read historical romance novel.
With a smirk, she boldly shared the blame with the handsome, strong dukes and flawless duchess. Who wouldn’t drift away and get gripped by their promises of never fading flames of passionate romances?
Zoe remembered her afternoon plans with Liz and leapt out of her office chair. Liz Beth Donaldson was plausibly her one and only friend.
She sprinted towards her dressing mirror with the aim of judging her outlook for probable alterations. A five ft eight body, clothed with a loose jade top and a pair of jean shorts reflected back to her. She spun for the mirror and a knock on the door dislodged the always irritating procedure.
Zoe tilted her neck to the door then answered back at the knock.
“Come in.” she sang.
Her face slewed back to the mirror where from it she saw the reflection of Liz. Turning around, she met her best friend’s vague glare. Zoe made a spry assessment of her outfit. In a short jeans skirt and a razor back top Liz was an inch shorter than her, blonde with a pretty oval face and warm green eyes. Only that they weren’t very warm that instance.
“Hey you, that’s a first! You can actually knock!” she said “plus I didn’t hear you drive in.”
A genuine wonder masked her face as she searched outside her window for Liz’s sleek Scion tC.
Hands akimbo, Liz shrugged “I figured I don’t need any kinda surprises and about you not hearing me come in…that should be because my engine is not screechy or it’s a possibility that you were cocooned in your stupid dreamland staring at your ‘fictional knight in shining abs’.” Liz said, shooting an accusing glance at Josh’s poster.
Liz knew her too well it was annoying.
“You can’t blame me. Josh is a total killer and mind you he is real, flesh and blood! Not some fantasy histrion.” Zoe cooed defensively while scrutinizing their subject. As if agitated by her stubbornness, Liz threw herself on the bed and laid down facing the ceiling.
“Oh please Zoe, that’s being delusional and you have brains enough to figure it out.” Liz said unimpressed.
“I’m not snubbing! On the contrary this is me being real. Oh wait! Since you’re the realist between us, tell me this Lizzy. When you look at that body, don’t you wish he was your pillow to lie on, Or maybe a shoulder to lean on. Just look at those gorgeous eyes! He is the perfect escort to wherever. And better yet a guy to call my boyfriend. Isn’t he just so appealing?” Zoe observed the poster with a broad dreamy grin.
Liz groaned, shot up and looked at her friend improbably. “Do you hear yourself? I can list a gazillion guys who are worth your attention. I should really get you a boyfriend ASAP.” Liz declared thoughtfully “You are beginning to scare me you know. Talking from experience honey…stop burying yourself in those romance novels. They are not good for a yearning heart like yours. I see we’re already imagining some modern fairy tale? How charming, ‘I will so die for you my one and only true love’.” Liz illustrated with dramatic charm.
Zoe ignored her sarcasm with a lip twitch, picked a top that was lying on the bed and tried match making it as she listened to Liz’s sermon.
“You know there is no such thing as undying love in this world right? I’m not very certain about love itself, still collecting my findings….Uhm Zow, the top you’re wearing is way better than the one you’re holding.” Liz said, assessing the oversized white top Zoe was considering.
Liz then continued. “You find that in movies and novels and melodramatic fictions. Or else Zack’s dad would still be around and I’m certain that with the continuous haggles between my parents, I’m the only thing keeping then from breaking up.” she argued, looking very satisfied with her hypothesis.
Zoe was dumbstruck! She couldn’t believe her ears coming from the girl whose relationship was scaling two years at the age of eighteen. One didn’t get such digits often these days.
She couldn’t help but think that Liz was getting too worked up over the matter; or rather it was Liz being Liz.
“Your parents are married! They don’t break up, they…” Liz cut her short impatiently by shooting her palm at her.
“I know…” Liz shouted then proceeded with a descent tone. “Of course I know the D’ word, It’s just...I just don’t like to hear or say it. It feels like a jinx and I don’t want that to happen to them. No matter how much I despise them and besides I’m enjoying my already footloose, fantastic life! Free from books, pop quizzes and tests. I don’t need my pretty blonde head to have family caused migraines.” Liz creased as her fingers dug through her postiche maze of dangling locks.
Zoe raised her thick lashes at Liz “You have issues.” she concluded while trying on a colorful hair band.
“Better my morale issues than your pathetic ones… anyhow pack up already, finishing high school ought to be fun, and that’s what I’ll be having, so chap chap, I’ll be in the kitchen. I feel so thirsty right now that anything in liquid form could do.” Liz announced while heading for the door.
“There are lots of liquid on the detergent cabinet in the laundry room.” Zoe suggested with a sweet, fake smile.
“Ha ha ha very funny, I love your sense of humor
Juliet,
my only concern however, is that I’m not your
Romeo
so don’t count on me dying for you anytime soon.”
Soon after shutting her door, Zoë was back to the image in the mirror. She timidly stepped closer to it, as if uncertain of her decision. It was a stupid feeling but she certainly felt it. She stared at her reflection and critically evaluated her appearance. Something she didn’t do quite often.
She occasionally practiced ‘mirror mirror on the wall’ to make a choice of clothes to wear or makeup orientation. Only now a guy yet to know of her existence was making her judge her esteem. The notion itself was an incredulous dissemblance. But what if she met her prince charming that very moment, would he like what she was gazing at right there and then?
The heritage from a black father and Caucasian mother ran through her veins, that combination gave her a beautiful dark olive skin. Wavy strands of heavy brown hair raced down to her shoulders. But her baby blue eyes were more misery than the incredibility they bestowed. She was fairly tall with comfortable weight to carry around. But was very sure that she was not an exceptional beauty altogether, high school had proven that alright.
“Zoe let us go.” Liz’s impatient cry brought her back to the present.
Now she kinda missed school even though she sucked at it. That was specifically because she had to endure having her mom as their history teacher. That instant, Zoe realized that having a liberal life was making her rather eccentric.
She stuffed her bag with her swimsuit, lotion; wallet, phone and a towel then rushed out, almost buffeting her younger brother Zack on the corridor.
“Oops sorry dude.” she shot a downcast glare at his miffed face.
Zack looked up at her like she was crazy “what where you’re going!” then his eye fell down to her naked feet.
“Plus where are you going bare footed?”
“Great!” she glowered down at her red painted nails.
Zoe darted back to her room, headed straight to her closet and pulled out pink strapless wedge sandals. She grimaced at the sight of other sandals and made a quick decision to run with whatever she had on her hands. No time to be picky, not with Liz’s foul attitude. She flew her components to the door while scurrying towards the hysteric hoots that were reverberating.
“Zack I’ll be home before dinner, don’t do anything stupid...please… please… please, and tell mom to call me if she needs anything when she gets back, I guess she’ll be home in.” she glanced quickly at the time on her phone “thirty minutes.” she yelled.
There was no reply, so she figured there were some earphones tenably plugged into his already deafening ears.
She held the car handle and stared back at the house. Deciding whether to lurch back inside and make certain her message was delivered. But Liz’s impatient howl forced her out of the consideration.
“Get in the damn car, damn it Zoe, what’s with you today?” Liz urged, sounding annoyed.
Zoe was about to reverse her question, but knew not to fuel up her dark side. She opened the door, threw her bag on the back seat then perched herself on the front. Before she could even wear her seat belt, the car was already out of the driveway.
“Okay madam, dwindle down your to do list. Your faithful minion is ready to serve you.” Liz said, beamingly.
Zoe tucked her hair which was getting blown up by the wind with a pair of brown goggles that she had been holding on to.
“Here goes loyal chauffeur. First to the beach, am already loving the weather by afar.” she said and automatically glanced outside through the rolled down windows onto the big blue promising sky “There after we’ll pass by Big Joe’s and… oh no! It’ll be too late for the car dealership. That will have to be dragged down to the to-do list for the morrow.”
Liz smirked “Yeah, sure thing… Damn! It’ll be so weird not carrying you around. I’ll totally miss you in my front seat. This car will feel so empty without you in it.”
“I’ll so miss my faithful and loyal plus garrulous chauffer.” she muttered, tapping her shoulder affectionately.
“I talk a lot but I know you enjoy it. As it is, let me make my last day of service as efficient as possible. Maybe you might reconsider and come to terms with the obvious fact that driving yourself around, with no one to talk AT you all day long isn’t your thing.” she gave out a soft chuckle.
Even with the generous hint of jocularity, Liz’s voice held sadness and Zoe could feel the gloom.
“Oh come on Lizzy, it won’t be that bad.” Zoe said gently. She then fished around for a quick solution for their situation “what if we made plans to shift cars once in a while. Say we use both cars at different times. Only that this time we alternate, that way we both get to drive our cars, and spend time with each other as always.”
“I love your brains when they don’t involve Mickels.” she said, her eyes fixed on the road.
“Seriously? We are back to that AGAIN!” It was really exasperating.
“No, trust me I do not favor the topic, but I was serious about getting you a boyfriend. Because you tell me, when was the last time you went out with a guy? You only dated Chris Moore in high school and no one else after or before him. Not unless you have some liaison hiding somewhere. Yah know it’s as if when the dude shifted, he killed your sense of male lustfulness.”
“Eeeew, No he didn’t.” she cried “And thank you for the offer. I know you have my best interest at heart, but I can find my own guy. You and I have completely different tastes in guys. I don’t understand what you see in your boring kind but I like mine intriguing like…”
“Please spare me the drama.”
“Will you stop interrupting? I was going to say Chris. He was a GOOD catch.” she snapped.
“And a bad boy, people were scared of the dude. He looked like he dropped out of college! Not a sophomore high school guy.”
Despite the obvious witty intention, Zoe was getting annoyed by how Liz hated her male choices.
“He wasn’t that bad. He just had a rough childhood and yes, he sure was a little older, but it was just by three years. Besides, people were kinda scared of me too you know. We were the perfect match.” Zoe affirmed with a lip pout.
“I, on the bitter end was terrified. It was the one time in high school I couldn’t tag along everywhere you went.” Liz laughed softly to her memory “Looking at the bright side, there are plenty of hot boys in Doomsberg. Just open your pretty eyes and you will see, just like that one over there.” she pointed outside the window to a phony looking Caucasian guy with a weird tattoo on his arms. Surprising enough, the guy saw them checking him out and happily winked at them.
Zoe giggled coyly as Liz blew him a kiss and winked back.
“I’d gladly share him with you Liz. But you said it yourself they are just boys! I want more than that n” Liz interrupted again. Zoe rolled her eyes at her, and raised her hands in surrender.
“Haah… My bad! That came out wrong. But with all that going on.” she elaborated, dancing her index finger over her, “you my dear have a variety of suitors. Be it boys, gents, men or take a hike in the wild side… the sugar daddies.” Liz grinned broadly while turning her wheels towards the road bearing Bluewaters public beach.
Color rose to Zoe’s chicks “My Goodness Liiizzy!” she giggled, elbowing her free arm.
“Blimey mi lady, am still but a lady of the court, blind to everything else but the queen’s desires, not seen much on the ways of the contemporary lords of the manor” Zoe continued in a not so bad British accent. Chuckling away, Liz shot her a surprised brow.
“That is good progress student; you are just about to beat me. I should talk to Eden more often to score some points.” She sighed then went on “Oh my, am impressed…And speaking of Eden, I have not spoken to him in like forever but since he knows that I like the accent, He brags as if he has been there all his life, that damn braggy fool.”
“Six years is a long time, will he be coming back anytime soon?” Zoe inquired.
Shaking her head timidly Liz said. “I don’t know.” for a split second Zoë would have sworn she had seen immense sadness in her eyes but the eyes suddenly flickered with excitement “Here we are, the beautiful white land of Bluewaters.” she exclaimed as her feet stomped the brakes of the car.
