Joey
I smelled her before I saw her. A rich wave of perfume followed her everywhere.

Four of my senses were activated. I didn't even need to use my eyes to identify her.

I could taste the difference in air quality. HD oxygen. Organic air. Whatever you'd call it.

I could hear the sound of her high heels, becoming louder and louder as she neared.

I could feel the anxiety awaken in my stomach. Everything about her gave me angst.

Zoe Serpico smiled down at me, bright white veneers dazzling my eyes. My pulse began to quicken. Not from attraction, but from fear.

Serpico, or 'The Serpent' as everyone called her behind her back, tormented me all my life. Even in kindergarten, she stole my toys and smashed them in my face. Out of all her friends, she was the worst. Even worse than Ruth Charleville. Ruth Scaryville, I always called her.

The Serpent's greeting did nothing to settle my nerves. "Hiya Joseph!"

My eyes scanned around the room for safety. Everyone was smiling and joking among their friends, but I could sense their judging eyes watching us.

Watching The Serpent was considered entertainment in Summerhill High. Zoe was the Kim Kardashian of Idaho. Kim would be insulted if she knew what kind of a monster she was being compared to.

Everyone always needed to know more. Her whole life was on display on social media. On her Instagram, she flaunted her body in flimsy swimsuits on board yachts sipping strawberry champagne. On snapchat, she posted pictures from backstage of concerts with Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber. Legend has it she even had Beyoncé's phone number.

"Joseph? How are you?" Her shrill voice hurt my ears. The high pitch rang around my ears like an alarm. My 'bitch alert' alarm.

"What are you doing, Zoe?"

A fake laugh escaped her blood red lips. Her eyes, shaped by eyeliner crinkled with fake humor. I didn't recall anyone saying anything remotely funny.

"I just wanted to catch up with one of my oldest friends," she smiled, her pink and shiny cheeks plumping as she spoke.

I lifted my bottle to my lips. Then I changed my mind. My desire for a drink faded as rapidly as my hope of her leaving me alone.

My suspicions began to rise higher. Much more of this, and my nerves would be as high as the Empire State. What could she possibly want from me?

I thought that I escaped her when we came to high school. She found new targets and I became invisible. I assumed she was bored of picking on me. Maybe I should've kept my guard up for longer. I knew captaining the school soccer team in sophomore year was a huge mistake. It cast me into the spotlight. Her spotlight.

"You look terrible. Do you want to go to the nurse?" The Serpent's face filled with concern.

"Yeah, I think I'll go see her now," I rose to my feet, towards safety. But The Serpent stood up too. Her hand touched my arm. "Y-you don't need to come with me."

A small pout appeared on her lips. She touched my arm again. This time she didn't let go. Bile shot up my throat into my mouth, like one of those strength hammer-and-bell games at the carnival. She could feel it. She could feel my weakness. The lack of muscle beneath my skin. The softness. The pudginess.

"I'm worried about you, Joseph," she said, squeezing my bicep. I'm surprised she didn't flinch away in disgust at how small my arm felt, to her varsity football player standards.

"That's a first," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I yanked my limb out of her grip, as her nails tightened against my skin.

Her eyebrows knitted together. "What?"

I huffed and packed up my lunchbox. "I gotta go, Zoe. Sorry."

I turned on my heel and strode off, half-walking, half-jogging away.

"Wait!" Zoe cried out.

I ignored her.

I kept walking until I was convinced she wasn't following me. Once I felt safe enough, I stopped. My eyes screwed shut and I leaned my arm against the nearest locker.

She was the death of me.

She still was the death of me.

She would forever be the death of me.

At that moment, every memory of her from the past fifteen years ran through my mind. Memories of her laughing at me, mocking my braces, and getting her boyfriends to beat me up.

Every day that passed since I became invisible, was a day I spent dwelling in the past. Her comments moved forward with me, trapping me in her bubble. She might've forgotten about me, but I never forgot about her.

"Joey, what's wrong?" Simone said, as she approached. Her round face stared at me with concern.

I rubbed both of my eyes and stood up tall, shaking every thought of The Serpent out of my head. If only I could do that forever. It would hit me again tonight, when I lay in bed awake at 1am.

"She came up to me," I sighed, shifting my weight from foot to foot. "The Serpent."

Simone gasped. Her worried expression transformed into fury. "What the hell does she think she's doing?!"

I shrug my shoulders. "I've no idea. She said something about 'catching up'."

Simone giggled menacingly. "I'll go 'catch up' with her now."

A flashback of Simone punching The Serpent in the face danced before my eyes. I grabbed onto her arm as she tried to burst past, while steam whistled out of her ears.

"No, Simone. Don't!" I pleaded, grabbing her shoulders before history could repeat itself.

Simone kept trying to wiggle out of my arms, startlingly similar to an earthworm. "I'll thwack her. I swear to god, Joey. Just gimme the word and I'll rattle her."

I sighed and held her tighter until she began to relax. "That won't be necessary. While you've been practicing your headshot, I was thinking."

Simone huffed with disappointment before giving me a suspicious stare. "Nothing good ever comes of you thinking. Especially about her."

It hurt for her to say that. I knew she meant the best. But I could never lose that feeling for Zoe. I couldn't even call her The Serpent in my head for a long time. Once upon a time, I adored her. And she destroyed me. She really did.

"I know. But maybe she has come around. What's the worst that could happen?"

Simone scoffed. Her arms folded. "Oh, nothing much. She could... Y'know, break your heart again? Not too big of a deal."

Her sarcasm was as salty as boiled ham. I understood her concerns. But part of me wanted to give Zoe a chance. Maybe she actually meant what she said.

It would kill me if I finished up senior year without finding out the truth. It'd haunt me for the rest of my life and be the death of me eventually. In years to come, I would look back at high school and think of only Zoe, and the questions I never got to ask her.

"I won't put my heart out there for her to mess with. We'll have a civilized conversation and I'll walk away cured," I reassured Simone, who desperately needed convincing. From the look on her face, it would take a lot to change her tune.

"Look Si, I need this. She's been in my head for years. She's given me pain, anxiety, self doubt and everything else except joy. I need clarity. I need her."

Simone's face sunk. Her hazel eyes darkened and her shoulders sagged. She bowed her chin until it hit her collarbone. Strands of her bright purple hair fell onto her face.

I took the opportunity to soften her up. I used my finger to scoop the loose strands back behind her ear. The same finger moved her face upwards until I locked eyes with my best friend.

"Do you understand me?" I asked, in a low whisper. She nodded her head.

"I get it. But what you don't remember is that she bullied me too. I nearly died because of her. She took everything from me. I'll never be able to forgive her like you can."

For a second, Simone's confident wall crumbled. I saw the vulnerable, anorexic teenager I met in that white room once again. It felt like taking a step back in time. I was in The Room, recovering from the wrong route of escape.

"Hey, hey. It wasn't all bad. I mean, I met my best friend because of her," I forced a sad smile onto my face. Simone stared blankly at me. "You."

A painful smile made its way onto her face. She pulled me into a tight squeeze of a hug. "I'd be lost without you, Joey."

I hug her back. "I'd be lost without you too, Si."

We continued embracing for several seconds, ignoring several wolf whistles and jeers from our peers. Her body exerted this incredible warmth, that didn't just heat your body, but your soul.

"If things work out well with The Serpent, do you think maybe I could have a chat with her someday?" Simone murmured into my shoulder. I smiled again, relieved.

"Of course."

She released me first, although her hands still gripped onto my forearms. She stared straight into my eyes. "No feelings?"

"Yessir!"

"No love?"

"No way!"

"No broken heart?"

"Definitely not."

"And no sex!"

"Wait.... what? Si- I uh don't think- I mean... What?"

Simone grinned at me, her cheekiness once again returning. Her pale cheeks flushed with color. Once again, she was vibrant and colorful, just like her violet hair. She winked at me before pushing me back towards the cafeteria.

I strode back to the danger zone without looking back. I marched straight into the cafeteria. The confidence in my body evaporated when I spotted her, sitting where I left her, typing on her phone.

I gulped, closed my sweaty hands and slowly trudged in her direction. It took her a while to notice me. I guess years of ignoring me gave her a bit of a habit. I coughed loudly and she looked up.

"Joseph! You're back! Are you alright?" Her face was etched with concern. It was so strange. Seeing her emote like a normal human being was new to me.

"Yeah. I uh. I mean, I was thinking. Uhh. I was thinking maybe, uh. Maybe we should try catch up. I think uh, it would be good for both of us."

Finally it came out. It was a mess. God only knows if she could understand me over my stutter and nerves. But I said it. In some shape or form.

A bright smile cracked across her face. She jumped up with glee. "Oh yes! Thank you Joseph. I was hoping so bad that you would say that!"

I smiled sheepishly back at her, unsure of what to say. "So where will we start?"

Zoe blinked rapidly, her long lashes batting like wings. "Uh...? You want to talk now? Here? In front of everyone?" She paused. "I don't think that's a good idea."

As if on cue, everyone that she spoke about shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The cafeteria was still buzzing with people, although a stiff silence had settled among them. Zoe's voice resonated around the entire room. There were nosy ears everywhere, desperate to find out what Zoe Serpico was up to. It wasn't safe to bring up our past here.

The distant memory of a butterfly's wings flapping inside me became almost tangible. I couldn't believe my ears.

"Y-you want us to... meet up somewhere?"

Zoe smiled again, her pearly white teeth in full display. One curt nod followed. Her perfectly straight hair didn't even twitch. "Uh huh. I was thinking Starbucks on Main Street?"

I flinched. "Sorry, I don't like Starbucks."

A flash of confusion and shock twitched inside Zoe's left eye when I spoke. "That's ok!" She chirped, seemingly unfazed. "Where would you like to go?"

She put me on the spot. How was I supposed to tell the most popular girl in school where to go? I was thinking about her Instagram. What was the name of that organic place she went to last week?

"I know a place. It's just a little cafe. Family owned. They do the best cappuccinos ever! It's called Freddie's. It's amazing!"

I winced at how terrible I sounded. It was as if I worked there or something and was trying to get a good tip off her. I didn't have long to wallow on my awkwardness.

Zoe sent me one more dazzling smile. "That sounds perfect. I'll meet you there straight after school."

She turned on her heel to walk off. I closed my eyes in relief and finally let out that breath I was holding in. The air was sucked out of my lungs when I heard her pitter-patter back. Before I even had the chance to open my eyes, her soft lips pressed against my cheek.

By the time I finally opened my eyes, she was gone. My knees turned to jelly and I collapsed onto the chair behind me. I was in disbelief that after all this time, Zoe would be the one calling for a reconciliation.

My breathing began to relax once the reality of what had just happened sunk in. I let a dopey smile reflect my mood.

I was kinda looking forward to this.