Chapter 9

Once, at Link’s place Zoë got in the shower to get ready for the big parade at the park.  She had to be there at 7:30, and it was already 7:00 by the time she got out of the shower, so she quickly threw her clothes on knowing she’d have to get into costume and everything once she got there, so she decided not to worry with her hair or makeup.

Link, drove her to the park and said he was going to stick around and watch the parade.  He had the day off, so he didn’t have to work.  Zoë, didn’t quite understand the sense in it.  If he was going to be there he might as well work.  “Oh well” she, thought.  And then hurried off to get ready for the parade that would start sharply at 9:00AM.
 

Shortly after 9:00, JC and Justin made their way through the crowd of people standing along the street watching the parade.  In their sunglasses and baseball caps, hoping to go unnoticed.

“I still can’t believe you drug me out of bed at 6:00 in the morning to come to a fucking parade!” Justin, griped.

“Stop your bitching, Justin.  You know that’s not why I drug you out of bed.  I really screwed up last night, and you gotta help me convince Zoë, to come back home.”

“Ok, so then can I bitch about you bringing me into your problems with Zoë.  Me and her are fine.  I don’t want her getting pissed off at me because of you.” Justin, grumbled.

“No, you can’t bitch about that either!  Now keep watching for her!” JC, said back pushing his way through the crowd watching the parade as it made it’s way down the road in the park.  He had no clue where at in the parade Zoë was going to be or anything.  So his plan was to locate her and then rush down to the end so they could cut her off before going backstage after it was over with.

They pushed their way a little further on down through the crowd before Justin finally spotted her.  “There she is!” he, told JC pointing her out of the other people she was dancing around in the street with.

“OK, we need to beat them to the end!” JC, said picking up his pace, and pushing his way through the crowd.  Justin, right on his heels.
 

Link, stepped forward from behind a few people after JC and Justin had pushed on down a bit.  “I think I need to check this out!” he, thought to himself.

He stayed back far enough to go unnoticed by JC and Justin, but close enough to hear their conversation as they made their way down the road.  When they came to the end of the line where the parade would end they posted up on the sidelines waiting for Zoë to make it down to where they were.

Link, took stance a few feet behind them listening intently to their conversation.  Justin, was asking JC how he could have done what he did, and the two then got into it about JC acting like a dumbass.

Link, didn’t get all the information he was hoping to get, but he’d gathered enough from their conversation to know that JC had come home drunk, and Zoë had walked in on him and another women and then JC had blown up at her about it, and then kissed her and said a bunch of unkind words to her.  “No wonder she’s so pissed at him.” he, thought to himself.

He was rambling through ideas he’d had in his head since he’d found out who Zoë’s friends were.  Initially, he was going to try to smooth his way in, and see if she could talk the guys into helping him further his career.  But the few times he’d brought it up to her, she’d blown the idea off, saying she couldn’t ask the guys for something like that.  That it wouldn’t be right of her.

But now he was coming up with an even better idea.  He could tell by the way JC and Justin argued about the events of the night before that they both really cared about Zoë.  JC, obviously loved the girl.  He stood and listened as JC tore himself up one wall and down another about what had happened.  He really did feel bed.  It was then that he knew he could use JC’s love and concern for Zoë to his benefit.

All he had to do was convince Zoë to come stay with him for a few days.  To really piss JC off.  And blackmail him into paying him some serious cash to stay away from Zoë.  But he had to be slick about it.  Zoë, wasn’t a stupid girl.  An the slightest screw up and it would all backfire in his face.  An evil smile slid across his face, as he figured out just what he had to do.
 

Zoë, finally reached the end of the parade line and was heading towards the backstage area with the rest of the performers in her group when she noticed Justin and JC running her direction.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” she, asked.

“We came to watch your performance.” Justin, said putting on a I’m too sweet you cannot resist me smile.

“That’s not gonna work, Justin!” she, told him and then turned her attention to JC.  “Can’t you just leave me alone for a while.  I don’t want to be around you after what you said and did this morning.”

“Zoë, I know!  I was an ASS!  And I’m sorry.  I was drunk and I totally fucked up!  I’m so sorry!  Please, come home so we can talk about this.  I don’t want to lose you over this.  You’re my best friend and I love you, Zo.  Please believe me when I say I’m sorry!”

Zoë, looked at JC.  She saw the sincerity in his eyes.  He was truly sorry, she could see it on his face.  But that didn’t excuse what he’d said.  She was still mad, and she had the right to be mad for a while.  “I need time to process everything.  I’ll be home later.” she, told him.

“Are you sure that’s what you wanna do sweetheart?” Link, said stepping up next to Zoë and hugging her.  “I don’t know what he’s so sorry for or what REALLY happened.  But I can tell you what he was telling his friend her happened.” he, continued.

“What the hell are you talking about?” JC, asked growing angry at the mere sight of him, and his accusing tone.

“What do you mean?” Zoë, asked looking up at Link who had his arm wrapped around her back.

“Well, I overheard them talking.  Joshy, here was telling Justin all about last night.  Although, I don’t believe his side of the events.  I feel like I know you better than that.”

“What do you mean his side of the events?” Zoë, asked still looking up at him.

“Well, JC here told Justin that you came on to him last night.  They you tried to sleep with him.  And then you got pissed off when he turned you down.  But I know you better than that.  He’s obviously lying, right honey?  Please, tell me it’s not the truth.” Link, said in his most desperate voice.

“Oh yeah, you’re real good buddy!” Justin, said.

“Well, Zo?  Is it true?  Did you try to sleep with him?” Link, asked acting as if he was upset with her.  He was trying to get her worked up since she hadn’t responded yet.

“Of coarse I didn’t do that!  JC, why would you say such a thing?” she, demanded turning her fury on him.

“I didn’t say that!  I told Justin the truth!  I told him..” JC, was going to tell her exactly what he told Justin, but Link cut him off.

“See, he’s not your real friend Zoë.  He’s just some celebrity with a big head that gets off on making up shit about people.  He obviously doesn’t care the way he claims to care.” Link, told her.

“I don’t understand.  Why would you do that, JC?  Why on earth would you…” she, trailed off trying to figure out what was going.

“Let’s go, baby.  You don’t need jerks like this in your life.  You’ve got me!” Link, said leading her away from the guys while she was still in a state of confusion.  He didn’t want to give her time to think straight to realize it couldn’t be true.  Or for JC and Justin to bound him into the ground or get anymore of their story out.

“NO STOP!” JC, yelled marching over and jerking Zoë out of Link’s arms.  “He’s lying!  I didn’t say any of that.  Did I Justin?”

“No of coarse not, Zoë you know us better than that.”

“Really guys, please!  Your embarrassing yourselves.” Link, sneered and pulled Zoë out of JC’s grasp leading her away again.

“NO!  Zoë, listen to me!” JC, said jerking her around again.

‘See, would someone that really cares jerk you around like that, Zo!  He thinks he owns your!  Don’t give into his games!” Link, coaxed.

“Dude I’m gonna beat your ass!” JC, snarled.

“No you stay away from him JC!  And you stay away from me too!” Zoë, yelled at him, and turned to run off into the building.

“ZOE!!!” JC, yelled after her.

Link, started walking backwards away from the two very angry men.  He held his hands up in the air.  “I guess you’ve lost your Zoë forever!  Now, haven’t you!” he, smirked.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you!” JC, grumbled, and went to leap for him, but Justin pulled him back.

“No man, he’s not worth it.  Zoë’s, not stupid.  She’ll see right through his bogus act.  She knows you better than that man!” Justin, tried to reassure his friend.  Although, he himself wanted to bash the guy’s head in at the stunt he was pulling.

“She’ll believe whatever I tell her.  I’ve got that girl wrapped around my finger!  In more ways than one.” Link, smirked.  “But I’ll be in touch to let you know exactly how you can get her back.  But first I’ve gotta have a lil’ more fun with her.”

“IF you fucking touch her!” JC, leaped for him again.  And again Justin held him back.  “I swear on everything that’s holy to me I’ll kill you!” he, grumbled pointing at Link, from behind Justin’s body.

“Like I said I’ll be in touch!” Link, said giving the two guys one last smirk before ducking into the employees only door.

“I cannot fucking believe this!” JC, yelled running his hands through his hair in frustration.

“I know.  What the hell does he want?  He obviously doesn’t give a shit about her.  He’s just playing games!” Justin, said pacing back and forth.

“I swear Justin.  If I get my hands on that guy.  I cannot be held responsible for what I’ll do to him.  IF he hurts her in any way.  I’ll fucking kill him!” he, said now pacing.

“I’m right there with you man!” Justin, said as he stopped and looked around.  They were causing a bit of a scene and getting more attention than they needed to get.  “Maybe we should get out of her.  A lot of people are looking at us.  It wont take long for them girls to figure out who we are.”

“I can’t just go and leave Zoë here with him!” JC, exclaimed.

“Well, right now she’s not going to leave with you!  He’s not going to hurt her.  We both know she’s with him.  He has to know better than to pull some stupid shit like that.”

“I hope your right Justin!” JC, said looking at his friend with pure fire and agony in his eyes.

“Come on.  Let’s get out of here while the getting’s good.  And then we can figure out what to do from there!” Justin, said ushering his friend in the opposite direction so they could head back to the car.
 

Inside, the building Link looked around until he found Zoë in a corner crying.  His plan was working perfectly so far.  Now, he just had to keep reinforcing those negative thoughts into her head, and not give her time to think clearly about JC.

“It’s ok baby.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean for you to get caught up in this, or for you to get hurt.  But I thought you should know what he was saying.  After all he was supposed to be your Best Friend, and he was supposed to care about you and your feelings.  But it’s obvious to me that he doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself and his image.”

Zoë, cried harder at Link’s words.  Her heart was breaking inside.  She couldn’t understand how JC could do that to her.  He wasn’t the person she thought he was.  The guy that she once knew.  What he’d done the night before, and the things he’d told Justin were all proof of that, she thought.

“I know what your thinking baby.  You’re thinking you don’t have anyone, but you do.  You have me.  And Zoë, I know this isn’t the right time to tell you this, but I think you need to hear it right now.”  He, pulled her chin up so she was looking at him.  “Zoë, I’m falling in love with you.  And you’ve got me.  I’m here baby!” he, said in his most comforting voice.

Zoë, jumped up and hugged him as she continued to cry.  She couldn’t think straight she was so upset.  Here she just found out that JC was no longer the person she thought he was, and she’s feeling all alone, yet Link is there.  He cared.  He was falling in love with her.  She wasn’t alone after all.

“Come on baby.  Let’s get you cleaned up and go back to my place so you can rest.  It’s been a long morning.” he, said ushering her towards the locker room to get changed.