Later, when Zoe had gotten home and was winding down for the night, she reflected on her day. She had never quite experienced a day like that day, and while she was wholly exhausted, she also felt somewhat exhilarated.
All day long she couldn't keep her mouth shut. She was just so happy! Half-way through the day her goth friends had tired of her and began to disappear whenever she came around, but that didn't even seem to bother Zoe that much. That day she was finding them a little bit dour for her tastes. She had found plenty of students to hang out with, if only briefly.
After school she didn't feel like going home, so she hung out on the bleachers outside, enjoying the sunshine (why didn't she do that more often, she wondered) and doing her homework. From a distance she admired the athleticism of the girls running their cheer routines. Sure, they were jerks, sheep, and all around losers, but boy could they move! She smiled during the human pyramid, and almost whooped every time one girl pulled off a flip. They were amazing athletes.
At home her parents had enjoyed having a daughter who talked to them, rather than hiding and sulking in her room all night. Zoe often thought of her family as a real drag, but that day they were all so nice to her. She was sure she loved them, and felt a little ashamed that she hadn't shown it in the past.
She was dressed in her pajamas and brushing her long black hair when she heard Jon pass in the hallway on the way to his room. "Goodnight Jon! Sweet dreams!" she called, making sure that every word sounded genuine.
"You too Zoe!" he called back, with a snicker in his voice. Why was he laughing? She dismissed it as a boy thing, then put her brush on her dresser and climbed into bed. She was sure that tonight, tired as she was, she would sleep like a log.
In Jon's room, in the dark, if you listened, you could hear him whisper, "Zoe Gibson. One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep, five sheep, six sheep, seven sheep, eight sheep, nine sheep, ten sheep."
There was nothing else but the soft sound of his breathing.
