The thrash of guitars and a Scandanavian growl were the only things Zoe could hear at the moment. Her nose was buried in some gothic literature, and she was trying to get her mind off of another lame day, and the strange behavior from her father.
I can't believe I have such a fucking weird family. she thought. She felt a tickle building in her nose.
"AAAHHH-CHOOO" she sneezed, though she could barely hear it over the blaring music. Must be the dust from this old book, she thought.
Zoe kept reading, but after a few minutes it started getting, well, boring. She'd read a paragraph, then totally zone out. She put the book down, not bothering to mark her place. Then the music blasting from her stereo really started to grate on her. She quickly turned it off, deciding she'd rather listen to something with a bit more of a back beat. Maybe some hip-hop or club music. Which she didn't have. Maybe there was something else to do...
Meanwhile, Roger had curled up on the couch. Instead of the usual Sportscenter, he felt oddly compelled to watch E News. That's way more engaging than whoever scored a touchdown in the World Series, he thought.
Ryan Seacrest was reading some story about Kim Kardashian. "Too bad about her and Reggie," Roger said to himself. Wait, that wasn't right. Did he even know who she was? Roger racked his brain. Of course, he thought, Weren't we best friends? Roger felt more confusion. He remembered Kim, of course. Going to clubs with her, and how she'd become kind of a bitch. But something didn't feel quite right. He hoped he wasn't coming down with something.
At that moment, Zoe came down the stairs. She sat next to her father on the couch, not noticing that his hair was even longer and more blonde, or that he was a good ten pounds slimmer. Instead, she complimented his earrings.
"They're hot," she said.
"Thanks," Roger replied. "I like what you've done with your hair," he said. Zoe's long, black hair was now a few shades lighter, and was taking on a soft, wavy curl. Zoe smiled. Maybe her family wasn't so weird after all.
Roger was happy that he was finally able to spend some quality time with Zoe. They watched the program together, occasionally breaking the silence to comment on some celebrity's wardrobe or gush about Seacrest. They were so enthralled that they failed to hear the front door open and close.
