She saw another text. "What the fuck does she want?" Karyn said. She quickly finished getting dressed, got her bag, and hurried out of the house to meet the person who sent her the message.
Zoe hustled out the door. She wanted to talk to someone before class.
As she got onto school grounds, she walked past the crowd of Goths hanging out behind the gym without a second thought. She'd been friendly with Stephanie Wright before she started hanging out with Sabrina Johnson, but they had drifted apart since.
As she walked past, Athena Devries got an odd feeling, and turned for a moment, noticing the girl passing by. But then the odd feeling faded, and she wondered why she had such a reaction to some random person she didn't know. Had Zoe remembered the previous reality, she might have noticed that Zelda wasn't with them either.
Zoe took a left and sat on the low wall surrounding the teacher's parking lot, waiting. She checked the time on her phone. Finally, realizing that who she was waiting for wasn't coming, she turned to head toward class and paused, spotting someone else meeting on the less crowded side of the school. Karyn Black and Tiffany Sanders.
Zoe had known Karyn for a long time. They'd been in the same classes in elementary and middle school a few times over the years, but they had never run in the same circles. But she'd been in classes with a lot of people in her school, and there were plenty she still hadn't. But her hanging around with Tiffany was major gossip. Tiffany was one of Sarah McMillan's closest friends and Karyn and Sarah hated each other. Zoe didn't spread gossip, but she wondered what the two might be talking about. Whatever it was, Tiffany had this smug look on her face as she left, leaving Karyn alone and obviously angry.
Karyn seemed to be trying to calm herself down when she spotted Zoe watching her. She rounded on the other girl. "Were you spying on us?"
"No...I was waiting for someone...who didn't show, and saw you. Are you all right?" Zoe asked.
Karyn calmed down. "Sorry...Sarah is just a real bitch..."
"No argument there," Zoe said. "Fortunately, she doesn't give a damn about me."
"Sarah doesn't give a damn about anyone. Doubly so if they aren't someone she can control," Karyn said.
"What is it between the two of you?" Zoe asked.
Karyn scowled. "I keep getting things she thinks should be hers...that Daddy's money can't buy her."
Zoe stopped herself from rolling her eyes at that. Karyn certainly steamrolled a few people in the midst of whatever power struggle she had with Sarah. But at least Karyn wasn't a total bitch about it. "Well, sorry to hear you're having a bad day. Hope it gets better."
"Thanks..." Karyn paused. "Zoe...right?"
"Yeah." Seriously...we had two classes together last year...I sat next to her in 5th grade.
"I'll see you around," she said, smiling in a somewhat friendlier manner.
"Sure, whatever..." Zoe said. "We'd better get inside before we're late."
Karyn nodded and they both headed toward the entrance. She was just...so tired of people with agendas. It was kind of refreshing to talk to someone who clearly didn't give a damn about her or Sarah.
