Rebecca tried to explain things to Lara, but she wasn’t sure if she really believed what Jon had told her about what was going on herself. She repeated it anyway.
“You are kidding me. “ Lara told Rebecca. This has to be one of Tiff’s jokes, but how did she get me from the mall to this house and get me into this outfit? She thought as she pulled at the dress.
Jon wasn’t really paying attention to the two of them at that moment; he was trying to work out what to do next. He returned to the channel that the TV had been on when Lara appeared.
The screen exploded back into a rush of images: lockers slamming shut, students laughing in a bright California hallway, a quick shot of a mall escalator carrying teenagers upward into a sea of neon storefronts. The promo had that unmistakable high-energy MTV rhythm—fast edits, sharp guitar riffs, and bold lettering splashing across the screen.
A voice-over cut through the music.
“If you’re looking for drama, style, and more attitude than a senior pep rally, flip over to MTV2 right now—because the halls of Westfield High are open!”
The screen cut to a hallway scene from L.A. High. Students streamed past rows of brightly colored lockers while the camera tracked alongside a girl striding confidently down the corridor.
Jon froze.
It was Zoe.
Not a photo. Not a resemblance.
Zoe.
She moved through the hallway like she was lost. She was wearing the exact outfit that Lara had been wearing earlier—black opaque tights and black velvet flats with jewelled detailing catching the light as she walked. The short leopard-print mini dress hugged her frame, its brown and gold tones standing out against the bright school setting. Over it, she wore the cropped black jacket dotted with small pale studs that flashed briefly whenever the camera shifted. A wide black leather belt with a bold buckle cinched her waist, and her large, round gold earrings swung slightly as she turned her head.
The announcer’s voice boomed back in.
“Catch the new girl shaking up Westfield High on L.A. High—airing right now on MTV2!”
The promo cut through a few more clips in rapid succession: the mall food court, a classroom scene, a group of students gathered around lockers. Zoe appeared again for a split second,
Then the promo ended as quickly as it had started.
The MTV logo flashed, the music sting faded, and the channel moved on to the next segment.
Jon stared at the television. Somehow, Zoe had ended up inside a show he had watched a few times himself, “L.A. High.” He nervously turned over to MTV2 to see if he could find his sister. He hoped that changing channels would not do anything to his Mom still inside the world of Stone P.I., but he had to. As much as he and Zoe got on each other's nerves, she was still his sister. But the channel was showing commercials at that moment, so he would have to wait and hope his Mom would be ok.
