The Stripper And The Anxiety-riddled Dork

We'll meet again, Zen

Chapter 31

Codi looked from Russet and Orange's curled up forms in the carrier in her arms to the elevator doors when they had dinged and began to open. She waited until the doors opened completely before stepping out, gently shushing Orange when he released a rather loud mew.

Russet hissed at her brother's loudness and gave him a quick whack, the orange kitten letting out one last weak mew before finally quieting down. Codi sighed at the two rambunctious kittens and finally looked back up only to still when she spotted Zen sitting on the floor next to the Hotel's entrance.

"You're leaving again, huh." Zen stated when Codi's shoes had entered her view. She didn't bother to look up even as the older brunette crouched down so they were at the same level.

"I was never staying for long, girly."

"I know...It still sucks though." Zen grumbled, picking at a loose strand on one of her hightops. Codi pursed her lips slightly before tilting her head forward and gently knocked their heads together.

The younger finally looked up due to the sudden action, pale-blue connecting with hazel. Codi grinned down at her, Zen's head tilting slightly.

"We'll see each other again, girly."

"...You promise?"

"Cross my heart." Codi hummed, Zen's gaze roaming over the elder's face for any sign of lying only to see nothing but earnestness. She took notice of the carrier bag held in Codi's arms and slouched forward a bit more, stretching an arm out in order to draw an 'X' over Codi's chest.

"Now, you gotta keep your promise."

"I will, Zen."

"You better or I'll kick your shins."

Codi chuckled at the blasè threat when another mew from Orange made Zen look at the carrier only for two set of blue eyes to look back at her.

"Were these the 'two somethings'?"

"Indeed they are." Codi answered as Zen unzipped the bag a couple of inches only for Orange to pop his head out the gap.

If looking through the carrier's window, Codi and Zen would've saw Russet pressed against the bottom of the bag as her brother used her as a type of stepping stone to poke his head out.

"They're cute. They have names?"

"Nicky's just been calling them Orange and Russet." Codi answered as Zen gently scratched at Orange's head and received a happy purr in return.

"Americans sure are lazy, huh?"

"Just a smidge." Codi chuckled as Zen tapped Orange's nose before gently guiding his head back into the bag. The younger brunette zipped the bag back up and rose from her spot, Codi following suit.

"My sister's lookin' for you, you know."

"Is she now?"

"Yeah. Said she wanted to talk to you."

"I don't think that's the best idea, girly. Her 'talks' don't seem to end well for either of us."

"They don't, Don't they..." Zen sighed. Her hightop made a light squeaking sound after scraping it against the floor once as she stuffed her hands into her pants pockets.

"I won't keep you any longer than."

"...Be safe, Zen. I'll reach out to you soon." Codi murmured, gently tapping one of Zen's shins with the tip of her shoe.

Zen returned the light tap.

Codi gave her a soft smile before heading for the exit, the doorman opening one of the doors for her when the youngest Roberts spoke up once more.

"I'm sorry that Nel was such a knob to you."

Codi stilled at the threshold of the hotel. The outside's cold air sneaking in and made goosebumps immediately break out on Zen's arms.

"...Remember what I said, Zen. Don't go to bed angry."

"Isn't that what you're doing though?" The younger called out.

Codi's eyes became slightly brighter at the youngling's words.

"My family is not like yours, Zen. My parents do not love me like yours do. My brother does not love me like Nel and Parks love you and each other."

"And why's that?"

"...I wish I knew." Codi chuckled lifelessly before continuing to walk out. Zen's brow furrowing with each step.

"Be safe, Zen."

"Bye, Codi..." the younger whispered just as the door was shut by the doorman. Zen stayed in her spot for a while after Codi left once again, her gaze on the outside that could be seen by the glass doors.

Her eyes went from the light sprinkles of snow that fell from the sky to a sleek black Lincoln SUV as it flew past. She slipped her hands out of her pants pockets just as the ding of the elevator made her look towards it to see Nel walking out of it, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Zen! Have you seen Codi? Her hotel room's empty. Win's too."

"She left." Zen answered, her voice blunt yet saddened. Her hands curled into loose fists as she walked towards the empty elevator, stalking past her sister and making the elder look towards her.

"What?" Nel asked dumbly, Zen's jaw clenching.

"She. Left. She's gone. Back to stupid Butterland!"

"Wha-But-" Nel stammered as her little sister got into the elevator and all but slammed a random button to get the elevator moving as fast as it could.

Zen didn't bother trying to listen to her elder sister gather her thoughts and moved towards one of the elevators corners as the doors finally slid shut. She leaned back against the wall, sliding down it and brought her knees to her chest once she sat down on the floor.

She wrapped her arms around her legs, curling into herself as an angry sniffle echoed into the elevator.
< >
"Can't believe we're doing this."

"Maybe if you weren’t such a dumbass, we wouldn't be replacing a fuckin' window!"

Silus looked up from his book, his eyes looking at the two wannabe criminals from over the rim of his reading glasses. The sun's rays were blocked by the clouds, the sky being a soft blue-grey. He flipped to the next page as he cleared his throat, the two younger men looking towards him.

"I suggest you cut the chatter, Gentlemen and finish up fixing the window you so rudely broke."

"Or would you rather I tell the chief of Police what you tried to do last night?" He told them, the younger men letting out irritated grumbles with the one with a higher-pitched voice throwing his leveler tool onto the grass.

"We get it old man! We're fixin' the damn window! Honestly, we should'a just robbed the fuckin' convenience store down the street!"

"Or you could be proper men and get actual jobs instead of being a disgrace to your family name." Silus countered, the lankier man flushing a bright red.

"Hey fuck you, man! You don't know me!"

"Nor do I plan to, young man. Now." Silus tsked, slipping his reading glasses off his face in order to stare directly at the two men. The bulkier one gulped at the older man's empty gaze.

"Fix my damn window."