Bruises- Modern Zelink- discontinued :(

Keeping Track

*Thursday*

Zelda walked to school, looking at the ground. She kept thinking about how Link called to see if she was okay. He probably just wanted something, she decided. But she couldn't stop thinking about it. He didn't seem that concerned... That would make sense, though. Of course he wouldn't be too worried. Stuff like this happened to him all the time.

Of course, she really didn't like that he was used to it. If she told him that her dad hit her, he probably wouldn't give a shit. He'd probably just say something stupid. A joke. He'd joke about it. That just upset her more. Not the fact that he'd make a stupid joke, but the fact that he'd joke about that. That. Not a good thing to be joking about.

He was desensitized to it. That's how often it happened to him. And nobody knew. Except her, of course. And Urbosa and Midna and Mipha.

Zelda was interrupted from her thoughts when she bumped into to something. Or rather, someone. She raised her head to see what she had bumped into.
"Oh, Link! I'm sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
She smiled at him, but he didn't reply. He only looked at her.
"Link?"
He blinked as if he was snapping out of a trance, and he looked at her, surprised.
"Zelda. Sorry. I... don't know what I was doing. Spacing out. Again."
"Again?"
"Doesn't matter." He started walking down the sidewalk, and Zelda ran up to him and walked beside him.

"Anyways, enough about me," he continued. "How are you? I'm guessing you didn't get your phone back."
"No. Not yet. But I'm getting it back tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? That's... early."
"Well, I don't know for sure. But my dad usually only takes it for a day or two."

"I don't get my phone taken anymore. That's a child's punishment. Anyway, he likes keeping track of me. He wouldn't take my phone away, since it has a tracker on it."
"A tracker? That's a bit... overprotective, considering what he's like."
"He mostly just wants to find every possible reason he can to get me in trouble. And one of the ways he does it is by tracking where I am."
"Huh."

Zelda looked down again.
"I'm glad my dad isn't like that."
"I'm just glad he doesn't do the same things to Aryll."
She looked back up at Link.
"So it's just you?"
He nodded. "And sometimes my mom, if I'm not around."
"That's... not good."

That explained why he had been so hesitant to spend the night with her. He didn't want his father to treat anyone else the same way he treated him.

<<×>>

Dad: Hey, Link.
L: yes?
D: I saw you talking to that girl. I don't want you talking to her.
L: why?
D: Don't question me!
L: okay
L: I won't
D: Don't text her, either. I'll be looking at your texts.
L: got it

<<×>>

"Link, put the phone away."
"Sorry, I was texting my dad."
"That's not an excuse. Wait until after class."
"But-"
"But what?"
"Nothing. Sorry, Miss. I won't do it again."
"Good."

Sean leaned over to Link and whispered,
"How polite. What was he saying?"
"Nothing you need to worry about."
"Sorry." Sean sat normally again, bit not before adding, "Sir."
Link rolled his eyes, smiling.
"You're stupid."

A shushing noise came from behind him, and he looked at the person who made it. It was Zelda. Of course.
"Sorry."
"It's fine." Then, more quietly, she added, "I want to talk at lunch, okay?"
Link nodded, a little confused by the request. He'd just have to let Jordan, one of his other friends, that he wouldn't be able to talk at lunch.

<<×>>

He walked around the cafeteria, holding a tray and looking for Zelda. He found where she was sitting, and he sat next to her. He noticed that one of the girls that she was sitting with was staring at him, not looking too happy. Then, she spoke.

"Zel, why's Link here?"
"Midna... I already told you, I just wanted to ask him a question."
Zelda looked at him.
"So, what did you want to ask me?"
"First, what was your dad texting you about?"
He looked away awkwardly.
"Nothing. It was nothing."

Zelda narrowed her eyes.
"Okay. I won't bother you about it. Next question. What were you trying to ask me when you called, again?"
"Well, Sean told me that his sister told him that one of your friends told her that she saw me stealing stuff from a grocery store or something. I wasn't stealing anything, I was just buying stuff. What would I steal from a grocery store, anyways?"

The girl who was looking at him earlier spoke up, eyeing him suspiciously.
"I dunno, you seem like the kind of person to do that."
Zelda glared at her. "Midna! Were you the one who said that?"
"Yes, actually. He was walking pretty suspiciously."
"I was carrying a bunch of stuff! Of course I was walking weird! And how would you be able to tell if I'm stealing from the way I was walking? If I was stealing, I would be running!"
"And how do you know that?"
"Common fucking sense, obviously!"

Zelda pushed the two apart, making them realize that they had been leaning forward over the table, practically yelling in each other's faces.
"Guys, stop yelling. Midna, it seems like you're just trying to get him in trouble."
Another girl spoke up, this one right next to Zelda.
"Yeah, really. I don't think Link would steal just for shits and giggles."
"Thank you, Urbosa."

A third girl sat down next to Midna, holding a bag.
"Sorry, guys. My brother was trying to call me from my dad's phone. He can be really annoying someti- oh. Um, h-hi? Sorry, I mean, uh, hello. It's you- I mean, hi, Link."
Link awkwardly waved at the stuttering girl.
"Hey, Mipha. Haven't seen you in a while."

Zelda looked at him, surprised.
"You two know each other?"