Meet in Between

Part 2

~ 2 months later ~

Zevon knocked lightly on the wooden door just before pushing his way inside his teenage son's messy bedroom. He sighed heavy after he peeked his head in, pushing the door open the rest of the way.

"Zed, Son, you have to get up." He said, sympathy hinted in his tired voice. Zed groaned and slid further under his blankets, out of view. His dad stepped forward, grabbing the edge of the bedding and ripping it off him.

"Ugh! Dad!" He complained. "It's the weekend! Can't I just be miserable in peace?!"

"No." Zevon huffed in response. "I'm proud of you for working so hard, but you need to get out of the house! Have some fun! You're too young to spend all your time working or moping! Go live a little!" He tried to encourage but Zed sat up sluggishly.

"And what do you suggest I do? Go around and reminisce about all the times I'd spend doing everything in this damn town with Addison? I'm not ready." He replied, it started angry until he mentioned her name. His tone immediately turned small and uncertain.

Zevon took a seat on the mattress beside his son, putting a comforting arm around his shoulders. "I know it's still tough for you but ya gotta start somewhere." He said.

Zed knew he was right. He needed to try moving on. But he didn't want to. He just wanted Addison back. Even if he knew that was never gonna happen.

So he sighed, "Fine!"

"That's the spirit!" Zevon smiled, getting up and heading for the bedroom door. "There's some lunch in the kitchen if you're hungry."

And with that he was alone again.

He flopped back onto the mattress, the box spring squeaking in protest. Today was not gonna be his day. Where would he go? He wasn't even sure if Eliza and Bonzo still considered him their friend since he's barely spoken to anyone since graduation. And if they didn't... then what?

Maybe he'd save himself the embarrassment and just find a quiet spot to just sit by himself. Still spend his time feeling sorry for himself in total solitude, just not in the comfort of his own bed. His mood already sour as he dreaded going out. But his dad obviously wasn't gonna let him mope around the house about it.

With a loud groan, he got out of bed and changed into his regular clothes. It's even been a while since he'd worn any of these outfits. He just worked all day, came home and went to bed nowadays. They seemed a bit looser than the last time he'd put them on. Had he really lost enough weight that he would notice it? No wonder his dad was worried.

He let out a sigh. He should try to get ahold of his friends. Maybe they were worried too. Or maybe they didn't give a shit and he was just projecting.

Shaking the thoughts away, he decided to call Eliza up and see what she was doing this weekend.

____________________

Zed walked around the Zombietown streets with his hands shoved in his pockets and head hung low. He felt terrible. He ate lunch with his dad and little sister. Zoey was so excited when he walked in that she jumped out of her seat and hugged him, telling him how much she missed him.

At first, it shocked him. He'd come home every night after work. He was right down the hall from her. But then it dawned on him how much he'd actually secluded himself.

His jaw clenched as moisture threatened his vision. It felt like he'd lost everything when Addison left. But it was his own fault. He pushed everyone away in his own grief. He took a deep, shaky breath to re-calm his nerves. He couldn't change how he acted in the past but he could be better.