ZOEY AKILA bennet !
sugarhill, zoey's crib
featuring; @itszoeyb .

ZOEY'S FACE WAS face was half-smushed against her poorly written math notes, as thought that everything in her life seemed to be causing her stress. her grades, family, and other concerns were overwhelming her.

zoey hadn't been getting enough sleep, and her sleep schedule had taken a nosedive. despite it being the last week of school and winter break beginning, she wanted to occupy herself upon her return, so she wouldn't have to dwell on her worries during the upcoming weeks, where she planned to sleep away her problems.

the rainy weather added to her comfort as she lounged in her fluffy white chair, almost as content as she would have been nestled in her bed.

if was warm and she could sleep for days, but she wasn't trying to.

zoey's phone suddenly rang, which caused her to let out a quiet groan of annoyance. she reached over to her desk, patting around in a sleepy haze to find her phone amidst the clutter.

a couple of things toppled over and fell off her desk in the process, adding to her frustration but a few moments of searching, her fingers finally grasped the familiar shape of her phone.

without even bothering to check the caller id, she brought it to her ear and mumbled in a soft voice, "hello?"

the sound of hushed whispering greeted her on the other end, but she was too tired to fully comprehend what was being said. she simply waited, hoping that someone would speak up and break the silence.

as she waited, her mind wandered, wondering who could be calling at such an ungodly hour. whoever it was, zoey's sleepy brain couldn't muster up the energy to care too much. she just wanted the conversation to start so she could go back to sleeping

in the midst of her drowsiness, zoey couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't set her phone to silent mode before doing her homework. it would have saved her from this groggy confusion.

but in her defense, she was so tired that she couldn't even remember what she was doing before any of this.

finally, after what felt like an eternity, a voice broke through the whispers on the other end.

"yoo, zozo! how are you?" zoey could immediately tell from the heavy new york accent that it was hogging on the other end. "i'm good," she replied, a hint of confusion in her voice since she couldn't even remember the last time they had spoken.

"thas good. you at home right now?" notti asked.

"yeah, i'm home. why?"

it took a couple of moments before before replied, probably because of all the whispering going on in the background.

"you think i can come over for a bit? i just needa tell you some shit." notti asked, sounding a bit urgent.

zoey was a tad skeptical, but she figured, what's the harm? "yeah, when you comin'?" she responded, trying to sound nonchalant.

"a couple a minutes, imma get dressed then see you. that's good?" notti replied. zoey let out a little hum of agreement before they bid each other goodbye and the call abruptly ended.

the whole thing about this situation was odd to zoey but she honestly? everything has already happened in her life that she doesn't even feel like anything esle can hurt anymore, she's already hurt.

zoey couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about the whole situation. it was odd, no doubt about it. but honestly, she realized that everything that could have happened has already happened in her life.

she went through a bunch of stuff she wouldn't even imagine ever happening to her. and it's left her feeling like she's already been through the worst. so, in a strange way, she didn't think anything else could hurt her anymore.

zoey was just about to drift off back to sleep when she heard a sudden knocking on her front door. startled, she jolted upright, shaking her face to snapping back out of her drowsiness.

she didn't know he'd be there so quickly.

a hint of caution filled her as she got up from her chair, not even bothering to catch a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. she made her way down the stairs, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the quiet house.

as she descended, she couldn't help but rub her tired eyes, letting out a sleepy yawn that stretched on for a few seconds. feeling her body crave more wakefulness, she stretched herself out, reaching her arms high above her head and arching her back.

she hoped that by appearing more alive, and not look have dead like she had been looking for the past days.

with a few nervous pats, she wiped the sweat off her hands onto her sweatpants, trying to calm her racing heart. taking a deep breath, she mustered the courage to turn the doorknob and open the door, her eyes widening as soon as she saw who was behind the door.

zoey's heart raced as she quickly pulled the door back, ready to shut it in the face of the unexpected visitor. bur before she could even react, he swiftly pushed it open, his determination evident in his actions.

"yo—can you just listen to me." he pleaded, his voice cracking slightly. zoey's eyes widened as she looked up at him, her mind racing with every thought possible. there was something about his presence that made her fold inwards, her defenses crumbling as she met his intense gaze.

it felt like an eternity as their eyes locked, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavily in the air.

her attention was then drawn to the bouquet of glitter roses he held in his hands. they glistened and shimmered under the warm glow of her living room lights, casting an enchanting spell her.

zoey felt surge of conflicting emotions - surprise, intrigue, and a tinge of suspicion. who would go through the trouble of doing this on a regular thursday night to someone they specifically said they never wanted to see them again?

with a slow, deliberate movement, he whispered, "oh, these for you." as he extended the bouquet towards her. the delicate scent of the roses filling the space between them.

zoey's eyes lingered on the sparkling petals, her mind buzzing with questions and uncertainty.

the only thing that was running in her mind was—what was going on?

as she cautiously reached out to take the flowers from him, her hands trembled slightly. her eyes locked on his face, searching for answers.

her attention was abruptly brought back to him as he fumbled in his jeans pocket, a sense of awkwardness filling the silence.

after what felt like an forever, he finally retrieved a crumpled piece of paper, his throat clearing nervously. zoey's heart skipped a beat, her curiosity piqued even further. she litteraly doesn't even know what's going on,

"so i just wanted to talk witchu about all this shit right? and i don't want nothin to be weird between us." ddot said, waiting for a response from zoey. she simply nodded, signaling for him to continue without saying a word.

"first of all, i just wanna say sorry for allat shit i put you through. i know that's not gonna change nothing, or anything because i know what you been going through and i did nothing about it either." his bottom lip trembled and quivered as he fumbled over his own words, picking and choosing the right things to say. "you was always so nice to me and i jus didn't understand that? i guess. so shit like that just had me always thinkin you was gonna do some snake shit forreal you know?"

zoey nodded in silence, attempting to suppress the emotions welling up inside her. despite ddot speaking calmly to her, she found it disconcerting and had the urge to cry, everything was just coming at her all at once and she didn't have time to think about anything.

"and you did.. but that's in the past and i been forgive you so it's aight." he chuckled at the irony of his own words.

ddot was at a loss for words, and his awkwardness only grew as zoey continued to stare at him. ddot rambled on about something else, likely apologizing for something, while zoey felt tears welling up as she gazed up at him.

she was so lost in her thoughts that it reached the point where she was completely zoned out, and ddot didn't notice until he saw the tears streaming down her face. he was at a loss for what to do.

all she could think about was that she felt like their friendship wasn't healthy for either of them. zoey believed that if someone treated her the way she had treated ddot, she would probably hold a grudge forever.

she also felt that ddot shouldn't be apologizing to her since she knew she was in the wrong. if anything, she should be the one apologizing, but she struggled to articulate her thoughts without bursting into tears every time she tried.

the situation was so overwhelming that she couldn't even think about it without getting emotional.

she really liked ddot, a lot. the only kiss they shared was her first, and she wished that he would be the only person she would ever kiss, even though she knew they would never reach that point again.

zoey felt like everything she had imagined was ruined. it was as if her belief in love had been shattered, and it all felt so unreal now. anything she invested her love in just ended up falling apart.

there were moments when zoey tried to force herself to forget about ddot, even to the point of trying to hate him. but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to hate him, and that frustration made her even angrier.

and she doesn't even know why.

while she was zoned out, ddot reached out to her, tapping her shoulder to get her attention. but zoey was so disconnected from her surroundings that she didn't even register what was happening. her mind was consumed by her thoughts and emotions, making it difficult for her to be present in that moment.

taking a step closer to her, ddot tapped her shoulder, but she was so disconnected that she didn't register what was happening.

the boy didn't know if he should hug her or leave her alone, because he really didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable or anything.

"zoey? zoey?" he shook her shoulders a few times, and that's when she finally snapped back into reality. zoey stepped back abruptly, but as she did, she tripped on literally nothing. luckily, ddot caught her just in time, preventing her from falling.

he pulled her close, but zoey quickly took a step back, feeling a bit uneasy. she nervously cleared her throat, twirling the flowers in her hand. her stomach was in knots, twisting and turning in every direction. she wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out.

ddot noticed her discomfort and took a step back. "there's a letter in there i wrote fa you. you don't gotta read it but i just wanna tell you how i feel, no weird shit." he mumbled.

ddot rubbed his neck as he noticed zoey looking at the pocket in front of the bouquet and taking out the letter.

"you can come in," she mumbled softly, surprising ddot so much that he almost lost his balance. she walked towards the couch and sat down, starting to open the letter.

as ddot stepped into the house, it felt like ages since his last visit. the atmosphere was different, more so than ever before.

the only time he had spoken to zoey's mom, he could tell that she was the heart and soul that made the house truly feel like a home.

the only source of illumination was the soft glow emanating from the living room light fixture. the absence of the television added to the change in atmosphere, as it wasn't as chaotic as it used to be during ddot's previous visits.

the stillness in the air was palpable, filling the space with an eerie silence. it wasn't the serene and peaceful kind of silence that brings comfort; instead, it was a silence that weighed heavily on the heart, overwhelming and lonely.

ddot couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. as someone who used to appreciate moments of silence, this newfound quietness felt peculiar and unfamiliar.

it was as if the absence of noise magnified the void that now resided within the walls of the house.

ddot was so taken aback by the noticeable difference in the entire house that he didn't even realize zoey was crying until he heard the sound of sniffling. his neck turned as he turned towards her, making his way to where she was sitting.

he sat down next to her, keeping a small distance between them. he didn't want to do anything that might upset her further.

zoey's tears trickled down her cheeks slowly, leaving behind a trail of sorrow. her nose and cheeks turned slightly red, a reflection of her emotional state.

"if i knew.. everything would come down to this—i would've never did it. i mean—i wouldn't ever do it anyway, cause i don't know what i was thinking." zoey spoke up, her voice filled with regret, as she wiped away her tears and stared at the tear-stained letter.

"what 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 you thinkin', zoey?" ddot asked with genuine curiosity, his gaze fixed on the girl who had her head buried on her lap.

zoey let out a sigh and shrugged, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of the paper. she knew deep down what she was thinking when she impulsively took ddot's chain, but putting it into words was proving to be a challenge.

"i just... i wanted to be your friend so bad," she began, her voice filled with a mix of longing and regret. "i i tried to talk to your and to start a conversation. but it felt like when i talked to you it was like i was 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 you to talk to me. you know? and i just impulsively acted on it. so.."

ddot nodded slowly, his eyes softening with understanding. "why didn't you just tell me that? i wasn't gonna shoot you or anything," he mumbled.

zoey's brows furrowed, her expression reflecting her genuine confusion. "you probably would tho.." she replied honestly. "you didn't even like talking to anyone."

as the words left her lips, zoey realized how harsh her previous statement had sounded. she didn't mean to come across as mean-spirited, but she wanted to be honest about why she did it so this process could go quickly.

"that don't mean you go out and steals people's shit though right? if i wanted to be ya friend i wouldn't just steal your jewelry and lie about it." ddot expressed the thoughts he had been pondering for some time.

although it might cause hurt, he realized that not communicating it now when they had the time, it would only lead to greater hurt in the future.

confrontation was zoey detested deeply, which is why she had never considered bringing it up. she was aware that this conversation would be unavoidable, and it was taking a toll on her.

she would rather ignore the situation and act like everything was okay, when everything was just the opposite.

she just wish she could do it all over again and fix everything, but this is real life—she can't just restart when she makes a mistake.

"i know." zoey mumbled under her breath.

ddot let out a calm sigh. "i ain't mean to say it like that, but zoey we gotta talk about it. like you said it ain't healthy for us to be friends or talk to each other, but don't you think it's better to talk it out then just seeing each other in the hallways and not say nothin? not talkin to you gives me a headache." he rubbed his hand over his face.

zoey gently lifted her hand, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers, lost in thought.

"you remember allat shit i said to you? like that i ain't ever wanna see you again bullshit?" ddot's words echoed in the air, causing a lump to form in her throat. she didn't want to revisit that painful night, but it seemed like ddot was bringing it up again.

"mhm," zoey softly murmured, her voice tinged with sadness. even though it had been months since that heated exchange, the memories were still fresh in her mind, as if it had happened just last night. the hurtful things ddot had said in his anger made her question if there was any truth behind them, if he truly felt that way about her.

ddot, feeling remorseful, mumbled, "i ain't mean them. i was just mad." his voice trembled as he swallowed hard, unable to meet zoey's gaze. in contrast, soey maintained an emotionless expression, trying to keep her guard up.

"you ain't gonna look at me?" ddot questioned, noticing that zoey hadn't made eye contact with him since he arrived at her door.

zoey remained silent, purposely avoiding his gaze. she knew that if she looked at him, the floodgates of tears would open. the nerves were overwhelming, making her heart feel like it was about to burst out of her chest.

ddot leaned in, desperately trying to meet zoey's eyes, but she seemed unyielding. "if you want me to leave, i can leave," ddot mumbled, even though he didn't want to leave her. he wanted to hug her, but he couldn't decipher what was going on in her mind.

meanwhile, all zoey could think about was him. she wanted to tell him how much it hurt to be alone without her mom, losing everyone she cared about. but when it came to her own feelings, she struggled to open up, even though she was usually all for talking a hint everything else.

zoey shook her head, and ddot settled back into his spot. he inched closer to her as he noticed her leaning towards him.

out of nowhere, zoey mumbled, "i'm sorry." there wasn't much context to her apology, but she felt the weight of everything she had done, and she wanted to express her remorse. she was willing to say sorry a million times if it meant he would forgive her.

zoey slowly leaned her body against him, letting go of her stiffness and resting her head on his shoulder.

ddot's voice was soft and reassuring as he replied, "i already forgive you, ma." in that moment, the tension began to dissipate, and a sense of comfort and understanding filled the air.

zoey didn't know what came over her, but it was like a floodgate had opened when he said that. she couldn't stop crying, and it was so intense that her head started to ache. as soon as ddot heard her, he pulled her closer to his chest, allowing her to cry all over his new hoodie.

the fact that it was a new hoodie didn't even cross his mind as zoey crawled onto his lap and let her tears flow onto him.

ddot soothingly ran his hand up and down her back, just like she used to do for him when he was the one crying in her arms.

now, the roles were reversed.

right now, there could be a thousand reasons why she was crying. maybe it was because she missed the feeling of being held by someone, or maybe it was because of everything going on in her life. but one thing was for sure, things were finally falling into place.

as zoey's tears continued to flow, ddot's hands slowly and gently wrapped around her torso, his thumb delicately caressing her waist. the warmth of his touch brought a sense of comfort to her fragile heart.

wfter what felt like an eternity, zoey finally lifted her head, her tear-stained cheeks glistening in the soft light.

ddot tenderly reached out with one hand, brushing aside strands of hair that had fallen across her pretty face, revealing her radiant eyes.

"you look pretty even when your crying." he whispers to the girl which makes her smile, even if their were tears all over her face and tank top she was smiling, and it was the smile she did whenever she was around him.

and her eyes were sparkling.

their eyes locked, and time seemed to stand still as they gazed into each other's eyes. the smiles on their faces grew wider with each passing moment, radiating pure joy and affection.

ddot hand gently cupped zoey's cheek, his touch feather-light, as he asked in a soft, heartfelt tone, "i can kiss you?"

without a moment's hesitation, zoey nodded, her eyes filled with anticipation and love.  leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a tender, sweet kiss.

the kiss was so short but it felt like it was supposed to be short, and when they both pulled away zoey started giggling—it was crazy how one person could change her whole entire mood.

zoey snuggled her head against ddot's chest once more, finding solace in his comforting presence. "i could lay on you forever," she murmured, gently nuzzling her hair against his chest.

front furrowed his brows, a hint of concern in his eyes. "but what about when your dad comes home?" he asked, his grip on her waist tightening slightly to ensure she wouldn't slip away.

zoey hesitated for a moment before retracting her previous statement. "i could lay on you forever in my bed," she mumbled softly.

"aii, i'll carry you up there," ddot declared, not waiting for soey's response. in one swift motion, he rose to his feet, his hands swiftly and securely holding her by the thighs as he prepared to carry her to her room.

zoey's smile brightened as she released a contented sigh. "is this real life or just a dream?" she playfully pondered, then pinched ddot's neck. "ain't you supposed to yo pinch yourself?"

"yeah but that would hurt." she pouted.

F SPEAKS 🤍

NOTE — awhhhhhhhhhhhh. so adorable and cute and happy and cupcakes ☺️☺️☺️😘😘🥰🥰❤️❤️🩷🩷💕💕💞💞. i had motivation randomly to write so yes i'm posting this at one am just be thankful you got it 🌝. anyways guys their so bipolar but i love writting for this book, i'm not easy for it to end broo, the ending tho 🙈🙈. anyways fia loves u 💗💗.