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Chapter Twenty Five 
Sweet But Bonker - Part 1!
A/n - (Extended Chapter) and change in POV - Ashley's latest friend in her clique
Zoe Lopez POV
I flipped open my diary, intending to jot down a few notes before getting ready for the day. 
As I turned to a recent page, my eyes landed on a small heart sketch in the corner of the paper. 
Inside the heart, the initials Z   N were scrawled lightly in pen. I blinked at it, confused for a moment, before letting out a quiet laugh. 
I must’ve been half-asleep when I doodled it, probably thinking about him. 
Shaking my head, I shut the diary and pushed it aside, grabbing my sweater from the edge of my bed.
As I pulled it over my head, the muffled sound of my parents’ raised voices seeped through the thin walls.
They argued every morning—about money, work or something as small as burnt toast. It was always something.
It didn’t even faze me anymore. 
They hadn’t talked to me about it, but I knew divorce was looming.
They were already helping me apply for a spot in the student housing program the school offered. It wasn’t out of kindness, though. 
They wanted me closer to campus so they wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore—not with the long commute or the extra cab money. 
I lived farther from campus than most students and since I didn’t own a car, I was stuck with bus schedules or rideshares. Moving closer would make their lives easier and honestly, I wasn’t against it.
I zipped up my backpack and took a deep breath, heading out of my room.
My parents’ voices grew quieter as I walked past the kitchen, probably realizing I was awake. 
Like clockwork, they would straighten up the moment they saw me, pretending to be the picture-perfect couple.
When I reached the front door, my dad appeared out of the kitchen, still in his rumpled suit from yesterday. His tie was loose, his shirt untucked and he carried a briefcase that looked like it had been dropped one too many times. 
"Morning." I muttered, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
He glanced at me, "Morning, kid."
"Can you drop me to campus?" I asked, knowing I was probably wasting my breath.
He hesitated, his hand tightening around the briefcase. "I can’t. I’ve got...an errand to run."
Right. 
"An errand." I repeated, not even bothering to press further, as I added with a smile, "Okay, have a great day!" 
"Thanks and I'm sorry, Zoe." He said quickly, stepping past me and out the door.
I watched him walk down the driveway, his staggered steps giving away more than he realized. 
He wasn’t heading to work, though he still dressed the part, probably to keep my mom off his back. But I knew better. The bars in town opened early and that was likely where he was headed.
Shaking my head, I locked the door behind me and managed to catch a cab after a few minutes of waiting. 
When I finally reached campus, the energy of the place was already buzzing. Groups of students milled about, either rushing to class or lounging in the courtyard.