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c-rose2081 · 2 years

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Starchild || 3. Girlfriend

(Disney Z-O-M-B-I-E-S)

—

“You can’t keep an Alien in your house, Zed!”

Eliza had Zed by the ear not two seconds after learning A-ddison’s name, and the two were now enjoying the darkness of the hall closet as they conversed. Or rather, Eliza was whisper yelling at him, and Zed wanted to put his head through the wall, “this could be a disaster.”

“She had nowhere else to go, Eliza,”

“Zed, this is serious,” Eliza snarled angrily, “the z-patrol is pulling Zombietown apart looking for an Alien. If they find you hiding her…?”

“Do you think I didn’t realize that the minute I pulled her from that ship?” Zed barked back, “I know what I did was stupid, but it’s done, and I’m not just going to push her out the door for the z-patrol to abuse.”

“Zed, listen to me,” Eliza placed both hands on his shoulders, holding him firmly in place, “she can’t stay here. All of the work we’ve put in for Monsters could go out the window with one wrong move. This could wipe out your chances of getting into Mountain College…”

“I already told you, and all of those stupid recruiters, that I’m not interested in College,” Zed grumbled, “and what do you mean ‘we’ Eliza. It’s been me winning the football games, not you. Look,” Zed held up his arm, revealing the ever expanding black poison of his heritage, “it hasn’t even started to fade, and it’s only getting worse. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“And what, harboring an Alien in your house is somehow going to change your life?”

“There’s something about her, Eliza…”

“I don’t care about what your hormones are telling you, Zed. It’s written all over your face that you think she’s pretty; I got that. But we can’t lose all of this progress over this.”

“Again, I’m not sure where the ‘we’ is coming from when it’s just been me doing all the work. And for someone who’s so ‘pro-monster’ rights, you sure are acting like a human.”

“I am not…!”

“You are, though! A-ddison is hurt and far away from home. She has nobody to protect her from what’s out there except for us. If I’d left her — if I kick her out like you want — she’ll be tossed into a cell by herself with burn marks on her ribs and an electric collar around her neck, never to see the light of day again. That is what you are preaching, Eliza. That is what you are telling me to do. Is that what you want?”

Eliza opened her mouth, only to close it again, lacking a good counterargument as Zed huffed in frustration, rubbing his arm which was beginning to sting, “you aren’t very generous about outsiders either, Eliza,” he told her flatly, “this is my choice now. I’m going to help A-ddison stay hidden; at least until we can figure out a way to get her home. And I’m doing it with, or without your help.”

Moving to exit the closet, Zed paused as a hand landed on his opposite wrist. Eliza was clinging to his z-band, grasping it firmly.

“Zed…you know I regret ever hacking it, right? I don’t want to see you this way.”

“Yeah, I do know that. But you’re right about progress; it’s been good for us. I just wish it wasn’t me pulling the whole load.”

Shaking Eliza’s hand off him, Zed opened the closet and stepped into the hallway, running both hands through his hair. Eliza followed after him, not saying much but clearly displeased with how their conversation ended. In the kitchen, Bonzo was busy carrying Zoey around on his back, while Addison stood with Zevon.

“…thank you so much for having me in your home, sir,” she said as Zed got closer, “I’m thankful for your kindness.”

“Ah, my boy has a big heart. The biggest of them all. He gets it from his mom.”

“I believe that,” A-ddison laughed, turning as Zed re-entered the kitchen, only for her tail to flick between her legs as Eliza appeared by his shoulder, still glowering, “but…I think my presence is causing some unnecessary tension. Thank you both for your generosity, but I should probably go.”

“It’s not safe for you out there, A-ddison,” Zed spoke up, “you’re still hurt, and you have no ship.”

“I can try and make repairs, or at least salvage my transmitters to get a message home. This was an unexpected series of mistakes I’ve made, and I hate putting myself in your home when I’m not…wanted.”

A-ddison glanced towards Eliza again, becoming wary as her antennae flicked back in a similar way to a dogs ears, “are your people not all as friendly as you?”

“I’m afraid not, hon,” Zevon frowned, “people are scared of things they can’t understand. They don’t react well to it, and that’s dangerous. My boy is right; it’s not safe. You’ll stay with us until things settle down.”

Zed nodded his approval, only to blink curiously as A-ddison’s hair began to turn bright magenta at the tips. It must’ve changed when she was feeling something strongly.

“A-are you sure?” Addy sputtered, accepting Zoey’s running hug at her leg as Bonzo let her down from his shoulders, “I’m intruding on your Family Unit…”

“As the father of this house, I insist. It’s the right thing to do; we don’t leave anyone out in the cold. So please, our home is your home until we can figure something out.”

“You can share my room!” Zoey cheered excitedly, “we can have a sleepover.”

“No one is sharing their rooms,” Zevon chuckled, eyeing Zed warily, “especially not two teenagers. We’ll set something up in the basement…”

“And what if the z-patrol comes knocking?” Eliza asked harshly, folding her arms again, “this is kinda hard to miss, and every Zombie is counted. They’ll know something’s up in a second.”

“She could dress up,” Zoey suggested, “like one of my dolls.”

“I don’t think any disguise would be good enough,” Eliza chuffed, shaking her head.

“A-ddison,” Zed asked, drawing the Aliens attention, “that thing you did earlier, can you do that on command?”

“You mean my perception filters? Of course.”

“I have an idea that might work. Zoey, I have a mission for you,” Zed insisted, kneeling down to take his sister by the shoulders, “go upstairs and find the most normal, Seabrook looking human doll you have. Can you do that?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Good. Go!”

Zoey bolted up the steps and vanished as A-ddison tilted her head in confusion.

“Zed?”

“We need to hide you,” he told her, “the z-patrol is looking for an Alien.”

“But I like who I am,” Addy worried, furrowing her brows as her blue eyes flicked across his face, “why do I need to change?”

Zed swallowed hard, placing both hands on the sides of her bare arms. Her skin was freezing to the touch; was she cold blooded?

“It’s not permanent, I promise. It’s just to keep you safe. Like Dad said, things we don’t understand can be scary, and not everyone is accepting to that sort of thing,” Zed glanced at Eliza, who shuffled on her boots and snorted in annoyance, “you can be yourself with us, and eventually more people will get to know you, and you won’t have to hide.”

A-ddison stared at him for a long moment, searching his face with those deep, sapphire irises. She than smiled, an expression that took the wind right from his chest.

“You care very deeply about the people you love,” she said after a moment, only for Zed to widen his eyes when he realized her lips weren’t moving, “you may not seem like it on the outside…they just don’t understand you, do they?”

“How are you doing that?” He croaked, throat unusually dry as A-ddison’s eyes faded back to their normal hue and tapped the side of her forehead.

“My people speak from here,” she told him out loud, shifting her hand to point at his chest, “you speak from here.”

“…right…”

“Take pride in your heart Zed,” A-ddison told him, her eyes once again pinning him like a bug on a wall.

“I got it!”

Stepping backwards and shaking his head back and forth to clear the haze which had formed there, A-ddison quickly looked to the ground, blushing deeply as her tail wrapped around her leg.

“Za?”

Bonzo placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly as Zed waved a hand.

“Fine, bud,” he said, resting both hands on his hips as Zoey appeared before him and held out the doll she had chosen. It was one of the few she hadn’t completely made over with green marker and dye; one with blonde hair and wearing a blue dress.

“Perfect,” Zed congratulated, accepting the doll as he held it out for A-ddison to see, “Addy, can you look like this?”

“Uh…” Addy tilted her head a few times before glancing down at herself, “I think so.”

“Zed, what exactly is this plan?” Eliza asked from the doorway, “it’s obvious she’s not human.”

“Just give her a minute, Eliza,” Zed insisted, “you got it, A-ddison.”

“I’ll see what I can do. This may be a little weird.”

A-ddison closed her eyes, and just as before, her appearance changed the second Zed blinked. Both Eliza and Bonzo jerked in surprise, while Zevon just opened his jaw. Zoey was bouncing up and down, eyes glowing with prospect of having a new living doll to dress up.

Like the doll, Addison’s previously blue hair was now a pale (but still natural) blonde and fell in wide curls across her shoulders. The white markings which littered her face faded off behind a reddish-pink blush; accompanied with a very Seabrook looking blouse and skirt combo.

“How did you…” Eliza gawked, “you just…”

“That was a lot of work,” A-ddison heaved, a bit pink from exertion, “is…this ok?”

“You look great,” Zed gawked, “but your tail…”

“I can’t hide that with my filters, but…” A-ddison poked her tongue out from between her lips as she brought her tail under her skirt, making it disappear. Similarly, she ran a hand across her hair, flattening her antennae as the pale appendages vanished amongst the strands.

“Zar gat gar, zatmagar,” Bonzo mumbled as Eliza punched his shoulder.

“She’s not actually human, dummy. Just looks like one. How’d you do that?”

“This? I’ve always been able to do it,” A-ddison explained, smiling up at Zed who quickly helped her onto a stool as she looked a tad woozy, “I just changed the way you perceived me, that’s all.”

“That’s all,” Eliza laughed, “that’s impossible to do. How does it work?”

“Uh, I guess it’s like taking what you’re seeing and bending it to be different. I don’t know the science behind it,”

“So you didn’t actually change,” Eliza confirmed as A-ddison nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Gar zat?” Bonzo wondered, causing Eliza to nod in agreement.

“It is pretty cool. But what do you actually look like?”

“Ah…well, you wouldn’t be able to see much if I did. My people give off a lot of energy; it’s how we use our powers. If I removed my filters completely, you’d be seeing something twice as bright as Earth’s closest star. In simple terms, you’d go blind.”

“Actually?” Eliza breathed, “that’s crazy.”

“I told you she was cool, Eliza,” Zed complained, proud to see A-ddison impressing his very hard to impress best friend. Unfortunately, Addy looked a tad pale, and was breathing heavily, “you alright, A-ddison?”

“Just a bit winded. My head is killing me; it takes a lot of brainpower to make and hold a new shift.”

Zed was about to suggest going back to normal, but stiffened as there were three heavy knocks on the door.

“Z-Patrol,” Eliza whispered, grabbing Bonzo by the sleeve, “we’ll go out the back window!”

“Hurry,” Zed insisted, wincing as the knocks only got louder and we’re accompanied by a rough:

“Open up in there! This is z-patrol!”

“Zoey, go up to your room,” Zevon instructed, “you two, stay in here. Act normal.”

“I said open up!”

“Just hang on for a bit longer, A-ddison,” Zed insisted, holding the Alien’s shoulders as she leaned heavily over the counter, eyes scrunched in pain.

“…Dale, what’s going on?” Zed heard his Dad ask as he opened the door for the z-patrol to enter.

“We’re looking for a fugitive, Zevon. Just a routine check.”

“On a Saturday morning?”

“We’ll be in and out, alright? Search the house; anything out of place comes with us.”

Zed rubbed A-ddison’s back as men in black Kevlar stormed through the house, tasers and tranquilizers at the ready. Mr. Lee (Dale) used to be Mr. Wells — husband of Mayor Wells. But the two had split up after some sort of massive tragedy; it was the only divorce known to Seabrook. Now he was remarried to Mrs. Lee, the Principle at Seabrook High. This also meant Zed had to tread lightly to keep Addy safe, as anything he said would make its way back to school.

“Morning Zed,” Mr. Lee greeted from the hall, “nice game last night.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Another win for Seabrook is a win for all of us,” he laughed, pausing upon seeing A-ddison hidden behind Zed’s chest, “who’s this?”

“Addison, sir.”

“Addison,” Mr. Lee mused, stepping into the kitchen as he lifted a brow, “excuse me, young lady?”

Hesitantly, A-ddison lifted her gaze. Mr. Lee stared at her for a while, his face flickering across a few different emotions. One of them even appeared somewhat…sad, but it must’ve been a trick of the light as it vanished only a second later. Zed’s heart was beating faster, and his palms were getting slimy from nerves. But he kept his palm on Addy’s back anyway, doing his best to keep both of them calm.

“I haven’t seen you in Seabrook before,” Mr. Lee said finally, appearing suspicious. Swallowing, Zed had to think fast as he shook his head negatively.

“No, you have, sir. She’s been to a few football games.”

“Really?” Mr. Lee wondered, “I don’t recognize…”

“She’s usually down on the sidelines,” Zed blurted, “and she likes to wear those big bows. You probably just don’t recognize her from the front.”

“The sidelines, huh?”

“Yes sir,” Zed confirmed, “best seats in the house.”

“She’s someone special then, son?”

“Yep, the most special. She’s…uh…” glancing back at Addy, the girl looked puzzled, and had no idea what Zed was going for, “girlfriend!” He blurted finally, “She’s my girlfriend.”

“Oh?” Mr. Lee’s brows rose in surprise as he sat back on his hips. Clearly that’s not what he was expecting to hear.

“Yep. It’s still new, though. Right, Addy?”

“Uh-huh,” she agreed automatically, “brand new.”

“She just transferred to Seabrook High, but we’ve been together since before then,” Zed continued on, “she was a cheerleader for the Eels; I convinced her that Seabrook was way better. Right, babe?”

“Sure did,” A-ddison chirped, leaning into his side as he ran a hand through her curls. They were incredibly soft, and the strands sent electricity crackling through his fingertips.

“Well, I never thought I’d see the day,” Mr. Lee nodded with a smile, “thought you’d be running solo forever. And what a lovely little lady you have. Are you planning on trying out for Seabrook’s cheer team, Addison?”

“Uh…I…might? I haven’t really decided yet,” A-ddison said, playing along as best as she could.

“Well, Bucky’s been looking for some new talent. Last year was a flop at the Cheer Championship. He may just need you, even if it is a bit late.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, sir,” A-ddison nodded with a smile, “thank you.”

“Of course. Zed, you know I’m happy for you, but you know how Principle Lee feels about relationships in the classroom?”

Zed cleared his throat and nodded again stiffly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine with it,” he chuffed, “Football Star, right?”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Mr. Lee laughed heartily, slinging his thumbs through both belt loops and relaxing into his stance, “well, I’ll guess we’ll get out of your hair, then. Leave you lovers to your Saturday. Just…be careful out there; there’s a fugitive on the loose. Anything strange, you pull that alarm.”

“We will, Mr. Lee.”

“Good, good. Alright,” turning, Mr. Lee called into the house, “let’s move on out. Check the next one on the block. Zevon,” Mr. Lee said, shaking the elder Zombie’s hand.

“Dale.”

“Enjoy your Saturday, everyone. Sorry about the intrusion.”

Everyone, A-ddison included, gave a wave as the z-patrol filed out and Zevon closed the door. The second he did, A-ddison grunted in pain as she returned to her normal self. Except it was the same normal from last night, her cuts and bruises dark and sore from a painful crash landing, and her hair the color of milk.

“Come on, you need to change and get some better rest,” Zed insisted, using a thumb to wipe at some fresh blood beginning to trickle down the Alien’s lip, “Addy, come on. You can sleep in my room for a bit.”

“Zed?”

“Yeah?”

“What…what’s a girlfriend?”

—

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