“Z, come on,” Gray says, tugging on the edge of her sister’s sundress. “Put away your phone for like, three seconds, please.”
“I’m right behind you,” Zoe says, still grinning at the text on her phone. Her ballet flats slap against the flagstones, mirroring the clip of Gray’s flip-flops, and not even she can ignore the sounds of Jurassic World beckoning them inside. When she looks up, flicking her bangs out of her face, Gray grins up at her.
“Knew it,” Gray says, clasping Zoe’s hand in hers. “You are excited.”
“Shut up, dork,” Zoe says, but her face flushes as she takes it all in—the videos showing the different parks and fields, the maps and interactive menus telling them where to go next. She bites her lip, giving Gray a silly face. “I sort of want to see the raptors first.” She knows they have to go see Aunt Claire—cool Aunt Claire who seems to really have her life together—but there’s still a little time to wander.
Zoe follows, tucking her phone into her sweater pocket. There’s a part of her that wishes she was back home with Kelly, sitting on the couch, snuggling during American Idol, trying not to kiss her when they were alone in her bedroom and totally failing. But there’s also a part that’s excited not only for herself, but for Gray—Gray is still a kid, not a chick or a babe (or a bitch), not someone whose tastes and preferences are dictated by Pinterest and Taylor Swift. Gray’s love for dinosaurs is still uncolored by the nagging feeling of belonging, that need to fit in.
Zoe wants to keep that going as long as possible—and if she can, she’d like to try to remember what it felt like to love something just for yourself.
Fill: Girls Will Be
“I’m right behind you,” Zoe says, still grinning at the text on her phone. Her ballet flats slap against the flagstones, mirroring the clip of Gray’s flip-flops, and not even she can ignore the sounds of Jurassic World beckoning them inside. When she looks up, flicking her bangs out of her face, Gray grins up at her.
“Knew it,” Gray says, clasping Zoe’s hand in hers. “You are excited.”
“Shut up, dork,” Zoe says, but her face flushes as she takes it all in—the videos showing the different parks and fields, the maps and interactive menus telling them where to go next. She bites her lip, giving Gray a silly face. “I sort of want to see the raptors first.” She knows they have to go see Aunt Claire—cool Aunt Claire who seems to really have her life together—but there’s still a little time to wander.
“Then let’s go,” Gray says, tugging Zoe along, practically vibrating with excitement.
Zoe follows, tucking her phone into her sweater pocket. There’s a part of her that wishes she was back home with Kelly, sitting on the couch, snuggling during American Idol, trying not to kiss her when they were alone in her bedroom and totally failing. But there’s also a part that’s excited not only for herself, but for Gray—Gray is still a kid, not a chick or a babe (or a bitch), not someone whose tastes and preferences are dictated by Pinterest and Taylor Swift. Gray’s love for dinosaurs is still uncolored by the nagging feeling of belonging, that need to fit in.
Zoe wants to keep that going as long as possible—and if she can, she’d like to try to remember what it felt like to love something just for yourself.