Chapter Text
...There once was a girl that was saved by a boy. She began to notice him...
Zoe Park was terrified. She knew that at some point Logan Lee would tire of being patient, and either hurt her or worse... force himself on her. At this point she wasn't sure if she would put it past him if not for his unbearable pride.
She had only had 4 dates down from the 10 she had promised in order for him to leave Daniel Park alone. He'd already upped the ante on her by forcing her to let him paw at her at school, and by forcing her to post couple pics. She felt dirty, used, cheap.
... She saw how kindhearted and humble he was. Soon enough feelings grew in her heart for him, her little piggy knight...
A part of her knew Logan wouldn't simply walk away after that 10th date, but she was in to far at this point. Her only hope was that he would keep his word. Earlier that week she had broken down in tears in the girl's bathroom at school.
"So this is what Daniel felt like..." Zoe let her mind stay on that thought, as she let her tears run freely under the shower. Zoe was giving herself this moment of weakness hidden from everyone else. Once she was out she would have to put her new mask back on. A part of her wanted to share her fears however, going as far as reaching for her phone one more time, her thumb hovering over the call button.
"Just need to do this 6 more times... it's all up to me... " She repeated to herself, as she stared at Daniel's contact info on her screen. She took a couple shaky breaths, gaining control of herself slowly but surely.
"I'll... I'll take care of it, Piggy. I promise... Just... Don't come back till this is over ok?" Zoe spoke to her phone, a plea. She knew that Daniel wouldn't understand her going out with his tormentor from Middle School.
Zoe tried to get herself ready for sleep, but her mind kept buzzing around and around. After a while of walking around her room, she put on some baggy clothes and began to walk the neighborhood.
Her feet took her to the convenience store where her Piggy used to work. As she entered she saw the manager once more taking the night shift apparently. A part of her felt a pang, but she was glad to see Daniel wasn't back. She quietly got some gum and kept on walking around the neighborhood.
... They grew close, and in a fairy tale world there would be a happily ever after...
Soon enough she noticed how she was slowly making the newest route in her new routine, towards the nearby hospital where big Daniel was still at. She would visit whenever she could, as funnily enough she felt closest to her Piggy as she sat beside his comatose roommate. It likely had to do with the fact that it was where she found his letter for her.
Just as the hospital came into view however, there came a sight that surprised her. Daniel Park, the most popular boy of her grade, whom had been in a coma for the last 2 and a half weeks, was racing down the street across the intersection in front of her, a look of panicked concentration on his face.
"Daniel?!" She gasped, but he ran so fast that there was no way he could have heard her. In a moment she began running after him as fast as she could. The pace was punishing, so much so that she couldn't find the breath to call out to him.
'Dear God, I hope he slows down soon' *huff huff* She screamed in her mind as she tried to at least keep him in her sight. Thankfully it seemed he wasn't going to far as he stopped in front of an alley just out of a side street outside the clinic district.
Zoe bent over, trying to catch her breath as she saw him walk into the alleyway. Muffled shouts soon came out, and she froze as she recognized the voice of her current nightmare. She stood rooted a foot from being able to see into the alleyway.
"You Godamn F?#kers!!" Logan shouted like a beast from within the alley right as her classmate walked out with the beaten form of her Piggy on his back. Her heart seized, seeing his face swollen up, nose clearly broken.
...Sadly real life doesn't follow fairy tale logic, good doesn't always triumph over evil...
"...Oh shit, Zoe?!" Daniel let out, before her scream broke out from her throat. "Piggy!!! We need to take him to a hospital!"
"F?#CK!" Suddenly both Daniels were sprawled on the ground as Logan tackled them from the side, tuning to Zoe with his face contorted in rage. "You're here with pretty boy?! You B!tch, was this your plan?!"
His arm swept through the air, and the next thing she knew was that all the air was gone, and she was in the air like a rag doll tumbling into the street from his enormous back hand.
"You think I won't slap a b!tch down for disrespecting me huh?! I don't care!" Logan shouted, moving towards her single minded as she lay curled up gasping for air in the middle of the road.
Thankfully he only had time to take a single step before his distraction cost him, as Daniel punched him out from the side, having gotten up from the ground by that point.
"I won't let you hurt her EVER again!" Daniel exclaimed looking at Logan's broken face on the sidewalk, breathing heavily. He had finally faced his pavlovian terror. After a breath, he looked around for Zoe, a knot in his stomach relaxing as he saw her slowly standing up from where she had landed.
He just had time to smile in relief as they made eye contact when the car rammed into her, throwing her body yards into the air before screeching to a halt.
... Tragedies happen every day in this sad world...
"ZOE!!!" Daniel ran to her broken body. She was face up, gasping. Her legs were both bent unnaturally, her thighbone having broken through the skin of her left leg, a puddle of blood rapidly growing beneath her.
"Somebody call 119!!! Help!!!" Daniel shouted as he stopped himself from cradling her to his chest, terrified of making it worse. "It's going to be ok Zoe, just hold on ok!"
Zoe was near insensate from the pain, moaning pitifully. Her eyes were open wide, terrified as she knew from what she could feel that she wouldn't last long enough for help to arrive. She moved one bloody hand to pull Daniel closer. She could hear people crowding the scene, but she couldn't move her neck.
"...cough cough... I-I-I'm sorry Daniel... I'm scared, I don't - I don't think I can..." she whimpered as he held her hand to his chest, staring into his eyes. She could feel herself starting to shiver uncontrollably.
"sh sh d-don't say that, you'll be fine, -Oh thank god, how long?!- just hold on they're on their way ok" Daniel replied a bit distractedly, looking up at somebody that had apparently called an ambulance to get updates.
"I...I wish I could have told my Piggy... cough cough... how-how much I liked him... maybe I would have gotten to hear him say it back right?" Zoe confessed
"Shh, Z-Zoe you'll be able to tell him yourself, just hold on ok?! I'm sure he'll tell you just how much you mean to him the next time you guys meet, just-just stay up a bit longer ok?!" Daniel stammered, growing more and more panicked as Zoe's face continued to pale. Tear were running freely down his face.
"I was so stupid... don't tell him, it'll break his heart... cough-gasp-cough... Just... D-D-Don't let Piggy g-get bullied anymore ok?... maybe... tell him that I think tall Crystal likes him..." Zoe continued trying to talk even as she could feel her lungs filling with liquid.
"n-no Zoe, he would... Zoe, please... z-z-zoe?" Daniel wept, cradling her to his chest. "I promise, he'll be so happy to hear it from you so-please please please- I promise, just please... stay with me..."
'Sorry Daniel' Zoe thought as her brain slowly began shutting down from lack of oxygen. 'I wish I could change things so I had told Piggy sooner...'
"ZOEEEEEEEE!!!!"
... Tragedies happen every day, but in this one case... Well... you won't hold it against me will you if I say let's change that', someone whispered as everything faded to black...