i'm finally giving Zarek a taste of his own medicine, and strangely, i'm feeling sorry for him. idk why though.

Never did Zarek think that the selfish Trudy cared about anyone other than herself.

She was wicked and evil and enjoyed other people's downfall too much to help, so for her to get out of her Lamborghini, help Zarek up his feet, and get him in the passenger seat of her yellow car, Zarek was certain this was some sort of a prank. Zarek figured that Trudy must feel like she owed it to Zarek after he escorted her out in the same fashion - how ironic from Karma - but after Zarek's rude reply when she called to thank him the next morning, Zarek was sure she was back at hating him.

Zarek allowed himself to lean back against the soft seats, closing his eyes and blocking away his suspicions. When Trudy leaned towards him and freaking clicked his seatbelt on for him, Zarek's eyes shot open and glared at her. "What are you doing, exactly?"

Trudy's face, that was looking bare since it was makeup-free for once, stayed neutral despite his harsh tone and tense state. "Do you mean; why I'm helping you?" Trudy oozed out with confidence that contradicted her current pyjamas, "It's simple, I owe it to you because you helped me before."

She was nice to him, even after everything he put her through, which added up to his endless pile of guilt and shame.

Trudy's collected face smirked, a familiar glint in her brown eyes. "That, and because I was the one that sent them after you."

What the heck? Trudy was the one who sent those troublemakers after him to rape him, and now she was talking about it as if it was nothing. All of the previous guilt and shame diminished, wanting nothing more than lounging at her and banging her natural face against her steering wheel. Zarek wanted to hurt her so bad, not caring that she was a girl, because how dare she plan his rape, when she, out of all people, knew how awful and disgusting it was?

"Where did they hit you though, 'cause I don't see any bruises," Trudy's words managed to calm the storm in Zarek's chest. "Did they even hit you? Damn it, I knew I shouldn't rely on Sanderson so much."

Zarek was so glad he didn't allow his impulsiveness to consume him and hit Trudy, waiting for her to finish talking. Trudy had no idea what really happened, only telling this Sanderson guy to send a few guys after him which, to be fair, Zarek deserved. Hunter must've seen his golden shot and intervened, alternating the events for his favor and using Zarek's words against him. Hunter's technique was no different than Zarek's usual ways, since he always used people's insecurities against them, and in that moment, Zarek promised himself he'd never do that again.

Zarek sighed, running his pale hands over his grimaced face. He closed his eyes, the darkness provided by his lids was no different than the dim lighting in Trudy's sports car. "Why did you send them after me?"

"Are you seriously asking that?" Trudy chuckled, even though a deaf person could tell how ridiculously fake it was. "After everything you've done with Eva? Really?"

"You're not one to talk," Zarek snapped, licking his dry lips. "You hated her with a burning passion."

Trudy bit her full lips, gaze dropping to her lap. "Well, not anymore."

"Whatever, you really didn't need to do that," Zarek retorted, hating her for giving Hunter the prefect opportunity and landing Zarek where he was right now. "I already paid for what I did - dad kicked me out."

"Really?" Trudy's eyes widened in interest, Zarek hated it because it resembled Hunter's gossip-hungry gaze. When Zarek ignored her, Trudy eyed his body and tesked. "You're so pale, and you're lips are crusted. When was the last time you ate."

Good question, I lost count. Zarek was surprised at the number of days he went by with no proper food without his body collapsing on him, although the buzz in his head, the dry throat, and the occasional black out were clear signs that his body was too close on giving out on him. Zarek shrugged, resuming his leaning position on the leather seat and closing his tired eyes. "Dunno, must be days."

"That's unhealthy," Trudy said, then proceeded to mutter; "But I'm not one to talk."

In complete silence, Trudy roared her powerful engine to life and glided the car around the dark streets of Dessertville. She parked moments later in front of the only store open this late; a worn out supermarket in a random Gas Station. Trudy turned the engine off and hopped outside in her Gucci slippers and pyjamas yet oozing out enough confidence to know that she was a bitch in recess.

Zarek watched her intently, failing to understand how someone could be so powerful and strong but sensitive and dejected at the same time. In a way, he admired the helpless girl who was determined on cutting everyone who got close with her broken parts.

Trudy strutted back into the car, throwing a plastic bag on Zarek's lap. "I got you some chocolate and orange juice, the only packaged things in that store that won't give you diabetes or cancer."

Zarek didn't want Trudy's help, nor did he accept it. For all what he knew, this could be her Plan B to get back at him with poisoned food. However, the weird feeling in Zarek's stomach told him that the only person the girl before him would hurt would be herself. With a few lingering suspicions and doubts, Zarek opened the cap of the mini bottle of juice and brought it to his lips only because he would pass out from hunger any second now. Zarek's throat was greatly relieved with the cold wetness of the beverage, not helping but finish the bottle in quick gulps.

"God," Trudy's voice was annoyed, but Zarek could hear the amusement behind it. "Take it slow there, you might choke."

Zarek ignored her stupid remark, too focused on finishing the plaque of chocolate. Zarek only realized how hungry and food deprived he was when he was offered to eat, his vanished appetite making an appearance and finishing everything but the wrappers. He took the garbage filled plastic bag and threw it out the window, although a dumpster was a few meters ahead in the parking lot.

"Why did you do that?" Trudy hissed, getting out of the car and retrieving the trash. She jogged to the garbage can, got rid of the plastic bag, and then went back in the car. "Don't do that again. I'm not one for the environment, but there's limits, Zarek."

"Whatever you say, big girl," Zarek eased out. He was already feeling more refreshed and energetic, maybe I wasn't weak before and all I needed was food. Yeah, definitely, that explained it.

"You never told me you're called The DICK - Dessertville's Infamous Cold King," she said out of the blue, staring ahead as the lights from the worn out supermarket illuminated her natural face.

He groaned. "It's just a stupid nickname."

"How did you get it?" Great curiosity appeared on her face, and he hated it because this was something he'd much rather erase from his past.

"By being me?" he snapped, "In case you haven't noticed, I am a dick, and the worst part is that I deserve everything that happened to me tonight."

Trudy was silent for a while, Zarek had no idea what sort of thoughts banged in her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and Zarek whipped his head around to face her, showing his disbelief. "For sending those guys after you, and for, eh, your dad kicking you out."

"Where the fuck is the Trudy I know?" Zarek barked, "She a bad bitch, never apologized or helped anyone."

"I can be nice sometimes," Trudy scoffed, "You know, you keep whining about not finding any decent women, but you're not the perfect man either."

"Smooth transition," Zarek noted, praising her for turning the spotlight away from her.

Zarek could see the real Trudy peaking out from the crimson curtains in the theatre that was her life. He didn't know whether he was ready for her reveal or not, so he stared out the window, his elbow resting on the window as his hand supported his jaw. They were still parked in that Gas Station's empty parking lot, darkness surrounding them but the far away supermarket, and Zarek had no idea why Trudy still hosted him in her car. Isn't this the part where she humiliates me and kicks me out? As if he wasn't humiliated enough when she witnessed him all broken and collapsed on the side of the road.

"You love her, don't you?" Trudy whispered, something similar to jealousy and pain lacing her letters.

Zarek flinched, his blond eyebrows frowning together as he focused his gaze on the worn out supermarket instead of Trudy's calculating gaze. Trudy didn't need to spill any names for Zarek to know exactly who she meant, and that was even scarier than admitting his feelings. Zarek was cornered, with no way out of this embarrassing situation. He didn't like that.

"No, I don't." He shrugged, hoping it was convincing enough for her to drop it.

"What do you like about other girls?" Trudy asked as if it was the most normal question.

Zarek didn't need to think about it too long. "Boobs and butts."

She shook her head before she continued. "What do you like about her?"

Zarek didn't miss a beat. "Easy; legs and waist."

"See?" Trudy beamed, "You took a closer look to her."

"Whatever, it's not like it matters anymore." He cleared his throat, maintaining his cool nerves because Trudy was slowing stepping into her ruthless persona. "It's a little too late for this, don't you think?"

"No, actually, it's never too late. I'm sounding like a total hypocrite to myself right now, but you can make it up to her. Only if you want to." Trudy took a deep inhale, running her red painted nails through her not so polished, wavy hair. "We've both been total assholes to her, Zarek, even though we knew she didn't deserve it. It's not fair."

Zarek casted her a glance, electric green eyes scanning her surprisingly genuine smile. "You've changed. What happened to you?" Just a while ago, she was meeting up with him in secret locations to plan Eva's downfall, and now she was all sentimental and emotional? This couldn't be, unless it was some sort of an advanced Plan C since the rape and the food poisoning didn't work.

She ignored him, drumming her long fingernails on the smooth hardboard of her Lamborghini that Zarek thought was edgy and cool with its bright yellow color, but her car had nothing on Zarek's sleek Mustang. "It's so clear you want her attention," Trudy went on, a certainty in her levelled voice, "You wanted it so bad that you didn't care anymore if it was in a good or a bad way, so you hurt her because you were too proud to do anything nice."

Zarek's eyebrows rose at the accurate words. "What are you?" he bit out, "A psychiatrist?"

Trudy chuckled, nostalgia crossing her facial features for a second. "Yeah, something like that."

Since she's bringing all of this up... "You know..." Zarek trailed, taking this chance before Trudy closed off on herself again. "I never understood why you went out with that wuss Justin." Trudy stilled next to him in the driver's seat, but he didn't stop and followed his cursed impulsiveness. "I always thought he was a pussy and didn't deserve you; a big chested girl with confidence sharp enough to cut his microscopic dick."

Because Trudy was a girl, all she heard was 'big chested', fully falling for Zarek's move.

"What? No." She shook her head, a subtle blush would've showed on her cheeks if her skin was a few shades lighter. "My boobs are so not big, they're bellow average."

"They're big enough for me."

Trudy gulped, too swamped in her insecurities to realize Zarek's trap - the exact desired effect of the words. Zarek reached out and touched her knee, staring so deeply at Trudy that her jaw was shaking in anticipation. At the physical contact, Trudy winced took an intense gasp of air as if she had been longing for his touch for ages. Trudy didn't protest, so Zarek took it as a sign of consent and slid his hand a little higher, caressing her thigh over her pyjama pants as his thumb applied pressure in circular motions. Her brown eyes stayed glued to his moving hand as her cheeks showed their flush despite their dark color. Zarek liked Trudy's skin tone, it made her unique since she was most likely the only colored student in Dessertville High. However, something told Zarek that Trudy didn't think the same.

From the neediness in her rushed breaths, the longing in her shaky jaw, and the shakiness of her tense body as if she was having an inside battle with herself, Zarek could tell just how much she craved him, wanted him, and probably even loved him - how fucking twisted.

Zarek snapped out of it, his hand pulling away to fast as oppose to how gentle and slow he was. What was I thinking? He was manipulating and hitting on girls even after everything that happened to him tonight, and on Trudy out of all people; the only girl he thought twice before messing with. He didn't know what hooking up with Trudy might give him, but whatever it was, it wasn't worth it.

Trudy's face was so broken and betrayed, making Zarek regret ever trying something just to pull away. He could feel all the negative thoughts, that were no different than his own, feed her soul with the endless insecurities and shame for allowing him the privilege of touching her.

"I can't." Zarek shook his head, his blond hair falling over his forehead and his precious hand pushing it back. "I'm sorry," he muttered the words he probably never did before for how weak they made him feel.

A hint of a tear was forming on Trudy's dreamy eyes, so she looked away through the window. "Why not?" she croaked out, voice breaking with so much longing and despair.

"This won't work. You're too... scarred." Zarek clenched his jaw, sinking lower in the comfortable seat.

Trudy was a broken girl, living her life in a theatre with no crowd and still playing the same tough act over and over again every day for whatever long it had been. Trudy's past was a mystery to Zarek, and his increasing interest wanted to unravel it all but he wasn't mentally ready for her baggage because he had his own baggage to deal with.

It was impressive how fast Trudy fell back into her act, picking up where she left off in her previous play. Her stiff hands wrapped around the steering wheel, roaring her powerful engine to life. "Where should I take you?" she announced the end of her patience and the beginning of her ruthlessness, being done with him for the night.

Zarek laughed at his misery, his tightened chest vibrating between the immense weights that were pressuring it. "I have no where to go."

"What about Ryan? He's your best friend, right?"

"Not even him." Zarek grinned at Trudy, bitterness settling in his guts and covering it up with humor. "I really hit rock bottom, huh?"

probably the first meal Zarek has in this book? i've been neglecting him, lol.