Dreams Of Fame
1.16 - Patel
Zoe woke up in the morning, a smile on her face, ready for a fresh new day. It was how she woke up most days. She truly believed that the only way to do anything in life was to start off the day right and positive. One had to rise with and like the sun to truly make the most of a day.
She emerged from her bedroom, and as usual, was the first one to rise. She started the coffee maker, and went over to the computer while she waited. She enjoyed checking all the news on her books and making notes on what the reviewers and fans wanted out of the next one. She was all about pleasing people.
This morning, however, the top result stopped her heart cold.
An unfamiliar woman smiled proudly out of the screen, arms crossed. Beneath her picture, the heading said “WOMAN CLAIMS SHES THE ACTUAL AUTHOR OF A DAY IN THE LIFE OF GRANNY”.
A voice whispered in Zoe’s head. “How dare she. Track her down, end her, I am the true author! I spent years working for this, I deserve the whole wide world!”
Zoe silenced that instinct, and clicked on the article.
Zoe Patel, of Oasis Springs, claims that she’s the actual woman behind the hit series “A Day in the Life of Granny”. She insists that Zoe Presley has acted as an imposter, and she’d been too afraid to do anything to hurt the books initial success.
There was a video beneath that. Zoe clicked on the play button.
“Well, I worked real hard writing those books. I put them out there, and I was shocked when I saw some woman named Zoe Presley in the library presenting the work as her own! But, the books were successful, and all, so I decided I’d let her promote it. Starting controversy was only going to hurt the sales at that point.”
“But, m’am, do you have any evidence?” the interviewer asked.
Zoe Patel pulled out her phone. “Well, if you look right here… see!”
The video cut into a photo of Giovanna and a strange man, Zoe Patel standing a good distance from them.
“Just like this… Presley woman has been saying, the books are in fact, based on an actual person. This right here is Giovanna- though I prefer the name Granny- and her husband in my house before he passed. They were the most charming couple…”
“Then wouldn’t you know her husband’s name?” the interviewer exclaimed.
“Funnily enough, no! The two refused to speak it…”
Zoe closed the tab, and took a deep breath, trying to control the rage growing within her. She couldn’t, and she let out a shriek that woke the whole house.
Within a half hour, everyone had gathered in the kitchen. Summer kept giving the stink-eye to Liberty and Travis, but other than that, they were all entirely focused on Zoe.
“We’re going to take her to court,” Zoe said firmly.
“Wow Zoe!” Summer exclaimed in a fake sounding voice. “You’re really reminding me of Zoe, like Giovanna-locked-in-the-basement-Zoe. Do you need to see Melody again?”
“I’m pissed, Summer,” Zoe sighed.
“You’ve definitely worked hard for this, you have every reason to sue her,” Liberty nodded.
“No one asked you, Liberty!” Summer snarled.
“Back off Summer,” Travis said, shooting a lethal glare Summer’s way.
“Anyway,” Zoe sighed. “Do you have anything to add, Giovanna?”
Giovanna was silent.
“Giovanna?” Zoe asked again. Giovanna let out a snore. “-Giovanna!”
She woke up with a snort. “Moo?”
“What do you think of this situation, Giovanna?” Zoe asked gently.
“My husband, yes, very good…” Giovanna muttered before falling asleep again.
“Well,” Zoe said indignantly. “I’m taking her to court. Even if I have to drag her ass all the way to Willow Creek from Oasis Springs.”
Zoe Patel was, surprisingly, very receptive to taking a trip to Willow Creek to contest the book. She was there by the end of the day. Unfortunately, the court couldn’t take their case until the next day, so Zoe settled with meeting the other Zoe at the library.
She gathered up the whole household to make the trip with her.
“Summer, Travis, Liberty, for the love of all things, stop quarreling with each other for at least one day,” Zoe said as they prepared to go.
Summer, Travis, and Liberty shared a look and made a silent agreement to give everything a rest in the light of Zoe’s problems. But, they all knew Summer’s rage was far from over. They knew Summer had called her mom the day before, and that wasn’t something that Summer did often or lightly. The woman had disowned her, after all. Disowned her single-handedly, as well. She’d let her dad know the next day and told him to suck it up and threatened divorce when he’d tried to make it a big deal.
“Well, well, well,” Zoe said, walking into the library and seeing the other Zoe. “Look who it is.”
“Wow, you in the flesh, huh?” the other Zoe said, sizing Zoe up.
“How dare you, Zoe- er, can I call you Patel? This is weird…”
“Of course,” Patel smiled.
“How dare you Patel! That’s my book, I spent YEARS writing that!”
Giovanna gave a very delayed gasp as a reaction. “That’s the woman! The day my husband died! She tried to arrest me!”
“Oh wow, now isn’t that interesting Patel?” Zoe grinned.
“Oh, um, no. I distinctly remember that it was you who went to the park that day. After all, that’s whats written in my best selling book, A Day in the Life of Granny. I doubt you’d know, though. I doubt you ever read it.”
“Now, you listen here-“
Patel held up a book almost innocently. “I mean, it says right here on the cover… Zoe P. Who else could that be but me?”
Zoe opened her mouth, but didn't have anything to say. For once, she was beaten.