Dreams Of Fame
1.2 - Presley in Willow Creek
“This’ll do,” Zoe Presley said, looking at the house she’d just purchased.
It wasn't much, and real estate agent she'd been talking with, Adrienne Brooks, of Brooks realty, had made it very clear that it was very much so a starter home, and that she'd have to put in work to make it feel more like home.
She'd originally wanted something classy, something that would scream to all of her neighbors that she was better than them, but it had quickly became evident to Zoe that anything resembling that was far out of her price range. So, she'd had to put that dream on hold for the time being.
Zoe briskly walked up the steps to the front porch, and fumbled through her pockets for the keys to her new place. Several crumbled up pieces of story ideas fell out of her pockets that she ignored in favor of unlocking the front door and pushing her way in. The house was definitely... tiny, but she felt it might be just enough for her to be able to sit down and write a bestselling series. Or, at least, she hoped so.
Zoe had spent years living at home with her dad, she’d only purchased a house of her own because her dad finally told her that as a woman in her mid twenties, it was time she actually got a place of her own. In Zoe's opinion, her dad has only said any of that to her because she almost never left the house, as she was always lying in her bed, waiting for the ideas for her next book to come to her. And when she did come up with creative ideas and transformed them into a coherent story, the books never sold. No publisher ever seemed to be able to appreciate what she could invent in her mind.
Zoe also refused to get another job on the side. Her dad has always asked her, and Zoe has always told him that she was going to be a writer, and only a writer. Doing anything else was out of the question. And when finally asked to move out, Zoe had pretended that it was she who made the decision, claiming that she needed a ‘fresh environment’ for new ideas.
She’d told her real estate agent, Adrienne Brooks. that, but she saw right through her. “Your parents are forcing you to move out, aren’t they?”
"No," Zoe had snorted. "My dad loves me. Coming up with creative ideas can just be so hard, you know?"
"A parent figure's love can also be shown in them wanting you to go out and experience new things, you know," Adrienne had said, with a small smile.
"Uh huh. Sure."
“I did the same with my kids a little while back. They’re growing in ways they were never able to back at home. And you know? I did it because I loved them."
"Can we just get back to talking about the house, please?" Zoe sighed, exasperated.
But, regardless of how annoying Mrs. Adrienne Brooks had been, she had found Zoe her first place. And for now, it was looking pretty good.
After a week of living in her new house, Zoe was spending yet another morning staring blankly at an empty document on her tablet. After a while, she threw up her hands dramatically. “Ugh, it’s pointless! This house already sucks, inspiration my ass.”
Pushing back her chair angrily, Zoe swiped her tablet off the counter and headed off to the park. Maybe some fresh air would do her good.
Arriving at the largest park in Willow Creek, known as Magnolia Blossom, Zoe was almost immediately stuck by an odd woman lying on the ground right outside the bathrooms. Something weird was definitely going on. Curious, she walked on over.
“Excuse me, are you alright?” she asked.
The woman opened one eye, and upon seeing Zoe, shot up to her feet. “Perfectly fine, thanks!”
“What are you doing out here alone?” Zoe asked, genuinely curious. Maybe this was just the sort of inspiration she needed for her latest story. Some batshit crazy woman could make for a superb villain.
“I’m waiting for my husband,” Giovanna said simply.
“Your… husband,” Zoe said, doubtful.
Giovanna nodded.
"Okay... how long ago did you lose him?"
"Oh... three days ago? I've been waiting for him in this park."
“Maybe he's at home? At the place where you live?”
Giovanna shook her head vigorously. “We don’t live anywhere.”
“You have to live somewhere, come on. Even if it's a tent.”
“We try to sleep somewhere new every night!”
Zoe started to realize something at that moment. The whole reason her books hadn’t been selling was because they weren’t wild enough- there were generally about some domestic couple that lived out less than exciting lives. She called it romance. But this woman… Zoe could use her. She clearly had tales to tell.
“What’s your name? I didn’t catch it,” Zoe asked innocently.
“Oh, Giovanna. And you?”
“Zoe.”
“I slept in a Zoe’s house once,” Giovanna nodded.
Zoe frowned and nodded once, quickly. “Okay then.”
The two stood there in awkward silence for a few moments before Zoe broke it. “What’s your number?”
“Number?"
"You know. Your phone number?"
"No phone. Just leave a note under that rock instead,” Giovanna said, pointing across the park.
“O-okay,” Zoe stammered.
For whatever reason, Zoe found Giovanna to be oddly intimidating. Perhaps it was her total disregard for social norms, or how she was able to say such odd things with such utter confidence, but despite that... Zoe got the feeling that this woman could equal success for her.
“I guess… I guess I’ll start putting notes under that rock!” Zoe, said, backing away.
Giovanna smiled at Zoe, not seeing a reason to respond as Zoe hurried out of the park, needing to process the strange encounter she'd just had.