Chapter Thirty-One - A Night To Remember
Zoey walked into the room as soon as Matty yelled for her to come in from the other side of the door, but it took him a few moments to recognize his bestie in her new attire. The pink jacket she loved so much was gone, and so was any trace of glitter. If anything, the lack of any makeup made Zoey look younger with her eyes made huge by the glasses and her hair brushed back and tied into a braided ponytail. Knowing the usual troubles she had with making her hair behave, Matty wondered what could have happened to warrant what must been a torture involving hours of punishing brushing of that leonine mane.
The clothes were just as much of a shock. Matty could have overlooked the lack of pink, but why was Zoey wearing a long black dress? The only thing going for it was the way it cinched at the waist, showing the wearer's slim figure. Otherwise, it looked like something that forced the person in it to take small painstaking steps just to move about. Zoey wore thick socks wrapped over a pair of black army boots that made her feet look enormous compared to the rest of her. That was, however, the only thing of that entire outfit that revealed to Matty that his usually fun-loving bestie was somewhere underneath all that stern clothing.
Zoey obviously took delight in his shocked expression because she made a pirouette toward the middle of the room, allowing him to observe her from all angles. "Well," she asked, "am I cultist chic already?"
So, it was a change of style. "With flying colors," he confirmed. "The only question is: why?"
Zoey puckered her lips with an expression of glee on her small face. "This is my undercover cover."
"Wow," Matty said unenthusiastically. "Don't you think it's missing something?"
"Like what?" Zoey asked, without hiding her confusion.
"I don't know. Some pink maybe? Or any other color, if I think about it. You look like you're getting ready to attend some wacky funeral."
Zoey grinned, seemingly satisfied with his fashion critique. "I suppose you could say that. It's going to be the Implacable Team's funeral once I'm done with them."
"Oh," Matty said, as the meaning of all that finally caught up with him. "This is your undercover cover, indeed. I'd say, girl," he continued with a snicker, "that you're going to need a stick to beat off all those doom-loving cultists once you set foot in there. But are you sure that this horrible dress is enough to make them bite? That mischievous glint in your eye might give you away."
"That's why I'm here, to test drive it," Zoey explained. "On your roommate," she added at his questioning look.
"As you can see, he's not here," Matty pointed out.
Zoey waved. "I saw him outside, talking to another Implacable. That's what they call themselves. I'd say that I did earn a couple of lewd looks while walking past. It worked wonders for my self-esteem."
"Really? Did they see you?" Matty stared, unsure of what was going on in Zoey's head. "I mean, I bet it's hard to see anyone from the heights of moral purity they bask themselves on."
"Yeah, you're right," Zoey admitted. "I was totally pulling your leg. And it's good that they didn't notice me. I mean, I have to be at least half invisible for this to work."
She barely finished speaking when the door opened brusquely, letting in the d-creature they were just discussing. John examined them quickly, pushing his glasses up his nose and flaring his nostrils for a moment as if he could smell foul play.
"Hey, John," Zoey began without delay. "I'm here to ask you something."
John eyed her suspiciously. Matty wasn't entirely sure his roommate recognized Zoey. After all, he had barely recognized her sans glitter.
"Hello to you, too," John uttered without one trace of friendliness. "Ask away."
"I was wondering if I could join your order," Zoey said with aplomb.
Matty worried for a moment. But Zoey was a terribly good actor, innocent and hopeful, her hands linked in front of her chest as if she was waiting with bated breath for John's approval.
"You will have to pass a test," John said testily.
"Of course," Zoey supplied dutifully. "I didn't imagine that you would take in just anyone walking in from the street. Do you think you could put in a good word for me?" She tipped her head to one side and looked at him while biting her bottom lip nervously.
Matty was sitting on his bed, but he felt the need to give Zoey a standing ovation. She was playing John just the right way, getting into the coat of the lost sheep as if it had always belonged to her.
"If Matty forgives me," John suddenly blurted out, taking both of them by surprise.
Zoey's mask almost slipped as she turned her head to ask him without words what that was about. Matty hurried to the rescue. "If this is about the superhero outfit, it's water under the bridge, man."
John's face lit up as if he had been promised endless afterlife. "Then I'll take your friend to Connor right now." Showing again that he had no proper notion of personal boundaries, he grabbed Zoey's hand. "You should come with us, Matty," he added, while dragging Zoey along, making her stumble in her tight dress. "We should all be Implacable," he declared in a pompous tone.
Matty made a move to follow, already worried about the possessiveness John showed for Zoey, but a curt look from his bestie assured him that his help wouldn't be seen with good eyes. "Ah, thanks, man, maybe another time. I have a ton of studying to do."
