36
"Come to Panama Beach with us," Artemis offered, smiling as she packed her second and last suitcase. She was bringing far less than her fiancé, Wally, was, which made Zatanna roll her eyes and grin at the same time.
"It's fine, Artemis, really," she said, lifting her nose out of her book to look over at the girl. Her mind spun to find a believing excuse not to go with them. The usual "I wont be packed in time" or "I don't have enough money" wouldn't work, not with her friends. "My dad is coming home for two weeks. He talked about taking me back to Italy on a vacation."
"Doesn't your dad work in Italy?"
"He still likes it enough to vacation there," Zatanna said, grinning convincingly to the girl.
Artemis shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat, duck. Wally and I are leaving tomorrow at 8."
"In the morning?" Zatanna asked, incredulous.
"Yes," Artemis grumbled, and Zatanna couldn't hold in her laughter.
The next day, she bid them goodbye after helping them load up their car for the roadtrip. Driving from New York to Florida would take some time, but they had half a dozen other cars going with them, so Zatanna had no doubt they would have fun. Artemis mentioned passing through Richmond Virginia, and maybe stopping in Savannah Georgia as well. Zatanna wished them luck and waved as the whole group drove off.
Megan left a few days after that to go home and get her whole baby situation sorted out with her parents and, hopefully, with the baby's father. Zatanna wished her luck when she left, and meant it. The poor girl needed to get her life figured out, more so than any of the others did.
Zatanna packed a small bag and locked the dorm door on her way out. She had decided to head to her dad's house in Queens and spend the week there. Hopefully Dad might happen to show up and surprise her. Other than that, she spent a few days reading and catching up on sleep, taking pictures of the neighborhood and randomly checking her phone for updates from her friends. They came sporadically, but they made her smile.
A few days after that, Conner called her.
"Where are you?" He asked, not giving her a chance to say hello.
Zatanna stopped what she was doing, "I'm at home… at my dad's place."
"Are you doing anything?"
"…Baking..?"
Conner huffed, "I meant is your dad home or are you alone."
"Creep," she teased, setting down her bowl of batter. "But yeah, I'm alone," she said, willing to humour him. "Why?"
"Because I'm bored out of my mind, and I was wondering if you wanted to go home with me." He must have sensed her eyebrows popping up, because he spluttered, frustrated, and then explained. "To Metropolis… my dad has a place there… and I really don't want to be the only college student doing things alone in the city."
"I… Yeah, sure I guess. But I thought you didn't like doing things in Metropolis."
"I said nothing in Metropolis interests me," he said, exactly how he had written it so many months ago, to her in her little notebook from across the table. Zatanna was impressed with his memory, nodding in contemplation. "And," he continued, taking a breath, "with you in Metropolis… something will interest me."
Zatanna went silent, turning back to the bowl of batter as she thought it over, hands working as she pinned her phone between her shoulder and her ear.
"Where will we stay?" She asked finally.
"My dad's house."
"I thought you hated your dad."
"I don't… we just have a lot of conflicting opinions," he said, apparently having no qualms explaining his family situation to her.
Zatanna sighed, faking reluctance. She knew Conner waited with bated breath for her answer. If this meant as much as she thought it did, then he was just as nervous about it as she was.
"If you're sure I won't annoy him."
"Oh I'm sure he won't be happy, but frankly I don't give a damn," Conner said, and she could hear his grin in his voice.
She giggled at him, curious about what this little trip would hold. "When do we leave then?"
"How does tonight sound?"
"Depends, do you like chocolate chip cookies?"
"I love them."
"Then I've got all the snacks we need."