We left off during a tense scene where Zoey confronts Stevie Rae about possibly eating pizza delivery guys. Stevie Rae admits to the far more shocking crime of pizza stealing, and Zoey realizes that they need to tell the school about the red fledglings so they can legally eat pizza. Also so they can stop stealing blood from blood banks, but I find the pizza related crimes to be more intriguing.
But how can Zoey convince Stevie Rae to go public with her identity?
I didn’t know what to say. She was right, but I still felt deep in my gut that people—specifically vampyre people—needed to know she and the red fledglings existed. I sighed. “Okay, I know it’s not a one hundred percent good plan, but I honestly believe everyone needs to know about you guys.”
The Casts really hit the jackpot when they realized they didn’t have to put more effort into advancing the plot than to simply write, “Zoey’s gut tells her to do X, so she does X.”
Not only that, but it also works to convince other characters!
“Honestly, as in Nyx is giving you one of thoseyou need to do it feelings?”
“Yep,” I said.
Her sigh was much deeper and filled with more worry and stress than mine. (Jeesh, who knew that could happen?) “All right, then. I’ll be there tomorrow. I’m countin’ on you to make this all turn out okay, Zoey.”
Cast 1: Remember when we thought we had it all when we realized Zoey’s gut could be the “why” behind every decision?
Cast 2: It was the greatest moment of my life as an amazing and talented writer.
Cast 1: Exactly. But what if I told you we could also get other characters to do anything because of Zoey’s gut.
Cast 2: My god.
It’s getting late, so Zoey and Stevie Rae say goodbye, and Zoey goes to talk to Sister Mary Angela. After discussing with the Board of Church Directors (which includes members of the People of Faith), the flea market partnership with the House of Night is a go! Now that’s a chapter I’m excited to read about.
“I better get Aphrodite and go now, though. We were excused from only the first part of our classes today, and we gotta get back.”
“I believe your friends have been finished for a while now, but they have been rather—” She paused, eyes twinkling again. “—distracted.”
“Huh?” I was feeling kinda shocked. It was cool that Sister Mary Angela wasn’t freaked about fledglings and vampyres in general, but to have her be oh-so-amused by Aphrodite’s gross flirtation with Darius was totally too liberal—even for me.
Sister Mary Angela is like, “You’ll see what I mean”, so Zoey knows she clearly doesn’t mean that Darius and Aphrodite have decided to start banging in the middle of Street Cats. And yet there is still this completely ridiculous “misdirect”:
Totally confused, I walked down the short hallway to the room that held cats available for adoption. There were no nuns around, but (sure enough) Aphrodite and Darius were sitting over in the “playground for cats” corner, snuggled together like lovers with their backs turned to me. They were doing something (ugh) with their hands. Actually, it looked like they were doing a lot of something with their hands (double ugh). I cleared my throat dramatically. Instead of jumping apart guiltily as they should have, Darius glanced over his shoulder at me and grinned—Aphrodite (the ho) didn’t even turn to look to see who had just walked in on them. Jeesh, I could have been a nun or someone’s mom.
OMG WHAT A HO TOTES BANGING DARIUS AMONGST THE STREET CATS AND NUNS.
“Uh, I really hate to interrupt this cozy little scene, but we gotta go,” I said sarcastically.
With a big sigh, Aphrodite finally turned around, saying, “Fine. Let’s go. But I’m taking her with us.” And I saw what it was that she and Darius had been doing with their hands.
“It’s a cat!” I said.
BUHWUH?!??! Those Casts got me again!
Seriously, though, how on earth did petting a cat look, at any angle, like something unseemly was going on? Were they frantically petting this cat? What kind of sexual act did Zoey think was going on here?
She was also really quick to be like “Aphrodite (the ho)” even though Darius would have been involved too if something was going on between them. Some friend Zoey is.
Aphrodite, who was definitely not giving Darius a really strange handjob in the middle of Street Cats, has found a cat who adores her. CALLED IT.
Because nothing can ever be subtle in this story, Aphrodite calls the cat Maleficent, and the cat is basically mean to anyone that’s not Aphrodite. Soul catmates. She also symbolizes how good Aphrodite and Darius are together:
“I think she’s as unique and beautiful as her new mistress,” Darius said. I noticed that when he petted Maleficent, the cat narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t growl.
There you have it. It’s meant to be.
Zoey, Darius and Aphrodite say their goodbyes and head off, but first Zoey wants to stop for some fast food! Aphrodite isn’t into it until Zoey offers to pay, which makes no sense because Aphrodite has no need for Zoey to pay. Ug, come on.
Seriously, though, how on earth did petting a cat look, at any angle, like something unseemly was going on? Were they frantically petting this cat? What kind of sexual act did Zoey think was going on here?
Well, I can totally understand Zoey in this case, after all there is a high chance that a heterosexual sexual act involves a pussy …
/rimshot
Hahahaha YES. Nailed it.
I feel like the Casts forgot to include the Stereotype masquerading as a character in this series, in a scene clearly meant for him…”damien loved the idea of spending the whole day petting cats because Hello! damien’s gay!”
I know what you’re all thinking…OMG damien’s gay?
Wait is gay men loving petting cats a real stereotype?
I know that I tend to put more thought into these things than the authors do and that yeah, I’m speculating about a 17-year-old, but I can’t help it. When suuuuuper judge-y female characters get snippy about sluts and the like, I always wonder about their sex life. I mean, Zoey had fade-to-black sex in the last book. Did she like it? Does she feel any self-loathing for liking it? This whole stupid series is supposedly about Zoey’s growing power, but the authors can’t give her any kind of agency lest she be labeled a slut.
It’s frustrating that Zoey has exhibited precisely zero character growth over the course of THREE GODDAMN BOOKS. This is the exact same Zoey that we had on page 1, book 1. She was seduced and raped by an older man. Why doesn’t anyone point this out, and why do the authors insist on framing it as “my boyfriend dumped me :(((” just like they do with Erik, who is at least Zoey’s age and not her teacher? (Prior to this book, that is.) How does this not change Zoey’s perception or attitude towards sex? Why doesn’t she wonder if this ever happened to Aphrodite, and perhaps change her attitude towards her? Why isn’t she about to snap from all the confusion building up inside her because she feels like she has no one to talk to about this? WHY DO I HAVE ALL THESE QUESTIONS THAT THE AUTHORS DON’T CARE ABOUT?
Answer: Zoey is already perfect because she’s Not Like the Other Girls except when she is because LOL kids these days and their brand names and their celebrity crushes. And because she poops, I guess.
When Zoey does reflect on what happened with Loren it’s definitely framed as, “OMG he told me he loved me, but he tricked me.” Nobody seems to have concerns beyond that. In terms of how Zoey felt about the sex itself, I think most recently when she thought about what happened she was like, “It’s so weird I’m not a virgin anymore, but I’m too busy figuring out this cleansing ritual to think about it!” She’s always pretty hard on herself when she enjoys anything sexual (all the stuff with Heath included.) If Zoey’s meant to be growing from all of this, it’s certainly not showing yet.
It’s so frustrating that we’re back to Aphrodite being a slut for literally nothing. No reason. You get caught giving ONE GUY a bj, and you’re a slut forever. Aphrodite shoulda just had sex with a teacher, then everything would be totally kosher.
I think Zoey’s projecting. Right?
Either way, Aphrodite’s doing a much better job at attempting to have a healthy, normal relationship (with Darius) than Zoey has ever tried to do anything ever involving a male (except for Damien. Cuz he’s gay).
Like, I’d hate to question Zoey’s morals (since she’s Chosen and Perfect or whatever), but she made out with a guy WHILE HE WAS DYING. Instead of going to get help? Or like, CPR or some shit? Like, damn girl, get your head on straight.
Zoey does sometimes slut-shame herself, but I always find she’s way harder on Aphrodite, and just takes zero time to be like, “Well shit…maybe those in glass houses shouldn’t throw so many stones.” Oh man, Aphrodite is flirting with a guy! Sound the slut alarms everyone! CUZ THAT ONE TIME SHE GAVE A BJ OMG. Zoey would never. She may dry hump a guy in a public park, or have sex with a professor in a public part of the school, but SHE WOULD NEVER GIVE A BJ!!!!
If that cat doesn’t become a dragon at some point I’ll be very disappointed.
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Zoey always makes a big stink about Aphrodite needing to try harder to be nice, but in the middle of her constant slut-shaming she doesn’t even try to bring up the times Aphrodite helped her and her stupid, ungrateful friends.
1) Gave Stevie-Rae a safe, clean space to stay while she was still (dead) undead
2) Was Zoey’s confidant throughout all the messed up shit last book
3) Somehow cured Stevie-Rae’s deadness at the cost of her own vampirism and powers
4) Convinced Zoey’s awful friends to be friends with her again
Considering how badly Zoey’s past relationships ended, maybe it makes sense that she’s so bitter about someone (seemingly) promiscuous having a happy and healthy relationship without her blessing.