#will!zach

I’m not the first person to make that joke. I’m not that funny.

I have so many thoughts about Zach. I have so many thoughts about a lot of characters, they’re all so intriguing and we sadly don’t get to explore most of them.

Anyways I will very happily talk about Will!Zach.

Honey Queen specifically

To be clear, Angela!Zoey still does all of this.

Honey Queen is one of the stronger Nightmare Time episodes, there isn’t much I think desperately needs to be developed or changed. All I really would want is a duet between Linda and Zoey, and maybe punch up some of their insults to each other. They could be more brutal. And have Hailey a little more involved, even if just mentioned earlier - to better establish her relationship with Zoey so her revenge against her has more relevance later in Killer Track.

And as much I’d like to explore some more about Zach, I don’t think it needs to be in Honey Queen. Just hypothetically somewhere else.

Canonically Zach doesn’t sound any bit surprised that Zoey pulled this stunt. Hurt and betrayed, yes, but he seems to have suspected some kind of move like that from the sister he calls “a greedy snake”. He knows what she’s like and that’s she’s only after the money, and if there’s a way she can get both shares of the inheritance… well, he’s well aware that she’d happily take it. There is no sibling solidarity of any kind. Zoey runs purely for herself and her own benefit. So regardless of her own feelings, any queer solidarity is out of the question too.

When she retaliates with the “maybe this is karma for stealing Josh from me”, there’s also an interesting reaction there. For one, it’s Josh and not “my boyfriend”, so they were more likely in the friendly/flirting stages. We don’t know much, but all things considered, Zach and Josh seem like very nice guys, so I doubt it was any move out of being malicious. Josh was probably another man Zoey thought she could use, maybe he has some big job or a fair bit of money. Either Zach gave him a friendly warning whenever they crossed paths or Josh clocked her/was never that into her and got with him instead. She’s not beaten up about it like he was a beloved boyfriend, she needed him for something and is pissed she didn’t get it but not completely hung over about it. Otherwise she probably would have done something sooner to them.

It’s a begrudgingly call he makes after presumably being chewed out by their grandma, he doesn’t really want to talk with her and doesn’t attempt to avoid being hung up on. But he is angry that she did this. Not even on the money level, though he recognises that’s why Zoey did it, he’s angry about the ruined bond with Mima. How this will complicate and mess up probably all the Chambers family dynamic from here on out. Zoey, of course, doesn’t give two shits for the implications beyond buying herself a Switch with her sole inheritance.

Same in Recast. As said, none of this really changes. The changes are more in their lore.

Recast Chambers siblings

It doesn’t completely change their dynamic, but it does add a layer of sympathy: Zach would have watched his sister’s dreams shatter.

With a few exceptions, all children’s voices deepen with age. More strongly on men but it obviously happens to everyone. Young children all sing very high and don’t need to be grouped as separately. When they were younger kids, getting into theatre, there was very little indication of where their voices would sit by the time they could pursue this as career. Back when Zach seems to have been the one more interested or at least equally interested in theatre.

As the older sibling by at least a year (it’s not clear how big the age gap is), Zach was the one growing and changing first. Even as the theatre bug faded in him, I’m sure he was probably still doing a bit of musical stuff to fill his schedule or simply just to sing karaoke with his sister. Shaping up to be a fairly good tenor.

It’s not equal, but there is certainly less discrepancy between tenors, baritones and basses when compared to sopranos, mezzos and altos. Most male parts, especially in more recent years, are tenor. The world would have been at his feet had he continued with theatre and pursued it. It was exciting and he probably received a lot of encouragement from those around him. Plenty of songs, plenty of roles, plenty of opportunity. The path was very much there for him, even if he didn’t take it.

As the years went on, his sister would change too. It would have become increasingly clear where her voice was going to settle. One by one the roles she had proudly announced she’d have one day became impossible. Notes she’d never hit, so unqualified to even audition for them. Before the burning, bitchy hatred for higher voices, it probably was the more justified “it’s not fair”. She was certainly no soprano. She no doubt lost the higher notes of a mezzo she could probably reach with ease as child. She was an alto.

He, in spite of not wanting theatre in the end, could have had his pick of roles. She, for all her love of the stage and desire to be a star, wouldn’t.

It was probably the first real fracture in their relationship.

But at the point, I think Zach could still probably feel empathetic to his sister. Reassured that she’ll probably come around to him again when she’s calmed down and realised it’s not his fault. She’d learn to accept her alto voice, loved it to the moon and back, even finding new ways to really build up her skills and talents to futher herself.

While all this was going on, Zach had also realised he was gay. The family were open and supportive, but warned him that Mima wouldn’t be and promised they wouldn’t tell her. There was probably a stern talking to for Zoey, to ensure she wouldn’t accidentally share it. That she would, for a couple years more, pay heed to.

In turn, I think he picked up on something about his sister. I doubt it was a full convinced lesbian theory. Just thought she was queer in some way. Bi, pan, poly, ace, aro, anything. She didn’t match the straight girls at school when he talked about boys with them. The only person Zoey really seemed to like was herself, which probably also didn’t help him work anything out. She didn’t keep friends very long, nevermind what she’d be like with a partner. It would have been a hard case to judge.

Zoey’s flirtatious in nature and likes attention, so I’m sure over the years, she’s had a plethora of boyfriends. Even if they didn’t have money or power in some way she could use, just having a boyfriend in itself would have worked. It made her more desirable, gave her attention, someone was always there to do things for her and so on. Perfect arrangement as far as she was concerned. What the boyfriends thought didn’t really matter, as soon as one left or she was done with them, she’d find like ten others.

Zach wasn’t around as much at this point being that little bit older, off at college or his first serious job but I’m sure he heard from their parents or Zoey herself about the revolving door of guys on her arm. If not saw photos over social media. He no doubt had thoughts about how she treated her relationships, they were getting increasingly more toxic. But whether he raised them, even if only out of brotherly concern for her that one day someone might snap back at her, or if she listened is very debatable. She definitely didn’t.

Eventually the whole Josh situation happens. And that only further fractures their relationship.

Zoey moves out from home and their parents are no longer as involved in her life. But again, he may still get some info from her sometimes or just see photos on social media. She lives a pretty public life at least on Instagram, tagging her various other more mature accounts in her bio. Given their parents being open, I don’t think they completely police her on it now that she’s of age, but probably politely suggest she have a career or more stable source of income. Zach himself is probably in agreement, but finds it harder and harder to talk to Zoey these days.

At some stage, he meets Sam and Hailey. Separate interactions. Probably a couple times.

Hailey being one of his sister’s roommates, friend from theatre classes at college and costar several times over. She’s the one Zoey is closest to, not that it’s saying much, and is always following her around at beck and call. It’s immediately apparent she’s being mistreated. It’s not quite comfortable, as strangers, for him to tell her she should stand up for herself but he probably does. Before having a go at Zoey because she can’t treat people like that, only for Zoey to completely flip back at him.

And Sam seems to be one of the longer boyfriends she’s had. If you can call them that. Fling? On again and off again, but they do seem to have a couple years under their belt. She’s not going to bring him round to family functions being a married cop that’s much older than her. They both live in Hatchetfield so Zach has probably just ran into them on accident. And that’s a whole other thing for them to argue about.

At family functions, where she can’t bring Sam and when in lacking of another suitable male candidate, Zoey has Hailey tag along. I like the idea that Zach kinda bonds with her. Not best friends, they’d never be allowed to get that buddy-buddy, but they have some sense of solidarity and sympathy for each other. Zoey is awful but something compels them both to still like her a little and want the best for her. Josh joins them as well, being more of the suggestion that they just cut Zoey out of their lives until she sorts herself out.

It’s at this stage he really clocks his sister. The way her behaviour changes around Hailey and when she’s gone, staring after her, the comments she makes, the way all those other boys had just been props to her… it’s not hatred like he first thought. She likes this girl. She just doesn’t know what to do about it and avoids doing so by doing whatever this is instead.

Trying to help, he does try to be an open space and someone Zoey can talk to. He can help her with her feelings and better her relationship with Hailey before she pushes her away completely. He knows how complicated this can be. He was once in the closet too.

And she just goes ballistic at him.

They are on little to no speaking terms by the time of that Honey Festival.

Several more arguments have probably occurred during the time, they are more ridiculous than the last. Zoey’s short fuse and lack of care for anyone that isn’t herself is grating. He has other things to do than try clean up her messes or play her babysitter.

They’re so at odd he doesn’t really have much time to consider the fact she’s probably a lesbian and has been this entire time.

Again, he still hears about her activities through social media and some word of mouth. She’s somewhat made a name for herself as an upcoming actress, even performing a few things at the Starlight, though he knows that’s not by “being nice”. She’s not changed, he knows that, but there’s still the naive hope deep inside that maybe she’s at least making some better choices or had some time to reflect. His sister wasn’t always like this.

But then he or Josh will something from a friend of a friend and he’s reminded that no, she’s not changed. During the brief interactions they know have, Zoey backs it up herself that she’s not changed. She’s not pathetic like he was. She is more talented and hardworking, she will make it to New York and be a star on Broadway. Just he wait and see. She’ll get her dream job, a beautiful apartment she won’t have to share, the money, the fame, the adoration. She won’t be some no one in a nowhere town. Seemingly happy and proud of doing whatever it takes to further herself. Ruthlessness knows no bounds.

And then he gets a call from a very upset grandmother.

Again, a little flicker of hope. Maybe she didn’t say anything. Maybe someone else let it slip, a careless member of staff or Mima finally worked it out herself. For all he knows when he calls, Zoey won’t have any idea what he’s talking about and will swear that she’d never do something so cruel. She might cry, explain it was an accident and beg forgiveness, promising to still give him his share. It might be a complete misunderstanding and something else might have upset Mima entirely. It could be a massive jump to a conclusion that Zoey was involved at all—

All she does is laugh at him when he tries to ask for some kind of explanation or apology. Confirms she did it and hangs up.

Even throwing out some comment about it being karma for stealing Josh from her. Seething, he should have thrown back some comment about how she wouldn’t have wanted him in the first place. He never got the chance.

He hears she’s entered into the Honey Queen Pageant and is probably not surprised. He might have rooted for her before all of this. Now he’s probably just watching out of spite, whether in the back rows of the Starlight or where it’s televised on Hatchetfield News. Sat with Josh and some popcorn, praying it all goes wrong and that she gets what’s coming to her. Or maybe he does hope she’ll win, just so she leaves Hatchetfield and fucks off altogether. The question round went annoyingly well but the talent round is a bust, that must have been entertaining. There’s a couple good contestants here that show a lot of promise.

So when she doesn’t win and one of those other women are crowned, it’s not the end of the world and probably seemed predictable. She’s not going to leave anytime soon but hopefully that will have humbled her into some fucking sense. Maybe in the morning he’ll text or call her, an apology for how it went and ask if she’s okay. She did look upset running off that stage. No, maybe it’s best he go in person with some tea and honey? Yeah, that’ll soothe her and her throat, she’ll be more bearable to talk to.

Mainly concerning the scam from Linda and Gerald, where he quite literally acts as the assistant to some big Broadway casting director, having a little summer vacation in this quaint town for the Honey Festival as he ums and ahs over which girl to cast as his leading lady.

Gerald is full of charm. He’s obviously buttering up and selling the act, that’s still the same, but the comments have specifically more weight to Angela!Zoey then they do in canon because of the change in casting and its implications. It’s semi-believable in canon, when you look at all these stories of mezzos being picked out of the middle of nowhere after some college performance or a cover on YouTube; like Mariah was by the Broadway Tour of Mean Girls. But here it would be entirely choreographed to Angela!Zoey.

“We’re going through the audition tapes but we can’t seem to find the right girl for the lead of this new Broadway show. They send us all these sopranos and mezzos, but what we really need is.. an alto. Someone who can sing nice and low for hours on end. If only the right girl would just appear, we’d snatch her up and take her away from all this. … Haha, thanks! You’ve been really helpful. You’re a pleasure to work with - and you’ve got a great look!”

They want an alto. It’s just swapping out the mezzo part form the original. But it means more. People don’t hunt down an altos. If they cast one it’s one of the big already known ones or they just cast a mezzo/soprano and have them sing up. This Broadway casting director though seems to specifically not want that.

The compliment to her working abilities and her appearance is the same, but again means more. It’s always the ones more stereotypically feminine and pretty that get cast. With long hair and long legs, a clear figure. Angela!Zoey does her best to appeal without fully bending to the system, but she does lose some of what would make her appealing to casting subsequently. She’s too butch or masculine looking to make it. Only to be told she has a great look by some Broadway bigwig.

So when given the chance, she performs for hours and hours. Putting every skill and asset at her disposal to prove herself, that she is certainly capable and certainly better than any of the sopranos/mezzos they have there on tape.

“Mr. Broadly was very impressed. Weren’t you, Mr. Broadly? … You may be getting a call from us very soon. … Aw, no. We’re casting directors. We’ll find you.”

She’s assured she did well and that there might be a part for her. They think she’s what they’re looking for. She might make it to Broadway after all!

More than that, they are going to find her. All this time she’s been trying to put herself out there, to be seen. And when given the opportunity, she doesn’t even have to do that. They are here to see and find her. They essentially already have.

Honey Queen isn’t even a thought she has in this moment. She has secured her dream completely on her own. She didn’t need the trending title of Honey Queen or the adoring people of Hatchetfield or the powerful men that sat there as the judging panel she seduced. She did it. Her. There was no other women in the way to compete with, to fight for the spot. There was no men pulling strings to someone prettier or higher or more feminine to their ideal.

For once, an alto, she’s seemingly been given that equal footing.

“Make some good tips last night? … And did you impress Mr. Broadly? … Because I sent him, genius. His assistant you talked to? That was my husband.”

It was a weird thing for Linda to do given their back and forth, but fine. Whatever.

The most important thing on her mind isn’t the why or Linda’s level of involvement or what it means for the competition they are both currently in, it is simply the question of did she get that part.

It’s been possibly a whole day or coming close to it and she’s not received the call she was promised. Sure, calls don’t happen that quickly. And if he’s here on holding for the Honey Festival, the day of the Honey Queen Pageant itself, he is surely busy doing other things. But then that is what his assistant, Linda’s husband, is presumably for.

With this turn of events, maybe she’s not even getting a call. Maybe she’s going to be one of those people who get told in person - those people they just give the job to right on the spot. Maybe it’s going to be announced onstage, right there on live television, so everyone will know the name of Zoey Chambers. A star from nowhere, a hidden treasure uncovered, about to be whisked off to Broadway where she belongs.

“He’s not a casting director, you idiot! I played you! I bought your precious, little voice for 560 bucks. See? Told you you were cheap.”

It’s not real.

Of course it’s not.

She thought this time was different. Why did she think it would be different? It’s never, ever like that for altos! Sorry, I couldn’t help myself for the All You Wanna Do reference. Of course it’s not fucking real, how deluded was she to believe that an alto would ever get such a chance? That she would get the chance?

She isn’t like her brother or Linda or even fucking Hailey who seemingly has the whole world at their feet. The theatre world nonetheless. The dream she wants more than anyone, has worked harder than any of them, is never coming to her. But if any of them simply decided to take it, they absolutely could. There would be thousands and thousands of opportunities for them, and she will still be stuck here.

There isn’t even Honey Queen to fall back on now. She’s exhausted after yesterday, body aching and voice long gone. After everything she worked for, it is still not enough. She is not enough.

And it was cheap.

It’s a cutting edge, but anyone else would have made more. Their voices would have been worth more. When you think of all those sold out shows and concerts and tours. People pay above and beyond for sopranos and mezzos and tenors and baritones and basses. People pay ludicrous amount of moneys for celebrities that are cast in shit nowadays and a lot of them couldn’t sing a single note at all, a lot of them don’t deserve to be on such a stage. She didn’t even break a thousand. With that much money, you could only buy a couple shitty seats in Broadway theatre. She didn’t even lose her voice in front of a crowd, it was a conman and some homeless person and the rogue customer that just happened in for a fucking coffee.

But hey, at least she has the community of her theatre group and local artists that are equally stuck here to fall back on—

“I betrayed you? Zoey. Workin’ Girls? I don’t think so.”

Son of a bitch.

This is cutting enough anyways and of course Hidgens means it wouldn’t work in a solely misogynistic “only men could” way. But there’s the added implication of the fact it was an alto that could have been the lead.

Oh. Zoey. It never would when worked. There are no musicals with an alto lead. Who would ever want to see that?

It never would have worked with her in it as the lead.

There was a “juicy supporting role” that she might be right for. Because that’s all alto parts ever are.

She’s doomed to be stuck here forever. She will live and die here. Nothing and no one.

Phone shattered. All those photos and memories just gone in the blink of an eye, and no one cares.

Something has got to change.

With desperation and determination, she picks herself off the dressing room floor. Resolved. She isn’t going to just stand around while all the people around her get the world handed to them. She isn’t just going to accept it because she’s told that she should, that’s the way the world is; altos aren’t allowed to take centre stage and leading parts. So, for once, she is going to take that from somebody else’s hands.

What will it matter? Linda is only one soprano, there are thousands of others just like her. Rich and powerful, that don’t need or deserve these things, that have loving partners who don’t cheat them, things that already make their lives complete like kids who adore them, as pretty as any doll. Striking red hair and bright eyes.

She goes after her, finally, literally, chasing down what she wants. The life she wants.

She finally, literally, has someone else under her foot. The way she has been treated for so long. And a glorious future just up ahead. She’s going to win Honey Queen and she’s going straight to Broadway. Up there in lights, she’ll be.

“Yes, Zoey, you’re a star on the rise.”

The rope pulls taut on her neck.

Most timelines? They don't really make it. In spite of them both wanting the opposite. At best they might end up being something casual but Zoey refuses to really talk about that or anything and then ends up dying to whatever the problem is in that universe, be it an eldritch horror or just Linda.

But most isn't all of them.

There's the off chance where Hailey plucks up enough courage to confront Zoey and the equally off chance of Zoey, having done some self-reflection and work about her feelings, to entertain the discussion. How honest she is during said discussion is debatable. But she at least allows Hailey to talk and ultimately agrees they should get together, even if she never adds any insight on her part.

Granted, I think their Recast selves are the more likely combo to do it too. Zoey is still not justified in whatever she's doing, but has the tiny slither of sympathy in the fact the industry is against her and that's made her like this which would make people a fraction less likely to get the desire to deck her.

And yeah, she's not the tallest person in the world and at least needs to keep Hailey around to reach the top shelves.

Hailey's revenge in Recast was probably just putting the tea on a high shelf, she wouldn't have needed to go out and get any honey, good or otherwise.

In the beginning, their dynamic really doesn't change much at all.

They were already messing around casually or well, Zoey was. All this really is... giving them labels to use internally so they know what to call this. Mostly.

Zoey is still calling the shots, keeping Hailey around more as her personal assistant than anything else and doesn't really want to bring the relationship up at all in public. She is probably still going out to see Sam and various other men she's using, but will then come back to Hailey. I highly doubt anyone notices the pair are dating until much, much later on.

Hailey, for her part, is more or less okay with the arrangement. She's assured Zoey isn't cheating, so has little issue with the men. And I can't imagine she really wants the relationship to be front and centre either. She already has enough people telling her to leave Zoey as it is. She can't imagine how much it would increase if they knew they were together. And what all these men that pine and lust after Zoey would react if they knew she was the thing standing in the way of them making Zoey theirs. Alongside a general sense of not being as public or online about things.

The first ones who catch the change is their other roommates, which in my mind is Courtney and Cassie. Naturally they spend a lot of time together, partially because of the living situation and all being community players.

They notice Zoey is always in a slightly better mood when Hailey is around. While her orders are as snappy as always, there's less insults accompanying them. She glares a lot from where she's sat on the counter, eyes narrowed into slits and all but growling when they try talking to Hailey. Slowly it seems less "Zoey is pissed because we're distracting her maid" and more "Zoey is a possessive, jealous little shit". Hailey isn't much better at being subtle. Going red a lot, awkwardly covering hickeys with her hand - usually spinning some increasingly unbelievable story of how she hit her neck off the kitchen cupboard too, desperately trying to excuse the position they've been caught in, dodging questions when given to her. Because nobody would dare risk asking Zoey herself. For two actresses, they are both shit.

This soon trickles over into their community players show and other projects they work on. Zoey begrudgingly telling Hidgens to lay off Hailey, if only out of pity for how pathetically hopeless she is onstage. Hailey's costumes that had always been very bland, oversized and shapeless become more and more back in tune with the rest of the costume design. Initially it's small details. The one day she's in a full corset and heeled boots.

Hailey's fashion sense in general seems to improve. She's never going to reach Zoey levels or anything, but it must be nice for them to see Hailey more confident/comfortable in her own body. Zoey is still probably picking clothes but is just more flexible on what those are than she was before. All of the best stuff of course is kept only for her, she's not having Hailey walk out their bedroom in it so any random can see her. Of course, Cassie and Courtney don't know that. Hell, she even gets to wear the actual Beanie's uniform. Apparently they were working on that clumsiness so spilling hot coffee on her skin is no longer an issue??

Zoey is still bringing Hailey to family functions, none of the men in her life are really appropriate for this, so it was always Hailey by default. And it pisses her off to no end how much her family like Hailey. Zach and Josh become very buddy-buddy with her, their parents say Hailey is the nicest friend Zoey has ever had (the others being very bitchy and superficial), even fucking Mima is thrilled because Hailey is beyond happy to sit and knit with her in the retirement home. None of this really changes once they are together, as they don't tell anyone. But something in that vibe shifts it.

Josh starts asking Zach about his sister and her sexuality. Does she like women? Does she like Hailey? Because at Mima's birthday last week, one of the family friends tried chatting Hailey up and if looks could kill, said person would have dropped dead under Zoey's gaze along with everyone else in the room. Zach brushes it off because the last time he bought up Zoey's gender it went to horribly. Though he does take Josh's repeated questioning and comments as the prompt/excuse he needs to try have the conversation again.

And Zoey... doesn't completely flip out on him?

She's still not thrilled and definitely lies. But it's more of a simple "no, I'm with Sam, you know that" than a ton of expletives and all but tearing his eyes out.

The second he tries to have the same conversation with Hailey about Zoey, she kinda gives it away with the same shitty bluff and excuse Cassie and Courtney got. But he doesn't say anything. Let's her think he is convinced of Zoey's heterosexuality and movs on.

Zach later informs all of this Josh, who immediately jumps on the revenge train. Half-jokingly. He has the information to oust Zoey out of the inheritance she's stolen from everyone else and after doing the same to him, she would deserve it. Zach won't but holds off on doing anything either way. Zoey and Hailey both seem happier with whatever is going on , maybe this is the start of Zoey turning over some new leaf.

At some stage, sobbing and fairly tipsy (if not drunk), Zoey ends up stranded on their side of Hatchetfield because some man stood her up and shows up at their house in the middle of shitty weather. Neither really want to drive out at this hour to return her home and Josh tries to just offer some bus/taxi money, but Zach agrees anyway. While she is upset about this guy flinging her off and treating her like she isn't THE Zoey Chambers, she admits to feeling sad/worried that she is pushing Hailey aware. She's hearing all these people telling Hailey to leave. It's only a matter of time before Hailey realises she can sing above a C5 and then some Broadway casting director will snatch her up just like every other female with a high voice.

It all comes spilling out of her and Zach is just left stood there, frozen, reaching for the car keys while Josh is rightfully concerned about whatever is going on.

Taking advantage of Zoey being in a state more inclined to listen, Zach finally has that conversation with her and gets some of the truth out. Not enough to truly make her into a new, better person. But at least gets as far as having Zoey properly acknowledge the fact yes, she likes Hailey and probably needs to talk to Hailey about it. Oh and maybe liking this one mezzo-soprano is not the end of the world. Zoey sobers up enough to tell him it is.

In any case, she does go back home and eventually (it's at least a couple days later, she's not changed all her principles after one drunk night) does have that conversation with Hailey. They are never going to be the fluffy, overly affectionate, gooey type couple in public but she does want it to be more known than it is right now. She'd like to go out together, for people to know they are a couple, to have a reason to shoo those undeserving people away from looking at her girlfriend.

Hailey, surprised but flattered, agrees.

Zoey is still very jealous and possessive. Maybe just more upfront. She's not going out of her way to announce Hailey is her girlfriend to the public, but if some piece of trash (Ted probably) ever tried anything to her Hailey, he'd be found dead in a supply cupboard of the Starlight Theatre with the message "leave my girlfriend alone, motherfucker". All of the community players recognise the handwriting and know it's her, so they get the warning too. Sam, who Zoey is still seeing on and off for her own gain, covers it up at the station.

Hailey is still a little nervous mentioning the whole dating thing. Won't bring it up unless someone directly asks or she is turning down some offer to dance because her girlfriend is sat right there Though she does enjoy the romantic benefits of the relationship no longer being hidden behind closed doors.

Always flustered to find lipstick kisses throughout her script or the fact on opening night she finds that she also got flowers in her dressing room. Ripped straight out of Linda Monroe's garden; Hailey should have been suspicious when Zoey offered to walk Walter for a change. And then the very romantic box of stomach soothing medication being tossed at her because someone wants to spend one date night not in the bathroom holding her girlfriend's stupidly long hair back.

Zoey has always received more bouquets, love notes and congratulation cards than she knows what to do with. But Hailey's are easily her favourite. They mean more. Hailey will always pick on little details the audience won't. She knows she can sing good and deliver a monologue like nobody else, but being reminded of the smaller things she did well for a change is nice.

Hailey has always done things for her, usually because Zoey just told her top, so it's nice waking up to see breakfast has been made for her in bed. A thermostat of tea ready to go to rehearsals. Again, it's little things she finds herself admiring more and more about Hailey.

They run lines together when alone and sing. Instead of giving very cryptic and worthless critiques, Zoey starts actually trying a little to make Hailey a better performer. Not massively, she's nor risking being replaced, but maybe Hailey can go from Tree No.3 to a minor speaking role. She tolerates more of Hailey singing and playing the guitar than she ever did previously. Maybe one day throws out a vague, "you could probably hit a C sharp if you tried harder".

Whatever project Zoey is doing Hailey has to be there too. She won't even addition, Zoey will just tell, force or seduce the director until he agrees to add her. It's a two for one thing. Whereas before Zoey would demand Hailey's presence but not so much that she needed to be onstage. Someone just needed to hold her phone, make her tea and shine her tap shoes.

The rest of the Chambers family had already welcomed Hailey in with fairly open arms - of course, there is no telling Mima - so that doesn't change when they hear about the relationship. Though there is a lot of thanking god that Zoey didn't end up with one of those awful boys she kept bringing home. Zach and Zoey get a little friendlier with each other, Hailey acting as some sort of middle ground. Zach, Josh and Hailey hangout quite a bit when Zoey is off doing other things. Maybe Zoey agrees to give Zach a dollar of her inheritance as a thank you.

Hailey still gets told to leave Zoey from time-to-time, but it's less frequent as most people can see that Hailey is at least getting something out of this new dynamic. And they both are happy. So... it's not okay but fine???

And if Zoey ever does need that reminder to be a little nicer or more grateful, Hailey can just move her shit onto the highest shelf until she gets a semi-decent apology.

Oh, and Hailey moves into Zoey's bedroom. Hailey's old room becomes Zoey's walk-in wardrobe.

They are not perfect and definitely still some kind of toxic, just maybe not outright poison. Blue shit maybe.

Starlet!Holloway Holywebs and Zailey interactions

This is just a brief segway that crossed my mind while writing this. No entirely relevant to this particular post, so I moved it for after I finished answering the ask but I still wanted to include it. For it is relevant to some of our discussions.

Jolene has definitely punched Zoey once. Okay, twice. Maybe thrice. Or a couple hundred times. Before she goes to troll Wilbur, she makes a stop by Beanie's and has a little practice round. Can't have another Geraldine/Glam or worse, Helene, in the making.

Oh, and she tells Hailey to dump her ass.

There's not really any explanation or anything else, just those few words after she's walked away from the cat fight that probably wrecked half the coffee shop.

Roxanne tries to do some kind of couples' therapy for Zailey. Create that open space for conversation her and Geraldine never had. It's debatable how often she succeeds in doing anything, her words could very easily cause Zoey to double down on her behaviour and/or inspire Hailey to just leave rather than try salvage something.

She deals a lot better with kids - older teens and young adults are difficult to her, they want to challenge and argue. Possibly while Marnie as a debate expert is more comfortable with them, being the reverse to Roxanne, she finds children difficult because they don't really want or know how to have those conversations. A lot of the time they struggle to express how they feel at that age; again, another tie into the music therapy as this would also help them express emotions better.

Marnie strikes me as being the most successful at putting Zoey in her place and getting some kind of resolution, nobody can really out argue her and if she is with Nora, she's naturally going to be at Beanie's the most. And I'm sure both Zoey and Hailey will stop by for CDs, the latter probably likes records too.

It wouldn't be any kind of immediate thing. Like Grace, it won't change her overnight but slowly plants seeds of doubt in her mind that start holding her back from truly descending down that path and ultimately stopping her more completely.

And similarly as someone who was in Hailey's shoes, I'm sure she has a lot to say about that which will mean a lot to Hailey.

Unnamed Zailey AU

(I really need a name for this but nothing has some to mind).

Anyways, they are dating when things kick off but still in the phase of not telling anyone about it.

The first half is more or less in Shapiro's point of view and she doesn't really realise what is going on at all. She's too busy and doesn't get paid enough to really look into this shit. In fact, she thinks Zoey is the supposed Mrs Charlotte Sweetly that keeps ringing the fucking emergency line about cuddle night given how all over her Sam is. At least until corrected by a very offended Zoey.

The second half would be through Hailey mostly, who obviously does have the bigger picture. Okay, no, she doesn't. At least she knows what's going on between her and Zoey (and Sam subsequently). The rest of the shit going on? That is anyone's guess. But she's in too deep now and does want to help Shapiro because the rest of the force is useless or complicit, so she'll try.