Hot take: drew and Zoey DO love each other
(or at least have at one point).
Not saying they're not toxic or shallow or that it could've worked but to deny they had feelings for each other just for other ships to seem cooler seems pointless to me
They loved each other, though they are horrible cor each other that doesn't mean they don't care for each other (case in point: drake)
This is not to say drew isn't in love with Jake (I'm a big drew-is-in-love-with-jake-and-the-closet-is-made-of-glass-truther myself) but I don't think drew dated her just for reputation, they both have a messed up way of showing and receiving love (Drew's love language is gift giving, and Zoey might feel loved when given money which is weird af but it makes sense in a way, her getting a sugar daddy could be to get more money but also more love ever since drew might've started acting distant or uncaring towards her or she felt like his love and attention wasn't enough, cuz she seems extreme desperate for respect and attention and stuff like that, given how she usually makes herself to be the center of attention so often and how she tries putting herself above everyone else, meanwhile Drew would pay more attention to jake than her at times lmao, which might've made her angry or jealous or idk. but she craved his gifts, his love at one point.)
Zoey did manipulate and deceive him and he fell for it, RosyClozy at point said "Teeth" (a song by 5 Seconds Of Summer) fit Droey really well , and these are the lyrics
The song seems to be about someone infatuated with their lover, being the only brightness in their life and genuinely caring about them, but being lied to and deceived and ig being afraid of being pushed away
When drew found out zoey cheated on him, he was quite obviously upset, as anyone would be, really. Though you could say that, in a way, he seemed to be more upset about Jake not telling him Zoey cheated on him, than... Zoey cheating on him. Again, the show prioritizes how Drew feels about Jake over how he feels about Zoey, which makes it a bit more complicated to break down the true feelings behind Droey. (Plus, all the other ships have canon origins. Lander - childhood best friends. Jailey - met at freshman year, but Jake turned his back on Hailey in order to fit in w the jomies, causing rivalry and mistrust between the two. Jaisy - met in middle school, where she encouraged Jake's passions. Milliot - milliot spinoff ep1, see for yourself. Etc etc. but droey? We don't know how they met or how they got together. I assume it's gonna be revealed in S2 at one point. And it might be really important.)
At one point he worries about Zoey not asking him to buy her anything one time they went out. This was because that's his way of showing love like I said earlier. He was worried because she, in a way, rejected his love. He was worried she didn't love him anymore.
For what reason? Because he loved her.
Now, why does he act distant or ignorant to her at times? Heck if I know. In ep9 for example he seems more annoyed from her than anything else, really. Maybe he's fallen out of love..maybe he's tried of her. Maybe his love for Jake outweighed his love for Zoey. Maybe he felt like she didn't love him anymore, so he didn't feel like trying to love her either. Maybe something else entirely.
Drew cared about Zoey. End of discussion
Now, what is "the line" that separates romantic and platonic love? I honestly don't know. Was drew in love with her? Was it romantic or platonic? Could he have mistaken his feelings for something else? Idfk. I honestly think romantic attraction makes no bullshit. I always saw it as platonic attraction combined with sexual attraction but apparently that . Is not the case ???? Which makes no sense to me. Can some explain pls lmao
That's not the point. He loved her. Now, the show focuses more on how he loved and how he misses Jake, but it's not like Jake is the only person he loves and cares about.
Now does ZOEY love DREW? that's a separate discussion to have. Throughout the show we don't get too much of Zoey tbh. Or we do, but the fandom doesn't pay enough attention to her like it does to other characters. Which makes sense ig? At first glance she seems like a one sided antagonist that could be described in simple terms like "girlboss", "mean girl" "popular girl" "annoying" "manipulative" and that's it. But upon further speculation I feel like there's more to her. In ep3 when Jake threatens to reveal to Drew that she has been cheating on Drew, that's the first and last time she seems to soften up and seem genuinely afraid or caring. Like yeah, she doesn't want to lose the privilege of having him as her bf, that's what it seems like.. but I also have the feeling she was genuinely afraid of losing him for reasons other than money? Even though we can assume she acts affectionate towards him only to manipulate him, I feel like, again, there's more than we can tell.
I feel like though, it could've been very possible that they wanted love and affection in general, but didn't love each other specifically? But the Teeth song makes me think that's not the case.
This is what my mom thinks:
(I think they're both desperate tbh)
My mom also thinks Zoey might have had neglectful parents who mostly showed love to her through gifts and money, so that's why she's constantly seeking partners that give her such things, cause she's used to being loved that way - and being unloved as a child can make you have a messed up idea on what love is (this is the same exact backstory most people believe drew has, and honestly it makes sense for them both)
There's also this image, right here: (from extrarosy teeth MEP addition)
Both smiling, looking genuinely happy, faintly blushing. It doesn't seem as fake or artificial as it usually is.
They can't bear to lose each other. They need each other.
Why? That's up to debate. Maybe Zoey is a one-sided antagonist that's only dating drew for money, maybe drews relationship with her was a beard relationship like most people think so, maybe I'm just overthinking this all.
But again, I think they're more complex...
They're so interesting I need to study them under a microscope
Idk what I'm talking about tbh. This is very surface level and there's much more to say tbh but this is all I feel like saying at thr moment