Zodiac Academy

19. Apple Tree

  Of course, I would worry about Jaxson. He was still my best friend. No matter what happened, whose side he was on, he would always be my best friend.

  Thankfully I wasn't left to wander around this building for hours looking for the exit. Janice found me and escorted me to the door. "We'll miss your presence."

  "If 'we' means none of us," I replied calmly.

  Janice scowled. "I won't miss you. Adeline will miss your presence. Jaxson most likely will as well. He volunteered himself to keep an eye out for you, you know?"

  "Why is that?" He had said that before. I hadn't gotten the chance to ask him before. He ran out on me.

  Janice shrugged. "I only just met the kid. If anyone knew it would probably be you."

  I thought about it. He was my friend. But even that wouldn't make someone have to do what he did. A picture of him grabbing my arms and asking me a question fluttered across my thoughts.

  That could be why.

  I shook my head. No. There's no way. I had rejected him. He couldn't possibly still harbor feelings for me. Had someone rejected me, I would have given up and been okay with their decision.

  Slave.

  What a positive impact Jaxson creates for me. He's just a ray of freaking sunshine in my life.

  Janice left me at the door. I heard a lock click on the other side once she had firmly slammed it in my face. I guess she didn't like me very much. I didn't like her either.

  Turning around to look at the rest of the outside world was a bad idea. I didn't recognize anything. The two-story house was surrounded by other homes. So it was a neighborhood.

  However, the rest of the world didn't look familiar. Outside of the academy, the trees were maple and every patch of grass was decorated and beautiful. As if someone was keeping them up for the Queen if she came for a visit. While here, it was as if vinegar had become water. The grass was a dead brown and grey color, the trees were thin, and there were no decorative gardening anywhere.

  Almost like a wasteland filled with housing to distract the eyes from the dying plant life. It was awful to see. Weren't there any Taurus here to keep the plants healthy?

  Last I heard, the Zodiacs occasionally sent some of their own to help the people who hadn't made it to graduation. Was that a lie? Or did the people here just drive them away?

  I stepped away from the house harboring rebels and tried to gauge the best way to return back to the academy. Should I ask someone? I should have at least asked which direction I should have headed in. Or do I just walk around until something looks familiar?

  You would think it would be in the center of this civilization, right? I started walking up the road first. Maybe this road eventually led to a supermarket or something. Which would have a cashier who could give me directions. Right?

°^°^°

  I was tired. And getting slower, hungry, and thirsty. I had not come across any other road that led to something other than more rows of houses. It was getting irritating that all I could see were more bland houses and dead plants in my future.

  I kicked every pebble in my path as I continued to walk. Soon enough, I saw something new at the end of the road I was currently walking on. A live tree with vibrant colored fruit hanging from it. I'd be lying if I said I walked to that tree.

  Running had drained the last bit of energy I had left in me. But it would all be worth it once I got my hands on one of those apples. They looked so inviting.

  Reaching my hand up, I was getting ready to pluck the fruit when an angry tapping noise appeared. I paused to look around. A person was in the house, angrily looking at me and tapping the window.

  The door opened and a woman with salt and pepper colored hair walked out. "What do you think you're doin', young lady?"

  "I'm so hungry. I don't mean to be rude. Can I have an apple?"

  "Tell your momma to plant her own dang fruit tree. You think we planted that just for you to come steal some of our property one day? Do ya?" the woman asked.

  A child ran out of the house and clung to her side. "Who is that, momma?"

  The woman shushed her child. "A thief lookin' for trouble."

  "I'm not a thief," I stated firmly.

  "Were you going to ask for that there apple?" She pointed to the fruit on the tree.

  Well, no. I wrung my hands as I searched for another way to get food and water. Surely this lady wasn't going to offer after I already tried to unknowingly steal from her.

  "Well?" she asked impatiently.

  I sighed, shaking my head. "I was going to eat it and move on," I admitted.

  The woman smiled. "Grab the apple and come inside." She turned around and walked inside with her child as I stared at her retreating back.

  Best not to question it for too long. I snapped the apple from the tree and walked in after her.