Zodiac Academy

27. Mercury

  Two more days of silence, boredom, disgusting and weird conversations between Char and Jaxson, and a handful of visits from Cho and Jenny had gone by. No word from the R.S. nor the Zodiacs.

  It was getting a little concerning. The Zodiacs should have at least said something to us by now. Even Jenny said she paid them a visit and they wouldn't tell her anything. Not even when she started conjuring up tears to the Scorpio Zodiac.

  Anywhere I went I felt watched. And when I had tried to watch a movie in the Aquarius theatre, they had forced me out, saying the Zodiacs hadn't made a decision yet. So I can't watch movies until they've decided I was worthy of their housing and teaching? That was so wrong!

  So once again, I found myself throwing a dirty ball at a boring ceiling in an awesomely decorated dorm room. I had tried to read some of Char's books that were in English, but he was more of a science fiction or supernatural guy while I was more of a dark romance or superheroes kind of girl. I had once even tried hanging out in my own dorm, but it had proven to be even more boring and lonely.

  Even Jaxson left me in Char's room alone because he got bored with my boredom and constant sighing. Char had started to grab a book and then leave me in here as well. It was starting to get even more lonely as time passed.

  What did the Zodiacs need to prove anyway? That I wasn't contacting the rebels? Because I haven't. I don't even know which house was theirs. I just knew it was somewhere near that one chick's house with the apple tree out front. Which wasn't very helpful if anybody asked me for directions.

  An hour ago I started to count how many times the ball hit the ceiling. When it hit the ceiling for the three hundred and forty-seventh time, the people in the dorm room above that were sleeping together stomped loudly on the floor and told me to cut it out. I waited four heartbeats before I resumed my count at three hundred and forty-eight. Needless to say, they weren't happy. But I wasn't happy either that I could hear them over the thumping of the ball.

  I had reached two thousand, six hundred and sixty-nine by the time another human being walked into the dorm room. And it happened to be Char.

  He slid a book back into its respective place on a shelf and crossed his arms as he looked at me. "I have gotten several complaints from the Gemini Zodiac that there is a disruptive noise coming from my ceiling," he stated.

  I shrugged and bounced the ball once more. Two thousand, six hundred and seventy. I was about to reach the next number when Char grabbed the ball that was made to look like Jupiter from the air.

  "Stop bouncing the freaking ball."

  "If I stop bouncing the freaking ball what is going to entertain me while I wait for the freaking R.S. or Zodiacs?" I countered.

  Char sighed, his hand holding the ball fisted on his hip and the other hand shoving through his slightly curly hair. "I don't know."

  "Then give me back Jupiter." I didn't move from my laying position on his bed, just shoving out my hand for him to place it back into my open palm.

  "I like Mercury better," he muttered, looking at the ball. Instead of returning the round object, Char grabbed my hand and pulled me up. He was careful not to yank my arm out of its socket, but I teased him about it anyway.

  "It could be seriously damaged," I complained, picking up my purposefully limp arm and letting it fall.

  He rolled his vibrant eyes. "If you were serious, that would have hurt." He gestured at my arm.

  I playfully smacked his arm with my previously limp one. "Whatever. Where are we going?"

  He walked over to his dresser and put the ball in a drawer. "What do you mean?" he asked, a smirk clear on his face.

  "You made me get up, now you have to take me somewhere."

  "I don't have to do anything," he replied cheekily.

  I frowned. "I'll whine," I threatened seriously.

  "That would be childish."

  "Have you met me?"

  "I'm calling your bluff."

  A smirk of my own appeared. "Try me."

  "How? By spraying, squeezing, or scratching the tag?" He looked completely serious. He said that with a straight face. Just hearing that made me want to laugh and cringe.

  Then I started to whine. Because if I laughed, he would've won. And that's not how I wanted this to play out. He rolled his eyes as I walked over to him and clung onto his arm. "Won't you just take me somewhere?" I shouted in a highly exaggerated voice.

  "You're so dramatic," he deadpanned.

  The door slammed open before I could whine a reply. I jumped closer to Char to avoid being hit. Jaxson didn't bother to shut the door as he whisper-shouted, "They're here!"

  "The Zodiacs?" I straightened from my hunched-over position.

  "No." His eyes went back and forth between Char and me in obvious confusion. "The Rogue Signs," he finished slowly.

  Char subtly pushed me away from him and stepped around me. "Where?"

  "They just breached through the Aries section. Which means they have all of the backup they need."

  "Which means now it is our time to join them," I corrected.

  Jaxson nodded. "I hope you're ready to fight the System."

^~^
This might be one of my favorite chapters. Thanks for reading.