Cameroon's P.O.V
The next day Apple follows me like a professional stalker. Walking with me to school, showing up during lunch and dropping me home like I'm a kid. Well, the last part I understand. We're neighbours, and usually I wouldn't mind the extra company, but not when she keeps interrupting my mate, Jake.
For example, Jake says, "So I finally got Zoey's attention and-", and then Apple butts in, "I can teach you how to use it, if you have something to barter with."
Jake frowns and starts, "And so basically I got a date for-"
"But seriously yours suck compared to mine. Mine are way cooler."
"AND SO THEN ZOEY SAYS-"
"And by the way I might show up after dinner so we can work on this together. And no, Cameron I'm not annoying! Stop thinking that!"
"Apple, shut up!" I scream finally. This conversation had me tearing my hair out so far. What I WANT to know is if Zoey actually like Jake, but with Apple butting in all the time I barely know if they spoke!
"Rude!" Apple says dramatically. I'm surprised that she can read my thought and YET be so clueless about how annoying this is getting. "Cameron, I'll see you later," Jake says before storming off. Damn. I really wanted to know if Zoey was with Jake, or if I could date her. I'm sorry Jake, but she's pretty.
"Stop fantasying about Zoey! That bitch? You like her?" Apple yells a little too loudly. I don't need to look at Jake's face to tell that he's mad.
"Apple, shut up!" I say through closed teeth. Instead, Apple keeps ranting about Zoey and me and how I should appreciate that she's offering to teach me. Honestly, we must sound like idiots to passersby. I can imagine them thinking "Wow, that guy has to put up with that crazy chick. Losers."
"I'm not a crazy chick!" Apple screams defiantly.
"Why are you yelling?!" I ask her. "They're going to find out about us and then lock us up or something!"
"Well, I'm sorry," Apple starts stubbornly, but this time I can hear some amount of truth in her voice. "I finally find someone like me after all these years of being on my own! And you expect to deal with it normally? I'm anything but normal, can't you see? And so are you!"
"I am absolutely normal. I just have a few extra abilities," I retort. Apple snorts gracefully and then seats me on a creaky old bench.
"Look," she starts. "No one, and I mean, no one, know about what I can do. Do you know how hard it is? I mean, imagine if I get too excited and start flying. Or I blabber someone's secrets out by mistake. It's hard, okay? So listen to me!"
I start thinking about it from her point of view. What if one day I'm too lazy to grab some homework from the teacher's desk and my arm stretches out and does it for me? Or I get super embarrassed when Zoey looks at me and turn invisible in the middle of the hallway?
"Stop nodding off!" Apple says. "Pay attention!"
"Sorry." Mentally I add, not sorry at all weirdo.
Then I remember that she can read minds, so that won't work on Apple Shade. But most normal things never do.
