Barcrow's: Codename K9

Chapter thirty eight - Anger

'Ugh!' She spit it out and dropped the apple. 'This one's too green.'

'Try this.' He tossed a nice red apple to her branch.

The tree they were one was quite tall and relatively easy to climb. It reminded Ellie of the last time she climbed among similar branches.

She took a bite and smiled. 'This one's yummy. I bet you bring every girl you like here.'

'Nah.'

The false answer was expected but it still hurt.

Zack took one for himself and took a big bite. He was sitting just out of reach on a medium sized branch that just about held his weight without threatening to break.

'I've been doing some research,' he finished chewing, 'on the orphanage you were at and the like.' He frowned.

K9? She thought slightly downcast.

'It was all too easy to find, all but one section. All data about who adopted you and what everything after that were locked. The computer said that my account was unauthorized. So I asked K9 if he'd check it out for me.'

Nononononono...

'He- instead of answering he asked me if I was snooping around, trying to find out if the rumours about his last long mission were true.' He took a bite out of his apple. 'I don't know what the rumours are but I think he might have been the one who adopted you.'

Ellie almost froze as he said all this but now panicked for a different reason entirely. A figure was approaching their tree, and he seemed very angry. She silently but urgently pointed that way.

'Uh oh.' He slowly started climbing lower.

'HOOLIGANS!! GET DOWN FROM THERE!' The figure really was angry.

He waved his pitchfork up at them and (accidentally) hit Zack's head, making him fall down. Ellie climbed a bit higher so it wouldn't reach her.

Zack rolled over and made a dash for it.

'GET BACK HERE, BRAT!' He ran after Zack, all the while dangerously waving the pitchfork.

Seizing the chance, Ellie climbed down and ran the other way (as fast as she could run in the dress...).

She ran through a stone gate that led out of the orchard and stopped as soon as she was out of sight.

As she sat with her back to the orange brick wall, trying to silently catch her breath, she spotted a bench.

It was painted white, with complex flower patterns all over. The iron fence that ran along, beside the path for as long as the eye could see, was broken and missing from the circular area in front of it, forming a sort of vantage point that overlooked the city below.

There were locks on the fence nearby. With names engraved, carved or painted on them, symbolising eternal love.

Yeah, I doubt it means anything. Most of them will break up anyway.

She walked over to take a look at the names as Zack came jogging towards her from the next stone arch.

She waited 'till he got to her.

'I lost him!' He smiled. 'And am I glad I found you so easily! It could have taken hours...'

'You're hurt!' Ellie noted as she spotted a thin red line beside his left eye.

'It's Just a scratch, I've had worse before.'

'Is that meant to comfort me or are you just bragging?' She raised an eyebrow jokingly.

'Both!' He showed his teeth.

She looked over the edge and breathed. 'Don't push me down.'

There wasn't all that much reason for it, but Zack seemed to take it very seriously.

'Who told you I'd push you down?' He caught her wrist. 'Who told you?'

Ellie froze.

He raised his voice. 'Do you really think I'd push you down? You?'

There was no way she'd mention any ghosts around him, he was the type that would consider it nonsense.

'Tell me! Was it Abi? Or Celeste? It was her, wasn't it?'

Don't go blaming things on my friends. A tear came to her eye.

'Who was it? Tell me!' By now he was shouting.

The pain from Ellie's wrist made her wince and the tear escaped.

Zack froze, realising what was happening. He promptly let her go and took two steps back. 'Damn it.' He whispered.

He turned to the wall and started punching it. 'Damn it.' Thump. 'Damn it.' Thump. 'Damn it!' Thump. 'Damitdamitdamitdamit!' Thump. Thump. He sank to the ground and turned his back to the wall.

'Sorry.' He whispered after a while, eyes closed.

For a few more moments Ellie just stared, not knowing what to do or what to think, and slightly in shock. Then she slowly made her way towards him and sat down.

Maybe I should tell him about them... Throwing such a tantrum because of one sentence. Why? Is he scared? Of what? He can't be scared that I'll be scared of him right? Did that even make any sense? He never even had me, he can't be afraid he'll lose me. Right? Or maybe... Is it possible to lose what you don't have?

He remained motionless.

'Um... hey... do you, um, believe in ghosts?'

'So it was Celeste.' He muttered under his breath.

Now that she was over the shock of his sudden anger she was getting angry. 'Stop blaming people!'

'But it makes sense. It's not like we ever got along that well and she's been babbling on about ghosts (air quotations) for as long as I can remember. It drives me crazy that K9 actually believes everything she says.'

'So you don't think they're real. Huh. By the way no one told me about this place before.' She got up and in an effort to change the subject, said, 'Let's get something to eat.' sounding way more cheerful than she felt.

Zack looked up in disbelief but didn't argue.