Zapped by an Apple | An Appledash College AU Fanfic | Human Characters

⓻ 『 Chicken Fried 』

Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band sent AJ's toes tapping in her ropers as she waited for Rain in her old mahogany-hued pickup-truck, and the already fervent sensation that filled her gut danced along to the tune. AJ knew Rain would tease her for it, as she usually had when she decided to play any ol' country song, but she didn't mind. If anything, for reasons she might never come to understand, she sort of hoped that she would. 

     For the sake of her sanity, the western blondie tried her best to stifle the contrasting dread that loomed close behind her zeal. The thing was, AJ had a secret. And a big one, at that. A secret that threatened to destroy both her and Rain in its terrible wake. 

     AJ hated secrets. By themselves, they weren't necessarily lies, sure, but if one was not careful enough, secrets had the potential to boil themselves into a nauseating stew that was full of them. And AJ would rather bathe for three and a half hours in boiling cider than tell a lie. 

    So, while she could hold back and hide behind what she knew was true to keep this formidable secret of hers hidden far beneath those less intimidating truths, if Rain somehow came up with the means to ask the right questions, AJ would be utterly screwed. 

     The young farmer had considered a life of isolation from Dash so that she could prevent her invaluable secret from breaking loose, but had decided that this would be worse than (though she struggled to admit it) any lie on earth. 

     Everything will be okay, she reasoned.

     I just have to make sure Rainbow never brings up that note again. 

___

"Does anyone have any additional questions?" Mr. Donovan gave his cohort about twenty seconds to answer--the longest twenty seconds of Rainbow's entire life. Well, next to that one time she was second (not first) in line for Granny Smith's beloved apple cider... So second. This was the second-longest twenty seconds of her life. 

     Finally, she sprung up from her chair, causing a raucous 'screech' to emanate from its strain against the beige tile floor. "I have a question sir," she declared, the evident sarcasm in her tone causing her professor to return a dulled-look of intolerance. 

     "Yes, Rain?" he humoured her. 

     "Can we go now?" she groaned, already packing up her things.

     Mr. Donovan adjusted his specs and squinted at the clock to the right of his desk. "Rain, we only have two and a half minutes left of class. And this is college, you can leave anytime you'd like," he added colourlessly. 

     "Yeah, yeah, but courtesy and stuff. What I'm trying to ask is if you're...y'know, concluding your lesson...or whatever," she motioned her hand in rapid circles and peered at the ceiling. 

     A drawn-out sigh escaped the professor's maw as he blinked slowly, "If that was your attempt at 'courtesy' Ms. Rain, then I would consider taking on some classes in respect." 

     Did he just make a dad joke? You have got to be kidding me... was what Rainbow thought, but from her mouth, she returned a forced belly laugh--even wiped a ghost-tear from the corner of her eye--and said, "You crack me up Don-don! That, was a good one..." 

     "Rain, you can go now," he declared, that dry expression sticking stubbornly to his mask like melted-taffy to wood. 

    "Okayyy, but only if--" 

    "Class is dismissed, you may leave. All of you," he cut her off, "Please leave." The poor old geezer was very much ready to go home and fall into his sofa for the rest of the evening.