The Destined

Chapter 19: Anna

    Anna    

Even though Avani healed my legs in the maze, they still feel weak. It was probably from the blood loss. That will explain some of my headaches too.

As I walk to my next class, I spot Millie in the halls. She beams when she sees me, and I tell her I am so happy to see her. I get carried away, talking about how tired I am, how I'm getting no sleep, and how exhausting and painful what I'm going through is. She seems confused and I just say bye to her because she wouldn't understand what I've been through for the past week.

"Bye, Anna!" Millie says when I'm done talking. She hugs me and walks away with her class. I smile and wave at her as she disappears out of the hallway. I turn around, adjusting my books in my hand. As soon as I start walking, I bump in to something. I look up and see Reese's face staring down at me. She puts on a wide, fake smile.

"Hey, Anna," Reese says cheerfully.

"What?" I ask, annoyed.

"You know how Avani and you are, like, best friends?" Reese smiles at me. Immediately, I think something is up.

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that we should be besties too," Reese exclaims, her curly blond hair bouncing along with her mouth.

"What do you want, Reese," I ask.

"Look, I know you guys are up to something," Reese says. She moves closer in to me. She's close enough so I can smell her cherry lip gloss and see my grey eyes against her deep blue ones. The bell for class rings, and I try to step past her but she blocks me again. "What are you guys doing? I know you've been skipping school."

"Reese, we've been doing anything but skipping school," I say. "Move. I need to get to class."

"My point is," she says, "that whatever you are doing, I want in. I am sick of school."

"No," I say.

"Or I'll tell," she says. "Anna, can't you see me trying to be nice here. I am willing to not call you a loser, and you just stand me up. What's wrong with being friends?"

"Everything," I glare at her. I finally push past her and get to class, trying to ignore her evil stare, even if it feels like daggers behind my back.

☾☾☾  

Before I know it, we are back in the so-called maze. Lotso sent everyone to bed early that night.

In the maze, the sky is cloudy and gray, and the air is cold. Fall is almost over. It's pretty windy, and the forest seems gloomier now that all the leaves have fallen off of the trees. We hear the thunder, but no lightning.

I've been reading the Lybrethium book a lot now. I saw parts about the healing water, lovelace fruit, and monsters like the Cyclops, and how they are hidden everywhere around us. I never wanted to do this maze in the first place, but according to Lotso – and the book – we have to. We are "destined."

Lovelace fruit is supposed to taste like your favorite type of fruit, but the book didn't show any images. I point out the name of it as we are looking for food close to the forest floor and I suggest that maybe we should look in the trees.

"It's almost winter time. There's no food in the trees," Melissa says.

We are still following the stream, but we decide to stop after some time of walking. Avani finds a berry bush and debates on whether or not she's going to try them. Melissa takes a nap near her, even if it's getting colder outside. I decide to walk around the stream. I don't dare get too far away though.