Sweet Maple Pines

Chapter Eight: Then It Clicks

The lunch lady places a hot steaming slab of pie on my tray. I frown confused. The lunch lady just smiles at me.

"Um, can I get a chicken patty?" I ask. She tilts her head confused by this question.

"Chicken?" I repeat. She nods sliding the spatula under another pie slice. Because everything displayed is pie. All of it. No generic burgers or chicken sandwiches. No carrots. No apples. Just pie.

The students eating at the tables  don't seem to mind the lack of choice they have here.

I'm about to give up and sit down but my stomach grumbles loudly reminding me I already skipped breakfast and if I skip lunch I might not survive.

"Do you have anything other than pie I'm allergic" I tell the clueless lunch lady.

Her eyes widen and her whole body begins to rack with laughter? The students in line behind me join in then the whole cafeteria until the room is filled with a chorus of empty humorless laughter. This whole town is the opposite of normal. If dad hasn't seen that by now. I'm trekking out of here on foot.

                           ×      ×      ×

I survive the rest of the day. Key word: survive. After lunch, my next class was gym which instead of running laps or doing circuits. We did yoga and stress reliving exercises.

Each student was required to choose a partner and since Matthew was nowhere to be seen. I got stuck with some boy named Tomas. We were instructed to massage each other backs, ask each other 'how we were feeling', and other stuff that would normally embrass a teenage but if you hadn't caught on we are in sweet maple pines and everything here is out of the ordinary.

Including the buses. They were red and resembled long hipster vans. I was completely skeptical about riding one so just opted out and walked home. Not like I knew which one to ride to get home anyway.

I walk lost for about half an hour before I stumble across the town stores. I can see Debras from where I stand at the corner. Mabye I can ask for directions to get to the neighborhood.

The sun shines above harshly making every womans flamboyant dresses radiant their color and me sweat even more. The walk to Debras looks excruciatingly long now that I'm tired.
I sigh taking a moment to look around for someone who could help with directions.

A boy walks his dog smiling at the clouds above, two old women help each other cross the empty street, a family walks happily down the sidewalk not too far in front of me.

"Hi" I call to the family approaching them. The older man that I assume is the husband holds out a hand.

"Hi! I'm Pete!" I shake his hand nearly losing my arm from his grip.

"Morris" I tug my hand free massaging it.

"Awesome! I finally get to meet you! We've heard so much about you!' His family nods in agreement. So the community has a overnight cult meeting or what?

"Nice!" I force a smile " But I was wondering--"

"And it's such a shame your allergic to pie!" His wife shakes his head in pity.

"It's the gluten in the pie but I was actually looking for dir- -" I'm interrupted by the two children with the couple.

"Such a shame" says a little girl in a red dress

"Missing out on the best pie in the whole world! The whole galaxy!" Says a teenage boy

I don't attempt to speak anymore. Just eye the family. . Everyone knows me. And about my allergy. But how? And why? I'm no one special. I'm Morris Weathers. For crying out loud! Then it clicks. Everyone here is obessed with pie and I'm allergic to it. That's why.

"But what's a lil' allergy! Never stopped anyone before!" His wife quirks. I swallow the lump in my thoart suddenly feeling fearful.

"I should get going" I manvuer around the family trying to ignore their white smiles and burning eyes on my back.

A/N

It's about to get real! Who caught on to some of the clues in this chapter?! I'm contemplating on whether to have a key event happen next chapter or later? Nah, I'll just leave you all in suspense ;)

Comment, vote, criticize!